Wildlife traffickers are now targeting Indonesia’s critically endangered maleo birds
Maleo birds, which are found in Sulawesi’s tropical jungles, gather at communal nesting grounds to lay eggs in sandy areas warmed by sunlight or geothermal energy. The supplied report says the critically endangered species is now being targeted by wildlife traffickers, but provides no further details about trafficking activity or its scale.
Maleos are black-and-white birds found in the thick tropical jungles of Sulawesi, Indonesia. They stand about 60 centimeters, or roughly 2 feet, tall and have blue, orange and yellow markings on their faces.
When it is time to lay eggs, the birds travel to communal nesting grounds. These sites are located on sandy beaches heated either by the sun or by geothermal energy.
The supplied source identifies wildlife trafficking as a threat to the critically endangered maleo. It does not provide details about the traffickers, the locations involved, the number of birds or eggs affected, or the methods being used.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What conditions make the maleos’ communal nesting grounds vulnerable to trafficking?
How much of the species’ decline is linked to trafficking rather than other threats?
Who is responsible for protecting the nesting grounds, and what resources are available to them?
What would happen to maleo populations if access to the nesting grounds were restricted?
Which evidence would establish the scale and recent trajectory of trafficking involving maleos?
YOUR QUESTION
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · SEPTEMBER 2026