In the Office of Endangered Species U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service United

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

In the Office of Endangered Species U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service United In the Office of Endangered Species U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service United States Department of Interior Photo: iStockPhoto A Petition to List 14 Species of Foreign Parrots, Macaws, & Cockatoos as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 1531 et seq. January 29, 2008 Petitioner: Friends of Animals, 777 Post Road, Suite 205, Darien, Connecticut 06820 Petition Prepared by: Jamie Cotter, Matthew Willson, Kay Bond, Esq., & Lee Hall, Esq. Table of Contents I. Introduction…………………………………………………………………..1 II. The ESA Listing Process…………………………………………………….2 A. ESA’s Listing Requirements…………………………………………….2 B. Listing Decision Basis………………………………………....................2 III. BirdLife International, NatureServe, and the IUCN Red List……………3 A. BirdLife International………………………………………...................3 B. NatureServe………………………………………………………………4 C. IUCN Red List……………………………………………………………4 IV. Species Accounts……………………………………………………………..6 A. Blue-throated macaws (Ara glaucogularis)…………………………….6 1. Description……………………………………………………...6 2. Distribution and Range……………………………..................6 3. Life History……………………………………………………..6 4. Abundance and Trend…………………………………………7 5. Threats………………………………………………………….7 B. Blue-headed macaws (Propyrrhura couloni)…………………………....9 1. Description……………………………………………………...9 2. Distribution and Range……………………………..................9 3. Life History……………………………………………………..9 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..10 5. Threats………………………………………………………...10 C. Crimson shining parrots……………………………………………….11 1. Description…………………………………………………….11 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................11 3. Life History……………………………………………………11 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..11 5. Threats………………………………………………………...12 D. Great green macaws (Ara ambiguus)………………………………….13 1. Description…………………………………………………….13 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................13 3. Life History……………………………………………………14 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..15 5. Threats………………………………………………………...15 E. Grey-cheeked parakeets (Brotogeris pyrrhoptera)…………………….17 1. Description…………………………………………………….17 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................17 3. Life History……………………………………………………17 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..17 5. Threats………………………………………………………...18 F. Hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)…………………....19 1. Description…………………………………………………….19 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................19 3. Life History……………………………………………………19 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..20 5. Threats………………………………………………………...20 G. Military macaws (Ara militaris)………………………………………..22 1. Description…………………………………………………….22 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................22 3. Life History……………………………………………………22 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..22 5. Threats………………………………………………………...23 H. Philippine cockatoos (Cacatua haematuropygia)……………………...24 1. Description…………………………………………………….24 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................24 3. Life History……………………………………………………24 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..25 5. Threats………………………………………………………...25 I. Red-crowned parrots (Amazona viridigenalis)………………..............26 1. Description…………………………………………………….26 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................26 3. Life History……………………………………………………26 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..27 5. Threats………………………………………………………...27 J. Scarlet macaws (Ara macao)…………………………………………...29 1. Description…………………………………………………….29 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................29 3. Life History……………………………………………………29 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..30 5. Threats………………………………………………………...30 K. Thick-billed parrots (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha)………………….32 1. Description…………………………………………………….32 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................32 3. Life History……………………………………………………33 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..33 5. Threats………………………………………………………...34 L. White cockatoos (Cacatua alba)………………………………………..35 1. Description…………………………………………………….35 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................35 3. Life History……………………………………………………35 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..36 5. Threats………………………………………………………...36 M. Yellow-billed parrot (Amazona collaria)………………………………38 1. Description…………………………………………………….38 2. Distribution and Range……………………………................38 3. Life History……………………………………………………38 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..38 5. Threats………………………………………………………38 N. Yellow-crested cockatoos……………………………………..............40 1. Description…………………………………………………...40 2. Distribution and Range……………………………..............40 3. Life History…………………………………………………..40 