PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN PARROT CONSERVATION AVICULTURE AND WELFARE World Parrot Trust in action Vol. 10 No.4 November 1998 Lear’s Macaw African Parrot Review Visit to Pantanal psittacine (sit’a sin) belonging or allied to the parrots; parrot-like Le a r ’s Macaw Some history, the current situation,and A Repor t by MICHAEL REYNOLDS Editor proposals for its preservation Rosemary Low, P.O. Box 100, Mansfield, Notts., Background United Kingdom The World Par rot Trust (WPT) has taken a special NG20 9NZ interest in this species for the last eight years, working with Dr. Charles A. Munn III and his Brazilian associates, notably Dr. Carlos Yamashita CONTENTS and Dr. Pedr o Lima. After attending the important ‘Blue Macaws’ meeting in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in Lear’s Macaw................2-7 1992, WPT pursued the long-term objective of Inspirational Speakers in gr owing and transplanting Licuri palm trees to boost Tenerife ......................8-9 the food supply for Lear ’s Macaws at their Rasa da Caterina location. A mor e immediate and ur gent The Conservation of requirement was, and remains, to provide adequate African Parrots ......10-12 protection at this first known site to pr event the illegal capture of Lear’s Macaws for collectors within The ‘Pet Bird Report’ Brazil, and also in other countries. Dr. Charles Munn Convention ..................13 A degree of protection has been No.4 November 1995 ‘Lear’s parrot species cur rently under Visit to the Pantanal Area in place for several years, with Macaw: a second population pressure fr om international of Western Brazil ....14-15 guards ar ranged by IBAMA (the confirmed’, and Vol. 9 no.2 May trading activities. official Brazilian conservation 1997 ‘Lear’ s Macaw - next in line Book Review ................16 The confiscation of two young agency), and Biodiversitas, a for extinction?’). Lear’s Macaws at the Paris Orly An Ultramarine Lory Nest conservation non-governmental airport last July was repor ted in the Marquesas Islands organisation (NGO). It is WPT Proposal globally, and we believe it is difficult to know how constant, generally agreed that at least 19 & Big Lory Book In our May 1997 article we Competition..................17 reliable and ef fective these birds were stolen from the wild guards may be, faced as they are included an extract from a letter sent to IBAMA in March 1997, population in 1996. With an Psitta News ..............18-19 by a difficult task in a lar ge and estimate of ar ound 120 birds in challenging terrain, but it is and it is relevant to re-print this here: the wild, it is obvious that, Parr ots in the Wild........ 20 generally accepted that macaws without a solution being found, are still being removed from the “In our opinion this is the most this species could follow the wild population at a rate of as prominent and thr eatened of all pattern of Spix’s Macaw and be many as twenty birds each year. Obviously this loss is totally unacceptable, since it could lead to the extinction of Lear’s Macaw in the wild within six years or so. WPT has highlighted this appalling prospect in previous issues of PsittaScene (see Vol.7 COVER PICTURE We are most grateful to Roland and Julia Seitre for providing us with a set of The World Parrot Trust does photographs of Lear’s not necessarily endorse any Macaw. This striking head views or statements made by shot of Lear’s has captured contributors to PsittaScene. the slight green tinge that It will of course consider is sometimes seen in the articles or letters from any plumage of this bird, and contributors on their merits. clearly distinguishes if from the Hyacinth Macaw. Lear’s Macaw Photo: Roland Seitr e 2 trade in Lear’s Macaw at the destruction. According to this forthcoming CITES Confer ence of IBAMA Press law, it is considered illegal to the Parties in Harare, Zimbabwe Release keep Lear’s Macaws in in June 1997. Your gover nment captivity. It is important to could ask for stronger Brazil repor ts that the note that since the legislation enforcement measur es from all endangered Lear’s Macaw is came into effect, Brazil has CITES signatories, especially threatened by illegal bir d never issued any permits for those that may have been - no collectors the export of this species. 