PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN CONSERVATION AVICULTURE AND WELFARE World Parrot Trust in action Vol. 11 No.3 August 1999

World Parrot Day Cape Parrot Cockatoos & Peanuts

psittacine (sit’ûa sîn) belonging or allied to the ; parrot-like 5th August, 1999 World Parrot Day Editor Rosemary Low, P.O. Box 100, Mansfield, Notts., United Kingdom At the Rainforest Café NG20 9NZ

After many months of preparation we finally ar rived at August 5th, Finally, we wer e offered the help CONTENTS the day we had decided on as ‘World Parr ot Day’, and the beginning of the press and public relations World Parr ot Day at the of what we had rather ambitiously called ‘World Par rot Month’. department of the Worldwide Rainforest Café...... 2-8 The idea was clearly laid out in pages 2 and 3 of our Febr uary 1999 Fund for Nature (WWF), to impr ove our prospects of Monty Python in Zambia?..9 PsittaScene - the following extract stated the aims of the event: achieving media coverage of the Listening to Echos ....10-11 event. Final Blows for the Cape Parr ot? ...... 12 WORLD PARROT MONTH All of these developments Project Pr oposal ...... 13 increased our chances of Highlighting the charismatic parr ot family, in the wild and in our attracting the interest of editors Cockatoos and homes. and envir onment Peanuts...... 14-15 correspondents, and when the Psitta News...... 16-18 In the month of August 1999 we will ... day arrived we wer e delighted to RECOGNISE the urgent need to pr otect and preserve parr ots in have journalists fr om virtually WPT Info Page ...... 19 the wild, especially the 90 species in danger of . all the national papers and Parrots in the Wild ...... 20 CELEBRATE the companionship that millions of pet par rots give broadcast media including BBC. to people in every country in the world. MOTIVATE everyone who car es about the conservation of wildlife 89 Parrot Species to see the parrots as logical ‘spokespersons for nature.’ The Face Extinction character and beauty of these can help save rainfor ests and other habitats for the whole of natur e, including ourselves. On the advice of the communications experts from RAISE FUNDS for parr ot conservation and welfare. WWF we concentrated on getting across the fact that 89 species of parr ot were listed in the Par rot Action Plan as thr eatened Three Major WPT Good Fortune with extinction. This is 27% of COVER PICTURE Initiatives In several ways, for tune smiled all the parrots, compared with a This is ‘Pablo’, one of the figure of 10% for all first Echo Parakeets to be SEE NEXT 2 PAGES FOR DETAILS upon us as we put together our programme for August 5th. We species. So the parr ots are, released into the wild by As we approached our planned regr ettably, the most thr eatened Carl Jones and his team on asked the Rainfor est Café in bird family on the planet. Mauritius. Pablo is now date with the media we realised Shaftesbury Avenue, London, if three years old and has that this was the right we could hold our press The media understood the developed his full plumage opportunity to bring together conference there, wher e live importance of this, and as an adult male. Still very and launch no less than three macaws and cockatoos are part extensive coverage took place tame, he frequently visits WPT initiatives. First, the John of the attraction. They agreed, on August 6th, with inter views the Camp location in the Cleese ‘Live Parr ot’ video, likely and were extremely helpful on national radio and television centre of the Echo territory, to enhance public interest in, throughout (they have programmes, which wer e picked and poses for pictures, like and concern for, the parr ots in up by local programmes later. this one by Lance Woolaver. previously given WPT general; second, to present our substantial funds from their Major articles appeared in ‘The The World Parrot Tr ust does not ‘Carolina Medal’ for outstanding ‘conservation cr ocodile pool’). Times’, ‘The Guardian’, ‘The necessarily endorse any views or parrot conservation to Dr. Carl Independent’, ‘The Express’ and statements made by contributors Jones for his work with the Echo Next, Julian Pettifer, well-known ‘The Daily Telegraph’, and these to PsittaScene. Parakeet in Mauritius; third, to broadcaster and President of the It will of course consider articles repor ts were also used in papers or letters from any contributors on launch the IUCN ‘Parrot Action Royal Society for the Protection in Canada, Australia and Brazil. their merits. Plan’, revived in 1995 by WPT, of Birds (RSPB) agreed to make You will find half-size versions All contents © World Parr ot Trust and coordinated and almost the presentation of our Car olina of some of these on pages 6 entirely funded by us. Medal to Carl Jones. and 7.

2 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 How John Cleese And A Dead Parrot Helped All The Live Parrot s Parrots are funny. That is the accelerating decline in the point of view of most Britons health of our planet and its and many Americans, almost ability to suppor t our increasing entirely because they r emember population. the hilarious ‘Dead Parrot Sketch’ made by the Monty We also seek to educate people Python gang in the late 1960s on the need to take better car e and shown many times on TV of the parr ots in our homes. around the world. While many bir ds live wonderful, fulfilled lives in the This wonderful piece of comedy car e of intelligent, thoughtful is so well known that any owners, we all know that many national media references to thousands of parrots ar e not so parrots ar e likely to mention it, fortunate. and so diminish the effect of any serious point that may be As John says in our video "All under discussion. Since 1989 parrots desperately need our when we launched the World help. Help fr om me, help Parrot Tr ust, we have nursed a Steve Martin, John Cleese, Mike Reynolds and the ‘Swedish Red’ parr ot, during filming fr om you. What exactly can wildly improbable ambition to at Santa Barbara Zoo, California. you do? Simple: suppor t the film a repentant John Cleese going on to deliver a message high profile birds like the international conservation admitting that the famous about the impor tance of helping parr ots, are the best indicators work of the World Parrot sketch - though wonderfully the parrots ‘survive in the wild, of the loss of biodiversity , the Trust.” funny - was not helpful to and thrive in our homes’. He parrots, and he would like to tell also explains that by saving the the world how important it is to rainforests for the parrots, we preserve par rots in the wild and also help ourselves to sur vive. look after them well in captivity. YOU CAN BUY THIS VIDEO In March we all met up at Santa Just a dream. But it came true! Barbara Zoo to make our unique Order it now from our John Cleese’s stepson was a video. Steve Martin came from UK or USA offices listed member of the team working for Florida, bringing Gr oucho and on page 19. the recover y of the Echo his special friend and trainer Parakeet in Mauritius, and this Missee. The zoo staff wer e most For USA: lead to our being able to invite generous with their help. Send $25 plus $4 Mr. Cleese to help the parrots. Everybody donated their time Shipping and Handling. John is, in fact, a committed and travelling expenses to the conservationist who has project. The World Par rot Trust For UK: supported many wildlife thanks them all. conservation issues; r ecently, Send £15 plus £2.50 for example, the restoration of We decided to use this 5 minute Postage and Packing. lemurs in Madagascar. video to launch WORLD P ARROT MONTH in August 1999. This is OR: So we wrote a script which our attempt to make the general Get it from our website involved John Cleese meeting public mor e aware of the www.worldparrottrust.org. Steve Martin’s amazing singing destructive pressures faced by Amazon parrot Groucho, parrots in the wild, all over the preferring such a mar vellously world. We want ever yone to ‘alive’ parrot to a dead one, and understand that birds, especially