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………41 5. Threats……………………………………………………….41 V. Analysis of ESA Listing Factors…………………………………………..43 A. The Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or Curtailment of Habitat or Range…………………………………………………….43 B. Over-utilization for Commercial and Recreational Purposes—the Pet Trade…………………………………………………………………….43 C. The Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms………………..45 1. CITES…………………………………………………………45 2. Other Inadequate Regulatory Mechanisms………………...47 VI. Conclusion………………………………………………………..................48 I. Introduction Friends of Animals hereby petitions the Secretary of the Interior (“Secretary”), acting through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”), to list, both domestically and internationally, the following species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”): Blue-throated macaws (Ara glaucogularis); Blue-headed macaws (Propyrrhura couloni); Crimson shining parrots (Prosopeia splendens); Great green macaws (Ara ambiguous);1 Grey-cheeked parakeets (Brotogeris pyrrhoptera); Hyacinth macaws (Andorhynchus hyacinthinus); Military macaws (Ara militaris); Philippine cockatoos (Cacatua haematuropygia); Red-crowned parrots (Amazona viridigenalis); Scarlet macaws (Ara macao); Thick-billed parrots (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha)2; White cockatoos (Cacatua alba); Yellow-billed parrots (Amazona collaria); and Yellow-crested cockatoos (Cacatua sulphurea); The caged bird pet trade threatens the continued survival of these species in the wild. Both legal and illegal pet traders transport birds from foreign countries into the United States for sale as pets. Currently, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (“CITES”) lists all the bird species subject to this petition (the “petitioned species”) and sets up a system to protect them from trading.3 The Lacey Act and the Wild Bird Conservation Act operate to enforce CITES regulations in the United States.4 Although CITES, the Lacey Act, and the Wild Bird Conservation Act offer some protection to all of the petitioned species, these species continue to be threatened by both legal and illegal trading. Indeed, traders can legally obtain many of the petitioned species with permits.5 Because some legal trading is still allowed and because illegal trafficking is common, the current protection of the petitioned species under CITES and U.S. law is inadequate. In order to protect the petitioned species in the United States, the Secretary should list all of them as either endangered or threatened species within the United States and internationally in their countries of origin. As discussed more fully below, the species qualify for listing under the ESA’s listing factors.6 This petition will explain the ESA listing process, establish that databases maintained by NatureServe, BirdLife International, and the World Conservation Union (“IUCN”) represent the “best scientific and commercial data available,” provide relevant information about each of the petitioned species, and explain why each species should be listed as an endangered or threatened under the ESA. 1 Petitioners request that all subspecies of the Great green macaw also be listed domestically and internationally. 2 The Thick-billed parrot is already listed internationally as an endangered species. 45 Fed. Reg. 49844 (July 25, 1980). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service admits that the failure to list the Thick-billed parrot as endangered domestically was an “inadvertent oversight.” Id. Therefore, Petitioners request that this species be listed domestically within the United States. 3 See Table B for CITES and other classifications for the species. 4 Lacey Act 16 U.S.C. §§1371 – 3378; Wild Bird Conservation Act 16 U.S.C. §4901. 5 Daniel Hammer, Behind the Bird Trade, Friends of Animals (Summer 2006) available at http://www.friendsofanimals.org/actionline/summer-2006/behind-the-bird-trade.php (last visited Oct. 15, 2007). 6 16 U.S.C. §1533 (2003). 1 II. The ESA Listing Process Section 4 of the ESA, 16 U.S.C. § 1533, provides a “listing process” to carry out Congress’ intent that the federal government first list and then protect all threatened and endangered species.7 The Supreme Court has stated that the ESA’s structure indicates “beyond doubt” that Congress intended to place the highest priority on protecting endangered species.8 The ESA is the “most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species ever enacted by any nation.”9 Congress intended to halt and reverse the trend towards species extinction, whatever the cost.10 However, before the ESA can protect a species, that species must first be “listed” under the Act. The ESA protects only those species listed on the official list of threatened and endangered species. Thus, “listing” is a critical first step in ESA’s system of protecting species from extinction. 11 A. ESA’s Listing Requirements Pursuant to the ESA, the Secretary
Recommended publications
  • TAG Operational Structure
