bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/437293; this version posted October 19, 2018. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. From the cage to the wild: Introductions of Psittaciformes to Puerto Rico Wilfredo Falcón1,2, *, † and Raymond L. Tremblay1,2 1 Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 100 Carr. 908, Humacao, Puerto Rico 00791, USA. 2 Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation, PO Box 23341, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, 00931-3341. *Corresponding author:
[email protected] †Present address: Bureau of Research and Conservation of Habitats and Biodiversity, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, P.O. Box 366147, San Juan, PR 00936, USA 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/437293; this version posted October 19, 2018. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. Abstract Introduced psittacine birds can become highly invasive. In this study, we assessed invasions of Psittaciformes in Puerto Rico. We reviewed the literature, public databases, citizen science records, and performed in situ population surveys across the island to determine the historical and current status and distribution of psittacine species. We used count data from Ebird to determine population trends.