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 3 The Carol i n a Me d a l It is over two years since we launched our Car olina Medal, to be awarded ‘for outstanding achievement in parrot conservation’. Readers wanting to know exactly what the plot was can look up our issue of PsittaScene for Februar y 1997. In essence, we chose the name Carolina because the Carolina Parakeet Conur opsis carolinensis was the last species of par rot to go extinct. The final captive specimen died at Cincinnati Zoo on 21st Febr uary 1918 and the last r eliable sighting in the wild was in 1920. We wrote: ‘The Carolina Medal is intended to be a constant r eminder of the fragile status of one third of all par rot species in the wild, and the welfare needs of millions of captive birds worldwide.’ The population has now reached 100, and we have described the So it was very appropriate for this medal to be awar ded as part of development of the pr oject in PsittaScene since 1990. On pages 10 our ‘World Parrot Day’ media event at the Rainforest Café on August and 11 you will find some fascinating insights and history in an 5th 1999. article by Carl. When our trustees came to consider potential r ecipients of the Awarding the Carolina Medal will not be an annual event - it will only medal, one name stood out. This was Carl Jones PhD, for his be presented when the trustees of WPT consider it to be thor oughly r emarkable achievements with the Echo Parakeet on Mauritius. justified. But if anyone anywhere would like to draw our attention Having pr eviously brought a gr oup of only four Mauritius Kestrels up to an individual or team r esponsible for ‘outstanding achievement in to 400, and 30 Pink Pigeons to ar ound 300, Carl began his work with parrot conservation’, we would like to have full details and a for mal the Echos in 1987 with only 8 to 12 birds, including just 3 females. nomination for our awar d. Pa r rot Action Plan 1994-2004 To sketch in some to find a dedicated group of authors/editors (Noel Snyder (USA), Phil background, this action McGowan (UK), James D.Gilardi (USA), Alejandro Grajal (Venezuela)), plan is one in a series and then request area and species r eports fr om the relevant local published by IUCN, the experts (too many to list her e, but all are acknowledged in the P AP). World Conservation Union (The World WPT was given the task of ‘progr ess chasing’ the action plan; we Parrot Trust is an thought it might take a year or 18 months, but it actually took a full international member four years. WPT also provided most of the funding, ar ound £15,000 ($25,000). of IUCN). Seventy or more categories of threatened , fr om whales to snails, have At our London media event on August 5th we handed out a pr eview previously been covered by action plans. In the early 1990s an version of the PAP. The full version, over 200 pages, will be attempt to put together a Par rot Action Plan failed, lar gely due to published in November 1999. It will contain: an Intr oduction to the fundamental disagreements among leading scientists in this field of parrots and the structure of the action plan; General Principles for inter est. Parr ot Conservation; Threatened Par rots of the World; Regional overviews; Species accounts, with ‘Priority Projects’ identified; In 1995 it was pr oposed by Rod Hall MBE, founder of British Air ways References etc. Assisting Conser vation, that we try to bring together the key par rot people for a meeting in London to r e-start the effort to create a The Parrot Action Plan is absolutely not an academic exer cise. Parrot Action Plan (P AP). British Airways would provide all the It will become the starting point and the primar y source of necessar y flights, free of charge! We were able to arrange this information for everyone interested in the par rot family and its meeting under the ver y effective chairmanship of Joe Forshaw conservation. The World Parrot Trust is pr oud to have been (author of ‘Parr ots of the World’ ), and in two days of discussion the involved in its conception and execution, and is deeply grateful 15 par ticipants ironed out all the major pr oblems. It only remained to all who have contributed towards it.

4 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 PRESS RELEASE: 89 Parrot Species Face Extinction Global Action Plan Launched to Save Them London - A global action plan has been habitat, promote the independent solitary male r emaining in its natural launched by the World Par rot Trust and certification of managed for ests by the habitat in Brazil. Its population has been WWF to help save 89 par rot species fr om FSC, and enforce CITES, the Convention decimated by the demand from collectors. extinction. The World Conservation which regulates the trade in wild Union’s Parrot Action Plan assesses the animals.” The Hyacinth Macaw is one of the world’s status of the world’s most endangered largest and most striking parrots. With a par rots and finds that a staggering 27% of John Cleese, internationally famous for population of ar ound 3,000 it is listed as the world’s 330 species of par rots ar e on the Monty Python “Dead Par rot” sketch, is vulnerable to extinction and is thr eatened the brink of extinction, making them the supporting the call for action to save the by illegal trade and destruction of its most endangered bird family on Earth. world’s parrots. He says “All the parrots habitat. desperately need our help. Help fr om me, The Parr ot Action Plan is the first ever help from you. What exactly can you do? The news for parrots is not all bad attempt to launch a global strategy to Simple: suppor t the international however. At a ceremony to launch the save the world’ s parr ots. It recommends conservation work of the World Parr ot Parrot Action Plan, the World Parrot that Recovery Teams should be set up to Tr ust.” Trust’s Carolina Medal for parr ot save each threatened species and conservation was awarded to Dr Carl emphasises that ur gent action is needed Due to hunting and habitat destr uction at Jones who has been instrumental in to combat the two principal thr eats to least 27 species have already become helping bring the Echo Parakeet back fr om parrots - habitat loss and the trade in extinct, including the Cuban Macaw, the the brink of extinction. In 1987 ther e par rots for the pet market. Over 50% of Seychelles parakeet and the Carolina were only 8-12 bir ds left in the wild due the world’s for ests have now been lost parr ot in the United States. to habitat destruction. Following a and the global trade in par rots is a There ar e 39 threatened parrot species dedicated conservation programme, part significant part of the $5 billion a year found in the Asia-Pacific r egion, with the funded by the World Parrot Trust and the international wildlife trade. For every bir d highest numbers occurring in Indonesia, UK Parrot Society, there are now up to 100 that survives the trading pr ocess, at least Australia and New Zealand. The birds in the wild. In the last year alone 22 four will die along the way. There ar e 58 resur gence of forest fires in Indonesia captive-r eared Echo parakeets wer e species of par rot threatened with this week has incr eased the risk to released. extinction as a direct result of this trade. parr ots in this region. The famous New “If we save the par rots we might yet save Zealand Kakapo is now extinct in the wild ourselves,” said Mike Reynolds, Dir ector “Habitat destr uction and a rapacious trade and only 54 remain in semi-captivity. of the World Parr ot Tr ust. “We need the threatens the world’ s most magnificent rainforests as much as the parr ots do. bir ds with imminent extinction”, said Dr There ar e 47 threatened parrot species The rainforests are the lungs of the Paul Toyne, Conser vation Officer for WWF- that occur in Latin America and the planet, essential for human health. These UK. “The Par rot Action Plan will play a Caribbean r egion with Brazil, Colombia, forests also provide vital medicines with vital r ole in helping forge action to save Mexico, Peru and Ecuador suppor ting the many more yet to be discovered,” he them from the brink. To be truly effective highest numbers of threatened species. added. though, Gover nments must take firm The Spix’s Macaw is the world’s most action to increase pr otection for forest endangered parrot in the wild, with a

THE RESULTS ... ➔

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 5 Above: The Guardian

Right: The Times

6 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 Cleese out to save parrot John Cleese, who took part in the classic Monty Python “Dead Parrot” comedy sketch, helped conservation gr oups launch an action plan yesterday designed to save many of the birds from extinction. Eighty-nine of the 330 parrot species are in danger of dying out, says the World Wide Fund for Na t u r e and the World Parrot Trust. At least 27 species have al r eady become extinct. Deforestation and trade in wild pa r r ots for pets have been responsible for much of the collapse in populations. The new plan spells out ways in which nations can help save rare species.

Clockwise from Top Left: The Express, The Express (Editorial), The Daily Telegraph, Western Morning News, The Times, The Times (Editorial)

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 7 ...so where do we go from here?

