PROMOTING EXCELLENCEIN PARROT CONSERVATIONAVICULTURE AND WELFARE

World Parrot Trustin action

psittacine (sit’ a sîn) belonging or allied to the parrots; parrot-like

Echo Parakeet

World Parrot Day

Cape Parrot

Cockatoos & Peanuts

Vol. 11 No.3 August 1999

EditorRosemary Low,P.O. Box 100,Mansfield, Notts.,United KingdomNG20 9NZ

CONTENTSWorld Parr ot Day at theRainforest Café..............2-8

Monty Python in Zambia?..9

Listening to Echos ....10-11

Final Blows for the CapeParr ot? ............................12

Project Proposal ............13

Cockatoos andPeanuts......................14-15

Psitta News................16-18

WPT Info Page ................19

Parrots in the Wild ........20

The World Parrot Tr ust does notnecessarily endorse any views orstatements made by contributorsto PsittaScene.It will of course consider articlesor letters from any contributors ontheir merits.

All contents © World Parr ot Trust

COVER PICTUREThis is ‘Pablo’, one of thefirst Echo Parakeets to bereleased into the wild byCarl Jones and his team onMauritius. Pablo is nowthree years old and hasdeveloped his full plumageas an adult male. Still verytame, he frequently visitsthe Camp location in thecentre of the Echo territory,and poses for pictures, likethis one by Lance Woolaver.

World Parrot DayAt the Rainforest Café

5th August, 1999

After many months of preparation we finally ar rived at August 5th,the day we had decided on as ‘World Parr ot Day’, and the beginningof what we had rather ambitiously called ‘World Par rot Month’.

The idea was clearly laid out in pages 2 and 3 of our February 1999PsittaScene - the following extract stated the aims of the event:

WORLD PARROT MONTH Highlighting the charismatic parr ot family, in the wild and in ourhomes.

In the month of August 1999 we will ...RECOGNISE the urgent need to protect and preserve parr ots inthe wild, especially the 90 species in danger of extinction.

CELEBRATE the companionship that millions of pet parrots giveto people in every country in the world.

MOTIVATE everyone who cares about the conservation of wildlifeto see the parrots as logical ‘spokespersons for nature.’ Thecharacter and beauty of these birds can help save rainforests andother habitats for the whole of nature, including ourselves.

RAISE FUNDS for parr ot conservation and welfare.

Three Major WPTInitiativesSEE NEXT 2 PAGES FOR DETAILS

As we approached our planneddate with the media we realisedthat this was the rightopportunity to bring togetherand launch no less than threeWPT initiatives. First, the JohnCleese ‘Live Parr ot’ video, likelyto enhance public interest in,and concern for, the parr ots ingeneral; second, to present our‘Carolina Medal’ for outstandingparrot conservation to Dr. CarlJones for his work with the EchoParakeet in Mauritius; third, tolaunch the IUCN ‘Parrot ActionPlan’, revived in 1995 by WPT,and coordinated and almostentirely funded by us.

Good FortuneIn several ways, for tune smiledupon us as we put together ourprogramme for August 5th. Weasked the Rainforest Café inShaftesbury Avenue, London, ifwe could hold our pressconference there, where livemacaws and cockatoos are partof the attraction. They agreed,and were extremely helpfulthroughout (they havepreviously given WPTsubstantial funds from their‘conservation crocodile pool’).

Next, Julian Pettifer, well-knownbroadcaster and President of theRoyal Society for the Protectionof Birds (RSPB) agreed to makethe presentation of our CarolinaMedal to Carl Jones.

Finally, we were offered the helpof the press and public relationsdepartment of the WorldwideFund for Nature (WWF), toimprove our prospects ofachieving media coverage of theevent.

All of these developmentsincreased our chances ofattracting the interest of editorsand environmentcorrespondents, and when theday arrived we were delighted tohave journalists from virtuallyall the national papers andbroadcast media including BBC.

89 Parrot SpeciesFace ExtinctionOn the advice of thecommunications experts fromWWF we concentrated on gettingacross the fact that 89 speciesof parr ot were listed in theParrot Action Plan as threatenedwith extinction. This is 27% ofall the parrots, compared with afigure of 10% for all birdspecies. So the parr ots are,regrettably, the most threatenedbird family on the planet.

The media understood theimportance of this, andextensive coverage took placeon August 6th, with interviewson national radio and televisionprogrammes, which were pickedup by local programmes later.Major articles appeared in ‘TheTimes’, ‘The Guardian’, ‘TheIndependent’, ‘The Express’ and‘The Daily Telegraph’, and theserepor ts were also used in papersin Canada, Australia and Brazil.You will find half-size versionsof some of these on pages 6and 7.

2 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999

Parrots are funny. That is thepoint of view of most Britonsand many Americans, almostentirely because they r ememberthe hilarious ‘Dead ParrotSketch’ made by the MontyPython gang in the late 1960sand shown many times on TVaround the world.

This wonderful piece of comedyis so well known that anynational media references toparrots are likely to mention it,and so diminish the effect ofany serious point that may beunder discussion. Since 1989when we launched the WorldParrot Tr ust, we have nursed awildly improbable ambition tofilm a repentant John Cleeseadmitting that the famoussketch - though wonderfullyfunny - was not helpful toparrots, and he would like to tellthe world how important it is topreserve parrots in the wild andlook after them well in captivity.

Just a dream. But it came true!John Cleese’s stepson was amember of the team working forthe recovery of the EchoParakeet in Mauritius, and thislead to our being able to inviteMr. Cleese to help the parrots.John is, in fact, a committedconservationist who hassupported many wildlifeconservation issues; recently,for example, the restoration oflemurs in Madagascar.

So we wrote a script whichinvolved John Cleese meetingSteve Martin’s amazing singingAmazon parrot Groucho,preferring such a marvellously‘alive’ parrot to a dead one, and

going on to deliver a messageabout the impor tance of helpingthe parrots ‘survive in the wild,and thrive in our homes’. Healso explains that by saving therainforests for the parrots, wealso help ourselves to survive.

In March we all met up at SantaBarbara Zoo to make our uniquevideo. Steve Martin came fromFlorida, bringing Groucho andhis special friend and trainerMissee. The zoo staff were mostgenerous with their help.Everybody donated their timeand travelling expenses to theproject. The World Parrot Trustthanks them all.

We decided to use this 5 minutevideo to launch WORLD PARROTMONTH in August 1999. This isour attempt to make the generalpublic more aware of thedestructive pressures faced byparrots in the wild, all over theworld. We want everyone tounderstand that birds, especially

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 3

high profile birds like theparr ots, are the best indicatorsof the loss of biodiversity , the

accelerating decline in thehealth of our planet and itsability to suppor t our increasingpopulation.

We also seek to educate peopleon the need to take better careof the parr ots in our homes.While many birds livewonderful, fulfilled lives in thecare of intelligent, thoughtfulowners, we all know that manythousands of parrots are not sofortunate.

As John says in our video "Allparrots desperately need ourhelp. Help from me, helpfrom you. What exactly canyou do? Simple: support theinternational conservationwork of the World ParrotTrust.”

Steve Martin, John Cleese, Mike Reynolds and the ‘Swedish Red’ parr ot, during filmingat Santa Barbara Zoo, California.

How John Cleese And ADead Parrot Helped AllThe Live Parro t s

YOU CAN BUY THIS VIDEOOrder it now from ourUK or USA offices listedon page 19.

For USA:Send $25 plus $4Shipping and Handling.

For UK:Send £15 plus £2.50Postage and Packing.

OR:Get it from our websitewww.worldparrottrust.org.

4 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999

To sketch in somebackground, this actionplan is one in a seriespublished by IUCN, theWorld ConservationUnion (The WorldParrot Trust is aninternational memberof IUCN). Seventy or

more categories of threatened animals, from whales to snails, havepreviously been covered by action plans. In the early 1990s anattempt to put together a Parrot Action Plan failed, largely due tofundamental disagreements among leading scientists in this field ofinterest.

In 1995 it was proposed by Rod Hall MBE, founder of British AirwaysAssisting Conservation, that we try to bring together the key par rotpeople for a meeting in London to r e-start the effort to create aParrot Action Plan (PAP). British Airways would provide all thenecessary flights, free of charge! We were able to arrange thismeeting under the very effective chairmanship of Joe Forshaw(author of ‘Parr ots of the World’ ), and in two days of discussion the15 par ticipants ironed out all the major problems. It only remained

to find a dedicated group of authors/editors (Noel Snyder (USA), PhilMcGowan (UK), James D.Gilardi (USA), Alejandro Grajal (Venezuela)),and then request area and species reports from the relevant localexperts (too many to list here, but all are acknowledged in the PAP).

