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