By Michael Reynolds charities and able to receive Undeniably, our ‘World Parrot Day’ on August 5th was a gr eat success in putting acr oss to legacies. For information on a wide inter national audience the unwelcome news about 89 species of par rots being in other countries, or possible tax danger of extinction. The World Parr ot Tr ust is greatly indebted to the Worldwide Fund advantages, please contact our for Natur e (WWF) for its help in putting the media event together, and attracting the UK of fice. inter est of far more journalists than we would have managed to do on our own. It is also wor th noting that it is not every small specialised wildlife charity that would be Adopt One of Our acceptable as a par tner to a major charity in such an enterprise. In addition to WWF, the Projects welcome par ticipation of Julian Pettifer, President of the RSPB, to present our Car olina Medal to Carl Jones, is an indication of the pr ogress the WPT has made since its We are currently funding field beginnings in 1989. How we do this with our very modest r esources is a bit of a conservation projects for many myster y, but our leading r ole in reviving and funding the Par rot Action Plan has no doubt parrot species, notably Lear’s given WPT some cr edibility as a serious conser vation organisation. Macaw, Palm Cockatoo, Citron- crested Cockatoo, Golden W e have to accept that the those who have helped create trivial sum of money, about Conure, St. Vincent Amazon, splur ge of parr ot publicity we this problem in the first place. what you might spend on a take- Echo Parakeet, Cape Par rot, and have just cr eated`will quickly fade away, and experience I mention this because I can away, or take-out meal! many others. You could adopt suggests that another count on the fingers of one hand one that especially inter ests oppor tunity like this will be a those businesses that actually Become A Life you, and send us an annual or long time coming. There are do recognise their debt to the monthly donation. some ongoing possibilities of birds that are making them rich, Member fur ther publicity, for example and give funds either to WPT or About 8% of our members are Give A Talk For WPT CNN have asked for a copy of other organisations. High time Life Members, and if you can the John Cleese video, but we the whole parrot business afford it, a single payment of Several of our members (Hi community accepted a proper £250 or $400 saves you and us there, Bonnie, Alan, Ken) should be looking for ways to share of responsibility to fund turn publicity about par rots into a lot of paperwork over the regularly give talks to bir d clubs cash for par rots. This has to the conservation of parrots in years, and such a significant for us, and win new members come to WPT largely in the for m the wild, and the welfare of sum will be a great help with and donations. Let us know if of new memberships and captive birds. our many projects. we can supply slides and other donations. On the credit side, many private materials to help you do this. individuals do accept Write WPT Into So let us discuss money. Readers responsibility for all the par rots, New Ideas may be inter ested to know that not just their own, and WPT is Your Will the combined income of the very grateful for the suppor t of Let us know if you have any RSPB and WWF is almost one many aviculturists and pet Our UK, USA and Canadian other ideas about how we can thousand times the income of owners around the world. There branches are all fully registered do more to raise funds for the the World Par rot Trust. Our are also many others who don’t ability to do much mor e than keep parrots but want to help us point the way to solving to help these remarkable bir ds. pr oblems is very limited. We We recently received our first have pr eviously calculated that legacy, and this prompts us to the cash r eceipts enjoyed by all list the following ways in which those businesses deriving our members can help us income from the parr ots is well achieve our aims. in excess of $5 Bn globally. We have pr oposed that everyone involved with the par rots should Find New Members ‘put something back’ to help the Everyone reading this is bound par rots in the wild. Now we to know several people who ...to survive in the wild know more about the massive would enjoy reading this need to help with the r escue and publication, and participating in ...to thrive in our homes rehabilitation of unwanted pet our work for the parr ots. Please A WO RLD PARROT TRUST CAM P AI G N encourage them to join us right parrots, that is another task that ww w .w o r l d p a r r o t t r u s t . o r g should get financial help fr om away. After all, £15 or $25 is a

8 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 Mo n t y Python in Za m b i a by LOUISE WARBURTON, Research Centr e for African Parrot Conser vation, University of Natal I was interested to read about the upcoming WPT Par rot Week, and wish you all ever y success. I was particularly amused to r ead that The Monty Python parr ots: Brown-necked, Meyer’s, Black-cheeked Lovebird. John Cleese is lending his suppor t (I’m a big fan), and thought you’d be interested to know that Monty Python’ s infamous dead parr ot amusement Ð and ar e carefully Black-cheeks is without doubt does indeed have a r ole in parrot conservation. examined. dependent on the local villagers. Humans, like the As part of my research project on the Status, Ecology and Useful Specimens Lovebirds, depend on the Conservation of the Black-cheeked Lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis) in limited water resources. Birds Zambia I am attempting to map the distribution and seasonal The specimens ar e also useful movements of the lovebirds through dir ect observation and by when talking to school childr en, are trapped for food, conducting interviews in the local villages. asking them if they know these including Lovebirds (and birds, whether they catch them, Brown-necks and Meyer’s); Two other parrot species occur have borrowed three specimen and when tr ying to explain that usually by young boys who within the Black-cheeks range: skins from the Livingstone the Black-cheeked Lovebird is a make snares around Brown-necked Parr ot Museum. After the initial very special bird in Zambia. waterpools, or near the seed (Poicephalus robustus suahelicus) greetings, Monty Python always Conservation awareness is non- heads in ripening crops. Also and Meyer’ s Parrot (Poicephalus comes to mind as I take a pew existent, and it is a delicate by lining trees near pools meyeri transvaalensis). The on a battered wooden stool balance to promote the where birds perch prior to conservation of a species that locals call all three parr ots by outside the interviewees mud drinking, or with a catapult. the same name: ‘Sichikwele’, feeds on the millet and sor ghum hut. Most of the conversation is subsistence crops. Educating children in Lovebird usually associating the birds conducted thr ough my Zambian Conservation is clearly a with their noisy calls and as assistant in the local languages Survival Dependent priority Ð following in the crop pests. of Tonga or Lozi. The field guide crazy tradition of Monty To help confirm the species and box of parrots is produced Ð on Villagers Python is the first step on the identity during the interviews I usually causing much The long-term survival of long dusty road.

Louise Warburton and her assistant explain their mission. The village children are asked about the lovebird. PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 9 Listening to Echos and Se a r ching for Ghosts

Parrot Conservation on Mauritius by CARL JONES It is a wonder ful privilege to accept the Car olina Medal for myself, have removed the eggs and and on behalf of the conservation team on Mauritius, in r ecognition young for captive r earing, of our work on the Echo Parakeet. But we should not for get that thereby saving many birds that without the help of the World Par rot Tr ust we would not have would have otherwise perished. achieved as much. These birds have been used to establish our captive population The conser vation work on the Echo Parakeet started in 1974 but due or have been returned to the to a shor tage of funds did not really take off until 1990 when we wild. were lucky enough to join for ces with the World Parr ot Trust. Like many important unions our meeting was for tuitous. I was talking at a We found that few pairs, if they captive br eeding conference. In my presentation I mentioned that the succeed, rear more that a single Echo Parakeet had a perilously low population and would likely baby even thought they may lay become extinct, not because we did not know how to save it, but and hatch three eggs. If birds because there was not enough money to make the pr oject work. After are left with a whole br ood, all my talk Mike Reynolds appr oached offering the help of the World the young may be compromised Parrot Trust. This offer of help was what we had been looking for, and die, but if we r emove young Carl Jones since for several years we had battled to save the Echo Parakeet with and leave the adults with a few resour ces and little moral support. Mike and his colleagues at single chick there is a good the World Par rot Trust helped mobilise funds including an impor tant grant from the Par rot Society and chance they will succeed in with this money bought a four -wheel drive vehicle. Since then we have not looked back and the W orld rearing it. The young that ar e Parrot Trust have provided us with annual funds and with the wise council of Andr ew Greenwood who harvested in this way are then advises us on avicultural and veterinar y problems. In recent years we have also had the able and used to foster to other pairs that enthusiastic help of several of Mike’s staf f from Paradise Park who have worked in the field managing the have failed to hatch any eggs or wild Echo Parakeets and with the hand r earing of baby parakeets. they are hand-r eared for r elease when older. Hence in the 1997- Listening to Echos that the skills and intuition I predators and restored small 1998 breeding season, of eleven developed as a schoolboy patches of native forest. pairs of wild Echo Parakeets, ten We have learned a lot from the keeping birds in the back- Remarkably all of these pairs fledged young. This Echo Parakeet, not only how to garden, I am now using to save techniques have worked and management and the release of save this beautiful par rot but endangered species. Aviculture some, such as nest hole 22 birds, a mixtur e of captive also techniques that can be has a huge part to play in bird impr ovement and the bred and harvested young has applied to many other species of conservation on the global restoration of small patches of gr eatly boosted the population. rar e and declining birds. For stage, not only by br eeding habitat have worked very well The total fr ee living population example some of the techniques birds in captivity but by the and we have parr ots living and is now about 100 bir ds. used on the Kakapo pr oject in development and application of breeding in and around our New Zealand have been adapted techniques for use on wild restored areas. While we feel confident that the Echo Parakeet is well on the way fr om our work on the Echo birds. In the 1970’s and 1980’s few Parakeet and we in tur n have to recovery and hope that they Aviculturalists manipulate the birds br ed and of those that did will always fly over the for ested taken some of their ideas and lay eggs few succeeded in used them on our pr oject. productivity of their birds and mountains and gor ges of control mortality by good raising young. In 1987 we only Mauritius, we must not forget Similarly our experiences on knew of eight wild birds of Mauritius ar e being adapted and management. The key is to lear n that it is the last native par rot how to apply these techniques which there were only two left in the Mascarene Islands. applied to bird conser vation females. Many felt the species pr ojects in the Seychelles and to wild populations. Unfortunately we are too late for was doomed. In the 1990’s the many species. Hawaii. When we started our work on birds have been breeding mor e Many of the successes with the the wild Echo Parakeets we frequently, due in par t to our Echo Parakeet have been due to worked on a broad fr ont and efforts, and breeding success is Searching for the application of avicultural tried to minimise the pr oblems much improved. We have techniques to wild bir ds, taking that they may have been having. guarded nests, keeping a close Ghosts captive br eeding into the field. We provided them with eye on what happens. As soon The forests of Mauritius As a life long aviculturist it additional food, improved their as ther e have been any signs resonate with the pr esence of gives me much pleasure to think nest-holes, controlled nest that a nest was going to fail we ghosts, the ghosts of the

