The Cabinet has approved in principle a ministerial regulation to remove the red-whiskered bulbul from the country’s protected wildlife list to support breeding programmes and promote it as an economic species.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Persvivatana announced the decision today, July 21, following a proposal by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
The move aims to make breeding and raising the birds easier while supporting income generation and reflecting current circumstances.
The red-whiskered bulbul is currently listed as number 576 among protected non-aquatic wildlife species in Thailand. As a result, owners, breeders and traders must obtain permits and comply with legal requirements, which the government said has limited wider breeding and expansion.
Removing the species from the list, the government said, would allow the public to breed and raise the birds more easily, helping increase captive populations and reduce the need to capture birds from the wild.
The government also aims to promote bird breeding as an economic activity while supporting the long-standing tradition of songbird competitions, particularly in southern Thailand.
The National Wildlife Conservation and Protection Committee previously approved the proposal to remove the species from the protected wildlife list. However, it also directed the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to closely monitor wild bird populations.
If monitoring shows the population is declining or faces risks to its distribution or survival, the department will be required to reconsider restoring the red-whiskered bulbul to the protected wildlife list.
The government said the policy aims to balance community livelihoods and economic opportunities with wildlife conservation by promoting responsible breeding. Wild populations will continue to be monitored to prevent ecological impacts and discourage the capture or hunting of birds from the wild.
In similar news, a woman in Chumphon faces up to five years in jail and a fine of up to 500,000 baht for keeping 37 protected birds as pets without permission. The woman insisted that she did not buy or obtain the birds illegally and that the birds came to her of their own free will.
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