WPT was given the task of ‘progress chasing’ the action plan; wethought it might take a year or 18 months, but it actually took a fullfour years. WPT also provided most of the funding, around £15,000($25,000).

At our London media event on August 5th we handed out a previewversion of the PAP. The full version, over 200 pages, will bepublished in November 1999. It will contain: an Introduction to theparrots and the structure of the action plan; General Principles forParr ot Conservation; Threatened Par rots of the World; Regionaloverviews; Species accounts, with ‘Priority Projects’ identified;References etc.

The Parrot Action Plan is absolutely not an academic exercise.It will become the starting point and the primary source ofinformation for everyone interested in the parrot family and itsconservation. The World Parrot Trust is proud to have beeninvolved in its conception and execution, and is deeply gratefulto all who have contributed towards it.

P a rrot ActionPlan 1994-2004

It is over two years since we launched our Carolina Medal, to beawarded ‘for outstanding achievement in parrot conservation’.Readers wanting to know exactly what the plot was can look up ourissue of PsittaScene for February 1997. In essence, we chose thename Carolina because the Carolina Parakeet Conuropsis carolinensiswas the last species of parrot to go extinct. The final captivespecimen died at Cincinnati Zoo on 21st February 1918 and the lastr eliable sighting in the wild was in 1920. We wrote: ‘The CarolinaMedal is intended to be a constant reminder of the fragile status ofone third of all par rot species in the wild, and the welfare needs ofmillions of captive birds worldwide.’

So it was very appropriate for this medal to be awarded as part ofour ‘World Parrot Day’ media event at the Rainforest Café on August5th 1999.

When our trustees came to consider potential recipients of themedal, one name stood out. This was Carl Jones PhD, for hisr emarkable achievements with the Echo Parakeet on Mauritius.Having previously brought a group of only four Mauritius Kestrels upto 400, and 30 Pink Pigeons to around 300, Carl began his work withthe Echos in 1987 with only 8 to 12 birds, including just 3 females.

The population has now reached 100, and we have described thedevelopment of the project in PsittaScene since 1990. On pages 10and 11 you will find some fascinating insights and history in anarticle by Carl.

Awarding the Carolina Medal will not be an annual event - it will onlybe presented when the trustees of WPT consider it to be thoroughlyjustified. But if anyone anywhere would like to draw our attentionto an individual or team responsible for ‘outstanding achievement inparrot conservation’, we would like to have full details and a for malnomination for our award.

The Caro l i n aM e d a l

PRESS RELEASE:

London - A global action plan has beenlaunched by the World Par rot Trust andWWF to help save 89 par rot species fromextinction. The World ConservationUnion’s Parrot Action Plan assesses thestatus of the world’s most endangeredpar rots and finds that a staggering 27% ofthe world’s 330 species of parrots are onthe brink of extinction, making them themost endangered bird family on Earth.

The Parr ot Action Plan is the first everattempt to launch a global strategy tosave the world’s parr ots. It recommendsthat Recovery Teams should be set up tosave each threatened species andemphasises that urgent action is neededto combat the two principal threats toparrots - habitat loss and the trade inpar rots for the pet market. Over 50% ofthe world’s forests have now been lostand the global trade in parrots is asignificant part of the $5 billion a yearinternational wildlife trade. For every birdthat survives the trading process, at leastfour will die along the way. There are 58species of par rot threatened withextinction as a direct result of this trade.

“Habitat destruction and a rapacious tradethreatens the world’s most magnificentbirds with imminent extinction”, said DrPaul Toyne, Conservation Officer for WWF-UK. “The Parrot Action Plan will play avital role in helping forge action to savethem from the brink. To be truly effectivethough, Governments must take firmaction to increase protection for forest

habitat, promote the independentcertification of managed forests by theFSC, and enforce CITES, the Conventionwhich regulates the trade in wildanimals.”

John Cleese, internationally famous forthe Monty Python “Dead Parrot” sketch, issupporting the call for action to save theworld’s parrots. He says “All the parrotsdesperately need our help. Help from me,help from you. What exactly can you do?Simple: suppor t the internationalconservation work of the World Parr otTr ust.”

Due to hunting and habitat destruction atleast 27 species have already becomeextinct, including the Cuban Macaw, theSeychelles parakeet and the Carolinaparr ot in the United States.

There are 39 threatened parrot speciesfound in the Asia-Pacific region, with thehighest numbers occurring in Indonesia,Australia and New Zealand. Theresurgence of forest fires in Indonesiathis week has increased the risk toparr ots in this region. The famous NewZealand Kakapo is now extinct in the wildand only 54 remain in semi-captivity.

There are 47 threatened parrot speciesthat occur in Latin America and theCaribbean region with Brazil, Colombia,Mexico, Peru and Ecuador suppor ting thehighest numbers of threatened species.The Spix’s Macaw is the world’s mostendangered parrot in the wild, with a

solitary male remaining in its naturalhabitat in Brazil. Its population has beendecimated by the demand from collectors.

The Hyacinth Macaw is one of the world’slargest and most striking parrots. With apopulation of around 3,000 it is listed asvulnerable to extinction and is threatenedby illegal trade and destruction of itshabitat.

The news for parrots is not all badhowever. At a ceremony to launch theParrot Action Plan, the World ParrotTrust’s Carolina Medal for parr otconservation was awarded to Dr CarlJones who has been instrumental inhelping bring the Echo Parakeet back fromthe brink of extinction. In 1987 therewere only 8-12 birds left in the wild dueto habitat destruction. Following adedicated conservation programme, partfunded by the World Parrot Trust and theUK Parrot Society, there are now up to 100birds in the wild. In the last year alone 22captive-reared Echo parakeets werereleased.

“If we save the par rots we might yet saveourselves,” said Mike Reynolds, Directorof the World Parr ot Tr ust. “We need therainforests as much as the parr ots do.The rainforests are the lungs of theplanet, essential for human health. Theseforests also provide vital medicines withmany more yet to be discovered,” headded.

89 Parrot SpeciesFace ExtinctionGlobal Action Plan Launched to Save Them

THE RESULTS ... ➔PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 5

Above:The Guardian

Right: The Times

6 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999

Clockwise from Top Left: The Express, The Express (Editorial),The Daily Telegraph, Western Morning News, The Times,The Times (Editorial)

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 7

Cleese out to save parrotJohn Cleese, who took part in the classic Monty Python“Dead Parrot” comedy sketch, helped conservationg roups launch an action plan yesterday designed to savemany of the birds from extinction.

Eighty-nine of the 330 parrot species are in dangerof dying out, says the World Wide Fund for N a t u re andthe World Parrot Trust. At least 27 species havea l ready become extinct. Deforestation and trade in wildp a r rots for pets have been responsible for much of thecollapse in populations. The new plan spells out waysin which nations can help save rare species.

8 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999

...so where do wego from here ?By Michael Reynolds

Undeniably, our ‘World Parrot Day’ on August 5th was a great success in putting across toa wide international audience the unwelcome news about 89 species of par rots being indanger of extinction. The World Parr ot Tr ust is greatly indebted to the Worldwide Fundfor Nature (WWF) for its help in putting the media event together, and attracting theinterest of far more journalists than we would have managed to do on our own.

It is also wor th noting that it is not every small specialised wildlife charity that would beacceptable as a par tner to a major charity in such an enterprise. In addition to WWF, thewelcome par ticipation of Julian Pettifer, President of the RSPB, to present our CarolinaMedal to Carl Jones, is an indication of the progress the WPT has made since itsbeginnings in 1989. How we do this with our very modest resources is a bit of amystery, but our leading role in reviving and funding the Parrot Action Plan has no doubtgiven WPT some credibility as a serious conservation organisation.

W e have to accept that thesplurge of parr ot publicity wehave just created`will quicklyfade away, and experiencesuggests that anotheroppor tunity like this will be along time coming. There aresome ongoing possibilities offur ther publicity, for exampleCNN have asked for a copy ofthe John Cleese video, but weshould be looking for ways toturn publicity about parrots intocash for parrots. This has tocome to WPT largely in the formof new memberships anddonations.