10 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 animals and plants that have Par rot, a russet br own bird with if we could restor e the extinct and restore their fragmented become extinct in the four a lilac head, black forehead and species we could once again get and damaged habitats. The day hundred years since man first a bright red bill. parts of the for ests functioning is not far of f when we will be colonised the island. When a as they should. able to r ebuild whole species dies out it may leave an Researchers and historians are ecosystems, provided we still ecological gap, that if not filled working thr ough the early If we know enough about the accounts and examining sub- missing species, ther e is no have the building blocks. These may have deleterious ef fects building blocks ar e the species upon other species. The for est fossil bones to try and piece reason why other species that together the identity of several and the parrots are keystones in trees may be dependent upon can fill the role of the missing these systems. fruit bats and parrots to other species known fr om vague species can not be intr oduced to disperse their fruits and in turn early accounts and a few become ecologically equivalent the parrots, fruit bats and many assorted bits. What is all this species or ecological analogues. Reasons for other species need the forest work going to tell us? We may Per haps the Echo Parakeet can Optimism trees to provide them with food. well lament the passing of be introduced to the forests on Today on Mauritius the forests spectacular species but does the neighbouring island of I believe that the work on are lar gely silent and many of this have any relevance to the Reunion to r eplace the parakeet Mauritius gives us great reasons the large forest tr ees are dying. conservation of the living? While that used to occur there two for optimism. With modest But there is much that can be the resurrecting of the extinct in centuries ago. The Echo Parakeet financial resour ces but with a done to revitalise the forest and a Jurassic Park type fashion is may also be an appr opriate clear vision and the unlimited fill the missing gaps.... still a long way off and may analogue for the extinct drive and dedication of the belong to the realm of science parakeets of Rodrigues and conservation team we have been Once Mauritius and the other fiction there are other Seychelles. And one day we may able to achieve the following:- Mascarene Islands wer e home to possibilities for filling the gaps intr oduce one of the Black a dozen or more species of ¥ Establish the Echo Parakeet’ s left by extinct species. Cockatoos to replace the Br oad entire remaining habitat as parrots. If we could travel back Billed Parr ot. in time we would find an island Mauritius’ first national park alive with birds and reptiles, Can the Echo While these wild speculations ¥ Restore areas of for est in herds of giant tortoises, large Replace the Missing may seem like dreaming we will which the Echo Parakeet feeds lizards, the dodo, flightless soon be seriously considering and br eeds rails, as well as a large flightless Species? replacing the extinct Mauritian ‘black cockatoo’ larger than any Giant Tortoises with closely ¥ Learn how to manage the wild parrot alive today, possibly Many of the for est trees in parakeets to improve their related and ecologically similar pr oductivity similar to the Black Cockatoos of Mauritius produce lar ge fleshy analogues. We hope to introduce Australia. This was the Broad- fruits with incredibly hard these onto offshore islands ¥ Establish Echo Parakeets in billed Parrot that may have lived seeds. These fr uits come in around Mauritius wher e they can captivity wher e they are now in the palm rich forests in the differ ent sizes; we know that become impor tant grazers, breeding. lowlands and fed on palm fruits. fruit bats and Echo Parakeets browsers and seed dispersers. I There was also another smaller love some of these fruits, often ¥ Develop r elease techniques for hope I will one day see analogue captive rear ed birds. Twenty- grey crested par rot, which was carr ying them away to feed on species of parrots being good to eat. On the other the edible pulp and rejecting the two bir ds have been released introduced into restored for ests during the last three seasons. Mascarene islands there wer e hard seeds. Undoubtedly of Mauritius. It was not so long several parakeets; on Rodrigues dispersing the seeds in the ago that we were speculating ¥ Establish released bir ds in the was a blue-grey one; others wer e process. However, in today’s about restoring species and wild. One of our released birds described as having red epaulets Mauritian for ests many fruits rehabilitating for ests and now ‘Gabriella’ has started br eeding and another apparently had a fall on the ground and fail to we are doing both. and last season rear ed a red head and tail. Rodrigues also germinate. The result is that the fostered chick. Several other had a larger all green par rot and forests ar e dying due to poor We already know enough so that birds are showing signs of Reunion (and also possibly regeneration. While this is a we can save most of the pairing and breeding. Mauritius) had the Mascarene endangered par rots of the world complex problem, I believe that Much r emains to be done but I feel proud of what we have been able to achieve and we must also pay tribute to those that have made this work possible. No one works in isolation and we would not have pr ogressed this far without the help of our suppor ting organisations. The World Parrot Trust and others. I must also pay tribute to the staff who made all of this happen. I especially thank Kirsty Swinner ton who has worked on the pr oject for twelve seasons doing some of the early field work, looking after the captive Mascarene Grey Parrot Lophopsittacus Mascar ene Parrot Mascarinus mascarinus which The Broad-billed Parrot Lophopsittacus birds, hand-rearing chicks and bensoni. Extinct c.1760’s. This is the first was found on the island of Reunion and maybe mauritianus a large cockatoo like bird supervising field teams. And also Mauritius died out in the early part of the time a reconstruction of this extinct which may have had similarities with the finally I thank the parakeets that parrot has been published. 19th Century. This is one of only two museum Black Cockatoos of Australia. species, fr om Paris Museum have taught us much.

