DOCSLIB.ORG

Cites Cop 17 Zsl Briefing Note African Grey Parrot (Cop17 Proposal 19)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Cites Cop 17 Zsl Briefing Note African Grey Parrot (Cop17 Proposal 19) CITES COP 17 ZSL BRIEFING NOTE AFRICAN GREY PARROT (COP17 PROPOSAL 19) (Proposal 19): Transfer from Appendix II to grey and Timneh parrots, (primarily African greys), have been traded internationally5. In the late 1990’s exports from Appendix I of Psittacus erithacus in accordance Cameroon accounted for 48% of the trade6, and with some with Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16), Annex 1. estimates suggesting up to 90% of trapped birds died before export, up to 100,000 birds per year were captured in Cam- 7 The African grey parrot is among the most traded bird eroon, and over one million wild-caught parrots regionally . species in the world, particularly in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. Habitat loss also has significant impacts, especially on iso- lated populations on the periphery of the range. Based Severe population declines have been noted in 20 of the upon rates of overall forest loss, it is estimated that West 22 range states including Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya and Africa has already lost 90% of the original moist forest the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ghana has seen a and rates of forest loss in the Congo basin are increas- 8,9 decline of between 95-99% of its population over the past ing, having doubled from the 1990s to early 2000s . 30 years and similar situation is ongoing in many other range states where it is now very rare or even extinct, e.g Benin, Serious concerns have been raised regarding manage- Burundi, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania ment of existing trade in this species. These include re- and Togo1,2,3,4. ports of permit irregularities and importers reporting quantities imported regularly exceeding export quotas The driver for these declines is trapping for the wild bird and the number of export permits issued by export- trade, with habitat-loss also having significant impacts. In ing Parties. From 2007 to 2013 a total of 28,721 indi- less than two decades, almost 750,000 wild-caught African viduals were traded in excess of the published quotas. 1 Clemmons JR. 2003. Status Survey of the African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus timneh) and Development of a Management Program in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. CITES, Geneva, Switzerland. 2 da Costa Lopes, D. 2014. O Papagaio-Cinzento-de-Timneh, Psittacus timneh no arquipélago dos Bijagós: Contribuições para o estudo do estatuto, ecologia e conservação de uma espécie ameaçada. Dissertation submitted for M.Sc. in Biology and Conservation, University of Lisbon, Portugal. 3 Martin RO, Gilardi JD, Johnson R, Kariuki Ndang’ang’a P, Fotso RC, Drori O, Perrin M. 2014a. Grey parrot Psittacus harvesting for conservation must have a robust scientific basis: Com- mentary on Tamungang et al.(2013). International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation, 6(11), 750–753. 4 CITES.2014. Review of Significant Trade in specimens of Appendix-II species. Psittacus erithacus. 27th meeting of the Animals Committee. Document #: AC27 Doc. 12.4 ; pp 27-41 5 UNEP-WCMC. 2013. Review of Significant Trade: Species selected by the CITES Animals Committee following CoP15 and retained in the review following AC26. 6 Waugh, D. 2010. Recent trade, capture of wild African Grey Parrots. AFA Watchbird 37(1): 43-45. 7 BirdLife International. 2013. Psittacus erithacus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T22724813A48141088. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS. T22724813A48141088.en. Downloaded on 15 September 2016. 8 Ickowitz A, Slayback D, Asanzi P, Nasi R. 2015. Agriculture and deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A synthesis of the current state of knowledge. Occasional Paper 119. Bogor, Indonesia: CIFOR. 