So let us discuss money. Readersmay be interested to know thatthe combined income of theRSPB and WWF is almost onethousand times the income ofthe World Par rot Trust. Ourability to do much more thanpoint the way to solvingproblems is very limited. Wehave previously calculated thatthe cash receipts enjoyed by allthose businesses derivingincome from the parr ots is wellin excess of $5 Bn globally. Wehave proposed that everyoneinvolved with the par rots should‘put something back’ to help theparrots in the wild. Now weknow more about the massiveneed to help with the rescue andrehabilitation of unwanted petparrots, that is another task thatshould get financial help from

those who have helped createthis problem in the first place.

I mention this because I cancount on the fingers of one handthose businesses that actuallydo recognise their debt to thebirds that are making them rich,and give funds either to WPT orother organisations. High timethe whole parrot businesscommunity accepted a propershare of responsibility to fundthe conservation of parrots inthe wild, and the welfare ofcaptive birds.

On the credit side, many privateindividuals do acceptresponsibility for all the parrots,not just their own, and WPT isvery grateful for the suppor t ofmany aviculturists and petowners around the world. Thereare also many others who don’tkeep parrots but want to help usto help these remarkable birds.We recently received our firstlegacy, and this prompts us tolist the following ways in whichour members can help usachieve our aims.

Find New MembersEveryone reading this is boundto know several people whowould enjoy reading thispublication, and participating inour work for the parr ots. Pleaseencourage them to join us rightaway. After all, £15 or $25 is a

trivial sum of money, aboutwhat you might spend on a take-away, or take-out meal!

Become A LifeMemberAbout 8% of our members areLife Members, and if you canafford it, a single payment of£250 or $400 saves you and usa lot of paperwork over theyears, and such a significantsum will be a great help withour many projects.

Write WPT IntoYour WillOur UK, USA and Canadianbranches are all fully registered

charities and able to receivelegacies. For information onother countries, or possible taxadvantages, please contact ourUK of fice.

Adopt One of OurProjectsWe are currently funding fieldconservation projects for manyparrot species, notably Lear’sMacaw, Palm Cockatoo, Citron-crested Cockatoo, GoldenConure, St. Vincent Amazon,Echo Parakeet, Cape Parrot, andmany others. You could adoptone that especially interestsyou, and send us an annual ormonthly donation.

Give A Talk For WPTSeveral of our members (Hithere, Bonnie, Alan, Ken)regularly give talks to bird clubsfor us, and win new membersand donations. Let us know ifwe can supply slides and othermaterials to help you do this.

New IdeasLet us know if you have anyother ideas about how we cando more to raise funds for the

...to survive in the wild...to thrive in our homesA WO RLD PARROT TRUST CA M PA I G N

w w w. w o r l d p a r r o t t r u s t . o r g

PsittaSceneVolume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 9

M o n t yPython inZ a m b i aby LOUISE WARBURTON,Research Centre for African Parrot Conservation, University of Natal

I was interested to read about the upcoming WPT Par rot Week, andwish you all every success. I was particularly amused to read thatJohn Cleese is lending his suppor t (I’m a big fan), and thought you’dbe interested to know that Monty Python’s infamous dead parr otdoes indeed have a role in parrot conservation.

As part of my research project on the Status, Ecology andConservation of the Black-cheeked Lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis) inZambia I am attempting to map the distribution and seasonalmovements of the lovebirds through direct observation and byconducting interviews in the local villages.

The Monty Python parr ots: Brown-necked, Meyer’s, Black-cheeked Lovebird.

Louise Warburton and her assistant explain their mission. The village children are asked about the lovebird.

Two other parrot species occurwithin the Black-cheeks range:Brown-necked Parr ot(Poicephalus robustus suahelicus)and Meyer’ s Parrot (Poicephalusmeyeri transvaalensis). Thelocals call all three parr ots bythe same name: ‘Sichikwele’,usually associating the birdswith their noisy calls and ascrop pests.

To help confirm the speciesidentity during the interviews I

have borrowed three specimenskins from the LivingstoneMuseum. After the initialgreetings, Monty Python alwayscomes to mind as I take a pewon a battered wooden stooloutside the interviewees mudhut. Most of the conversation isconducted through my Zambianassistant in the local languagesof Tonga or Lozi. The field guideand box of parrots is produced –usually causing much

amusement – and are carefullyexamined.

Useful SpecimensThe specimens are also usefulwhen talking to school children,asking them if they know thesebirds, whether they catch them,and when trying to explain thatthe Black-cheeked Lovebird is avery special bird in Zambia.Conservation awareness is non-existent, and it is a delicatebalance to promote theconservation of a species thatfeeds on the millet and sorghumsubsistence crops.

Survival Dependenton VillagersThe long-term survival of

Black-cheeks is without doubtdependent on the localvillagers. Humans, like theLovebirds, depend on thelimited water resources. Birdsare trapped for food,including Lovebirds (andBrown-necks and Meyer’s);usually by young boys whomake snares aroundwaterpools, or near the seedheads in ripening crops. Alsoby lining trees near poolswhere birds perch prior todrinking, or with a catapult.Educating children in LovebirdConservation is clearly apriority – following in thecrazy tradition of MontyPython is the first step on thelong dusty road.

10 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999

Listening to Echos andS e a rching for GhostsParrot Conservation on Mauritius by CARL JONES

It is a wonderful privilege to accept the Carolina Medal for myself,and on behalf of the conservation team on Mauritius, in recognitionof our work on the Echo Parakeet. But we should not for get thatwithout the help of the World Parrot Tr ust we would not haveachieved as much.

The conservation work on the Echo Parakeet started in 1974 but dueto a shor tage of funds did not really take off until 1990 when wewere lucky enough to join forces with the World Parr ot Trust. Likemany important unions our meeting was for tuitous. I was talking at acaptive breeding conference. In my presentation I mentioned that theEcho Parakeet had a perilously low population and would likelybecome extinct, not because we did not know how to save it, butbecause there was not enough money to make the project work. Aftermy talk Mike Reynolds approached offering the help of the WorldParrot Trust. This offer of help was what we had been looking for,since for several years we had battled to save the Echo Parakeet withfew resources and little moral support. Mike and his colleagues at

the World Parrot Trust helped mobilise funds including an impor tant grant from the Parrot Society andwith this money bought a four-wheel drive vehicle. Since then we have not looked back and the WorldParrot Trust have provided us with annual funds and with the wise council of Andr ew Greenwood whoadvises us on avicultural and veterinary problems. In recent years we have also had the able andenthusiastic help of several of Mike’s staf f from Paradise Park who have worked in the field managing thewild Echo Parakeets and with the hand rearing of baby parakeets.

Listening to EchosWe have learned a lot from theEcho Parakeet, not only how tosave this beautiful par rot butalso techniques that can beapplied to many other species ofrare and declining birds. Forexample some of the techniquesused on the Kakapo project inNew Zealand have been adaptedfrom our work on the EchoParakeet and we in turn havetaken some of their ideas andused them on our project.Similarly our experiences onMauritius are being adapted andapplied to bird conservationprojects in the Seychelles andHawaii.

Many of the successes with theEcho Parakeet have been due tothe application of aviculturaltechniques to wild birds, takingcaptive breeding into the field.As a life long aviculturist itgives me much pleasure to think

that the skills and intuition Ideveloped as a schoolboykeeping birds in the back-garden, I am now using to saveendangered species. Aviculturehas a huge part to play in birdconservation on the globalstage, not only by breedingbirds in captivity but by thedevelopment and application oftechniques for use on wildbirds.

Aviculturalists manipulate theproductivity of their birds andcontrol mortality by goodmanagement. The key is to learnhow to apply these techniquesto wild populations.

When we started our work onthe wild Echo Parakeets weworked on a broad front andtried to minimise the problemsthat they may have been having.We provided them withadditional food, improved theirnest-holes, controlled nest

predators and restored smallpatches of native forest.Remarkably all of thesetechniques have worked andsome, such as nest holeimprovement and therestoration of small patches ofhabitat have worked very welland we have parr ots living andbreeding in and around ourrestored areas.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s fewbirds bred and of those that didlay eggs few succeeded inraising young. In 1987 we onlyknew of eight wild birds ofwhich there were only twofemales. Many felt the specieswas doomed. In the 1990’s thebirds have been breeding morefrequently, due in par t to ourefforts, and breeding success ismuch improved. We haveguarded nests, keeping a closeeye on what happens. As soonas there have been any signsthat a nest was going to fail we

have removed the eggs andyoung for captive rearing,thereby saving many birds thatwould have otherwise perished.These birds have been used toestablish our captive populationor have been returned to thewild.