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 11 positive for the disease. This has potentially drastic consequences for wild and captive birds. Any wild caught birds introduced to existing colonies, of African or other Final Blows for species of parr ots, may well spread the infection. This could reduce the trade in wild caught birds, which would be beneficial, but may cause mortality in the wild population, which would be detrimental. It the Cape Parrot ? isn’t known whether the wild parr ots have natural resistance Authors: MIKE PERRIN, COLLEEN DOWNS, CRAIG SYMES or ar e particularly sensitive to To pr event the extinction of one of South ’s rarest and most charismatic bir ds, the the disease. This will depend on Cape Parr ot, captive breeding is being undertaken. Aviculturalists, some of whom whether the disease is naturally- contribute to the demise of the species, through capture and illegal trade, ar e making a occur ring or introduced. significant contribution to its sur vival, through a breeding programme. This is welcome One frightening concern is that and beneficial. The parr ots already decimated in the wild, have r ecently been subjected as the species becomes rarer, it to another threat, in the form of par rot beak and feather disease , which has caused the also becomes more valuable to mortality of most of the birds in captivity. This is despite every precaution being taken collectors, which increases and at great expense. Ther e is no vaccine to tr eat infected birds and even diagnosis is a demand and trade price. This complex biochemical procedur e. To ensure a disease free colony for the future, diseased could start a spiral which would birds are quarantined, and at the last r esort euthanised. be dif ficult to break. The only solution appears to be a A major pr oblem that has also and expanding agriculture, have adult and will not reach dedicated co-operative recover y just surfaced is the capture of further reduced the extent of breeding age, owing to programme under taken by wild birds by r ural people natural montane forests. The predation, capture or disease. conservators, aviculturalists and resettled in close pr oximity to parrots now fly gr eat distances ecologists. This is the aim of the indigenous forests. These to find sufficient food and During a r ecent nation wide census of the wild parr ots, two KwaZulu-Natal Avicultural impoverished and malnourished suitable roosting sites, which Forum, the Cape Par rot W orking local communities ar e applying may well negatively impact on birds were seen that were apparently feather plucked, Group, the World Parr ot Trust for deregulation of the for ests to their abundance. The world Africa and the Research Centr e enable some income generation. population of these attractive mimicking the symptoms of beak and feather disease. This for Parrot Conser vation at the Ther e are two large flocks of parrots, which are endemic to University of Natal. Cape Parrots that nest in the South Africa, now approximates was cause for concern but not vicinity which are at great risk. 500 birds. Indeed, the ef fective alarm. However, our worst fears The only thing that is cer tain is Injured bir ds are now being sold or breeding population of the have been confirmed in the last that the futur e of the Cape at the r oad side, but fortunately birds is significantly less, few days, eight of eight wild Par rot is now at greater risk some have been rescued and because many birds are sub- caught par rots have shown to be than ever befor e. tr eated by a veterinarian. However, they cannot be r ehabilitated into the wild, not only because of their injuries An Appeal for Funds but because they are infected with beak and feather disease. by ROSEMARY LOW They can only be used for The Cape Parrot from South Africa is now one of the world's most breeding if a vaccine is found. endangered parrots. As one who has been fortunate to see it in Attempts in the USA have been the wild, to listen to its cheer ful chortling calls and to watch it in unsuccessful, but ther e may be the early morning sun, when the frost was on the gr ound, I know a sour ce in Australia. that it would be a tragedy and a great loss if this charismatic Previous resear ch on the biology parrot was to become extinct. of the Cape Par rot has shown A small population has been studied for several years by some very that it is a habitat and diet enthusiastic people at the Research Centre for African Par rots who specialist, dependent on yellowwood for ests for its food are gravely concerned about the future of the Cape Parrot. Their work has revealed facts about this throughout the year, and for species which would aid its conservation and survival. The problem is that they lack the funds to nesting sites during the implement the field work which so urgently needs to be carried out. breeding season. Decades ago Now I would like to make an appeal to all our members - and to ever yone else who reads PsittaScene these for ests were heavily - to raise some money on behalf of South Africa's most endanger ed parr ot. Please don't ignore this exploited for furnitur e, as the appeal. If every member wrote out a cheque for only £5 the sum of £10,000 would be raised. If wood is beautiful and durable, some of the many cage bir d or parrot societies in the UK donated a modest sum from, per haps, a but not r eplanted, and cattle raffle or a bird sale, those funds could be instr umental in helping to save the Cape Parrot. grazing has pr evented natural regeneration. Recent If you are one of the generous ones who wants to help, please send your donation to the W orld afforestation of upland areas Parrot Tr ust in Cornwall (see address on page 19). with exotic pines, gums, wattles

12 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 area has diminished. It is also exacerbated by selective felling of lar ge yellowwoods for timber that occurred during the last centur y and the first half of this one. To counter these impacts, corrective Pr oject Prop o s a l : measures for the conser vation of Cape Parrots are required. These The Ecology and Status of the Cape Parrot in South Africa measures include: a) Termination of yellowwood (Part of the Forest Biodiversity Programme and the African Par rot Research Group, School of Botany & timber extraction from Zoology, University of Natal, P/Bag XO1, Scottsville, Pieter maritzburg, 3209) Afr omontane for ests by Dr COLLEEN T. DOWNS b) Provision of additional nesting sites and parrots between for est that had been used previously Introduction patches shows them to be a fell over during strong winds. c) Planting of additional The nominate race of the Cape food nomadic species based All nests (n=11), except for preferred food plants. Parrot, Poicephalus robustus on monthly observations of one in a live blackwood, have Long ter m monitoring of this robustus has r ecently been temporal and spatial activity been in holes in dead highly mobile food nomadic described as a separate species patterns and feeding emergent, dead canopy species is requir ed together with based on size, colour, distribution observations. Cape Parr ots are Podocarpus spp. Such dead its food resources, breeding and habitat preference. It is strictly diurnal though most trees ar e a scarce resource in success, population numbers, classed as rare and vulnerable. active during the first and last the study ar eas, and thus and the success of the few hours of daylight. Most have impor tant conservation implemented conser vation Progress feeding also takes place implications. action. The field work of the initial during this time. Between f) Population size estimates project has been completed and periods of activity the birds show that numbers Proposed Research the presentation of a mostly remain perched, call, throughout the Cape Par rot posthumous thesis by J.O. preen, allopr een, rest or range have declined 1999-2005 Wirminghaus is in the final occasionally feed. dramatically with large flocks 1) Continued monthly stages. The results include: d) Drinking sites are important rarely seen. Presently it is monitoring of Cape Parrot for the parrots, par ticularly tentatively estimated that less populations at Weza and a) Species Status. Hlabeni. Morphological differences of during the dry winter months than 1000 Cape Parrots in the three races of the Cape when very little free water is total remain, which is 2) Continuance of the nest box Parr ot using national and available. exceedingly low (Downs & provision project to international museum e) Breeding success at the two Symes 1998). determine whether nest sites collections of Cape Parr ot. It study sites during the past are limiting. is proposed that P.r. r obustus three summers, based on Proposals 3) Availability of snags in be given full species status. counts of fledged juveniles Conservation of Cape Parrots Afromontane for est. In b) Distributional data of Cape present was low. Only three requires conser vation of their particular, determination of Parrots using South African nests during the 1993/1994 forest habitats, in particular abundance of snags, their Bir d Atlas Project were season and two during the mature Podocarpus sp. The Cape alteration with time and their mapped, and analysed further 1995/1996 season were used Parrot population decline is potential as nest sites for for gr oss movement patterns at the study sites, while one caused by habitat loss as forest hole-nesting birds. and densities. Historical 4) Monitoring of captive evidence shows a contraction breeding programmes and of the core range of Cape implementation of a studbook Parrots. for Cape Parrots. c) Importance of yellowwoods , 5) Liaising and advertising the particularly Podocarpus Cape Parrot Big Birding Day falcatus (a forest canapy tree), each April, which involves for breeding, feeding and birders, landowners and other social interactions of Cape inter ested people. Parrots is evident. Most 6) Liaison with Inter national frequent use of any tree Parrot and Bird Conservation species shows dominance of Bodies. Podocarpus spp. for feeding and as perches. Kernels of Podocarpus spp. fruits are References preferred and eaten while the Downs, C.T. & Symes, C.T. 1998. exocarp is discarded. Monthly Cape Parrots: Report on the fruit availability of the second Cape Parrot Big Birding different for est trees shows Day, (25 April 1998). PsittaScene that for most species fruiting Vol 10 No 3 pages 5-7. is unpredictable and that W irminghaus, J.O. In prep. The certain species have extended ecology and status of the Cape fruiting periods. However, Parrot Poicephalus r. robustus in during November - December South Africa. Posthumous Ph.D there is usually a fruit thesis, University of Natal, shortage. Movements of Captive female Cape Parrot. Pietermaritzburg.