9 Ernst C, Mayaux P, Verhegghen A, Bodart C, Christophe M and Defourny P. 2012. National Forest Cover Change in Congo Basin: Deforestation, Reforestation, Degradation and Regenera- tion for the years 1990, 2000 and 2005. Global Change Biology, 19(4), 1173–1187. This included specimens exported from countries with no Cameroon resulting in formal notifications in 2012 of published quota and 2,983 were exported from countries multiple recent cases of fraudulent permits accompanying 11 with quotas of zero whilst 4,440 were reported to have shipments originating from Cameroon . The Secretariat recommended that Parties not accept any CITES export originated in non-range countries. Undercover investigations permits or certificates allegedly issued by Cameroon unless conducted by investigative journalists in early 2013, their validity had been confirmed by the Secretariat. further revealed large-scale abuses involving corruption, photocopying export permits for multiple shipments, and Captive breeding is ongoing in zoos and on a commercial yearly trapping of thousands from areas where trapping is and private basis in Europe and elsewhere and these efforts prohibited. should be expanded in order to both meet demands and assist with re-introduction and supplementation efforts for conservation purposes. Captive-bred and reared birds are of a better temperament than wild-caught birds, more easily kept as pets, and they also do not pose the health risks associated with moving wild-caught birds across the globe. Over-harvesting compounded by poor regulation and management, fraudulent use of permits and clear breaches of established quota has all resulted in the severe population decline of the African grey Parrot, further exacerbated by habitat loss and degradation. As a consequence ZSL considered criteria for transfer of the species to Appendix I clearly met. ZSL strongly encourages Parties to support Proposal 19 and the range states seeking to strengthen protection for the African grey parrot. Following this, the CITES Secretariat visited the DRC in 2015 and identified issues with the cancellation of permits and issuance of replacements; lack of security of the physical location of the CITES Management Authority; concerns regarding the relationship between the Management and Scientific Authorities; issuance of export permits with validity periods in excess of 6 months, export quota consistently being exceeded since 2008 and an inability to verify the legal origin of the parrots harvested in different provinces For more information please contact: of DRC and a lack of recent scientific studies on the status Paul De Ornellas, Programme manager Africa & Lead, Illegal their populations to inform a solid non-detriment finding. Wildlife Trade ([email protected]) This resulted at the 66th meeting (SC66, Geneva, 11-15 January 2016)10, the Standing Committee recommending a Julian Easton, Deputy country director, Cameroon (Julian. trade suspension from DRC. [email protected]) Tom Jennings, Senior Press Officer Science and There have been similar concerns regarding trade in Conservation ([email protected]) 10 CITES. 2016. Notification to the parties. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Recommendation to suspend trade in African grey parrots. No. 2016/021 11 CITES. 2012. NOTIFICATION TO THE PARTIES. No. 2012/021. Geneva, 12 March 2012. CONCERNING: CAMEROON. Verification of export permits..
Load more

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]
  • History of Species Reviewed Under Resolution Conf
    AC17 Inf. 3 (English only/ Solamente en inglés/ Seulement en anglais) HISTORY OF SPECIES REVIEWED UNDER RESOLUTION CONF. 8.9 (Rev.) PART 1: AVES Species Survival Network 2100 L Street NW Washington, DC 20037 July 2001 AC17 Inf. 3 – p. 1 SIGNIFICANT TRADE REVIEW: PHASE 1 NR = none reported Agapornis canus: Madagascar Madagascar established an annual export quota of 3,500 in 1993, pending the results of a survey of the species in the wild (CITES Notification No. 744). Year 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Quota 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3200 Exports 4614 5495 5270 3500 6200 • Export quota exceeded in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998. From 1994 - 1998, export quota exceeded by a total of 7,579 specimens. • Field project completed in 2000: R. J. Dowsett. Le statut des Perroquets vasa et noir Coracopsis vasa et C. nigra et de l’Inséparable à tête grise Agapornis canus à Madagascar. IUCN. Agapornis fischeri: Tanzania Trade suspended in April 1993 (CITES Notification No. 737). Year 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Quota NR NR NR NR NR NR Exports 300 0 0 2 0 • Field project completed in 1995: Moyer, D. The Status of Fischer’s Lovebird Agapornis fischeri in the United Republic of Tanzania. IUCN. • Agapornis fischeri is classified a Lower Risk/Near Threatened by the IUCN. Amazona aestiva: Argentina 1992 status survey underway. Moratorium on exports 1996 preliminary survey results received quota of 600. Year 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Chick Quota 1036 2480 3150 Juvenile Quota 624 820 1050 Total Quota NR 600 NR 1000 Exports 19 24 130 188 765 AC17 Inf.