14 July 1998. doubt without their knowledge - In 1992, the Brazilian involved in illegal movements of Brasilia - The Lear’ s Macaw Government created a Working this macaw. (Anodorhynchus leari) is one of Group today called Committee If Brazil were to ask its fellow the world’s most endangered for the Preser vation of Lear’s CITES members at the COP to species. Occurring only in the Macaw. This Committee is pay especial attention to traf fic semi-arid northeastern r egion responsible for the in this species, we think it would of Bahia in Brazil, its ar ea of development and improve vigilance by all occupation was only located in implementation of the Dr. Carlos Yamashita checking countries and agencies. It might 1978 by a team led by Dr conservation management plan Hyacinth Macaw Chicks. also have the effect of Helmut Sick (who was one of for this species, which Brazil’s best known includes habitat protection, effectively extinct in the wild generating funds from major or nithologists). Due to habitat international conser vation anti-poaching efforts, field within a very few years. alteration, hunting and capture conservation, resear ch and foundations for the in-country for the illegal trade, the We have a copy of an excellent proposals made in your Action educational programs. ‘Action Plan for Conservation of species is facing a ver y critical Plan. At the same time, you situation - the populations of Legal protection and the Lear’s Macaw’ compiled by the might want to make it clear that involvement of a number of Special Working Gr oup in 1994. Lear’s Macaw have been there is no possibility of an reduced to less than 130 institutions have contributed The Action Plan states on page amnesty being declared for to the conservation of the 10: ‘Capturing wild animals is individuals in the wild. The illegal holders of Lear’s Macaw, illegal capture of these bir ds Lear’s Macaw in Brazil. also quite common in the region; but that all diplomatic and legal for trade has been recognised Contributing organizations they are smuggled to zoos, means would be used to secure as one of the most important have included the Brazilian collectors and aviculturists all the r eturn to Brazil of illegally factors in the species’ decline. Institute for Environment and over the world. A. leari is held birds. Natural Renewable Resources certainly one of the most coveted The rarity and precarious (IBAMA), National Fund for the species, since it is ver y rare This proposal aimed at choking status of the Lear’s Macaw in Environment - FNMA, Sao Paulo today. It is believed that with the off international demand for the wild has accorded it the Zoological Foundation, sharp decline in the natural Lear’s Macaw is given extra highest level of protection Biodiversitas Foundation, population of Cyanopsitta spixii, significance by a repor t from provided under the Busch Gardens (USA), Houston hunters will turn to A. leari, today’s pr ess which quotes your Convention on International Zoological Gar dens (USA). which will require an increased President Fer nando Henrique Trade in Endanger ed Species of Other groups that have inspection effort in its area of Cardoso as saying at the ‘Rio Wild Fauna and Flora - CITES. supported conservation efforts occurrence on the part of the Plus Five’ Conference: ‘We don’ t Brazil has been a par ty of the include the World Parrot Trust appropriate agencies’. have the means to stop CITES Treaty since 1975. (UK), the Wildlife Conservation deforestation. In those r egions, In addition to being a par ty of Society - WCS (USA) , CETREL There are no proposals in the there’s hardly any presence of S.A. and PETROBRAS - the Action Plan on how to deal with CITES, Brazil has strict Brazilian Oil Company. government capable of imposing domestic legislation the root cause of this loss of the law’. birds from the wild populations, prohibiting the export of The Brazilian wildlife which as we all know, is the With these difficulties to contend wildlife species. The Brazilian authorities of IBAMA, in continuing demand by with inside Brazil, would it not Wildlife Protection Act of 1967 collaboration with state and unprincipled collectors, both be a good idea to make every prohibits the commerce of local municipal agencies have outside Brazil and within. effort to attack the ‘demand’ side wildlife and products or been conducting a major of the equation as well as the objects that implicate their campaign against the poaching We realise that our organisation ‘supply’ side? We hope you may capture, pursuit or in the region. Successes has no official mandate to make find our comments of some proposals relating to what is interest. clearly primarily a national concern for Brazil, but Please be assured that our desire nevertheless, our eight years of to help par rot conser vation is involvement in global parrot closely followed by our wish to conservation, and our work with the appropriate substantial financial authorities in all countries.” commitments to work with We received no reply to that Brazilian experts to help six letter, but in July this year an par rot species, encourage us to international press r elease was offer what we think could be a issued by IBAMA.