PsittaScene In this Issue: Wild English Parrots? Golden Conure Review May 2003 Psitta Letter to members Psitta from the Director SceneScene Dear WPT Members, Thank you for your continued support to the Trust and our Editor goals. As you all know, we are a lightly-staffed organisation Rosemary Low, which strives to focus resources on parrot conservation and welfare as efficiently and effectively as possible. Consequently, Glanmor House, Hayle, Cornwall, we are not able to spend as much time as we’d like working TR27 4HB, UK with our members. It is however your dedication and commitment that keeps the Trust strong and growing, and CONTENTS enables us to work in so many places, with so many great people, and of course to save so many magnificent birds. Letter to members from Director ....................2 Over the past year we have been working on several exciting initiatives to help reach out to A day in the Gorges with the Echoes ..........3-5 the general public, expand our presence, and increase our membership. These initiatives Indonesia ends exports of include: wild-caught birds ........................................6-7 Rose-ringed Parakeets in the UK ................8-9 • a new membership brochure Golden Conure research will aid • a new Veterinary Membership program to help promote the Trust through avian clinics its survival ................................................10-13 • connecting with bird shows around the world to raise awareness about the plight of Book reviews ................................................13 parrots in the wild and their needs in captivity A Dominica project..................................14-15 We often hear from members that they’d like to help more, volunteering their time to help Children’s T-shirt for sale..............................15 the Trust. As we grow larger, we intend to fully develop programs that can incorporate this Report from European WPT Reps ..........16-17 kind of grass-roots support in many ways. Right now you can help, by telling your PsittaNews ....................................................18 associates and friends about what we do. WPT general info ..........................................19 As a Trust member you are one of our greatest assets. Collectively, we reach thousands of Parrots in the Wild ........................................20 bird enthusiasts in our local areas. In your area, you’re bound to know one or more people who would make a great new member. Please take the time to sit down with them and fill out the new membership brochure included in this issue of PsittaScene. When you are done pop it in the mail; you’ll be doing all parrots a huge favour! Please remember to explain all the terrific benefits of membership: • the new Members’ E-mail List, with friendly insight and discussion of all things parrot from WPT members the world over, • the quarterly PsittaScene packed with articles on wild parrot conservation and captive bird welfare, • other publications such as the Happy Healthy Parrot leaflet, helping you inform others of parrots’ needs, Cover Picture By NICK REYNOLDS • and additional benefits like our new Trade Ban sticker, posters, and other parrot- phernalia. At Paradise Park in Cornwall UK a large flock of Lorikeets can be fed by visitors. Here we Among other endeavours we’re working on is a formal WPT membership drive. Over the see the local Member of Parliament, Andrew next year, we’ll be getting to know you better, assessing where our potential growth is George MP, being greeted by enthusiastic birds. Andrew’s party, the Liberal Democrats, likely to come from, and then reaching out to those supporters to grow our membership. If have just adopted a policy opposing the you’re keen on helping with this effort or have some good ideas, please contact Michelle importation of wild-caught birds into the Cook at [email protected] and she’ll keep you informed about when and how European Union. The World Parrot Trust will you can help. work with them to continue its campaign against imports. Again, thank you for your continued support and for taking the time to make use of the The World Parrot Trust does not necessarily endorse any new membership brochure. views or statements made by contributors to PsittaScene. Sincerely, It will of course consider articles or letters from any contributors on their merits. Anyone wishing to reprint any articles in full or in part seen in this magazine needs permission from the author and must state that it was copied from PsittaScene. All contents © World Parrot Trust Jamie Gilardi, Director 2 ■ PsittaScene Volume 15, No 2, May 2003 A day in the Gorges with the Echoes By JASON MALHAM For the four members of the Echo Parakeet Field Team the day begins at Plaine Lievre, one of four field stations used