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 13 Cockatoos and Peanuts at Lakeland by STEPHEN GARNETT Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 2066, Cairns, Queensland 4870 Photographs by Stephen Garnett Peanuts grow well at Lakeland. The nuts flourish in the rich volcanic soil while its distance they would simply isolation in southern Cape York Peninsula means there are fewer weeds and diseases. ease into the nearby trees and Though the work is hard and the investment enormous, good farming is amply drift across to another rewarded. Each year many truckloads of peanut head south to be turned into oil and paddock. Shooting released the butter and salted sachets at the corner pub. farmers’ frustration but it did not reduce the damage. But such bounty has not gone pulled and were drying on the expensive disaster. One unnoticed by local wildlife. surface. Finally some clever property lost over $50,000 per The Queensland Parks and Red-tailed Black Cockatoos cockatoo had the wit to pull a year to the cockatoos, others Wildlife Service was generally have probably been visiting living plant from the ground their entire crop. held responsible for this Lakeland for hundreds of years and discover the rich bounty damage because they would to eat seeds from the of soft, oily food beneath. Retribution not give permits to shoot more bloodwoods. Having bred Others soon learnt and about than 30 Red-tailed Black during the wet season, adults eight years ago the flocks came The farmers hit back with high- Cockatoos. Red-tailed Black bring their newly fledged regularly to get their fill, powered rifles and there were Cockatoos are not only young to socialise during the working methodically from the rumours of illegal poisoning. charismatic but are rare in eight months of the dry edge of the crop or from any They tried scaring devices or southern Australia. The Service season. Just when they patch where the crop was thin. patrolled their crops all day to gave advice on scaring devices r ecognised peanuts as food is Between feeds they exercised scare the cockatoos away. Farm and suggested leaving part of not known. They probably their beaks on the huge pivot work was constantly disrupted the crop for the birds but began feeding on nuts that had irrigators, shorting the wires by faulty irrigators. However, would not countenance been left behind after so that one wheel would go though the cockatoos grew wholesale destruction, even if harvesting. Then they realised faster than the others until the wary, they did not stop eating in the unlikely event this was that the best pickings were to whole contraption tripped and peanuts. When anyone possible. Until this year the be had after the nuts had been twisted into a tangle of approached within shooting advice did as little to help the farmers as did their shooting. In 1999, however, things changed, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service grew its first peanut crop - though in fact credit for the crop must really go to the farmers of Lakeland and the industries who support them. Generosity of a Local Farmer The peanut crop was made possible through the generosity of local farmer Martin Garate. Martin had long been convinced a sacrifice crop was the only way to control cockatoo damage and made available 40 acres of land where he had grown peanuts himself, only to lose the lot to cockatoos. With Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos and peanuts in Lakeland. Martin’s generosity as an

14 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 A happy peanut farmer. example, everyone pitched in the sacrifice crop for the to help. The Peanut Company duration of the peanut growing of Australia gave a special deal season. It is even possible that on seed peanuts and the they will leave enough for Interbitzens of Swiss Farms Martin to get some return for prepared the ground in time his generosity. For relatively for the first rains. Another little outlay, but with much farmer, Graham Green, lent his community goodwill, the seeder and on Christmas day farmers not only saved 1998 Martin and another local thousands of dollars worth of Peanuts pulled up by Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, Lakeland. peanuts but were also able to farmer, Andy Stemmler, put a about the project, particularly whether there are increases tonne of seed peanuts in the get on with other farm work during the peanut season. No that the cockatoos will and management can be ground. The Hoskins brothers increase rapidly as a result of adjusted accordingly. In the then took over care of the more than a handful of cockatoos died. the free food, but that is a meantime the farmers, from crop, spraying weeds as problem for the future. For at now on in conjunction with the required and applying least the next two years Birds local catchment management thousands of dollars worth of Concerns Remain Australia volunteers will count group, have an alternative to fungicide donated to the Farmers still have concerns cockatoos regularly to see killing that actually works. project by Bayer Chemicals. At the end of March the nuts were just starting to fill. Two weeks later local Birds Australia convenor and former peanut farmer, Jon Nott, visited the crop. He had with him a despondent local shooter who had been employed to keep cockatoos off commercial crops, but who could find none to shoot at. The reason for their absence was obvious as soon as they reached the sacrifice crop. As they approached the fence, 500 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos rose from the ground in a panic of black and red and perched, with guilty, muddy beaks, in the distant trees. A Successful Experiment The cockatoos have stayed on Red-tailed Black Cockatoos in flight.

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 15 ¥¥¥ STOP PRESS ¥¥¥ The full text of theParrot Action Plan can now be seen at our website www.worldparrottrust.org

proclaimed over and over again been eroded and there are fears meals. Further information can Message from how wonderful it was that so for its survival after the be obtained from the organiser, Sumba many people from so far away monsoons. Jacquie Blackburn, 108 cared about their birds and that Meadowvale Road, W est Hill, by MARGARET KINNAIRD A key to the local tourist they realised they were taking economy, Phi Phi Leh Island is Ontario, Canada M1C 1S1, Readers will r ecall that we are very poor car e of them. My telephone 416 282 7375 or fax student, Hendra Kurniawan, his supposedly protected as a 282 8995. funding par t of the work of national park. Thai Margar et Kinnaird and Tim counterpart from PHPA (forestry) conservationists ar e asking O’Brien in Sumba, with the and a representative from the people worldwide to boycott the FABULOUS NEW Citr on-crested Cockatoo Cacatua Forest r esearch branch in film when it reaches the sulphurea citrinocristata . Here is Waingapu had a formal meeting WPT SHIRT! with the local villagers and cinemas. A petition against 20th a brief message from Margar et. Century Fox is circulating on the No doubt we will have a mor e village chiefs before my arrival internet. Or you can express detailed report in a future issue and explained the research, the your outrage by writing to the of PsittaScene. For now, see serious conservation issues film’s producer, Andrew PsittaScene for Februar y 1999 surrounding cockatoos and got a promise that no one would harm MacDonald, Producer, The for more details. Beach, c/o Car ol Sewell, 10201 the birds. Amazingly, they were “I’ve just r eturned fr om three W. Pico Blvd, Building 89, Room all complaining that too many 224, Los Angeles, Ca 90035, USA. wonderful weeks in Sumba. The people have been capturing and release went extremely well and that they no longer see cockatoos now six bir ds are bleeping in their forest. Everyone seems Canada ar ound the Melolo forest. honest and willing to help.” Ever ybody was so excited about The tenth Canadian Parr ot the release - all the way from the Symposium will take place on local villagers to the Bupati. The Thailand November 20 and 21. The venue latter wanted to attend the is, as usual, the Toronto Airport Island Habitat Hilton Hotel. This convention release and have a for mal ceremony but we had to Destroyed provides a rare opportunity to discourage it and in the end, got hear Paul Butler speak. He is Hot off the pr ess comes this If you care about habitats, renowned for his innovative new t-shir t featuring a Golden the plans cancelled. The publicity whether or not they contain would have been wonder ful but methods of conser vation Conure design by Cyd Riley of parrots, you can voice your education, which started in the Firefly T-shirts. Once again, Cyd it would have r equired a change displeasure at what happened Caribbean with the St Lucia has generously donated her in the r elease site and of course, on Phi Phi Leh island in Parr ot. His unique methods are beautiful painting to WPT, and much stress to the bir ds. Thailand. It was the location for now being copied worldwide. all pr ofits from the shirt go Nonetheless, they wer e very Leonardo Di Caprio’s new film Paul is a winner of the without deduction to our Golden thankful for our help and The Beach. Thailand’s Royal prestigious United Nations Conure Survival Fund. Forestry Department violated Environment Pr ogramme’s You can or der this shirt from their own regulations and were “Global 500 Award” for his work allegedly bought off by 20th our USA or UK offices (see page in St Lucia. He is also an 19). The price is $22 plus $4 Century Fox who paid the absorbing and entertaining government 4 million Baht shipping (USA), or £15 plus speaker - winner of the awar d £2.50 shipping (UK). (about £70,000). The native for best speaker on both vegetation at Maya Beach was occasions he has spoken at the bulldozed to create more space Loro Parque Convention. Parrot Nutrition for a scene depicting a football Currently he is taking game. Sea pandanus trees, conservation education Information spider lily and other beach campaigns to Latin America. grasses were replaced with 100 Required non-native coconut palms to Other speakers at the Agnieszka Kleczkowska is in her make the island look more like convention will include Mark fifth year at the Agricultural Hollywood’s version of a tropical Hagen, Sally Blanchard, Dick University in Warsaw, Poland. paradise. Conservationists Schroeder, James Murphy, She is pr eparing a master’s feared that destroying the Pamela Hutchinson and Liz thesis on feeding parr ots, natural vegetation would create Wilson. Registration costs are including origins of food and serious er osion. They were from Can$55 for one day (basic) food additives. She is r equesting Citron-crested Cockatoo right. The beach has alr eady up to $175 for two days with information on feeding par rots