    PARROT TAXON ADVISORY GROUP (TAG) Regional Collection Plan 5th Edition 2020-2025 Sustainability of Parrot Populations in AZA Facilities ...................................................................... 1 Mission/Objectives/Strategies......................................................................................................... 2 TAG Operational Structure .............................................................................................................. 3 Steering Committee .................................................................................................................... 3 TAG Advisors ............................................................................................................................... 4 SSP Coordinators ......................................................................................................................... 5 Hot Topics: TAG Recommendations ................................................................................................ 8 Parrots as Ambassador Animals .................................................................................................. 9 Interactive Aviaries Housing Psittaciformes .............................................................................. 10 Private Aviculture ...................................................................................................................... 13 Communication ........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Object Permanence in Four Species of Psittacine Birds: an African Grey
    AnimalLearning & Behavior 1990, 18 (1), 97-108 Object permanence in four species of psittacine birds: An African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus), an Illiger mini macaw (Ara maracana), a parakeet (Melopsittacus undulatus), and a cockatiel tNymphicus hollandicus) IRENE M. PEPPERBERG and MILDRED S. FUNK Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois Four psittacids-an African Grey parrot, an Illiger macaw, a cockatiel, and a parakeet-were tested on object-permanence tasks that are commonly used to assess levels of understanding in human infants during their first 2 years. These birds showed Stage 6 competence, demonstrat­ ing that object permanence is not limited to mammals. The results for these birds were compar­ able to those of an African Grey parrot that·had been trained in interspecies communication prior to object-permanence testing. Our findings thus suggest that although language-like behavior provides a communication channel that facilitates testing, such language training is unlikely to affect the outcome of the tests. Object pennanence-the notion that objects are separate biana, Kamil & Balda, 1985; Vander Wall, 1982; entities that continue to exist when out of sight of the European jays, Garrulus glandarius, Bossema, 1979; observer-would seem to be one of the more important jackdaws, Corvus monedula, Etienne, 1976-1977; cognitive concepts, and thus an appropriate topic for com­ Lorenz, 1970; marsh tits, Parus palustris, Sherry, 1982; parative study. Object permanence was nevertheless Shettleworth & Krebs, 1982; chickadees, Parus largely ignored during almost a century of comparative atricapillus, Sherry, 1984; Shettleworth & Krebs, 1986) research (note Burghardt, 1984; Macphail, 1987), pos­ provide evidence for behaviors such as recovery of cached sibly because it was considered both innate and unitary-a food or cavity nesting that would appear to require a con­ concept so basic that researchers could not imagine how cept of object permanence.
    [Show full text]
  • Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Two Endangered Neotropical Parrots Inform in Situ and Ex Situ Conservation Strategies
    diversity Article Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Two Endangered Neotropical Parrots Inform In Situ and Ex Situ Conservation Strategies Carlos I. Campos 1 , Melinda A. Martinez 1, Daniel Acosta 1, Jose A. Diaz-Luque 2, Igor Berkunsky 3 , Nadine L. Lamberski 4, Javier Cruz-Nieto 5 , Michael A. Russello 6 and Timothy F. Wright 1,* 1 Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA; [email protected] (C.I.C.); [email protected] (M.A.M.); [email protected] (D.A.) 2 Fundación CLB (FPCILB), Estación Argentina, Calle Fermín Rivero 3460, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia; [email protected] 3 Instituto Multidisciplinario sobre Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustenable, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Tandil 7000, Argentina; [email protected] 4 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA 92027, USA; [email protected] 5 Organización Vida Silvestre A.C. (OVIS), San Pedro Garza Garciá 66260, Mexico; [email protected] 6 Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: A key aspect in the conservation of endangered populations is understanding patterns of Citation: Campos, C.I.; Martinez, genetic variation and structure, which can provide managers with critical information to support M.A.; Acosta, D.; Diaz-Luque, J.A.; evidence-based status assessments and management strategies. This is especially important for Berkunsky, I.; Lamberski, N.L.; species with small wild and larger captive populations, as found in many endangered parrots. We Cruz-Nieto, J.; Russello, M.A.; Wright, used genotypic data to assess genetic variation and structure in wild and captive populations of T.F.