We found that few pairs, if theysucceed, rear more that a singlebaby even thought they may layand hatch three eggs. If birdsare left with a whole brood, allthe young may be compromisedand die, but if we remove youngand leave the adults with asingle chick there is a goodchance they will succeed inrearing it. The young that ar eharvested in this way are thenused to foster to other pairs thathave failed to hatch any eggs orthey are hand-reared for releasewhen older. Hence in the 1997-1998 breeding season, of elevenpairs of wild Echo Parakeets, tenpairs fledged young. Thismanagement and the release of22 birds, a mixture of captivebred and harvested young hasgreatly boosted the population.The total free living populationis now about 100 birds.

While we feel confident that theEcho Parakeet is well on the wayto recovery and hope that theywill always fly over the forestedmountains and gorges ofMauritius, we must not forgetthat it is the last native parrotleft in the Mascarene Islands.Unfortunately we are too late formany species.

Searching forGhostsThe forests of Mauritiusresonate with the presence ofghosts, the ghosts of the

Carl Jones

Mascarene Grey Parrot Lophopsittacusbensoni. Extinct c.1760’s. This is the firsttime a reconstruction of this extinctparrot has been published.

Mascar ene Parrot Mascarinus mascarinus whichwas found on the island of Reunion and maybealso Mauritius died out in the early part of the19th Century. This is one of only two museumspecies, fr om Paris Museum

The Broad-billed Parrot Lophopsittacusmauritianus a large cockatoo like birdwhich may have had similarities with theBlack Cockatoos of Australia.

animals and plants that havebecome extinct in the fourhundred years since man firstcolonised the island. When aspecies dies out it may leave anecological gap, that if not filledmay have deleterious ef fectsupon other species. The foresttrees may be dependent uponfruit bats and parrots todisperse their fruits and in turnthe parrots, fruit bats and manyother species need the foresttrees to provide them with food.Today on Mauritius the forestsare largely silent and many ofthe large forest trees are dying.But there is much that can bedone to revitalise the forest andfill the missing gaps....

Once Mauritius and the otherMascarene Islands were home toa dozen or more species ofparrots. If we could travel backin time we would find an islandalive with birds and reptiles,herds of giant tortoises, largelizards, the dodo, flightlessrails, as well as a large flightless‘black cockatoo’ larger than anyparrot alive today, possiblysimilar to the Black Cockatoos ofAustralia. This was the Broad-billed Parrot that may have livedin the palm rich forests in thelowlands and fed on palm fruits.There was also another smallergrey crested parrot, which wasgood to eat. On the otherMascarene islands there wereseveral parakeets; on Rodrigueswas a blue-grey one; others weredescribed as having red epauletsand another apparently had ared head and tail. Rodrigues alsohad a larger all green parrot andReunion (and also possiblyMauritius) had the Mascarene

Parrot, a russet brown bird witha lilac head, black forehead anda bright red bill.

Researchers and historians areworking through the earlyaccounts and examining sub-fossil bones to try and piecetogether the identity of severalother species known from vagueearly accounts and a fewassorted bits. What is all thiswork going to tell us? We maywell lament the passing ofspectacular species but doesthis have any relevance to theconservation of the living? Whilethe resurrecting of the extinct ina Jurassic Park type fashion isstill a long way off and maybelong to the realm of sciencefiction there are otherpossibilities for filling the gapsleft by extinct species.

Can the EchoReplace the MissingSpecies?Many of the forest trees inMauritius produce large fleshyfruits with incredibly hardseeds. These fruits come indifferent sizes; we know thatfruit bats and Echo Parakeetslove some of these fruits, oftencarr ying them away to feed onthe edible pulp and rejecting thehard seeds. Undoubtedlydispersing the seeds in theprocess. However, in today’sMauritian forests many fruitsfall on the ground and fail togerminate. The result is that theforests are dying due to poorregeneration. While this is acomplex problem, I believe that

if we could restore the extinctspecies we could once again getparts of the forests functioningas they should.

If we know enough about themissing species, there is noreason why other species thatcan fill the role of the missingspecies can not be introduced tobecome ecologically equivalentspecies or ecological analogues.Perhaps the Echo Parakeet canbe introduced to the forests onthe neighbouring island ofReunion to replace the parakeetthat used to occur there twocenturies ago. The Echo Parakeetmay also be an appropriateanalogue for the extinctparakeets of Rodrigues andSeychelles. And one day we mayintroduce one of the BlackCockatoos to replace the BroadBilled Parr ot.

While these wild speculationsmay seem like dreaming we willsoon be seriously consideringreplacing the extinct MauritianGiant Tortoises with closelyrelated and ecologically similaranalogues. We hope to introducethese onto offshore islandsaround Mauritius where they canbecome impor tant grazers,browsers and seed dispersers. Ihope I will one day see analoguespecies of parrots beingintroduced into restored forestsof Mauritius. It was not so longago that we were speculatingabout restoring species andrehabilitating forests and nowwe are doing both.

We already know enough so thatwe can save most of theendangered parrots of the world

and restore their fragmentedand damaged habitats. The dayis not far of f when we will beable to rebuild wholeecosystems, provided we stillhave the building blocks. Thesebuilding blocks are the speciesand the parrots are keystones inthese systems.

Reasons forOptimismI believe that the work onMauritius gives us great reasonsfor optimism. With modestfinancial resources but with aclear vision and the unlimiteddrive and dedication of theconservation team we have beenable to achieve the following:-

• Establish the Echo Parakeet’sentire remaining habitat asMauritius’ first national park

• Restore areas of forest inwhich the Echo Parakeet feedsand breeds

• Learn how to manage the wildparakeets to improve theirproductivity

• Establish Echo Parakeets incaptivity where they are nowbreeding.

• Develop release techniques forcaptive reared birds. Twenty-two birds have been releasedduring the last three seasons.

• Establish released birds in thewild. One of our released birds‘Gabriella’ has started breedingand last season reared afostered chick. Several otherbirds are showing signs ofpairing and breeding.

Much remains to be done but Ifeel proud of what we have beenable to achieve and we mustalso pay tribute to those thathave made this work possible.No one works in isolation andwe would not have progressedthis far without the help of oursuppor ting organisations. TheWorld Parrot Trust and others. Imust also pay tribute to thestaff who made all of thishappen. I especially thank KirstySwinner ton who has worked onthe project for twelve seasonsdoing some of the early fieldwork, looking after the captivebirds, hand-rearing chicks andsupervising field teams. Andfinally I thank the parakeets thathave taught us much.

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 11

Final Blows forthe Cape Parro t ?

Authors: MIKE PERRIN, COLLEEN DOWNS, CRAIG SYMES

To prevent the extinction of one of South Africa’s rarest and most charismatic birds, theCape Parr ot, captive breeding is being undertaken. Aviculturalists, some of whomcontribute to the demise of the species, through capture and illegal trade, are making asignificant contribution to its survival, through a breeding programme. This is welcomeand beneficial. The parr ots already decimated in the wild, have recently been subjectedto another threat, in the form of parrot beak and feather disease , which has caused themortality of most of the birds in captivity. This is despite every precaution being takenand at great expense. There is no vaccine to treat infected birds and even diagnosis is acomplex biochemical procedure. To ensure a disease free colony for the future, diseasedbirds are quarantined, and at the last resort euthanised.

A major problem that has alsojust surfaced is the capture ofwild birds by rural peopleresettled in close proximity toindigenous forests. Theseimpoverished and malnourishedlocal communities are applyingfor deregulation of the forests toenable some income generation.There are two large flocks ofCape Parrots that nest in thevicinity which are at great risk.Injured birds are now being soldat the road side, but fortunatelysome have been rescued andtreated by a veterinarian.However, they cannot ber ehabilitated into the wild, notonly because of their injuriesbut because they are infectedwith beak and feather disease.They can only be used forbreeding if a vaccine is found.Attempts in the USA have beenunsuccessful, but there may bea source in Australia.