    [Show full text]
  • Vocal Learning in Grey Parrots (Psittacus Erithacus): Effects of Social Interaction, Reference, and Context
    The Auk 111(2):300-313, 1994 VOCAL LEARNING IN GREY PARROTS (PSITTACUS ERITHACUS): EFFECTS OF SOCIAL INTERACTION, REFERENCE, AND CONTEXT IRENE M. PEPPERBERG Departmentof Ecologyand EvolutionaryBiology, University of Arizona, Tucson,Arizona 85721, USA ABSTR•cr.--Formany passerines,the extent,timing, and even presenceof allospecificvocal learning can be influencedby the form of input that is received.Little data exist,however, on vocal learning in parrots (Psittacidae). I have previously proposed that such vocallearning proceeds most readily when input is (1) referential,(2) contextuallyapplicable, and (3) interactive.The referentialaspect demonstrates the meaningof the codeto be taught, the contextualaspect demonstrates the use that can be made of the information contained in the code, and the interactive aspectprovides explicit training that is constantlyadjusted to the level of the learner. To obtain information on the relative importanceof thesethree aspectsof input on learning in a mimetic species,I used three different conditionsto train two juvenile Grey Parrots(Psittacus erithacus) to produceEnglish labelsto identify various commonobjects. Each bird experienced:(1) audiotapedtutoring, which was nonreferential, noninteractive,and did not demonstratecontextual applicability; (2) videotapes,which pro- vided reference and limited information about context, but which were noninteractive; and (3) live human tutors, who interactivelymodeled the meaning and use of the labelsto be learned.The birdslearned only from the live tutors.A third parrot,trained on a separateset of labelsby tutorswho provided only limited referenceand contextfor thosevocalizations, learnedto producethat setof labelswithout comprehension.The data suggestthat, even for birds known for their mimetic abilities, social interaction, reference, and full contextual experienceare important factorsin learning to produceand comprehendan allospecificcode. Received22 April 1993,accepted 10 October1993.
    [Show full text]
  • Report on the 2021 Cape Parrot Big Birding Day
    24th Annual Parrot Count- Report on the 2021 Cape Parrot Big Birding Day Colleen T. Downs*, Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa. Email: [email protected] *Cape Parrot Working Group Chairperson Figure 1. A pair of Cape Parrots in a snag near iNgeli, KwaZulu-Natal, on the day of the annual count in 2021 (Photographs© Sascha Dueker). Background The annual Cape Parrot Big Birding Day (CPBBD) was initiated in 1998 and held annually since. This is a conservation effort to quantify the numbers of Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) (Figure 1) in the wild and involves citizen scientists. In the first few years, the coverage of the distribution range of the parrots was inadequate but improved with time. In 2020 unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 restrictions, a total count was not possible. One of the problems with a national count is choosing a day with suitable weather across the area to be covered by the count. Unfortunately, in 2021 a major cold front brought rain and wind to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces on the CPBBD, making observations difficult. So although a total count 1 was conducted, it is likely an underestimate. In addition, despite reduced COVID-19 restrictions (Figure 2), some of the older stalwarts of CPBBD were unable to participate because of the slow vaccination rollout, so as in earlier days of CPPBD, the distribution range was not covered adequately. Figure 2. Following COVID-19 protocols, some of the University of KwaZulu-Natal participants in the annual count in 2021 who counted Cape Parrots in the iNgeli area near Kokstad, KwaZulu- Natal.