16 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 in general and fig parrots in particular. Published work from Major Disney avian nutritionists would be Grant for ABC/WPT especially valuable. Anyone who can provide such infor mation is Projects asked to contact her at Ul. The Disney Wildlife Arniki 14, 04-903 Warszawa- Conservation Fund have Miedzeszyn, Poland, or e-mail announced a major grant awar d her at [email protected] to two of the projects jointly suppor ted by American Bird UK Conference Conservancy (ABC) and World November 7th will be an Parrot Trust in the small grants important date in the diary of for parrot conservation program. The funds will suppor t pet parrot keepers in the UK. on-going work on the Yellow- The first one-day conference on eared Parrot, Red-tailed Amazon, the better care of pet parrots and also support a project in will take place. The venue is the Yellow-ear ed Conure northwest Mexico which will Charlecote Pheasant Hotel, describe several WPT projects. Mike Parr has won the 1998 help Military Macaws and Thick- Stratford-on-Avon. The billed Parrots. conference will be or ganised by One result of this was a donation McColvin Gold Medal of the BirdsFirst in Birdkeeping, a new of DM600 from the or ganiser, Dr British Library Association for More than forty of the par rot charity dedicated to raising the Peter Wüst, and Ruud has the ‘Most Outstanding Reference species occurring in the standards of care for all birds in allocated these funds to our Book’. The award was presented Americas are listed as globally aviculture, and by Par rots Echo Parakeet project. Our to Tony Juniper by the Bishop of threatened by IUCN. ABC’ s Small Magazine. There will be speakers thanks to Ruud, and to Dr Wüst. London in a ceremony on Grants Pr ogram has, over the from the USA as well as two vets Tuesday June 22nd. years, supported dozens of projects r elating to the from the UK, Neil Forbes and ABC/WPT Tony Juniper is Policy and Peter Scott. Places will be conservation of these species, Conservation Campaigns Director for Friends but given the critical situation limited to 100. Further of the Earth (www.foe.co.uk), information can be obtained now facing some of the most Grants 1999/2000 and Mike Parr is Director of threatened, ABC teamed up with from Greg Glendell, BirdsFirst, Pr ogram Development for Box 227, Shrewsbury, SY4 5WU, To follow up on last year ’s grant World Par rot Trust to launch a American Bird Conser vancy special pr ogram to address their telephone 01630 685518. round American Bir d (ABC). ABC has an active par rot Conservancy (ABC) working conservation needs. During conservation programme, and summer 1998 a call for again in partnership with World working in partnership with Young Kakapo Parrot Trust will consider parrot proposals, accompanied by a list World Par rot Trust, is cur rently of priority species and Doing Well conser vation projects both from supporting par rot projects in current grantees and fr om new suggested conservation actions by DON MERTON ten countries in the Americas. was circulated. The pr ogram applicants. ABC has produced a More details can be found on list of priority species for r eceived a number of extremely The six Kakapo chicks reported ABC’s website at high-quality pr oposals, and in the May issue ar e all doing conservation action, and www.abcbirds.org. The authors proposals addressing the needs thanks to additional funding well. Lisa’s three females are have also distributed copies of from the Barbara Delano weaned and in a pre-release pen of these species are particularly ‘Parrots’ to customs officers and encouraged. Foundation, was able to suppor t on Codfish Island. They will be conser vation groups in Latin thirteen projects in ten released via a two-way cat door Although primary emphasis will America to assist with the countries. The pr ojects include when the (Austral) winter has be given to these themes, as identification of threatened an emergency effort to pr otect passed. The other three ar e in a usual ABC will also consider parr ots in illegal trade. the last remaining population of pen on Maud Island and are not proposals for other bird ‘Parrots’ is published in the USA by Yellow-eared Par rot in Colombia; quite weaned at the time of conservation projects in Latin three separate projects tackling writing (mid July). They include Yale University Press and in the UK America and the Caribbean by Pica Press (01580 880 561). the conservation of the the smallest whose gr owth rate undertaken by or involving local threatened nor thern subspecies had given much cause for conser vation groups and of Scarlet Macaw; thr ee concern. He now weighs 1.7kg individuals. Most grants will be Caribbean pr ojects to protect and has been named Mor ehu - for amounts below the the endemic Amazons of Maori for survivor. maximum of $5,000. For full Jamaica, Dominica, and Cayman details contact: Luis Naranjo, Brac. A project to assess the News from WPT- American Bird Conservancy, PO population of Blue-winged Box 249, The Plains, VA 20198, Macaw in the Brazilian Pantanal; Benelux USA or visit the ABC website: an envir onmental education Ruud Vonk, Chair man of this www.abcbirds.org. project for the Yellow-headed major branch of WPT, gave a talk Note: Deadline for applications Amazon in Belize; a project to at the 9th International is September 25th 1999. protect the Gr eat Green Macaw Symposium at Bietigheim, in wester n Ecuador; a project to Ger many, on the theme of protect the Blue-fronted Amazon ‘Threatened Parrots’. His Award for ‘Parrots’ fr om illegal trade in Brazil; a presentation was very ‘Parr ots’ A Guide to Parr ots of community development pr oject successful, and he was able to the World by Tony Juniper and Contd. on page 18

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 17 Contd. from page 17 team. It has to be said, however, to conserve habitat for the Red- that Australian aviculturists are tailed Amazon at Superagui not too interested in the National Park, Brazil; and a conservation of par rots in the generic project to investigate wild. I had an opportunity at the the habitat r equirements of gala dinner to remind the 250 wide-ranging species based on delegates that anyone who keeps the Mealy Amazon in Guatemala. parrots in captivity has a clear ABC and W orld Parrot Trust will and undoubted responsibility again be r equesting parrot towards the par rots in the wild, conser vation proposals in 1999 and can meet a par t of that to follow up on the success of responsibility by joining the the programme. Application World Parrot Tr ust. The next details can be found on the ABC day, eleven delegates visited our website www.abcbirds.org WPT Australia booth and became members. Which leaves 239 ‘Birds 99 Convention’, people still to be convinced! One excellent outcome was Mark Brisbane, Australia Hagen’s donation of his A$1200 expenses (as a speaker at the June 1999 convention) to WPT Australia. by MIKE REYNOLDS This was very welcome, as it will This was an extr emely well go towards our thr ee year organised and enjoyable commitment to provide A$30,000 convention, and congratulations for resear ch on the Palm are due to Bruce Beattie and his Cockatoo. Many thanks Mark! Mark Hagen pr esents a cheque to WPT at the ‘Birds 99 Convention’ in Brisbane.