Previous research on the biologyof the Cape Parrot has shownthat it is a habitat and dietspecialist, dependent onyellowwood forests for its foodthroughout the year, and fornesting sites during thebreeding season. Decades agothese forests were heavilyexploited for furniture, as thewood is beautiful and durable,but not replanted, and cattlegrazing has prevented naturalregeneration. Recentafforestation of upland areaswith exotic pines, gums, wattles

and expanding agriculture, havefurther reduced the extent ofnatural montane forests. Theparrots now fly great distancesto find sufficient food andsuitable roosting sites, whichmay well negatively impact ontheir abundance. The worldpopulation of these attractiveparrots, which are endemic toSouth Africa, now approximates500 birds. Indeed, the ef fectiveor breeding population of thebirds is significantly less,because many birds are sub-

adult and will not reachbreeding age, owing topredation, capture or disease.

During a recent nation widecensus of the wild parr ots, twobirds were seen that wereapparently feather plucked,mimicking the symptoms ofbeak and feather disease. Thiswas cause for concern but notalarm. However, our worst fearshave been confirmed in the lastfew days, eight of eight wildcaught parrots have shown to be

positive for the disease. Thishas potentially drasticconsequences for wild andcaptive birds. Any wild caughtbirds introduced to existingcolonies, of African or otherspecies of parr ots, may wellspread the infection. This couldreduce the trade in wild caughtbirds, which would bebeneficial, but may causemortality in the wild population,which would be detrimental. Itisn’t known whether the wildparr ots have natural resistanceor are particularly sensitive tothe disease. This will depend onwhether the disease is naturally-occurring or introduced.

One frightening concern is thatas the species becomes rarer, italso becomes more valuable tocollectors, which increasesdemand and trade price. Thiscould start a spiral which wouldbe dif ficult to break. The onlysolution appears to be adedicated co-operative recoveryprogramme under taken byconservators, aviculturalists andecologists. This is the aim of theKwaZulu-Natal AviculturalForum, the Cape Parrot WorkingGroup, the World Parr ot TrustAfrica and the Research Centrefor Parrot Conservation at theUniversity of Natal.

The only thing that is cer tain isthat the future of the CapeParrot is now at greater riskthan ever before.

12 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999

An Appeal for Fundsby ROSEMARY LOW

The Cape Parrot from South Africa is now one of the world's mostendangered parrots. As one who has been fortunate to see it inthe wild, to listen to its cheerful chortling calls and to watch it inthe early morning sun, when the frost was on the ground, I knowthat it would be a tragedy and a great loss if this charismaticparrot was to become extinct.

A small population has been studied for several years by some veryenthusiastic people at the Research Centre for African Par rots who

are gravely concerned about the future of the Cape Parrot. Their work has revealed facts about thisspecies which would aid its conservation and survival. The problem is that they lack the funds toimplement the field work which so urgently needs to be carried out.

Now I would like to make an appeal to all our members - and to everyone else who reads PsittaScene- to raise some money on behalf of South Africa's most endanger ed parr ot. Please don't ignore thisappeal. If every member wrote out a cheque for only £5 the sum of £10,000 would be raised. Ifsome of the many cage bird or parrot societies in the UK donated a modest sum from, perhaps, araffle or a bird sale, those funds could be instrumental in helping to save the Cape Parrot.

If you are one of the generous ones who wants to help, please send your donation to the WorldParrot Tr ust in Cornwall (see address on page 19).

that had been used previouslyfell over during strong winds.All nests (n=11), except forone in a live blackwood, havebeen in holes in deademergent, dead canopyPodocarpus spp. Such deadtrees are a scarce resource inthe study areas, and thushave impor tant conservationimplications.

f) Population size estimatesshow that numbersthroughout the Cape Parrotrange have declineddramatically with large flocksrarely seen. Presently it istentatively estimated that lessthan 1000 Cape Parrots intotal remain, which isexceedingly low (Downs &Symes 1998).

ProposalsConservation of Cape Parrotsrequires conservation of theirforest habitats, in particularmature Podocarpus sp. The CapeParrot population decline iscaused by habitat loss as forest

P roject Pro p o s a l :The Ecology and Status of the Cape Parrot in South Africa(Part of the Forest Biodiversity Programme and the African Par rot Research Group, School of Botany &Zoology, University of Natal, P/Bag XO1, Scottsville, Pieter maritzburg, 3209)

by Dr COLLEEN T. DOWNS

IntroductionThe nominate race of the CapeParrot, Poicephalus robustusrobustus has recently beendescribed as a separate speciesbased on size, colour, distributionand habitat preference. It isclassed as rare and vulnerable.

ProgressThe field work of the initialproject has been completed andthe presentation of aposthumous thesis by J.O.Wirminghaus is in the finalstages. The results include:a) Species Status.

Morphological differences ofthe three races of the CapeParr ot using national andinternational museumcollections of Cape Parr ot. Itis proposed that P.r. robustusbe given full species status.

b) Distributional data of CapeParrots using South AfricanBir d Atlas Project weremapped, and analysed furtherfor gross movement patternsand densities. Historicalevidence shows a contractionof the core range of CapeParrots.

c) Importance of yellowwoods,particularly Podocarpusfalcatus (a forest canapy tree),for breeding, feeding andsocial interactions of CapeParrots is evident. Mostfrequent use of any treespecies shows dominance ofPodocarpus spp. for feedingand as perches. Kernels ofPodocarpus spp. fruits arepreferred and eaten while theexocarp is discarded. Monthlyfruit availability of thedifferent forest trees showsthat for most species fruitingis unpredictable and thatcertain species have extendedfruiting periods. However,during November - Decemberthere is usually a fruitshortage. Movements of

parrots between forestpatches shows them to be afood nomadic species basedon monthly observations oftemporal and spatial activitypatterns and feedingobservations. Cape Parr ots arestrictly diurnal though mostactive during the first and lastfew hours of daylight. Mostfeeding also takes placeduring this time. Betweenperiods of activity the birdsmostly remain perched, call,preen, allopreen, rest oroccasionally feed.

d) Drinking sites are importantfor the parrots, par ticularlyduring the dry winter monthswhen very little free water isavailable.

e) Breeding success at the twostudy sites during the pastthree summers, based oncounts of fledged juvenilespresent was low. Only threenests during the 1993/1994season and two during the1995/1996 season were usedat the study sites, while one

area has diminished. It is alsoexacerbated by selective felling oflarge yellowwoods for timber thatoccurred during the last centuryand the first half of this one. Tocounter these impacts, correctivemeasures for the conservation ofCape Parrots are required. Thesemeasures include:a) Termination of yellowwood

timber extraction fromAfromontane forests

b) Provision of additionalnesting sites and

c) Planting of additionalpreferred food plants.

Long term monitoring of thishighly mobile food nomadicspecies is required together withits food resources, breedingsuccess, population numbers,and the success of theimplemented conservationaction.

Proposed Research1999-20051) Continued monthly

monitoring of Cape Parrotpopulations at Weza andHlabeni.

2) Continuance of the nest boxprovision project todetermine whether nest sitesare limiting.

3) Availability of snags inAfromontane forest. Inparticular, determination ofabundance of snags, theiralteration with time and theirpotential as nest sites forhole-nesting birds.

4) Monitoring of captivebreeding programmes andimplementation of a studbookfor Cape Parrots.

5) Liaising and advertising theCape Parrot Big Birding Dayeach April, which involvesbirders, landowners and otherinterested people.

6) Liaison with InternationalParrot and Bird ConservationBodies.

ReferencesDowns, C.T. & Symes, C.T. 1998.Cape Parrots: Report on thesecond Cape Parrot Big BirdingDay, (25 April 1998). PsittaSceneVol 10 No 3 pages 5-7.Wirminghaus, J.O. In prep. Theecology and status of the CapeParrot Poicephalus r. robustus inSouth Africa. Posthumous Ph.Dthesis, University of Natal,Pietermaritzburg.Captive female Cape Parrot.

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 13

14 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999

Cockatoos andPeanuts at Lakelandby STEPHEN GARNETTQueensland Parks and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 2066, Cairns, Queensland 4870Photographs by Stephen Garnett

Peanuts grow well at Lakeland. The nuts flourish in the rich volcanic soil while itsisolation in southern Cape York Peninsula means there are fewer weeds and diseases.Though the work is hard and the investment enormous, good farming is amplyrewarded. Each year many truckloads of peanut head south to be turned into oil andbutter and salted sachets at the corner pub.

