PS 20 1 Feb 08 - World Parrot Trust · Blue-headed Macaws in Peru 14 African Grey update 15 New African Grey fund launched 16 Leaving Wild - to save a species Belizean Yellow-headed

August 2008August 2008

I N T H I S I S S U E

A Rare Western Ground ParrotIn Search of Blue-headed Macaws

fromthedirector

reat news: It's been one year since the EU permanently ended wild bird imports,something we at the World Parrot Trust campaigned hard for. Better yet: Over ten millionwild birds have been spared since late 2005 when the initial temporary import ban wentinto effect. And the news is positive in exporting countries as well.

Nicaragua was once the largest exporter of wild parrots from Central America. Now atemporary ban on exports has not only stopped international trade, it has also drasticallyreduced the trade in parrots within Nicaragua as well. Wild parrots for sale in city marketswere common in the past, but today are all but gone.

Similarly, South America's largest exporter, Argentina, recently announced a zero exportquota for parrots in 2008. This step will save tens of thousands of wild parrots this year, andwill hopefully continue in years to come. In their correspondence with the CITES Secretariat,Argentina expressly complained that the EU import ban was directly responsible for thispolicy change as the ban eliminated their primary market. This kind of cascading effect ofthe EU's decision is precisely what we have been hoping for and predicting for manyyears - eliminating demand eliminates the supply and thereby protects millions of wild birds.

Consequently, there are now only two major exporting countries in the westernhemisphere - Guyana and Suriname. We're hoping to focus on these countries in thecoming months and years. Having recently returned from an initial visit to Guyana, I'mdelighted to report that this remarkably unspoiled country is working hard to packageitself as a "green" nation. We're eager to work with partners there to encourage a moreprogressive policy on wild bird exports as well.

Trade in wild birds will never completely end but the trends in these major markets aredeeply encouraging. We'll keep you posted!

Jamie GilardiDirector

GWorld Parrot TrustGlanmor House, Hayle,Cornwall, TR27 4HB, UK.www.parrots.org

contents2 From the Director

3 One fateful day...A rare bird experience

7 To wean or not to weanBuying and selling unweaned chicks

10 In search of...Blue-headed Macaws in Peru

14 African Grey update

15 New African Grey fund launched

16 Leaving Wild - to save a speciesBelizean Yellow-headed Amazon

18 PsittaNews & Events

19 WPT Contacts

20 Parrots in the Wild:Blue-fronted Amazon

The World Parrot Trust does not necessarily endorse anyviews or statements made by contributors to PsittaScene.It will of course consider articles or letters from anycontributors on their merits. Go toparrots.org/publications for Guidelines.Anyone wishing to reprint PsittaScene articles in full or inpart needs permission from the author / photographerand must state that it was copied from PsittaScene.All contents © World Parrot TrustPrinted by Brewers of Helston Ltdwww.brewersgroup.com

onourcoversFRONT The Western Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus flaviventris) is a rare sight indeed. In fact, nophotographs of an unrestrained bird existed until one fateful day in the outback of Australia. We are proud toshare the exciting story and the best photographs ever taken and published of the species. © Brent Barrett

BACK Bottoms up! Escaping up a tree, this Blue-fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) provides a comicmoment for quick-thinking photographer and parrot researcher Brent Barrett.

2 PsittaScene August 2008

Volume 20 Number 3

Editor: Joanna EcklesProduction: Karen Whitley

PsittaScenePsittaScene

August 2008 PsittaScene 3

One of the hard lessons in conservation, and in life, is that no matterhow hard you bend your mind around a problem, you may still end upwithout answers. Luckily, once in awhile a seemingly random event opensa window to your wildest dreams and brings long-sought answers that noamount of grappling or technology can produce. Just such an event befellme in the outback of Western Australia during the Western GroundParrot (Pezoporus wallicus flaviventris) breeding season of 2005.

ntil the 5th of October in that monumentalyear, there were no known photographs ofa wild unrestrained Western Ground

Parrot. No nests had been located since 1914 andvery few food plants were known. Daily activitywas inferred from one radio tracking project in1989. On all levels the Western Ground Parrot wasan enigma that guarded its secrets well.