    [Show full text]
  • Parrot Brochure
    COMMON MEDICAL PROPER HOUSING COMPANION DISEASES PARROTS: 1.) Nutritional deficiencies - A variety of ocular, nasal, respiratory, reproductive LARGE & SMALL and skin disorders caused by chronically improper diets. 2.) Feather picking - A behavioral disorder, sometimes secondary to a primary medical problem, where the bird self-mutilates by picking out its own Maecenas feathers. It is most often due to depression from lack of mental Proper housing for a macaw and other large birds stimulation or companionship and more Finding the right parrot cage for your feathered commonly seen in larger species. friend depends on the size and needs of your Purchasing your pet birds only in pairs bird. For example, while a parakeet needs a can help prevent this disorder smaller cage that can sit on a counter-top or from developing." table; the macaw needs a HUGE cage practically 3.) Bumblefoot - All caged birds are the size of a small room! It is always safest to “go susceptible to developing “bumblefoot" big.” Avoid galvanized metal wiring due to the or pododermatitis. This disease manifests potential for lead poisoning, and clean the itself as blisters and infections of the feet substrate on the bottom of the cage daily to caused by dirty perches or perches that weekly. Birds are messy creatures that love to are all the same size, shape and made of dive into their food bowls! Perches should vary the same material. i.e. smooth wood. in size, shape and material; including various How best to care for these diverse woods, sand paper and cloth. Clean perches and colorful birds and to ensure regularly to prevent diseases of the feet.
    [Show full text]
  • Breeding Biology of African Grey Parrot (Psittacus Erithacus) in Kom National Park (South-Cameroon) and Implications to the Species Conservation
    Available online at http://www.ifgdg.org Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 11(5): 1948-1966, October 2017 ISSN 1997-342X (Online), ISSN 1991-8631 (Print) Original Paper http://ajol.info/index.php/ijbcs http://indexmedicus.afro.who.int Breeding biology of African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) in Kom National Park (South-Cameroon) and implications to the species conservation Ghislain Noé KOUGOUM PIEBENG1*, Simon AWAFOR TAMUNGANG2 and Alexis TEGUIA3 1Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Maroua, PO Box 814, Maroua, Cameroon. 2Department of Basic Sciences, College of Technology, University of Bamenda, PO Box 2164, Bamenda, Cameroon. 3Department of Physiology and Animal Production, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, PO Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon. *Corresponding author, E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 677 381 313 or 697 642 197 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was, supported with the financial assistance from PARROTPRO and with the support of Cameroonian Government through the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife. ABSTRACT Parrots are considered a globally threatened group but, despite that, little is known about the ecology and biology of many species in the wild, this is the case for African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). The aim of this work was to study the reproductive biology of the wild grey parrot and its involvement in the conservation of the species. In fact, a follow-up of 40 nests equally distributed in 4 vegetation types (primary forest, secondary forest, cocoa plantation and annual crop plantation) has been done between 2011 and 2013. The length of nesting period per breeding pair in our study was situated between 4 to 5 months from April to early November.
    [Show full text]
  • Evidence for Human-Like Conversational Strategies in An
    EVIDENCE FOR HUMAN-LIKE CONVERSATIONAL STRATEGIES IN AN AFRICAN GREY PARROT'S SPEECH by ERIN NATANNIE COLBERT-WHITE (Under the Direction of Dorothy Fragaszy) ABSTRACT Researchers have established many similarities in the structure and function of human and avian communication systems. This dissertation investigated one unique nonhuman communication system—that of a speech-using African Grey parrot. In the same way that humans learn communicative competence (i.e., knowing what to say and how given a particular social context), I hypothesized that Cosmo the parrot‘s vocalizations to her caregiver, BJ, would show evidence of similar learning. The first study assessed turn-taking and the thematic nature of Cosmo‘s conversations with BJ. Results confirmed that Cosmo took turns during conversations which were very similar to humans‘ average turn-taking time. She also maintained thematically linked dialogues, indicating strategic use of her vocal units. The second study investigated Cosmo‘s ability to take BJ‘s auditory perspective by manipulating the distance between the two speakers. As predicted, Cosmo vocalized significantly more loudly when her owner was out of the room, and those vocalizations classified as social (e.g., kiss sounds) were uttered significantly more loudly than vocalizations which were considered nonsocial (e.g., answering machine beep sounds). These results suggested Cosmo may be able to take the perspective of a social partner, an ability others have documented in Greys using alternative tasks. Strategic use of vocalizations was revisited in Studies 3 and 4. The third study examined Cosmo‘s requesting behavior by comparing three separate corpora (i.e., bodies of text): Cosmo‘s normal vocalizations to BJ without requesting, Cosmo‘s vocalizations following a denied request, and Cosmo‘s vocalizations following an ignored request.
