Bird smuggling, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), is a threat not only to the lives of individual birds but to the taxonomic class as a whole. 

UZ Daily reported on one such instance of falcon trafficking. 

What's happening?

According to UZ Daily, the Anti-Smuggling Department of the Tashkent Region Customs Directorate, in partnership with members of the State Security Border Troops in Uzbekistan, detained a bird smuggler.

The culprit was already being surveilled as a suspect. When officials stopped them at the Oktesh checkpoint, they found eight live falcons in the smuggler's bag. 

The falcons' eyes and legs were bound, as reported by UZ Daily, and their wings were taped. 

Why is illegal bird smuggling important?

Falcons, according to UZ Daily, are in the Red Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan. This book is a detailed list of rare and endangered animals, plants, and fungi. 

Despite this, falcons are a fairly commonly smuggled animal from Uzbekistan, according to a Global Organized Crime infographic. 

Groups and individuals smuggle birds of all kinds for financial gain. Parrot trafficking alone is a $45-$50 billion industry, according to the AVMA. 

When birds are taken from their habitats to be sold into household captivity, their natural behaviors are suppressed. The suppression is unhealthy for the animal, both physically and behaviorally.  

The eight falcons confiscated from the bird trafficker in Uzbekistan were rehomed in a zoo, as their wild habitats no longer suited them in their damaged state. Not all smuggled birds have this fate post-confiscation. 

Bird sanctuaries, according to the AVMA, are overwhelmed with the sheer number of unwanted exotic birds being sent to them, and the issue of rehoming smuggled birds puts sanctuaries in a similar spot. 

This can lead to the release of these birds, be they in their natural habitat or not. 

Both outcomes damage nature's biodiversity. Animals, where they are nonnative, can be invasive. Invasive species compete with native animals for resources and disrupt the food chain.

What's being done about bird smuggling?

Customs authorities in Uzbekistan, according to UZ Daily, are currently investigating the illegal trafficking of rare falcons. 

Uzbekistani customs agents and border officers have access to informative resources on what animals are illegal to transport, according to KYPCNB. The online database was developed to ensure the correct identification and confiscation of smuggled animals.

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