In February 2004 I published an article inPsittaScene introducing this critically endangeredparrot to the world. During the previous spring

the government conservation agency of WesternAustralia had employed me to help locate, captureand translocate these birds in order to create a newsub-population within their historic range. Ourteam encountered very few birds in the two knownpopulations. A third previously reliable populationseemed to have disappeared completely. This was agrave situation. The recovery project moved froma population translocation mission into one ofsearch and protect in situ. There were simply toofew birds and too many unknowns to attempt atranslocation.

One fateful day ...... a Western Ground Parrot walked out of the bush and into the history books

Article and Photos by Brent Barrett

U


all its calling during this time of stealthymovement. By day it walks amongst theundergrowth foraging for food and, likemost arid land birds, roosts in the shadeduring the heat of the day. Its nestingbehaviour is as cryptic as its everyday life.The male and female meet 400 m (1300 ft)from the nest site, arriving simultaneouslyand silently. In this "mate-feeding arena" themale regurgitates food for the female to passto the chick(s) in the nest. The male thengoes to sleep nearby while the female returnssilently to the nest. They are the last outbackbird to call and it is well past sunset when hefinishes feeding her. He does not appear toroost near the nest which is not very typicalfor parrots. While no nest has ever beenfound I know these behavioural facts to betrue simply because I am the only livingperson who has witnessed them with myown eyes.

One fateful day in the spring of 2005 changed thelives of the conservation community of WesternAustralia. In this harsh and scratchy snake-infestedland I made the most unlikely friend - a breeding-age male Western Ground Parrot I named Charlie.As it stands, almost every photo that exists of thisenigmatic species is of Charlie. How can this be?

Don't be fooled by what you know of parrotsbefriending humans. This was a scientificexpedition - no food was offered, Charlie did notsit on my shoulder or sleep in a cage. In fact,nobody has ever touched or handled a WesternGround Parrot since 1989. Charlie simplytolerated my presence and over time allowed meto approach within 1 m (3 ft) of him. This wascompletely unusual for this species. Many topornithologists have waited 20 years in the hope ofglimpsing a Western Ground Parrot. Due to theirlow numbers and curious behaviour of walkingbriskly through the undergrowth before they are

During the next two years the same questionscontinued to arise with no answers. How doWestern Ground Parrots successfully breed inthe presence of terrestrial and avian predators?What do they eat? Where do they live? It was astaggering list of unknowns for a species of thismodern age living within a developed countrylike Australia. We knew very little about ourintriguing feathered friend. This was to change,but we would have to be patient.

We now know that the curious Western GroundParrot lives a life quite unlike most other parrotswith the exception of the Kakapo (Strigopshabroptilas) and the Night Parrot (Geopsittacusoccidentalis). It does not fly in large noisy flocksand display brightly coloured plumage. Its call issubtle and un-parrotlike, easily mimicked byother birds with whom it shares its home range.It flies only in the cover of semi-darkness in thesmall hours of dawn and dusk, choosing to do

The vast dense and unforgiving habitat that the Western Ground Parrot inhabits makes it easy to imagine why it has been so hardto locate and observe these secretive ground-dwelling parrots. Many experienced birders have searched in vain for this unusualbird. The luckiest may be rewarded with a burst of green and the blur of a tail before all evidence disappears in the undergrowth.

even detected, they remain one of the mostelusive bird species in Australia. Should youhappen to surprise one, it bursts into the airflying in a zigzag motion for 100 m (330 ft) thendrops quickly to the ground and runs intoobscurity. This very quail-like behaviour earnedthem the name "Button grass quail" and therespect of many hardened birders. One couldsay they had seen a Western Ground Parrot butonly describe the blur of its tail as it rapidlyvacated the area.

So why was Charlie different? The answer lies inconsistency. In the historic surveys of 2004, thesub-population, which included Charlie, wasdiscovered and mapped. That same year theteam camped nearby and monitored what wecould of the breeding season. A recently fledgedjuvenile was located by following a previouslyunknown call. I snapped a poor qualityphotograph and finally the Western Ground

