PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN PARROT CONSERVATION AVICULTURE AND WELFARE World Parrot Trust in action Vol. 13 No. 4 November 2001 Philippine Cockatoo Imperial Amazon Blue-throated Macaw Echo Parakeet psittacine (sit’å sîn) belonging or allied to the parrots; parrot-like Philippine Cockatoo Editor hanging by a thread Rosemary Low, P.O. Box 100, By ROSEMARY LOW Mansfield, Notts., The lovely little Red-vented or Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia) has the dubious distinction of United Kingdom being classified as Critically Endangered. The definition of the threat category is that it may suffer an estimated NG20 9NZ 80% reduction in the next ten years in the wild, or the next three generations (estimated 45 years) with decline which has happened based on direct observation, decline in extent of occurence, area of occupancy and / or quality of habitat plus actual level of exploitation. It joins 181 other birds in this sad category. CONTENTS The other cockatoo in the same predicament is the Lesser Sulphur-crested (Cacatua s. sulphurea) - which might Philippine Cockatoo ........2-3 come as a shock to some members. In contrast to the Philippine Cockatoo, it is a very familiar avicultural subject. And that is precisely why it is so endangered; it has been trapped almost out of existence, although no Imperial Amazon ............4-5 wild-caught birds have been legally imported into Europe for more than a decade. Blue-throated Macaw ......6-7 The principal reason for the Pet Animals Act ..................7 decline of the Philippine Cockatoo Feather Pickers ................8-9 is deforestation of lowland forests. Trapping for the local cage-bird Echo Parakeet ..............10-11 trade seriously affected its Sales Items ......................12 numbers but the fact is that most Book Review / Sales ........13 of its habitat had already gone. Eighty percent of the Philippine The WPT 12 Donors..........14 forests and many of the mangroves Original Paintings / Sales 15 have been cut down. As recently PsittaNews ..................16-17 as 50 years ago this cockatoo was still common in the wild; now it WPT / Trade Ban Petition 18 has an estimated population of WPT Info Page ..................19 1,000 to 4,000 birds. If this figure Parrots in the Wild ..........20 might not seem critically low, it would be because the rapid rate of decline has not been considered. In any case, the figure of 4,000 Philippine Cockatoo. Photo: Olivier Morvan & Philippe Garguile might be over-optimistic. until March 1995 the zoo 350 left in three locations. There For the past ten years a number of sponsored a public awareness are 50 to 70 on Masbate. There initiatives have been taken to try programme. This included a one- might be a few other populations to prevent the extinction of this hour radio programme, broadcast which are so small they have no cockatoo. Unfortunately, laws have every Sunday morning. More than long-term prospects of survival. had little impact because they are 130 listeners responded, resulting In 1992 it was estimated that 50 to largely unenforceable. In 1992 in the location of more than 300 100 birds remained on the islands there was a total ban on logging; cockatoos and over 30 nest sites of Siargao and Dinagat. In 2001- the forests continue to be which were previously unknown to 2002 these islands will be surveyed depleted. In the same year the researchers. Even former trappers with funds donated by private Cover Picture cockatoo was placed on Appendix co-operated. The radio programme breeders in the USA. Illegally 1 of CITES; commercial trade in has continued weekly between collected birds are still to be Philippine Cockatoo in the wild Appendix 1 species is forbidden. January and August every year, found in the bird market in Manila But local illegal trapping resulting in a network of which are thought to originate Photo: Olivier Morvan & informants and protectors. Philippe Garguile, Pygargue continued. It has become obvious from these islands. The cockatoo Productions, France throughout the tropics that laws The island of Palawan is the last is extinct on Cebu and probably without conservation education stronghold for this species, with also on Negros. There is one pair are more or less useless. left on Siquijor. Two recent The World Parrot Trust does not an estimated population of necessarily endorse any views or Also in 1992, Marc Boussekey from between 750 and 2,800. This records from Luzon probably statements made by contributors France took up the cause of this figure assumes a mean population represent escaped cage birds. to PsittaScene. cockatoo. From the zoo of St density of one bird per square km One of the earliest field surveys of It will of course consider articles Martin-la-Plaine, Marc visited the of suitable habitat. On the island this cockatoo was made in 1991 or letters from any contributors