    [Show full text]
  • Tinamiformes – Falconiformes
    LIST OF THE 2,008 BIRD SPECIES (WITH SCIENTIFIC AND ENGLISH NAMES) KNOWN FROM THE A.O.U. CHECK-LIST AREA. Notes: "(A)" = accidental/casualin A.O.U. area; "(H)" -- recordedin A.O.U. area only from Hawaii; "(I)" = introducedinto A.O.U. area; "(N)" = has not bred in A.O.U. area but occursregularly as nonbreedingvisitor; "?" precedingname = extinct. TINAMIFORMES TINAMIDAE Tinamus major Great Tinamou. Nothocercusbonapartei Highland Tinamou. Crypturellus soui Little Tinamou. Crypturelluscinnamomeus Thicket Tinamou. Crypturellusboucardi Slaty-breastedTinamou. Crypturellus kerriae Choco Tinamou. GAVIIFORMES GAVIIDAE Gavia stellata Red-throated Loon. Gavia arctica Arctic Loon. Gavia pacifica Pacific Loon. Gavia immer Common Loon. Gavia adamsii Yellow-billed Loon. PODICIPEDIFORMES PODICIPEDIDAE Tachybaptusdominicus Least Grebe. Podilymbuspodiceps Pied-billed Grebe. ?Podilymbusgigas Atitlan Grebe. Podicepsauritus Horned Grebe. Podicepsgrisegena Red-neckedGrebe. Podicepsnigricollis Eared Grebe. Aechmophorusoccidentalis Western Grebe. Aechmophorusclarkii Clark's Grebe. PROCELLARIIFORMES DIOMEDEIDAE Thalassarchechlororhynchos Yellow-nosed Albatross. (A) Thalassarchecauta Shy Albatross.(A) Thalassarchemelanophris Black-browed Albatross. (A) Phoebetriapalpebrata Light-mantled Albatross. (A) Diomedea exulans WanderingAlbatross. (A) Phoebastriaimmutabilis Laysan Albatross. Phoebastrianigripes Black-lootedAlbatross. Phoebastriaalbatrus Short-tailedAlbatross. (N) PROCELLARIIDAE Fulmarus glacialis Northern Fulmar. Pterodroma neglecta KermadecPetrel. (A) Pterodroma
    [Show full text]
  • Dwi Astuti Zoological Division, R.C
    Phylogenetic relationships of cockatoos (Aves: Psittaciformes) based on DNA sequences of the seventh intron of nuclear β-fibrinogen gene Dwi Astuti Zoological Division, R.C. for Biology - Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Cibinong Science Centre Indonesia [email protected] O Cockatoos are belonged to Cacatuinae (Forshaw, 1989) order : Psittaciformes, Cockatoo Distribution family : Psittacidae (Forshaw, 1989) Calopsittacini Chalyptorhynchini Cacatuini Cacatuidae (del Hoyo,1998) Nymphicus subfamily: Cacatuinae Probosciger Calyptorhynchus Challocephalon Eolophus Cacatua tribes : Calopsittacini Chalyptorhynchini Cacatuini E. roseicapillus Probosciger N. hollandicus P. aterrimus C. baudinii C. fimbriatum C. sulphurea O In the world, there are six extant genera C. latirostris C.galerita Eolophus C. lathami C. alba Cacatua consisting of 21 cockatoo species C. banksii Nymphicus C. moluccensis leadbeateri C. funereus C. goffini Calyptorhynchus O Some previous authors have made grouping C. magnificus C. sanguinea Calyptorhynchus Callocephalon C. leadbeateri and evolutionary relationships of cockatoos C. ophthalmia Brown & Toft (1999) based on morphological characters, isozyme, C. haematuropygia and mitochondrial DNA. However, their MATERIALS AND METHODS relationships are still controversial, especially Phylogeny based on different characters concerning the position of Nymphycus Cacatua leadbeateri Blood samples from each individual of 15 species, Biochemical 6 genera, and 3 tribes of cockatoos hollandicus. Since the nuclear β-fibrinogen (Adams et
    [Show full text]
  • Phylogeography of the Military Macaw (Ara Militaris) and the Great Green Macaw (A