Parrot was in the news. This was the firstjuvenile to be seen since 1913. The followingyear we mounted a large scale monitoringprogram in the same breeding area. Slowly weencountered more and more new calls, birdswere sighted with increasing frequency and webuilt up a picture of activity and a simpleunderstanding of the local dialect. Over time thebirds started to tolerate us more and go abouttheir normal lives. Still, we simply could not getclose to them despite hiding in bushes, playingback various calls and walking in long humanchains through the bush. Glimpse after blur is allwe saw. Then one day it happened. A birdresponded to playback within a low open area ofthe vegetation. With camera in hand I stalked itthrough the undergrowth for 1 hour until Charliewalked into the history books and into my heart.The photos made headlines and appeared inlocal magazines and papers. They are the first oftheir kind, but they meant more than that. Here

was our chance to show the local communityhow beautiful and special this parrot was andhow worthy it was of conservation. In 2004 Ihad to hand draw the pictures for the PsittaScenearticle, the only photo clearly shows the fingerswrapped around the neck of the captive bird. Wehad entered a new age. The following breedingseason I returned from my apparent retirementin New Zealand to work one last field seasonwith the goal of finally finding a nest. I hadtaken the photos that helped publicity - Idoubted that chance would come again. I hadseen a juvenile after chance events that were notlikely to re-conspire. Nothing prepared me forwhat was to occur.

At first the season was slow, the bush silent. Nobirds were recorded in that first week. Had theydone their famous vanishing act? Had wedisturbed them too much the previous season?Slowly we encountered more and more birds. We


Perseverance pays off as "Charlie" eventually allows closer and closer observation. He remains cautious in the open but beginsforaging naturally, leading to the discovery of completely unknown food plants and a better understanding of the species' habitatneeds. Continued encounters over subsequent days began to unlock some of the many mysteries of the species daily life.

zeroed in on these birds slowly, taking more risks,hiding under camouflage nets metres from thecalling areas. We triangulated the calls and in theday searched the area by hand. Still weencountered no nest, no chick and no roost.Time passed quickly and we were running out ofseason. How could we find the nest if wecouldn't find the adults? Then one night we sawthem flying in silently from opposite corners of aclearing. Twice they landed meters from me in thedying sunlight. Meanwhile something strange washappening by day. We consistently encountered aWestern Ground Parrot using call playback. Thefirst time it moved briskly ahead of us as wecrashed through the undergrowth. Every time welost track of it I played a call on the loud speakerand it would stop and respond. We managed to

follow it for an hour, and towards the end itstarted foraging as it walked. Could this really behappening? Over four subsequent events, somelasting up to 2 hours, two things changed: Charliestopped acting aggressively towards the speakerand we got better at following him. He began toexhibit normal behaviour, even feeding in front ofus. That led to the identification of 20 new foodplants and a new understanding of habitatrequirements. On many occasions he stopped toroost in the shade for 30 min while I crouchedjust 2 meters (6.5 ft) away. We videotaped all hisbehaviours, took hundreds of photographs andrecorded him using every known call except one.This missing call was later discovered to be afemale-only call. Still we could not find the nest.Could Charlie be convinced to lead us there?

One day we located Charlie out of the usualfeeding area. We searched the area and heard thedistinct call of a juvenile. We enticed Charlie tolead us to within 50 m (165 ft) of his chick and wesearched the entire area by hand. This was 400 m(1300 ft) from the "mate-feeding arena" where wehad been videotaping Charlie and his mate. Wefinally found Charlie's juvenile but only because helead us to the area where it was hidden. I was thenable to photograph this two week post-fledgejuvenile before it flew away and was never seenagain. However, due to its consistency in the area,over subsequent nights, we know the nest site wasvery close. Despite all of these amazing events anest of the Western Ground Parrot has not beenfound in nearly 100 years. That's onemystery that still awaits us.


The ultimate reward – following “Charlie’s” every move, Brent Barrett, Francesca Cunninghame (pictured on page 4) and2 others have another stroke of luck. They locate his chick which is just two weeks post-fledging. After this photograph wastaken, the chick flew into cover and they remain the only people who have ever seen a juvenile of this species.

To see video of the Western Ground Parrot visit: www.youtube.com/parrotsdotorg


P.E.T PagesP.E.T Pages

This issue's contributor EB Cravens

has bred, trained, raised, kept and

rehabilitated more than 75 species

of psittacines during the past twenty

plus years. His emphasis on natural

environments for birds, the urging

of babies to fully fledge during the

extended weaning process, and the

leaving of chicks for many weeks

inside the nest box with their

parents in order that they may learn

the many intangibles of their

species, have succeeded in changing

for the better the lives of so many

captive parrots. He has written

extensively for magazines all over

the world and on the internet.