    [Show full text]
  • African Grey Parrots
    African Grey Parrots African Grey Parrot Information The African Grey Parrot, Psittacus erithacus , is a medium-sized parrot native to the primary and secondary rainforests of West and Central Africa. Its mild temperament, clever mind and ability to mimic sounds, including human speech, has made it a highly sought after pet for many centuries. Certain individuals also have a documented ability to understand the meaning of words. African Grey Parrots Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Tribe: Psittacini Genus: Psittacus Species: Psittacus erithacus The African Grey Parrot is the only recognized species of the genus Psittacus. The genus name “Psittacus” is derived from the word ψιττακος (psittakos ) which means parrot in Ancient Greek. There are two recognized subspecies of African Grey Parrot ( Psittacus erithacus) : 1. Congo African Grey Parrot ( Psittacus erithacus erithacus ) 2. Timneh African Grey Parrot ( Psittacus erithacus timneh ) Congo African Grey Parrot ( Psittacus erithacus erithacus ), commonly referred to as “CAG” by parrot keepers, is larger than the Timneh African Grey Parrot and normally reaches a length of roughly 33 cm. It is found from the south-eastern Ivory Coast to Western Kenya, Northwest Tanzania, Southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Northern Angola, including the islands of Príncipe and Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea. Adult members of this subspecies are light grey with red tails, pale yellow irises, and an all black beak. Pet Congo African Grey Parrots usually learn to speak quite slowly until their second or third year. Timneh African Grey Parrot ( Psittacus erithacus timneh ), commonly referred to as “TAG” by parrot keepers, is smaller than the Congo subspecies and is endemic to the to the western parts of the moist Upper Guinea forests and nearby West African savannas from Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Southern Mali to at least 70 km east of the Bandama River in Côte d’Ivoire.
    [Show full text]
  • African Grey Parrot Care Guide
    1 AFRICAN GREY PARROT CARE GUIDE Proudly Brought To You By http://www.AfricanGreyParrotCare.com African Grey Parrot Care Guide Copyright 2010 www.AfricanGreyParrotCare.com 2 Legal Notice:- The author and publisher of this eBook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this eBook. The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this eBook. The information contained in this eBook is strictly for educational purposes. Therefore, if you wish to apply ideas contained in this eBook, you are taking full responsibility for your actions. The author and publisher disclaim any warranties (express or implied), merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material, which is provided “as is”, and without warranties. As always, the advice of a competent legal, tax, accounting or other professional should be sought. The author and publisher do not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this eBook. All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS African Grey Parrot Parrots: Information Parrots: For Sale Parrot Breeders Parrot Care Parrot Diet Parrots: Health Problems Parrots: Training Parrot Tricks Parrots: Supplies Breeding Parrots Wild Parrots Parrots: Cockatoos Yellow Headed Amazon Parrots 2 African Grey Parrot Care Guide Copyright 2010 www.AfricanGreyParrotCare.com 3 African Grey Parrot One of the most beautiful and among the easier species of parrot to keep is the African Grey Parrot.