    The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 127(4):661–669, 2015 PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF THE MILITARY MACAW (ARA MILITARIS) AND THE GREAT GREEN MACAW (A. AMBIGUUS) BASED ON MTDNA SEQUENCE DATA JESSICA R. EBERHARD,1,5 EDUARDO E. IÑIGO-ELIAS,2 ERNESTO ENKERLIN-HOEFLICH,3 AND E. PAÙL CUN4 ABSTRACT.—The Military Macaw (Ara militaris) and the Great Green Macaw (A. ambiguus) are species whose close relationship is reflected in their morphological similarity as well as their geographic ranges. Military Macaws have a disjunct distribution, found in Mexico as well as several areas in South America, while Great Green Macaws have two or more disjunct populations from Honduras to eastern Ecuador. We used mitochondrial sequence data to examine the phylogenetic relationships between these two species, and also among representative samples across their ranges. Our data clearly support recognition of the two species as being distinct evolutionary lineages, and while we found significant phylogeographic structure within A. militaris (between samples collected in eastern and western Mexico), we did not find any evidence of lineage divergence between A. ambiguus from Costa Rica and Ecuador. Received 12 December 2014. Accepted 30 May 2015. Key words: disjunct distribution, Great Green Macaw, Military Macaw, phylogeny, phylogeography. The Military Macaw (Ara militaris) and the South America, primarily east of the Andes from Great Green Macaw (A. ambiguus), sometimes northwestern Colombia and northwestern Vene- named Buffon’s Macaw, are both large macaws zuela to north-western Argentina (Ridgway 1916; that are closely related and possibly conspecific Chapman 1917; Alvarez del Toro 1980; Ridgely (Fjeldså et al. 1987, Collar et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Part II: the Trek to El Condominio and El Taray to See the Maroon-Fronted Parrots by Steve Milpacher
    Part II: The Trek to El Condominio and El Taray to see the Maroon-fronted Parrots By Steve Milpacher Day 5 It was now the 5th day of my trip to Mexico and I was on my way to see Maroon-fronted Parrots (Rhynchopsitta terrisi), a nearly identical species to the Thick-billed, apart from the prominent maroon wash on their foreheads. I would be meeting with Rene Valdes, a young wildlife biologist studying Maroon-fronts at El Condominio and El Taray, as well as 20 other nesting cliffs. These parrot nesting areas are found in two extremely mountainous areas in the Sierra Madre Oriental in the Mexican states of Coahuila and Nuevo Leon, slightly east of where I first started. I would be hiking once again in terrain that would leave me breathless and exhilarated, for the trails would take me 2,100m up into an area high in canyons, with impossibly steep valleys. Rene, who has been in the area studying the birds for several years, has documented their lives and decline in the wild along with Gabriela Ortiz, one of recent my traveling companions when viewing the Thick-bills and a fellow researcher of Rene’s at Monterrey Tech. Both have watched the Maroon-fronted parrot habitat undergo extensive conversion due to logging, fires and agriculture; it is now restricted to a north-to-south 300km section of the Sierra Madre Oriental, breeding in only about 100km of that area. Recently fire has swept through the area, destroying large areas of suitable habitat with little chance of natural regeneration, as returning brush is likely to be chaparral, similar to the undergrowth found in the fire-prone state of California in the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study of the Endangered Carnaby's Cockatoo
