Increasing Knowledge of the Most Endangered Parrots
Parrots magazine|November 2020
Fifty years ago our knowledge of the status of parrots in the wild was limited. Few parrot species were known to be in danger of extinction and these were mainly Amazona parrots which were confined to small islands. At that time very few species had been studied in the wild.
Rosemary Low
Increasing Knowledge of the Most Endangered Parrots

Today, knowledge of the status of parrots has increased enormously and nearly all the 400 species have been assessed. We now know that parrots are the most endangered of all the large groups of birds and that about one third of all parrot species are in a threat category. Even if status information had been available 50 years ago, this would not have been the case. The past half century has proved disastrous for parrots due to massive deforestation in all the continents on which they occur, and due to the impact on many species of largely uncontrolled and unsustainable trapping for the pet trade.

In the October issue I described the situation of some species, such as Brazil’s Grey-breasted Conure, Ecuador’s Yellow-faced Parrotlet and Bolivia’s Blue-throated Macaw that have been reduced to populations of fewer than 1,000 individuals due to trapping for the pet trade, mostly illegal. Another species in this category is a cockatoo, which many of us can remember being imported. For example, between 1983 and 1989 more than 350 wild-caught Philippine Cockatoos entered the UK (Cites Trade Database), and many more followed. That number is about one third of the population known to exist today in their natural habitat.

Philippine Cockatoo or Red-vented Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia)

IUCN Critically Endangered 1994 (1988 Threatened).

Birdlife: 650-1,120 individuals, roughly equivalent to 430-750 mature individuals.

Populations increasing or declining, according to the island inhabited.

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Parrot language issue
Parrots magazine

Parrot language issue

Puerto Rico’s endangered parrots are facing a new threat to their survival – their strange squawks. In a phenomenon never seen before, Puerto Rican parrots bred in captivity, with a view to being released into the wild, were communicating with a different dialect to the wild populations.

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Regent parrots thriving in SA wetland
Parrots magazine

Regent parrots thriving in SA wetland

Passion drips from Tim Field’s every word when he speaks about eastern Regent Parrots. The wetland manager at Banrock Station in South Australia is, it’s fair to say, smitten with these striking birds. “September and October is Regent Parrot survey time,” Tim says, “So we’re up well before dawn to make sure we’re at the wetland’s to track the fly-in, fly-out breeding population.”

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November 2020
Landmark event for Philippine Cockatoo
Parrots magazine

Landmark event for Philippine Cockatoo

Exciting news has recently arrived of a landmark event in the Philippine Cockatoo Conservation Program (PCCP), the long-term endeavour to bring about the recovery of this ‘Critically Endangered’ species endemic to the Philippines. For the first time ever, a Philippine Cockatoo rescued from the wild, and subsequently released back to its original site, has been recorded to breed and produce a healthy hatchling. Such rescue and release to augment the wild population is just one of a raft of conservation measures conducted by the PCCP and supported by the Loro Parque Fundación over many years.

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Increasing Knowledge of the Most Endangered Parrots
Parrots magazine

Increasing Knowledge of the Most Endangered Parrots

Fifty years ago our knowledge of the status of parrots in the wild was limited. Few parrot species were known to be in danger of extinction and these were mainly Amazona parrots which were confined to small islands. At that time very few species had been studied in the wild.

time-read
9 minutos  |
November 2020
Coronavirus threat to PNG's animal rescue centre
Parrots magazine

Coronavirus threat to PNG's animal rescue centre

Port Moresby is the capital of Papua New Guinea and is home to its unique animal rescue centre that is now facing the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic, and could be shut down. Papua New Guinea is the most populous nation in Melanesia and faces a potentially devastating wave of Covid-19 infections.

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November 2020
Parrots magazine

Cucurbitaceae enrichment for our parrots

The group of cucurbitaceae is the one that includes cucumbers and pumpkins. Climbing or creeping plants that usually cover large areas to produce fruits that usually accumulate a lot of water. In nature, these plants defend themselves with a very bitter substance called cucurbitacin.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2020
Rare macaw refuge destroyed
Parrots magazine

Rare macaw refuge destroyed

A rare bird sanctuary in Brazil, which is home to 15 per cent of the world’s population of Hyacinth and Lear’s Macaws, has been destroyed by fires, and there are now fears for the survival of these blue macaws. “It is very sad to see decades of my family’s work, years taking care and preserving nature, for this to happen,” said Ana Maria Barreto, owner of the São Francisco do Perigara, a cattle ranch and bird sanctuary of more than 61,000 acres in Mato Grosso state.

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The value of animals
Parrots magazine

The value of animals

Children at a nursery and day care facility were delighted to receive a visit from some very special guests. Learning Land in Workington has a range of animals drop by, as part of an educational encounter paid for by the Co-op. The store has been working with animal specialists, Pet Encounter Cumbria, based in Workington, to deliver therapeutic and educational visits to children and the elderly.

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November 2020
Complete Psittacine Subtle Secrets for Feeding Psittacines – and Getting them to Eat
Parrots magazine

Complete Psittacine Subtle Secrets for Feeding Psittacines – and Getting them to Eat

I have been daily feeding psittacines for 40 years now and there have been times in the past when I felt that was all I did each day – pets, breeders, babies, the birds at the shoppe in Santa Fe. The good news is this has taught me a whole lot about how to do it. And across all species groups, there are some really good guidelines for what to feed, when to feed, and how to make sure your parrots are actually consuming what you are giving them.

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November 2020
Parrots magazine

Calabash for parrots

Different types of calabash has grown this year very well within our organic crops and a big advantage for our parrots that are relishing every moment during this season.

time-read
1 min  |
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