But such bounty has not goneunnoticed by local wildlife.Red-tailed Black Cockatooshave probably been visitingLakeland for hundreds of yearsto eat seeds from thebloodwoods. Having bredduring the wet season, adultsbring their newly fledgedyoung to socialise during theeight months of the dryseason. Just when theyr ecognised peanuts as food isnot known. They probablybegan feeding on nuts that hadbeen left behind afterharvesting. Then they realisedthat the best pickings were tobe had after the nuts had been

pulled and were drying on thesurface. Finally some clevercockatoo had the wit to pull aliving plant from the groundand discover the rich bountyof soft, oily food beneath.Others soon learnt and abouteight years ago the flocks cameregularly to get their fill,working methodically from theedge of the crop or from anypatch where the crop was thin.Between feeds they exercisedtheir beaks on the huge pivotirrigators, shorting the wiresso that one wheel would gofaster than the others until thewhole contraption tripped andtwisted into a tangle of

expensive disaster. Oneproperty lost over $50,000 peryear to the cockatoos, otherstheir entire crop.

RetributionThe farmers hit back with high-powered rifles and there wererumours of illegal poisoning.They tried scaring devices orpatrolled their crops all day toscare the cockatoos away. Farmwork was constantly disruptedby faulty irrigators. However,though the cockatoos grewwary, they did not stop eatingpeanuts. When anyoneapproached within shooting

distance they would simplyease into the nearby trees anddrift across to anotherpaddock. Shooting released thefarmers’ frustration but it didnot reduce the damage.

The Queensland Parks andWildlife Service was generallyheld responsible for thisdamage because they wouldnot give permits to shoot morethan 30 Red-tailed BlackCockatoos. Red-tailed BlackCockatoos are not onlycharismatic but are rare insouthern Australia. The Servicegave advice on scaring devicesand suggested leaving part ofthe crop for the birds butwould not countenancewholesale destruction, even ifin the unlikely event this waspossible. Until this year theadvice did as little to help thefarmers as did their shooting.In 1999, however, thingschanged, the Queensland Parksand Wildlife Service grew itsfirst peanut crop - though infact credit for the crop mustreally go to the farmers ofLakeland and the industrieswho support them.

Generosity of aLocal FarmerThe peanut crop was madepossible through thegenerosity of local farmerMartin Garate. Martin had longbeen convinced a sacrificecrop was the only way tocontrol cockatoo damage andmade available 40 acres ofland where he had grownpeanuts himself, only to losethe lot to cockatoos. WithMartin’s generosity as anRed-tailed Black-Cockatoos and peanuts in Lakeland.

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 15

example, everyone pitched into help. The Peanut Companyof Australia gave a special dealon seed peanuts and theInterbitzens of Swiss Farmsprepared the ground in timefor the first rains. Anotherfarmer, Graham Green, lent hisseeder and on Christmas day1998 Martin and another localfarmer, Andy Stemmler, put atonne of seed peanuts in theground. The Hoskins brothersthen took over care of thecrop, spraying weeds asrequired and applyingthousands of dollars worth offungicide donated to theproject by Bayer Chemicals.

At the end of March the nutswere just starting to fill. Twoweeks later local BirdsAustralia convenor and formerpeanut farmer, Jon Nott,visited the crop. He had withhim a despondent localshooter who had beenemployed to keep cockatoosoff commercial crops, but whocould find none to shoot at.The reason for their absencewas obvious as soon as theyreached the sacrifice crop. Asthey approached the fence,500 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoosrose from the ground in apanic of black and red andperched, with guilty, muddybeaks, in the distant trees.

A SuccessfulExperimentThe cockatoos have stayed on

the sacrifice crop for theduration of the peanut growingseason. It is even possible thatthey will leave enough forMartin to get some return forhis generosity. For relativelylittle outlay, but with muchcommunity goodwill, thefarmers not only savedthousands of dollars worth ofpeanuts but were also able toget on with other farm workduring the peanut season. Nomore than a handful ofcockatoos died.

Concerns RemainFarmers still have concerns

about the project, particularlythat the cockatoos willincrease rapidly as a result ofthe free food, but that is aproblem for the future. For atleast the next two years BirdsAustralia volunteers will countcockatoos regularly to see

Red-tailed Black Cockatoos in flight.

A happy peanut farmer.

Peanuts pulled up by Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, Lakeland.

whether there are increasesand management can beadjusted accordingly. In themeantime the farmers, fromnow on in conjunction with thelocal catchment managementgroup, have an alternative tokilling that actually works.

Message fromSumbaby MARGARET KINNAIRD

Readers will recall that we arefunding par t of the work ofMargaret Kinnaird and TimO’Brien in Sumba, with theCitron-crested Cockatoo Cacatuasulphurea citrinocristata . Here isa brief message from Margaret.No doubt we will have a moredetailed report in a future issueof PsittaScene. For now, seePsittaScene for February 1999for more details.

“I’ve just returned from threewonderful weeks in Sumba. Therelease went extremely well andnow six birds are bleepingaround the Melolo forest.Everybody was so excited aboutthe release - all the way from thelocal villagers to the Bupati. Thelatter wanted to attend therelease and have a formalceremony but we had todiscourage it and in the end, gotthe plans cancelled. The publicitywould have been wonderful butit would have required a changein the release site and of course,much stress to the birds.Nonetheless, they were verythankful for our help and

proclaimed over and over againhow wonderful it was that somany people from so far awaycared about their birds and thatthey realised they were takingvery poor care of them. Mystudent, Hendra Kurniawan, hiscounterpart from PHPA (forestry)and a representative from theForest research branch inWaingapu had a formal meetingwith the local villagers andvillage chiefs before my arrivaland explained the research, theserious conservation issuessurrounding cockatoos and got apromise that no one would harmthe birds. Amazingly, they wereall complaining that too manypeople have been capturing andthat they no longer see cockatoosin their forest. Everyone seemshonest and willing to help.”

Thailand Island HabitatDestroyedIf you care about habitats,whether or not they containparrots, you can voice yourdispleasure at what happenedon Phi Phi Leh island inThailand. It was the location forLeonardo Di Caprio’s new filmThe Beach. Thailand’s RoyalForestry Department violatedtheir own regulations and wereallegedly bought off by 20thCentury Fox who paid thegovernment 4 million Baht(about £70,000). The nativevegetation at Maya Beach wasbulldozed to create more spacefor a scene depicting a footballgame. Sea pandanus trees,spider lily and other beachgrasses were replaced with 100non-native coconut palms tomake the island look more likeHollywood’s version of a tropicalparadise. Conservationistsfeared that destroying thenatural vegetation would createserious erosion. They wereright. The beach has already

been eroded and there are fearsfor its survival after themonsoons.

A key to the local touristeconomy, Phi Phi Leh Island issupposedly protected as anational park. Thaiconservationists are askingpeople worldwide to boycott thefilm when it reaches thecinemas. A petition against 20thCentury Fox is circulating on theinternet. Or you can expressyour outrage by writing to thefilm’s producer, AndrewMacDonald, Producer, TheBeach, c/o Carol Sewell, 10201W. Pico Blvd, Building 89, Room224, Los Angeles, Ca 90035, USA.

Canada The tenth Canadian Parr otSymposium will take place onNovember 20 and 21. The venueis, as usual, the Toronto AirportHilton Hotel. This conventionprovides a rare opportunity tohear Paul Butler speak. He isrenowned for his innovativemethods of conservationeducation, which started in theCaribbean with the St LuciaParr ot. His unique methods arenow being copied worldwide.Paul is a winner of theprestigious United NationsEnvironment Programme’s“Global 500 Award” for his workin St Lucia. He is also anabsorbing and entertainingspeaker - winner of the awardfor best speaker on bothoccasions he has spoken at theLoro Parque Convention.Currently he is takingconservation educationcampaigns to Latin America.

Other speakers at theconvention will include MarkHagen, Sally Blanchard, DickSchroeder, James Murphy,Pamela Hutchinson and LizWilson. Registration costs arefrom Can$55 for one day (basic)up to $175 for two days with

meals. Further information canbe obtained from the organiser,Jacquie Blackburn, 108Meadowvale Road, West Hill,Ontario, Canada M1C 1S1,telephone 416 282 7375 or fax282 8995.

FABULOUS NEWWPT SHIRT!

Hot off the press comes thisnew t-shir t featuring a GoldenConure design by Cyd Riley ofFirefly T-shirts. Once again, Cydhas generously donated herbeautiful painting to WPT, andall profits from the shirt gowithout deduction to our GoldenConure Survival Fund.

