News Articles
- LatinUS (2026) Científicos desarrollan herramienta que permitiría anticiparse al tráfico de loros silvestres mexicanos
- SciDevNet (2026) Tráfico de loros en México persiste y se desplaza a ciudades [by Humberto Basilio]
- ASU News (2026) Mapping the ‘hidden highways’ of Mexico’s illegal wildlife trade
- ANU Reporter (2026) Mapping the shadows: scientists predict the ‘hidden highways’ of Mexico’s illegal wildlife trade
- Mongabay (2026) On an Indonesian island, an ancient ritual evolves to protect an endangered cockatoo [by Basten Gokkon]
- ANU Reporter (2026) Indigenous-led conservation helps save endangered cockatoo
- Nature (2026) Live parrots were carried across the Andes before the Incas’ rise – PDF
- Science (2026) Ancient Peruvians transported live parrots across the Andes [by Christina Larson] – PDF
- The New York Times (2026) In Ancient Peru, a Parrot Trade That Crossed the Andes – PDF in English | PDF en Español
- Smithsonian (2026) Humans May Have Transported Live Parrots Over the Andes Mountains Along Sophisticated Trade Routes Before the Rise of the Inca Empire [by Sarah Kuta] – PDF
- American Scientist (2026) Elaborate Pre-Inca Parrot Trade [by Nicholas Gerbis] – doi:10.1511/2026.114.3.143 | PDF
- ORF Science (2026) Alte DNA: Vor-Inka-Kulturen handelten mit Papageien – PDF
- Discover Magazine (2026) Ancient DNA Reveals a Pre-Inca Trade Network That Carried Parrots Alive Across the Andes to Coastal Peru [by Anastasia Scott] – PDF
- Live Science (2026) Pre-Inca culture acquired Amazonian parrots from hundreds of miles away to use their feathers to decorate the dead, new analysis reveals [by Kenna Hughes-Castleberry] – PDF
- 404 Media (2026) Scientists Discover Vast Ancient Trade Network That Rewrites History with Parrot DNA [by Becky Ferreira] – PDF
- Popular Science (2026) Ancient Andean parrot trade route stretched over 300 miles [by Laura Baisas] – PDF
- Gizmodo (2026) In Ancient Peru, Feather Traders Transported Live Parrots Across Treacherous Mountains [by Gayoung Lee] – PDF
- Refractor (2026) Tomb feathers from wild parrots reveal extensive ancient trade route [by Jules Roscoe] – PDF
- ZME Science (2026) Pre-Inca Wildlife Traders Were Moving Live Tropical Parrots Over the Andes 1,000 Years Ago for Elite Burials – PDF
- ANU Reporter (2026) Analysis of ancient parrot DNA reveals sophisticated, long-distance animal trade network that pre-dates the Inca Empire – PDF
- ABC News (2024) Cutting-edge technology is being deployed to stop the illegal trafficking of Australian wildlife [by Tom Hartley]
- CITES (2024) Wildlife forensics success stories and developments
- Lafeber (2024) Global Parrot Conservation Spotlight: New Parrot DNA Database to Track Illegal Trading – PDF
- ABC News (2024) Canberra scientists using DNA to fight trafficked parrot trade [by Kate Midena & Alice Matthews] – PDF
- ANU Reporter (2024) Free as a bird: how forensic genomics is helping to stop wildlife trafficking [by Tabitha Carvan] – PDF
- Voz de America (2024) Una base de datos de ADN ayudará a luchar contra el tráfico ilegal de vida silvestre – PDF
- SCIMEX (2024) Breaking the chains: dismantling the illegal parrot trade – PDF
- The Canberra Times (2024) Aussie scientists taking down the international illegal parrot trade [by Emily Anderson] – PDF
- 444.hu (2022) Világszerte veszélyben vannak a papagájok / The worldwide decline of parrots [by Bence Horváth] – PDF magyarul | PDF in English
- Mongabay (2021) CSI, but for parrots: Study applies criminological tool CRAAVED to wildlife trade [by Grace Dungey and Nick Rodway] – PDF
- The Australian National University (2021) Parrot poachers striking while the market’s hot – PDF
- Mongabay (2021) Current protected areas not enough to save parrots from extinction: Study [by Liz Kimbrough] – PDF
- SDP Noticias (2021) Los loros están al borde de la extinción, advierten [by Fabián Vázquez] – PDF
- ZME Science (2021) Parrots are facing extinction, and only policymakers can save them [by Alexandru Micu] – PDF
- ANU Reporter (2021) Parrots pushed to extinction, despite protection policies – PDF
- Mongabay (2016) Exceptional beauty, exceptional risk: New study reveals extinction dangers for parrots [by Meghan Gilbert] – PDF
Scientific Papers
- Olah G, Léon-Pérez R, Berryman AJ, Asner G, Heinsohn R (2026)
Shifting drivers and predictable corridors of an illegal wildlife trade network.