    A peer-reviewed open-access journal Nature ConservationNature 9: 19–43 conservation (2014) on agricultural land: a case study of the endangered... 19 doi: 10.3897/natureconservation.9.8385 CONSERVATION IN PRACTICE http://natureconservation.pensoft.net Launched to accelerate biodiversity conservation Nature conservation on agricultural land: a case study of the endangered Carnaby’s Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris breeding at Koobabbie in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia Denis A. Saunders1, Rick Dawson2, Alison Doley3, John Lauri4, Anna Le Souëf5, Peter R. Mawson6, Kristin Warren5, Nicole White7 1 CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia 2 Department of Parks and Wildlife, Locked Bag 104, Bentley DC, WA 6983, Australia 3 Koobabbie, Coorow, WA 6515 4 BirdLife Australia, 48 Bournemouth Parade, Trigg WA 6029 5 College of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150 6 Perth Zoo, 20 Labouchere Road, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia 7 Trace and Environmental DNA laboratory, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102 Corresponding author: Denis A. Saunders ([email protected]) Academic editor: Klaus Henle | Received 5 August 2014 | Accepted 21 October 2014 | Published 8 December 2014 http://zoobank.org/660B3593-F8D6-4965-B518-63B2071B1111 Citation: Saunders DA, Dawson R, Doley A, Lauri J, Le Souëf A, Mawson PR, Warren K, White N (2014) Nature conservation on agricultural land: a case study of the endangered Carnaby’s Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris breeding at Koobabbie in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia. Nature Conservation 9: 19–43. doi: 10.3897/ natureconservation.9.8385 This paper is dedicated to the late John Doley (1937–2007), whose wise counsel and hard work contributed greatly to the Carnaby’s Cockatoo conservation program on Koobabbie.
    [Show full text]
  • AWI-WL-Hyacinth-Macaw-Comments
    January 27, 2017 VIA Electronic Submission to: http://www.regulations.gov Public Comments Processing Attn: FWS–R9– ES–2012–0013 Division of Policy and Directives Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4401 N. Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 22203 Dear Branch Chief Van Norman: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed threatened listing and draft 4(d) rule for the hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus). These comments are submitted on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity (Center) and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). The Center is a nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1,200,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. The Center and its members have a long standing interest in the conservation of foreign species and their habitat, including the hyacinth macaw. AWI is a nonprofit, charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. AWI has been engaged in efforts to confront issues associated with wildlife trade, particularly the commercial trade in wild-caught birds. We have had a long-standing interest in the conservation of the hyacinth macaw and concern for the detrimental effects of trade coupled with habitat loss on the species. We vehemently disagree with the suggestion that the hyacinth macaw should be listed as threatened instead of endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA or Act). Habitat loss is still a significant threat to this species, as is the pet trade. Moreover, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS or Service) Significant Portion of the Range Policy (SPOR policy) is unlawful as evidenced by the agency’s decision here that the birds are threatened throughout their range and therefore a significant portion of their range need not be analyzed.
