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Nesting Biology of Thick-Billed Parrots

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Nesting Biology of Thick-Billed Parrots Condor 85:66-73 G The Cooper Ornithological Society 1983 NESTING ECOLOGY OF THICK-BILLED PARROTS DIRK V. LANNING AND JAMES T. SHIFLETT ABSTRACT.-During a four-month search for nesting Thick-billed Parrots (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) in 1979, we found 55 active nestsat elevations of 2,300 to 3,070 m in northwestern Mexico’s Sierra Madre Occidental. All nests were in cavities of live trees or standingdead trees (snags).Pine (Pinus spp.) snags contained over one-half (58%) of these nests. These parrots laid two to four eggs (K = 2.9; SD = 0.65) between mid-June and late July and young flew from their nestsbetween early September and late October. Nesting density was apparently related to availability of suitable cavities and was variable, with some nests as close as 2 m apart in the same tree. The nesting seasoncorresponded with the maturing of pine seeds,the parrots’ principal food. Commercial logging of live pines for lumber, and of pine snagsfor pulpwood, is eliminating large numbers of proven and potential nest sites. Forest management practices should be mod- ified to leave some suitable trees throughout the forest as potential nest sites for Thick-billed Parrots. Thick-billed Parrots (Rhynchopsitta pachy- for their welfare. Thayer (1906) and Bergtold rhyncha), known locally as “guacas” or “gua- (1906) published descriptions of 10 nests and camayas,” inhabit the highland pine forests of their contents found in northwestern and cen- the Sierra Madre Occidental in northwestern tral-western Chihuahua. Friedmann et al. Mexico from the states of Sonora and Chi- (1950) reported nesting in southwesternChi- huahua south to Jalisco and Michoacan (Blake huahua, but gave no details. Bailey and Con- and Hansen 1942, Marshall 1957, Schnell et over (1935) reported that Brock “had taken al. 1974). Formerly they ranged north into the young from cavities in trees” in the state of forested mountain islands of southeasternAr- Durango. Our goal was to gather information izona and southeast to the Mexican state of on the status of breeding Thick-billed Parrots Veracruz (Ridgway 19 16, Wetmore 1935). and their habitat. These parrots breed in the northern part of their range and winter mostly on the high vol- STUDY AREA AND METHODS canoes in the southern part of their range For 92 days between mid-April and early Oc- (Thayer 1906, Schnell et al. 1974). They nest tober 1979, and for the first week of September in tree cavities and feed primarily on pine seeds 1980, we searched for nesting Thick-billed (Forshaw 1978). Parrots. Our study area was the conifer forests The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1980) of the Sierra Madre Occidental in northwest- listed the Thick-billed Parrot as “endangered,” ern Mexico from northwestern Chihuahua and the International Union for Conservation (108”3O’W, 30”20’N) south to central-western of Nature and Natural Resources considered Durango (105”3O’W, 20”O’N; Fig. 1). The Sier- it “vulnerable” (King 1977). The parrot was ra Madre Occidental is a range of rugged included in Appendix I of the Convention on mountains extending from northwest to south- International Trade in Endangered Speciesof east. It is 100 to 200 km wide and 1,200 km Wild Flora and Fauna (U.S.F.W.S. 1977) long with many ridges above 3,000 m (ele- which implemented strict international trade vation above sea level) and a few peaks rising restrictiqns for the species. Concern for the above 3,300 m. Large rivers drain to the west, specieshas arisen owing to its near total ab- dissectingthe range with valleys and canyons sencefrom the United Statessince 1935 (Phil- often 1,000 to 2,000 m deep. lips et al. 1964) an apparent decrease of re- The conifer forestswere mostly above 2,000 ports of it from Mexico, and increasedlogging m elevation and consisted primarily of Ari- and human population in the parrots’ range zona pine (Pinus arizonica), Mexican white (Monson 1965). pine (P. ayacahuite), and severalspecies of oaks The nestingecology of these birds has never (Queycus spp.). Northern exposures of the been studied in detail, despite their relatively higher ridgesalso had Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga wide distribution in Mexico, their proximity menziesii), quaking aspen (Populus tremu- to the United States,and international concern lodes), and fir (A&es spp.). Chihuahua pine 1661 NESTING OF THICK-BILLED PARROTS (Pinus leiophylla), Lumholtz pine (P. lumhol- tzii), Aztec pine (P. teocote),and Durango pine (P. durangensis) were also present in some areas. Identification of the pines follows Little (1962). Temperatures in parrot nesting areas gen- erally ranged from lo” to 25°C during the sur- vey, with extremes of 5°C and 30°C. It rained almost daily during the summer, usually