PNAS 123(36):e2609240123. doi:10.1073/pnas.2609240123
Full text | PDF | Supplementary | Press release | Video abstract doi:10.5446/73708 - Agustina D, Nandika D, Eprilurahman R, Priyono DS, Olah G (2026)
Sacred rituals and endangered birds: Aligning cockatoo conservation efforts with local customary wisdom on Seram Island, Maluku, Indonesia.
Journal of Ethnobiology 46(3):242–254. doi:10.1177/02780771261463246
Full text | PDF | Press release | Video abstract doi:10.5446/73774 - Olah G*, Bover P*, Llamas B, Heiniger H, Segura Llanos R, Shimada I (2026)
Ancient DNA and spatial modeling reveal a pre-Inca trans-Andean parrot trade.
Nature Communications 17:2117. doi:10.1038/s41467-026-69167-9
Full text | PDF | Supplementary Information | Supplementary Tables | Data | Press release | Video abstract doi:10.5446/72697 | Behind the Paper - Nandika D*, Agustina D*, Heinsohn R, Olah G (2021)
Wildlife trade influencing natural parrot populations on a biodiverse Indonesian island.
Diversity 13(10):483. doi:10.3390/d13100483
Full-text | PDF - Pires SF*, Olah G*, Nandika D, Agustina D, Heinsohn R (2021)
What drives the illegal parrot trade? Applying a criminological model to market and seizure data in Indonesia.
Biological Conservation 257:109098. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109098
PDF | Supplementary | Video abstract doi:10.5446/53593 - Olah G, Smith BT, Joseph L, Banks SC, Heinsohn R (2021)
[Review] Advancing genetic methods in the study of parrot biology and conservation.
Diversity 13(11):521. doi:10.3390/d13110521
Invited to the special issue “Ecology and Conservation of Parrots in Their Native and Non-Native Ranges”.
Full-text | PDF - Vergara-Tabares D, Cordier J, Landi M, Olah G, Nori J (2020)
Global trends of habitat destruction and consequences for parrot conservation.
Global Change Biology 26(8):4251–4262. doi:10.1111/gcb.15135
Full-text | PDF | Supplementary | Press release | Media coverage - Olah G, Theuerkauf J, Legault A, Gula R, Stein J, Butchart S, O’Brien M, Heinsohn R (2018)
Parrots of Oceania – A comparative study of extinction risk.
Emu – Austral Ornithology 118(1):94–112. doi:10.1080/01584197.2017.1410066
Invited paper for the special issue on parrots. The publisher identified this paper as the most ‘talked about’ article in terms of altmetrics, in April 2018.
PDF | Video abstract doi:10.5446/48649 - Olah G, Butchart SHM, Symes A, Guzmán IM, Cunningham R, Brightsmith DJ, Heinsohn R (2016)
Ecological and socio-economic factors affecting extinction risk in parrots.
Biodiversity and Conservation 25(2):205–223. doi:10.1007/s10531-015-1036-z
Top 1% cited paper in the field of Environment/Ecology.
Full-text | PDF | Supplementary 1 | Supplementary 2 | Video abstract doi:10.5446/47153
* shared first-authorship
Videos
Radio
- Nature Podcast | Research Highlights | Host: Dan Fox | doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00891-4 | 18 Mar 2026
- WAMC Northeast Public Radio | The Best of Our Knowledge | Host: Lucas Willard, Producer: Madeleine Reynolds | 30 Mar 2026
Cats and Parrots
- ORF | Ö1 | Mittagsjournal | Science reporter: Miriam Steiner | 11 Mar 2026
Alte DNA: Vor-Inka-Kulturen handelten mit Papageien | PDF
- Deutschlandfunk (DLF) | Forschung aktuell | Science reporter: Michael Stang | 13 Mar 2026
Amazonasgebiet: Vor der Inka-Zeit fand Papageienhandel über Andenpässe statt
- Ebro FM, Spain | Hablemos de agua | Host: Pilar Sopeséns | 26 Sep 2024
CSI de los loros: Combinando la ciencia forense y conservación para estudiar el comercio de fauna silvestre
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio Sydney | Nightlife | Host: Dom Knight | 28 Apr 2024
The illegal parrot trade
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio Illawarra | Illawarra Mornings | Host: Nick Rheinberger | 23 Apr 2024
Breaking the chains: dismantling the illegal parrot trade using DNA
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio Canberra | Canberra Afternoons | Host: Alice Matthews | 22 Apr 2024
Canberra scientists using DNA to fight trafficked parrot trade | PDF
“Like CSI, but for parrots”: Using DNA databases to save trafficked birds | PDF