    [Show full text]
  • Threatened Parrots of the Neotropics
    sustain their numbers. Buffon's Macaw: Appendix I. Threatened Parrots Sometimes confused with the Mili­ tary Macaw. See A.F.A. Watchbird Oct/Nov 1986 and Dec/Jan 1990 for ofthe Neotropics clarification. These birds are seri­ by Nigel J. Col/ar ously declining throughout their International Council for Bird Preservation range in Central America. Captive Cambridge, United Kingdom breeding is desperately needed. Green-winged Macaws: Appen­ dix 11. Still being brought into the U.S. Parrots as Problems the deletion of Yellow-sided Parakeet The wild caught birds have proven Parrots are colourful, vegetarian, Pyrrhura hypoxantha (an invalid difficult to breed. Better success is playful and mimetic, so people find species), the relegation of Yellow­ possible utilizing captive bred birds them attractive, easy to keep, com­ faced Amazon Amazona xanthops to for breeding. panionable and entertaining. In popu­ near-threatened status, the promotion Hyacinth Macaws: Appendix I. lar consciousness, they are the most from near-threatened status of White­ Current population is estimated at high-profile of birds, commonly fea­ headed Amazon Amazona leuco­ 2500 to 5000 total population. lllegal tured in advertisements that seek to cephala, and the addition of El Oro trade continues to decimate their assert the tropical authenticity of a Parakeet Pyrrhura orcesi, Fuertes' population. Further captive breeding product, and often humourised in Hapalopsittaca fuertesi and Fire­ is necessary to maintain adequate cartoon form to assure the conviv­ eyed Parrots H. pyrrhops, Blue­ amounts ofbirds. iality of and complicity in the experi­ cheeked Amazona dufresniana and Military Macaws: Appendix I. ence the product offers. Alder Amazons A.
    [Show full text]
  • Macaw Society America
    tary Macaws. This ecological differ­ that a number of the yellow feathers ence enabled them to evolve larger are richly tipped with green. Indeed, size, paler color, and now a different some of the coverts may be entirely pattern ofbehavior. This went to such green. Further, though this has yet to an extreme that they became a differ­ be corroborated by the measurements ent species: Button's Macaw (A. taken of museum skins, so many of ambigua). Elsewhere, the Military the aviary birds obtained from Macaw also became somewhat less South America (some are known to The montane and has now diffused over have been imported from Guyana) much of Mexico. These now differ seem so much larger generally (as subspecifically from those to the well as being brighter) than those south. known to come from northern Macaw Likewise, the Scarlet Macaw of Central America. Mexico and Central America may also The Scarlet Macaws from Panama, have gained entry only towards the and to an increasingly lesser degree end of the last Ice Age (some 12,000 Costa Rica, have examples of both Society years back). Originally, so few indi­ colorations in the population. It is, vidual birds percolated through the therefore, assumed that this area constraints of the Isthmus that they forms a "hybrid zone" between the were limited in their genetic diversity. brighter southern and the duller Once through this geographical northern races. of barrier, the inevitable inbreeding and It would take a study which subsequent evolution from the encompasses more skins than the founder-immigrants ensured that they British Museum, the Smithsonian, America developed a different appearance and the American Museum of Natural from those Scarlet Macaws found on History have supplied, to prove that by Robert Francis the mainland ofSouth America.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 2. Animals
    AC20 Doc. 8.5 Annex (English only/Seulement en anglais/Únicamente en inglés) REVIEW OF SIGNIFICANT TRADE ANALYSIS OF TRADE TRENDS WITH NOTES ON THE CONSERVATION STATUS OF SELECTED SPECIES Volume 2. Animals Prepared for the CITES Animals Committee, CITES Secretariat by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre JANUARY 2004 AC20 Doc. 8.5 – p. 3 Prepared and produced by: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK UNEP WORLD CONSERVATION MONITORING CENTRE (UNEP-WCMC) www.unep-wcmc.org The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre is the biodiversity assessment and policy implementation arm of the United Nations Environment Programme, the world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organisation. UNEP-WCMC aims to help decision-makers recognise the value of biodiversity to people everywhere, and to apply this knowledge to all that they do. The Centre’s challenge is to transform complex data into policy-relevant information, to build tools and systems for analysis and integration, and to support the needs of nations and the international community as they engage in joint programmes of action. UNEP-WCMC provides objective, scientifically rigorous products and services that include ecosystem assessments, support for implementation of environmental agreements, regional and global biodiversity information, research on threats and impacts, and development of future scenarios for the living world. Prepared for: The CITES Secretariat, Geneva A contribution to UNEP - The United Nations Environment Programme Printed by: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK © Copyright: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre/CITES Secretariat The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP or contributory organisations.
    [Show full text]