by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) within Black River Gorges National Park. Plaine Lievre is situated on the north- eastern corner of the park and is in the heart of Echo Parakeet (Psittacula eques) country. Since 1996/97, fifty-four hand-raised birds have been released there. They have come from several sources. Some were chicks produced by captive birds, others were rescued from wild nests, while others were the result of down-sizing wild broods (a technique used to increase productivity by removing surplus chicks that the adults would be unable to rear). The surplus chicks are fostered in the wild or hand-raised. Last season a record 21 Echoes were released and today there are more than 40 birds coming to the supplementary food hoppers in the Plaine Lievre area. Echoes are not especially early risers, so 20m from the sleeping quarters! when Jason and Gareth wandered into the All the known Echo cavities/nest boxes and outside kitchen shelter at 04:30, all was birds are named. This makes identification quiet. The Echo team does not usually start easier. To make things a little more this early, but today was to be special! This Male Echo Parakeet. day would see one chick rescued, one interesting, all the different breeding groups swapped between captivity and a nest and have theme names, usually based on the downsized, with the “surplus” chicks either one fostered to another nest. Translocating cavity they use. A breeding group consists being fostered to other pairs who have chicks is a serious undertaking and nothing of one female and between one and five infertile or dead eggs, or taken to the is left to chance. Most of the equipment males. Those readers who are familiar with Gerald Durrell Endangered Wildlife needed for the day was prepared the remote field stations may have already Sanctuary (GDEWS) aviaries at Black previous night, to enable an earlier start. guessed where the Longdrop name came River. Because females lay on alternate from! This nest-box is situated near the days, the eggs generally hatch at least a day Coffee and breakfast finished, a final check longdrop toilet! apart. It seems the third and fourth chicks was made of everything - brooder, batteries The first stop of the day is reached after are often smaller and weaker than the first and cables, feeding equipment, cell phone, only five minutes driving and a few couple. So it proved to be with Crumpet’s back-up chick heating and carrying third chick. equipment, and diesel in the Landrover, minutes walk from the Landrover. Crumpet before heading off down the bumpy track. is one of the older known Echoes, having This chick hatched five days after the first, As the team departs, the sound of hopper been rung as an adult in 1996. She and at 7.5g. The average hatch weight for wild lids “clapping” and the high pitched “wack partner Pancake are only the second fully chicks is around 8.5g. After two full days wild pair to use a nest-box. Last year Noah, in the cavity it had become quite badly wack wack…” in Plaine Lievre clearing, a three-year-old, and her partner Shaggy signals the morning’s first birds arriving for caused much excitement when they used a supplemental food. They all have a nest box - the first ever fully wild pair to penchant for Kaytee Exact pellets! Some of use one! A number of release birds have these birds don’t have far to travel, also chosen nest-boxes. This season a total “Arantxa” and “Balthazar”, for example, of six boxes have been used. Crumpet is are raising two chicks in the “Longdrop” also one of the few fully wild birds to take nest box on the edge of the clearing, only supplementary food. This season several wild juveniles and a couple of adult males have been seen either feeding at hoppers or near them. This is exciting news because it suggests that the large number of release birds are attracting other birds, who will more than likely learn to use the food hoppers. Supplementary feeding is an invaluable tool for increasing productivity, especially in seasons of short food supply (common in Mauritius due to severely degraded forest). This season Crumpet laid three fertile eggs. Echoes lay one to four eggs, but have never been known to successfully raise more than Some of the Plaine Lievre release birds two chicks. There is not enough food. Preparing to place the chicks in the waiting for breakfast at food hopper! Since 1998, many Echo broods have been cavity. PsittaScene Volume 15, No 2, May 2003 ■ 3 dehydrated and had not gained any weight. Meanwhile its siblings were gaining 3-4 grams per day. A chick in this situation will die if left in the nest. Jason and Gareth are on the ground below the box at 05:20, to see Crumpet go back into the nest just minutes after arriving! They are forced to wait another hour before Crumpet emerges again to be fed by Pancake.