on Philippines on many occasions. He of Tawitawi the estimated number by Dr Frank Lambert for the World their merits. persuaded the zoo to sponsor a of 100 to 200 might be over Conservation Union (IUCN). Dr Anyone wishing to reprint any poster showing the cockatoo and optimistic according to Nigel articles seen in this magazine Lambert is one of the most needs permission from the author describing its plight in three Collar et al in ‘Threatened Birds of experienced field workers in the and must state that it was copied languages. Three thousand of the Philippines’ due to a mistaken region and is now based in from PsittaScene. these posters were distributed estimate of intact forest. On Indonesia. He suggested that this All contents © World Parrot Trust throughout the islands of the Mindanao the cockatoo is close to cockatoo might need mangroves Philippines. From September 1994 local extinction with only 130 to as a refuge, if it is to survive. 2 ■ PsittaScene Volume 13, No 4, November 2001 On Palawan, the rapid human possibility of future reintroduction until the age of six or seven population explosion in recent Rasa Island of captive-bred birds should not years). The latest studbook years has been highly detrimental The small island of Rasa (8sq km), be ignored, particularly for those available, that for 1999, shows to the cockatoo's survival. Nearly by Palawan, is now the main focus islands where the species has been that seven young were reared. all the nest holes are known to for research. The PCCP (Philippine eradicated. Co-ordination of effort, The Philippine Cockatoo is by no trappers. The young are removed Cockatoo Conservation Program) is including co-operation between means as easy to breed as most of as soon as they are old enough, mainly funded by Loro Parque private aviculturists and the Cacatua species. However, the sometimes also the brooding Fundaçion and coordinated by a institutions maintaining the co-operation of private parent. A few nests have been new team since September 1998 (a species in captivity, is required if aviculturists has been guarded since 1996 but the German ecologist, Peter Widmann the captive-breeding programme is disappointing. In 1997, for majority are too inaccessible to and two Philippino officers Indira to be effective.' example, five left the EEP without make this possible. Some former Lacerna and Siegfried Diaz) explanation, which lost at least 10 trappers are used for this purpose; through ‘Le Parc des Oiseaux’, the EEP programme cockatoos from the programme. known as wardens, they received Birdpark of Villars-Les-Domes, By the end of the first full year Furthermore, some breeders sell cash incentives, radios, rice and T- France since June 2001. During the (1993) of the EEP and its studbook, young to non-EEP participating shirts for their services. As a breeding season from January to 32 males, 21 females and five collections. result, in 1997, for example, ten June 2000, 15 nest trees were unsexed birds were held in 16 young actually fledged into the located. It is of interest that collections; 11 of these were On the other hand, responsible wild. This is extremely important horizontal rather than vertical private. At the end of 1994, the breeders refuse to sell young because the population was nesting cavities were preferred. total had risen to 48 males and 39 females to breeders with mature obviously an ageing one, as nearly Six eggs were lost to predation by females. Of the 24 participants, 16 males, knowing that there is a all young birds had been poached. the common monitor lizard. One (67%) were private breeders. The high risk of an immature female So even though several hundred noteworthy nest fledged four participants were from six being killed. Sadly this has birds still survive, many or most young. Five other nests held three European countries. By the end of happened in the past. Some of these will soon be beyond nestlings. The normal number of 1996, 48 males, 41 females and breeders are not responsible reproductive age, with no young young is two. Other very positive one unsexed bird were registered enough to have this critically birds to replace them, until the news was that no cases of in the EEP, of which 52 (57%) were endangered species in their care nest incentive scheme was poaching were recorded. Intensive captive-bred. The 22 participants but, of course, a breeder is at introduced. Hopefully, in future monitoring of nests was carried consisted of seven zoos and 15 liberty to sell to anyone. years this will be more widespread. out by wardens from the middle of private aviculturists from seven There is a regional studbook for February until the middle of July. In 1994 students from Palawan countries in Western Europe. By the United States in which 100 The 'Adopt a Katala' fund-raising the end of 1999 the EEP population State University became involved birds are registered.