You can order this shirt fromour USA or UK offices (see page19). The price is $22 plus $4shipping (USA), or £15 plus£2.50 shipping (UK).

Parrot NutritionInformationRequiredAgnieszka Kleczkowska is in herfifth year at the AgriculturalUniversity in Warsaw, Poland.She is preparing a master’sthesis on feeding parr ots,including origins of food andfood additives. She is requestinginformation on feeding par rotsCitron-crested Cockatoo

••• STOP PRESS •••The full text of theParrot Action Plan can now be

seen at our website www.worldparrottrust.org

16 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999

in general and fig parrots inparticular. Published work fromavian nutritionists would beespecially valuable. Anyone whocan provide such information isasked to contact her at Ul.Arniki 14, 04-903 Warszawa-Miedzeszyn, Poland, or e-mailher at office@kock.pf

UK ConferenceNovember 7th will be animportant date in the diary ofpet parrot keepers in the UK.The first one-day conference onthe better care of pet parrotswill take place. The venue is theCharlecote Pheasant Hotel,Stratford-on-Avon. Theconference will be organised byBirdsFirst in Birdkeeping, a newcharity dedicated to raising thestandards of care for all birds inaviculture, and by ParrotsMagazine. There will be speakersfrom the USA as well as two vetsfrom the UK, Neil Forbes andPeter Scott. Places will belimited to 100. Furtherinformation can be obtainedfrom Greg Glendell, BirdsFirst,Box 227, Shrewsbury, SY4 5WU,telephone 01630 685518.

Young KakapoDoing Wellby DON MERTON

The six Kakapo chicks reportedin the May issue are all doingwell. Lisa’s three females areweaned and in a pre-release penon Codfish Island. They will bereleased via a two-way cat doorwhen the (Austral) winter haspassed. The other three are in apen on Maud Island and are notquite weaned at the time ofwriting (mid July). They includethe smallest whose growth ratehad given much cause forconcern. He now weighs 1.7kgand has been named Morehu -Maori for survivor.

News from WPT-BeneluxRuud Vonk, Chairman of thismajor branch of WPT, gave a talkat the 9th InternationalSymposium at Bietigheim,Germany, on the theme of‘Threatened Parrots’. Hispresentation was verysuccessful, and he was able to

describe several WPT projects.One result of this was a donationof DM600 from the organiser, DrPeter Wüst, and Ruud hasallocated these funds to ourEcho Parakeet project. Ourthanks to Ruud, and to Dr Wüst.

ABC/WPTConservationGrants 1999/2000To follow up on last year ’s grantround American BirdConservancy (ABC) workingagain in partnership with WorldParrot Trust will consider parrotconservation projects both fromcurrent grantees and from newapplicants. ABC has produced alist of priority species forconservation action, andproposals addressing the needsof these species are particularlyencouraged.

Although primary emphasis willbe given to these themes, asusual ABC will also considerproposals for other birdconservation projects in LatinAmerica and the Caribbeanundertaken by or involving localconservation groups andindividuals. Most grants will befor amounts below themaximum of $5,000. For fulldetails contact: Luis Naranjo,American Bird Conservancy, POBox 249, The Plains, VA 20198,USA or visit the ABC website:www.abcbirds.org.

Note: Deadline for applicationsis September 25th 1999.

Award for ‘Parrots’‘Parr ots’ A Guide to Parr ots ofthe World by Tony Juniper and

Mike Parr has won the 1998McColvin Gold Medal of theBritish Library Association forthe ‘Most Outstanding ReferenceBook’. The award was presentedto Tony Juniper by the Bishop ofLondon in a ceremony onTuesday June 22nd.

Tony Juniper is Policy andCampaigns Director for Friendsof the Earth (www.foe.co.uk),and Mike Parr is Director ofPr ogram Development forAmerican Bird Conservancy(ABC). ABC has an active parrotconservation programme, andworking in partnership withWorld Par rot Trust, is cur rentlysupporting par rot projects inten countries in the Americas.More details can be found onABC’s website atwww.abcbirds.org. The authorshave also distributed copies of‘Parrots’ to customs officers andconservation groups in LatinAmerica to assist with theidentification of threatenedparr ots in illegal trade.

‘Parrots’ is published in the USA byYale University Press and in the UKby Pica Press (01580 880 561).

Major DisneyGrant for ABC/WPTProjectsThe Disney WildlifeConservation Fund haveannounced a major grant awardto two of the projects jointlysuppor ted by American BirdConservancy (ABC) and WorldParrot Trust in the small grantsfor parrot conservationprogram. The funds will supporton-going work on the Yellow-eared Parrot, Red-tailed Amazon,and also support a project innorthwest Mexico which willhelp Military Macaws and Thick-billed Parrots.

More than forty of the parrotspecies occurring in theAmericas are listed as globallythreatened by IUCN. ABC’s SmallGrants Program has, over theyears, supported dozens ofprojects relating to theconservation of these species,but given the critical situationnow facing some of the mostthreatened, ABC teamed up withWorld Parrot Trust to launch aspecial program to address theirconservation needs. Duringsummer 1998 a call forproposals, accompanied by a listof priority species andsuggested conservation actionswas circulated. The programr eceived a number of extremelyhigh-quality proposals, andthanks to additional fundingfrom the Barbara DelanoFoundation, was able to suppor tthirteen projects in tencountries. The projects includean emergency effort to protectthe last remaining population ofYellow-eared Par rot in Colombia;three separate projects tacklingthe conservation of thethreatened nor thern subspeciesof Scarlet Macaw; threeCaribbean projects to protectthe endemic Amazons ofJamaica, Dominica, and CaymanBrac. A project to assess thepopulation of Blue-wingedMacaw in the Brazilian Pantanal;an environmental educationproject for the Yellow-headedAmazon in Belize; a project toprotect the Great Green Macawin western Ecuador; a project toprotect the Blue-fronted Amazonfrom illegal trade in Brazil; acommunity development project

Contd. on page 18

Yellow-ear ed Conure

PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 17

18 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999

to conserve habitat for the Red-tailed Amazon at SuperaguiNational Park, Brazil; and ageneric project to investigatethe habitat requirements ofwide-ranging species based onthe Mealy Amazon in Guatemala.ABC and World Parrot Trust willagain be requesting parrotconservation proposals in 1999to follow up on the success ofthe programme. Applicationdetails can be found on the ABCwebsite www.abcbirds.org

‘Birds 99 Convention’,Brisbane, AustraliaJune 1999by MIKE REYNOLDSThis was an extremely wellorganised and enjoyableconvention, and congratulationsare due to Bruce Beattie and his

team. It has to be said, however,that Australian aviculturists arenot too interested in theconservation of parrots in thewild. I had an opportunity at thegala dinner to remind the 250delegates that anyone who keepsparrots in captivity has a clearand undoubted responsibilitytowards the parrots in the wild,and can meet a par t of thatresponsibility by joining theWorld Parrot Tr ust. The nextday, eleven delegates visited ourWPT Australia booth and becamemembers. Which leaves 239people still to be convinced! Oneexcellent outcome was MarkHagen’s donation of his A$1200expenses (as a speaker at theconvention) to WPT Australia.This was very welcome, as it willgo towards our three yearcommitment to provide A$30,000for research on the PalmCockatoo. Many thanks Mark! Mark Hagen pr esents a cheque to WPT at the ‘Birds 99 Convention’ in Brisbane.

Contd. from page 17

More on Spix’s MacawBy Michael Reynolds

Readers who have closely read the newspaper articles on pages 6and 7 will have seen that the fate of Spix's Macaw attracted muchinterest from the environment correspondents at our pressconference. These shrewd and knowledgeable people picked upon the fact that there was only one bird in the wild and for ty orso in captivity, and wanted to know why the captive birds werenot being put back to support the last wild bird. A reasonablequestion. They asked who held the captive birds, and I told themthat to the best of my knowledge there were 30 plus at Mr.Antonio de Dios’s Birds International In Manilla, Philippines and,about 12 with Dr Hammerli in Switzerland.

A brief history of this matter is that during the 1980s localtrappers in NE Brazil regularly took fledglings from the last one ortwo Spix's nests, sold them to middlemen in Brazil or Paraguay,who sold them for very large sums to collectors within Brazil, andalso to others outside Brazil. All of these movements werecompletely illegal under Brazilian law, and contrary to the CITESconvention. In 1992 an amnesty was negotiated under which theholders of Spix's Macaw were spared prosecution in return fortheir co-operation in joining a recovery committee which wouldwork to restore the species in the wild.