in the form of afternoon thunderstorms. The Insti- tuto de Geografia, Universidad National Au- tonoma de Mexico (1977a, b) calculated that the annual average precipitation ranged from 400 to 1,100 mm for the different parts of our study area, with 56 to 70% falling during July, August, and September. We surveyed forest habitat from an airplane for 16 h from 30 May to 2 June. We used a four-wheel drive truck to gain accessto prom- ising areas, but searchedprimarily on foot for the parrots and their nests.We found nestsby following parrots, locating calling parrots, and knocking on the basesof prospective nest trees to raise possible occupants to the nest en- trance. Using climbing spursand belt, or tech- nical climbing gear and a rope thrown over a limb, we climbed to and inspectednests found FIGURE 1. Locationsand numbersof Thick-billed Par- rot nests found in 1979. Location names correspond to in sturdy trees. names of nearby mountains, towns, or ranches. Heavy shadingindicates areasabove 2,000 m in elevation. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION NESTS We found 55 Thick-billed Parrot nestsin cav- mon by captive Thick-billed Parrots as their ities in Arizona pine, Mexican white pine, nestingseason commences (Mallet 1970, Witt quaking aspen, and Douglas fir, at elevations 1978). from 2,300 to 3,070 m. The floors of the nest Some cavities required no modification by cavities were covered with wood chips and, parrots. These were large natural cavities ex- usually, parrot feathers. Table 1 summarizes posed when a tree top or large branch fell off, measurementsof nest cavities and trees. Snags creating an entrance to the hollow tree. The (standingdead trees) contained 35 nest cavities Imperial Woodpecker (Campephilus imperi- (64%) with 32 in pines (Figs. 2, 3), two in alis) was known to make cavities large enough Douglas firs, and one in an aspen. The 10 nest for a parrot nest (Thayer 1906), but this wood- cavities in live pines and the two in live Doug- pecker is now extremely rare or possibly ex- las firs were in dead tops or in areas of dead tinct (Tanner 1964). wood, resultingprobably from lightning strikes Forty-two nest cavities (76%) were com- or disease.The eight nest cavities in live aspens pletely enclosed except for the entrance and were in areas of wood infected with Form were well protected from the rain and wind. igniarius, a perennial conk fungusthat decom- Ten (18%) had large entrancesor cracks in the posesthe heartwood and leaves the sapwood cavity wall where rain could enter. Three (5%) firm. were directly exposed to the rain because of Parrotsevidently enlargedmany cavities and holes in the top or no top at all. The increased entrancesthat had been formed by natural de- exposure may reduce nesting success. composition, woodpecker foragingand nesting Trees on the upper halves of slopesand on activity, or a combination of these processes. ridge tops held 36 (65%) of the nests. Twenty We found signsof gnawing at the irregular en- eight nests (5 1O/o) were on slopes facing north trances and the inside walls of nest cavities. or northeast,where the largesttrees grow. Slope We heard an adult parrot scrapingon the in- directions at nest sites differed significantly side of an active nest cavity for 7 min on 18 from random direction, using eight compass July, and later in our study we heard gnawing points (P < 0.005, chi-square). at other cavities being investigated by parrots. Nesting density was variable, and appar- Chewing on the interiors of nest boxes is com- ently subjectto availability of suitable sites. A 68 DIRK V. LANNING ANI) JAMES T. SHIFLETT FIGURE 3. Adult Thick-billed Parrot at nest cavity en- trance in tire-scarredpine snagin the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. FIGURE 2. Typical Thick-billed Parrot nest site in a large pine snag in the state of Durango, Mexico. Arrow cavity in a subsequentyear. Parrots had ap- points to nest cavity entrance. parently nested only sparsely in these areas during 1980, so we can draw no conclusions as to why so many proven nest cavities had pine snag at Ojo Negro contained two active not been re-used. nests only 2 m apart, as did a live aspen at Madera. These two Madera nestswere within CAVITY INVESTIGATION AND COURTSHIP 2 15 m of three other nestsand within 1 km of We watched Thick-billed Parrots investigating six more. In contrast, we could find no nests cavities before nesting had begun and on sev- within I km of 14 other nestsin different areas. eral occasionsthroughout the breeding period. Over the span of a year, nest cavities may On 30 April three parrots inspected a cavity deteriorate naturally or due to human activi- in the dead top of a live pine, before any nests ties. In September 1980, 12 nest cavities active were known to be active. While one parrot in 1979 in northwestern Chihuahua were re- perched near the cavity entrance and another examined.
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