population might become almost More on Spix’s Macaw impossible. The last By Michael Reynolds male is needed to teach captively-bred Readers who have closely read the newspaper articles on pages 6 ones how to survive. and 7 will have seen that the fate of Spix's Macaw attracted much It knows what interest from the environment cor respondents at our press predators look like, it conference. These shrewd and knowledgeable people picked up knows where the food on the fact that there was only one bir d in the wild and for ty or is, it knows where so in captivity, and wanted to know why the captive bir ds wer e there is water in the not being put back to support the last wild bir d. A reasonable dry season and where question. They asked who held the captive bir ds, and I told them nesting sites ar e". The that to the best of my knowledge there were 30 plus at Mr. Times continued: “The Antonio de Dios’s Bir ds International In Manilla, Philippines and, urgency of getting about 12 with Dr Hammerli in Switzerland. birds back to Brazil has been intensified by the r emaining male's A brief history of this matter is that during the 1980s local liaison with a female Illiger's Macaw . The collectors might be trappers in NE Brazil regularly took fledglings from the last one or concerned that their birds will be poached if retur ned to Brazil two Spix's nests, sold them to middlemen in Brazil or Paraguay , and released into the wild, but this is unlikely , since local people who sold them for very large sums to collectors within Brazil, and are fier cely proud of their rare parrot and have pledged to defend also to others outside Brazil. All of these movements wer e it. Since the last male was discovered, camera crews, scientists completely illegal under Brazilian law, and contrary to the CITES and twitchers have descended on the area, bringing money to a convention. In 1992 an amnesty was negotiated under which the hard-pressed region. Local people take an immense pride. They holders of Spix's Macaw wer e spared prosecution in return for even have a pizza restaurant called the Blue Macaw. It is an their co-operation in joining a recovery committee which would enormous boost for a poor part of the world". work to restore the species in the wild. You will see that Dr. Hammerli says he has sold his bir ds to Since then, a female (recover ed from a Brazilian collector and somebody else in Switzerland. This demonstrates with absolute thought to be the original mate of the wild male) was r eleased, clarity that he is not a person with any inter est in conser vation, but this bird disappeared after some months. Other experiments and regar ds his financial interest as the only impor tant factor. involving Illiger's Macaws have been made, but my personal view is that the extreme urgency of the situation is not being We have written to the person r esponsible for envir onmental adequately recognised by the Spix's Macaw Recover y Committee. matters at the Brazilian Embassy in London, of fering any help that Alternatively, the pr oblem may be that the holders of the captive the World Parrot Trust can supply . In particular we have proposed birds simply r efuse to co-operate in taking the actions that ar e that Dr. Carl Jones could be asked to car ry out an independent clearly essential, but require them to send some of their bir ds review of the Spix's Macaw situation. After all, if anyone can back to Brazil to be car efully prepared for r elease. improve the prospects of this bird sur viving in the wild, it has to be the man who has saved the Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon, and Time is of the essence. As Tony Juniper of Friends of the Ear th, now the Echo Parakeet. and also co-author of the new 'Par rots' guide, told 'The T imes': “It is vital that political and moral pr essure is put on the collectors. If Will the Brazilian authorities allow us to help? W e will keep our this last one goes, then the chances of re-establishing a wild readers informed.

18 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 Working for Parrot Co n s e r vation and Wel f a r e Wor l d w i d e The World Par rot Trust was founded in 1989 as UK Registered Charity Parrots’, and to win over the majority of aviculturists and scientists to No. 800944. International expansion has been rapid and the Trust now its point of view. The task is huge Ð our resources are limited. We need has linked charities and support groups in Africa, Australia, , the commitment of everyone in the ‘parrot community’: those who keep, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, , Scandinavia, , Switzerland br eed, study and protect the parr ots. Beyond those special interests, we and the USA. look for support from everyone who understands the crisis facing the world through the loss of biodiversity. We aim to continue using the Funds raised for the parrots have now reached £1,000,000 ($1.6M) and special charm of the parrots to win the hearts and minds of thoughtful have been used to initiate and support conservation and welfare projects in 20 countries for 37 species of parrot. Despite this wide- people everywhere. ranging activity, the Trust is run on a volunteer basis, with only two part Michael Reynolds time administrators worldwide. This uniquely cost-effective approach is Founder and Hon. Director made possible by substantial financial and logistical support donated by World Parrot Trust Paradise Park, the UK home base of the World Parrot Tr ust. The objective of the Trust is to promote the survival of all parrot species Mike Reynolds meets ‘Pablo’, and the welfare of individual birds. It pursues these aims by funding a hand-reared Echo Parakeet field conservation work, research projects and educational programmes. released to join critically The Trust seeks to promote the concept of ‘responsible aviculture’ where endangered wild Echoes in the interests of the parrots themselves are given priority over Mauritius. commercial, political, career or other human concerns. The World Parrot Trust and its members wish to be recognised as the ‘True Friends of the Join us Aims of the Trust If not already a member, please join. Receive our PsittaScene The survival of parrot species in the wild, and the welfare of captive bir ds. newsletter, know that you ar e actively contributing towards our These aims are pursued by: aims and projects. Educating the public on the threats to parrots. Opposing trade in wild-caught parrots. Help fund our Projects Preserving and restoring parrot habitat. Studying the status of parrot populations. We are currently supporting par rot conser vation, education and Encouraging the production of aviary-bred birds. welfare pr ojects in 20 countries. Your generosity towards the Creating links between aviculture and conservation. parrots could help us expand cur rent schemes and star t new Promoting high standards in the keeping of parrots. ones. Supporting research into veterinary care of parrots.

WPT NATIONAL CONTACTS Switzerland YES, I WANT TO HELP SAVE THE Lars Lepperhoff, Lutschenstrasse 15, 3063 Ittigen United Kingdom Tel: (41) 31 922 3902 Kar en Allmann, Administrator , PARROTS OF THE WORLD Glanmor House, Hayle, Cor nwall TR27 4HB Germany Tel: (44) 01736 753365 Fax: (44) 01736 756438 Jür gen Oertel, Einsiedel, Pappelweg 6, email: uk@worldpar rottrust.org D-09123 Chemnitz SUBSCRIPTION RATES (please tick) Name...... Mike Reynolds email: [email protected] Italy Address ...... USA Freddie Virili, via Matarus 10, 33045 Nimis, Udine. Joanna Eckles, PO Box 50733, St. Paul, MN 55150 Cristiana Senni, email: [email protected] UK and Europe (Single) £15 ...... Tel: 651 994 2581 Fax: 651 994 2580 Email: usa@worldparrottr ust.org Australia ...... Benelux Mike Owen, 7 Monteray St., Mooloolaba, UK and Europe (Family) £20 Peter de Vries (Membership Sec.), Jagershof 91, Queensland 4557...... 7064 DG Silvolde, Tel: (61) 7 54780454 email: [email protected] ...... Tel: (31) 315327418 email: [email protected] Africa Fellow (Life Member) £250/US$400 Zip/Postcode Belgium enquiries: Romain Bejstrup (32) 32526773 Netherlands enquiries: Ruud Vonk (31) 168472715 V. Dennison, PO Box 1758, Link Hills, Corporate (Annual) Please charge my Mastercard/Visa No. Natal 3652, S. Africa Canada Tel: (27) 31 763 4054 Fax: (27) 31 763 3811 Mike Pearson, PO Box 29, Mount Hope, All overseas Airmail £17/US$25 Spain Exp. date ...... Amount £/US$...... Ontario L0R 1W0 (or equivalent currency, payment Tel: (1) 905 385 9500 Fax: (1) 905 385 7374 Andrés Marin and Ana Matesanz, Signature ...... email: cwpar [email protected] C/La Majadita no 16 Guinate, Maquez, by Visa/Mastercard preferr ed) Denmark (Scandinavia) 35541 Las Palmas, Spain OR: Michael Iversen, Hyldevang 4 Ð Bur esoe, Tel: (34) 928 835745 email: [email protected] 3550 Slangerup Plus donation of £/US$ ...... I enclose a cheque made payable to the WPT WPT Web Sites: email: [email protected] Central: http://www.worldparrottrust.org France Canada: http://www.worldchat.com/par rot/cwparrot.htm J. & G. Prin, 55 Rue de la Fassier e, 45140, Ingre. Italy: http://www .mediavillage.it/wpt Or join us on our website: www.worldparrottrust.org Tel: (33) 2 38 43 62 87 Fax: (33) 2 38 43 97 18 Denmark: http://www.image.dk/fpewpt

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 19 Parrots in the Wild Red-tailed Amazon Parrot Amazona brasiliensis

This bird was photographed by Paulo Martuscelli, a Brazilian biologist who has spent several years studying and protecting this very striking amazon parrot in its small coastal distribution in Sao Paulo and Parana States of Brazil. The World Parrot Trust has funded some protection work for this bird, following an investigation carried out for us by Dr. David Waugh (now Director of Edinburgh Zoo) See PsittaScene for August 1994 for more information. The Red-tailed Amazon is a CITES Appendix 1 ENDANGERED species, has a population estimated at around 4,000, but continues to be threatened by habitat loss, trapping for the pot and for trade. A recent study showed that of 49 nests, no less than 41 had been illegally robbed of nestlings. No wonder this species is one of the 89 listed by the new Parrot Action Plan to be heading towards extinction.

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