U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Puerto Rican Parrot Questions and Answers

How many parrots have been How often do they reproduce and raised in captivity? how many eggs are produced? The captive propagation program Puerto Rican parrots mate for life. began in 1972. Today, there are 143 They reproduce once a year, between parrots in captivity. These birds are the months of January and July. The maintained in the Río Abajo and female lays three to four white eggs, Luquillo aviaries. incubating them for 24 to 28 days. Once the eggs hatch, it takes 60-65 Where are the two aviaries? days for the chicks to fledge. The first and oldest aviary, known as Luquillo Aviary, is located within the Where do they nest? Sierra de Luquillo Mountains at the The parrots are secondary cavity Caribbean National Forest. The nesters. That is, they nest in tree second captive-rearing facility, known cavities, but they cannot excavate as the José Luis Vivaldi Aviary, is them. The parrots use cavities located within the Río Abajo State primarily in palo colorado (Cyrilla

USFWS Forest in Utuado. racemiflora) trees. Laurel sabino Why is the Puerto Rican parrot (Magnolia splendens) and tabonuco endangered? Why are wild parrots only found (Dacryodes excelsa) trees are also used for nesting. The nesting cavities The main reason is habitat loss by in the Caribbean National Forest? are usually a considerable distance deforestation in conjunction with high The destruction of native lowland above the forest floor. This affords rates of mortality and low rates of forest forced the parrots to seek the nest protection from most reproduction. In addition, hurricanes, refuge in the remaining fragments of predators. The availability of suitable hunting, crop protection, natural mature forest. Although El Yunque, cavities has been one of the factors enemies, and nest robbing in the also known as the Caribbean National limiting the species recovery. For that early 1900’s have contributed to the Forest, is considered sub-optimal reason, artificial nest cavities are decline of the parrot. Current habitat habitat, it was the largest fragment of used to enhance nesting habitat. quality and other human-related mature forest left in Puerto Rico disturbances also play a role. where the parrots could find nesting trees. Hurricanes in 1899, 1928, and Why is the Puerto Rican parrot How many Puerto Rican Parrots 1932 also greatly contributed to the important to the people of Puerto are left in the wild? destruction of the parrot’s habitat, Rico? especially in northwestern Puerto The current estimated wild The parrot is important because it is Rico. Thus, the Caribbean National population is 34-40 parrots. an endemic species, unique to Puerto Forest, a federally protected area, Rico, and found nowhere else in the offered the only remaining safe world. The parrot or “Iguaca” is an How do you know that there are refuge for the parrot against its many important part of Puerto Rico’s only 34-40 birds and not more; enemies. natural and cultural history, and how do you count them? serves as a symbol of national pride We conduct periodic populations Are you sure they are not found and natural resources conservation. surveys in the Caribbean National elsewhere? In addition, years of recovery efforts Forest. We use canopy level As far as we know, no other have revealed the importance of the observation platforms to count the population of Puerto Rican parrots Puerto Rican parrot habitat for the parrots at their nesting and rooting survives in the wild. We constantly conservation of other important sites. Before each count, we survey survey areas outside the Caribbean ecological resources such as water, other areas in the forest to determine National Forest and frequently soils, and forests. parrot presence. If parrots are respond to reports of parrots in other present in other areas, we send locations. On every occasion, the observers to those areas during the birds reported as Puerto Rican population survey. During the survey, parrots are one of the exotic parrot all observers maintain communication species that have been introduced in using radios to avoid duplication of Puerto Rico. counts. There is always a chance that some birds are not counted, but we believe our population estimates are reasonably accurate. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

How important is the release How many of the released parrots Will the parrot ever be taken off program of captive-reared Puerto survive to reproduce? the endangered species list? Rican parrots? Since the signal only last for nine Yes. If the recovery objective is met, Due to the small size of the wild moths, we can only follow the the parrot will be down listed from parrot population, it is extremely released birds for a limited period of endangered to threatened status by vulnerable to extinction. Disasters time. However, there are indications the year 2020. such as hurricanes and disease could that some birds with radios on their destroy the species very quickly. To necks are attempting to reproduce in What can you do to help the save the species, it is necessary to the Caribbean National Forests. Puerto Rican parrot? increase the numbers of parrots Support land and habitat acquisition through captive breeding. When Why are you using radios that or protection by conservation possible, chicks are fostered into wild only last for nine months, thus agencies and organizations. Get to nests to increase numbers in the wild limiting the information obtained know more about the natural population. This technique is limited resources that surround you. Join a by the number of nesting pairs in the from the released parrots? One limitation of the radio telemetry conservation group. Do not buy exotic wild in any given year. Since not all or wild animals as pets. If you already chicks are fostered into the wild, the technology is that the radios operate with batteries. The longer the have exotic pets, do not release them. aviary populations are expanding. We Report any violations of wildlife and release captive raised parrots to transmitting lives of the radios, the larger the batteries they require. A conservation laws to the state and increase the wild population thereby federal authorities. Talk to your augmenting recovery opportunities. heavy battery would increase the weight the parrots have to carry friends and peers about the around their necks and could reduce importance of conserving wildlife How are the released parrots their chances of survival. habitat for the benefit of endangered monitored? species and the people. We use radio telemetry to follow the What protection does the parrot released parrots for the first 9 For more information, please receive as an endangered months after released. Radio contact: species? telemetry consists of a small U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lightweight radio installed as a collar The Puerto Rican parrot is protected Río Grande Field Office under the Endangered Species Act of at the base of the neck of each P.O. Box 1600 individual bird. The radios transmit 1973 which states: to kill, damage, Río Grande, Puerto Rico 00745 unique signals for each parrot that harass, trap, buy or sell an 787/887 8769 endangered species or parts and are detected using receivers. The 787/887-8769 (Fax) information is used to determine products derived from that species is e-mail: [email protected] survival and habitat preferences of a violation of the Act, and can carry a the released birds. fine up to $100,000 and/or one year in prison. How many of the released parrots survive and what are the causes Who is responsible for the of mortality? protection and recovery of the After three releases of 10, 16, and 9 parrot? Puerto Rican parrots in the The recovery program for this Caribbean National Forest in the species is a cooperative effort lead by years 2000, 2001, and 2002 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in respectively, the survival trajectories collaboration with the USDA Forest indicated that 45 to 50% of the Service and Puerto Rico Department released birds survived at least until of Natural and Environmental the radio batteries stopped working. Resources. Through radio telemetry, we discovered that the major sources of What is the next step in the mortality for the released parrots and process to recover the Puerto the wild fledglings are predation by Rican parrot? Red-tailed hawks (Buteo After the release of Puerto Rican jamaicensis) and inclement weather. parrots in the Caribbean National Forest, the next step will be the reintroduction of the species to its historical habitat such as the Karst areas on the northern slopes of Puerto Rico.