    [Show full text]
  • Poicephalus Senegalus Linnaeus, 1766
    AC22 Doc. 10.2 Annex 2 Poicephalus senegalus Linnaeus, 1766 FAMILY: Psittacidae COMMON NAMES: Senegal Parrot (English); Perroquet à Tête Grise, Perroquet Youyou, Youyou (French); Lorito Senegalés, Papagayo Senegalés (Spanish). GLOBAL CONSERVATION STATUS: Listed as Least Concern A1bcd in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2004). SIGNIFICANT TRADE REVIEW FOR: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo Range States selected for review Range State Exports* Urgent, Comments possible or least concern Benin 0Least concern No exports reported. Burkina Faso 13Least concern Exports minimal. Cameroon 1,687Least concern Significant exports only recorded in 1997 and 1998 Chad 0Least concern No exports reported. Côte d’Ivoire 1,193Least concern Significant exports only recorded in 2002 and 2003; if exports increase further information would be required to support non-detriment findings Gambia 12Least concern Exports minimal. Ghana 1Least concern Exports minimal. Guinea 164,817Possible Exports have declined since 1998, but remain significant. Further information concern required to confirm non-detrimental nature of exports. Guinea- 132Least concern Exports minimal. Bissau Liberia 4,860Possible Not believed to be a range country for this species but significant exports concern reported 1999-2003 whose origin should be clarified Mali 60,742Possible Exports have increased significantly since 2000. Status of the species is poorly concern known; no systematic population monitoring. Mauritania 0Least concern No exports reported. Niger 0Least concern No exports reported. Nigeria 301Least concern Exports minimal. Senegal 173,794Possible Consistently exported high numbers since 1982; species apparently remains concern common but no population monitoring known to be in place Sierra Leone 0Least concern No exports reported.
    [Show full text]
  • USE of SUB-SAHARAN VULTURES in TRADITIONAL MEDICINE and CONSERVATION and POLICY ISSUES for the AFRICAN GREY PARROT (Psittacus Er
    Clemson University TigerPrints All Theses Theses 12-2010 USE OF SUB-SAHARAN VULTURES IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND CONSERVATION AND POLICY ISSUES FOR THE AFRICAN GREY PARROT (Psittacus erithacus) Kristina Dunn Clemson University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Dunn, Kristina, "USE OF SUB-SAHARAN VULTURES IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND CONSERVATION AND POLICY ISSUES FOR THE AFRICAN GREY PARROT (Psittacus erithacus)" (2010). All Theses. 1036. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/1036 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact [email protected]. USE OF SUB-SAHARAN VULTURES IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND CONSERVATION AND POLICY ISSUES FOR THE AFRICAN GREY PARROT ( Psittacus erithacus ) A Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Wildlife and Fisheries Biology by Kristina Michele Dunn December 2010 Accepted by: Dr. William W. Bowerman, Committee Chair Dr. Karen C. Hall Dr. Webb M. Smathers Jr. ABSTRACT Wildlife populations worldwide are being negatively affected by the illegal wildlife trade. The severity of the impact to both Sub-Saharan vultures and African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus ) (AGP) populations are explored in this thesis. Many species of Sub-Saharan vultures are used in the traditional medicinal trade. Previous studies have found that vultures have mystical powers attributed to them due to their keen ability to find food.
    [Show full text]
  • Acquisition of the Same/Different Concept by an African Grey Parrot (Psittacus Erithacus): Learning with Respect to Categories of Color, Shape, and Material
    Animal Learning & Behavior 1987, 15 (4), 423-432 Acquisition of the same/different concept by an African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus): Learning with respect to categories of color, shape, and material IRENE M. PEPPERBERG Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois An African Grey parrot, previously taught to use vocal English labels to discriminate more than 80 different objects and to respond to questions concerning categorical concepts of color and shape, was trained and tested on relational concepts of same and different. The subject, Alex, replied with the correct English categorical label ("color," "shape," or "mah-mah" [matter]) when asked "What's same?" or "What's different?" about pairs of objects that varied with respect to any combination of attributes. His accuracy was 69.7%-76.6% for pairs of familiar objects not used in training and 82.3%-85% for pairs involving objects whose combinations of colors, shapes, and materials were unfamiliar. Additional trials demonstrated that his responses were based upon the question being posed as well as the attributes of the objects. These findings are dis­ cussed in terms of his comprehension of the categories of color, shape, and material and as evi­ dence of his competence in an exceptional (non-species-specific) communication code. Recent studies (Pepperberg, 1987a, 1987b) have shown ity of animals to master nonrelational concepts, several that at least one avian subject, an African Grey parrot researchers suggest that existing data on relational con­ (Psittacus erithacus) , can exhibit capacities once thought cepts reflect qualitative as well as quantitative species to belong exclusively to humans and, possibly, certain differences.
    [Show full text]