Since then, a female (recovered from a Brazilian collector andthought to be the original mate of the wild male) was released,but this bird disappeared after some months. Other experimentsinvolving Illiger's Macaws have been made, but my personal viewis that the extreme urgency of the situation is not beingadequately recognised by the Spix's Macaw Recovery Committee.Alternatively, the problem may be that the holders of the captivebirds simply refuse to co-operate in taking the actions that areclearly essential, but require them to send some of their birdsback to Brazil to be carefully prepared for release.Time is of the essence. As Tony Juniper of Friends of the Ear th,and also co-author of the new 'Parrots' guide, told 'The Times': “Itis vital that political and moral pressure is put on the collectors. Ifthis last one goes, then the chances of re-establishing a wild

population mightbecome almostimpossible. The lastmale is needed toteach captively-bredones how to survive.It knows whatpredators look like, itknows where the foodis, it knows wherethere is water in thedry season and wherenesting sites are". TheTimes continued: “Theurgency of getting

birds back to Brazil has been intensified by the r emaining male'sliaison with a female Illiger's Macaw. The collectors might beconcerned that their birds will be poached if returned to Braziland released into the wild, but this is unlikely , since local peopleare fiercely proud of their rare parrot and have pledged to defendit. Since the last male was discovered, camera crews, scientistsand twitchers have descended on the area, bringing money to ahard-pressed region. Local people take an immense pride. Theyeven have a pizza restaurant called the Blue Macaw. It is anenormous boost for a poor part of the world".

You will see that Dr. Hammerli says he has sold his birds tosomebody else in Switzerland. This demonstrates with absoluteclarity that he is not a person with any interest in conservation,and regards his financial interest as the only impor tant factor.

We have written to the person responsible for environmentalmatters at the Brazilian Embassy in London, of fering any help thatthe World Parrot Trust can supply . In particular we have proposedthat Dr. Carl Jones could be asked to carry out an independentreview of the Spix's Macaw situation. After all, if anyone canimprove the prospects of this bird surviving in the wild, it has tobe the man who has saved the Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon, andnow the Echo Parakeet.

Will the Brazilian authorities allow us to help? We will keep ourreaders informed.

WPT NATIONAL CONTACTSUnited KingdomKaren Allmann, Administrator ,Glanmor House, Hayle, Cor nwall TR27 4HBTel: (44) 01736 753365 Fax: (44) 01736 756438email: uk@worldpar rottrust.orgMike Reynolds email: worldparrottrust@compuserve.com

USAJoanna Eckles, PO Box 50733, St. Paul, MN 55150Tel: 651 994 2581 Fax: 651 994 2580Email: usa@worldparrottr ust.org

BeneluxPeter de Vries (Membership Sec.), Jagershof 91,7064 DG Silvolde, NetherlandsTel: (31) 315327418 email: heiko.pjdevries@tref.nlBelgium enquiries: Romain Bejstrup (32) 32526773Netherlands enquiries: Ruud Vonk (31) 168472715

CanadaMike Pearson, PO Box 29, Mount Hope,Ontario L0R 1W0Tel: (1) 905 385 9500 Fax: (1) 905 385 7374email: cwpar rot@worldchat.com

Denmark (Scandinavia)Michael Iversen, Hyldevang 4 – Bur esoe,3550 Slangerupemail: wpt@image.dk

FranceJ. & G. Prin, 55 Rue de la Fassier e, 45140, Ingre.Tel: (33) 2 38 43 62 87 Fax: (33) 2 38 43 97 18

SwitzerlandLars Lepperhoff, Lutschenstrasse 15, 3063 IttigenTel: (41) 31 922 3902

GermanyJür gen Oertel, Einsiedel, Pappelweg 6,D-09123 Chemnitz

ItalyFreddie Virili, via Matarus 10, 33045 Nimis, Udine.Cristiana Senni, email: wpt.italia@flashnet.it

AustraliaMike Owen, 7 Monteray St., Mooloolaba,Queensland 4557.Tel: (61) 7 54780454 email: mowen@peg.apc.org

AfricaV. Dennison, PO Box 1758, Link Hills,Natal 3652, S. AfricaTel: (27) 31 763 4054 Fax: (27) 31 763 3811

SpainAndrés Marin and Ana Matesanz,C/La Majadita no 16 Guinate, Maquez,35541 Las Palmas, SpainTel: (34) 928 835745 email: a.marin@lpa.servicom.es

WPT Web Sites:Central: http://www.worldparrottrust.orgCanada: http://www.worldchat.com/par rot/cwparrot.htmItaly: http://www .mediavillage.it/wptDenmark: http://www.image.dk/fpewpt

Working for Parro tC o n s e rvation andWe l f a re Wo r l d w i d e

The World Par rot Trust was founded in 1989 as UK Registered CharityNo. 800944. International expansion has been rapid and the Trust nowhas linked charities and support groups in Africa, Australia, Belgium,Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Scandinavia,Spain, Switzerlandand the USA.

Funds raised for the parrots have now reached £1,000,000 ($1.6M) andhave been used to initiate and support conservation and welfareprojects in 20 countries for 37 species of parrot. Despite this wide-ranging activity, the Trust is run on a volunteer basis, with only two parttime administrators worldwide. This uniquely cost-effective approach ismade possible by substantial financial and logistical support donated byParadise Park, the UK home base of the World Parrot Tr ust.

The objective of the Trust is to promote the survival of all parrot speciesand the welfare of individual birds. It pursues these aims by fundingfield conservation work, research projects and educational programmes.The Trust seeks to promote the concept of ‘responsible aviculture’ wherethe interests of the parrots themselves are given priority overcommercial, political, career or other human concerns. The World ParrotTrust and its members wish to be recognised as the ‘True Friends of the

Parrots’, and to win over the majority of aviculturists and scientists toits point of view. The task is huge – our resources are limited. We needthe commitment of everyone in the ‘parrot community’: those who keep,breed, study and protect the parr ots. Beyond those special interests, welook for support from everyone who understands the crisis facing theworld through the loss of biodiversity. We aim to continue using thespecial charm of the parrots to win the hearts and minds of thoughtfulpeople everywhere.

Michael ReynoldsFounder and Hon. DirectorWorld Parrot Trust

Mike Reynolds meets ‘Pablo’,a hand-reared Echo Parakeetreleased to join criticallyendangered wild Echoes inMauritius.

Join usIf not already a member, please join. Receive our PsittaScenenewsletter, know that you are actively contributing towards ouraims and projects.

Help fund our ProjectsWe are currently supporting parrot conservation, education andwelfare projects in 20 countries. Your generosity towards theparrots could help us expand cur rent schemes and star t newones.

Aims of the TrustThe survival of parrot species in the wild, and the welfare ofcaptive birds.These aims are pursued by:Educating the public on the threats to parrots.Opposing trade in wild-caught parrots.Preserving and restoring parrot habitat.Studying the status of parrot populations.Encouraging the production of aviary-bred birds.Creating links between aviculture and conservation.Promoting high standards in the keeping of parrots.Supporting research into veterinary care of parrots.

YES, I WANT TO HELP SAVE THEPARROTS OF THE WORLDSUBSCRIPTION RATES (please tick)

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PsittaScene Volume 11, No 3, August 1999 ■ 19

Parrotsin the Wild

Printed by Brewers of Helston Ltd. Tel: 01326 558000

This bird was photographedby Paulo Martuscelli, aBrazilian biologist who hasspent several years studyingand protecting this verystriking amazon parrot inits small coastal distributionin Sao Paulo and ParanaStates of Brazil. The WorldParrot Trust has fundedsome protection work forthis bird, following aninvestigation carried out forus by Dr. David Waugh (nowDirector of Edinburgh Zoo)See PsittaScene for August1994 for more information.The Red-tailed Amazon is aCITES Appendix 1ENDANGERED species, has apopulation estimated ataround 4,000, but continuesto be threatened by habitatloss, trapping for the potand for trade. A recentstudy showed that of 49nests, no less than 41 hadbeen illegally robbed ofnestlings. No wonder thisspecies is one of the 89listed by the new ParrotAction Plan to be headingtowards extinction.

Red-tailed Amazon Parro tAmazona brasiliensis