For more advice from parrot experts

visit www.parrots.org > Forums,

Experts & Bloggers

Perhaps no other avicultural issue in recent years has stirred such controversy andemotional debate as the sale of not-yet-weaned psittacine chicks by breeders and birdshops - and for good reason!

When undertaken irresponsibly, the transfer of a helpless young parrot in the midst ofits hand-feeding phase can result in a host of serious problems. Insufficient orimbalanced nutrition can cause stunting, poor feathering, skeletal deformity, vitaminexcess or lack, even kidney and liver damage. Unclean habits or exposure to foreignmicrobes may bring on disease, fungal infection, sour crop, etc.; while improperfeeding technique can result in burnt crop or food aspirated into lungs.

IN ADDITION, incalculable emotional stress andbehavioral abnormalities are sometimes broughton by neglect, frequent hunger, and hand-feeding routines which ignore basic principles ofnurturing.

Psittacine chicks are extremely hardy. Theirpower of endurance and will to survive areobvious to anyone who has hand-raised even afew chicks. But, by the same token, it is apparentin the avicultural world that some inexperiencedor neglectful hand-feeders make a practice ofdoing only enough in their role as surrogatemothers to keep the chicks alive and growing.They neither excel nor flourish, and of course,never reach maximum healthy pet potential.

Breeders, bird brokers and retail shops that makea habit of selling unweaned parrots to suchinexperienced hand-feeders are actingirresponsibly. In some cases, the end result maybe death. With the tools, techniques and

to wean

knowledge available in psittaculture this day andage, the loss of any healthy chick due to faultyhandling by an unpracticed new owner trying tocope with the intricacies of hand-feeding, is asad failure.

Blame rests both with the insensitive seller ofthe bird, and the foolish-minded buyer! Is it anywonder so many veterinarians, parrotbehaviorists, and conscientious bird breeders arenow going on record with the hard line stand:"No more selling of unweaned parrots?"

'Tis interesting to consider just exactly what themotives are behind selling an unweaned chick...

One of the most common motives is haste.Various hand-feeders' round-the-clock workloadis tremendous with so many chicks in thenursery and on the way. Stress and the burdenof too many psittacines at a facility nearlyalways results in forfeiture of advanced natural

or not towean

Hand feeding is a complicated process involving changes in chick privacy, formula, schedule and flight environment.


parrot-keeping methodologies. Quality of lifefor breeding pairs suffers, while the emotionalneeds of fledglings are imperfectly fulfilled.

A second reason for the desire to sellunweaned psittacines is, of course, money.Aviculturists are hesitant to keep the neonatesaround for weeks at a time, when someoneelse is willing to do the work.

Thirdly, parrot chicks not yet self-feeding arebought and sold in the U.S. because that iswhat certain customers think they want. Thisis a fallacy promoted by some parrot sellers.They try to convince customers that unweanedchicks will "bond" better and be friendlier thanweaned birds. In fact, already weaned andfledged psittacines, when properly raised, aremuch less trouble and much better adjustedwhen they move to the new home.

FOR MANY YEARS I CHOSE TO SELL some ofmy eight and ten week old hand-feeding chicksto the reputable exotic bird store where Iworked as manager for seven years. The owneris a more experienced hand-feeder than I, whohas raised to weaning hundreds of hookbillpets, of dozens of species. I trusted FeatheredFriends of Santa Fe and knew my chickswould get premium care there. But, I nolonger do this as I now believe that parrots aremore confident and well-rounded if they growup the first 16 weeks or more at our aviariesaround the parents who hatched them.

CERTAIN AVICULTURISTS prefer to wholesale alltheir young chicks to "brokers" who areexperienced at handfeeding and weaningparrots before reselling them. Once again,when all parties involved are responsible, thereshould be no reason for a chick to be inphysical danger. However, think about when achick is moved from its dark secure nestingbox to the breeder's nursery, on to a broker forhandfeeding, then to a pet store for sale andfinally to the new owner's household. This isfive major changes in its life, all in the span offour or five months. Not only is this difficultfor the parrot to assimilate, but if not doneflawlessly at each step, it can leave lastingemotional trauma on a chick. Stable childhoodis a critical ingredient in making a contentedpsittacine pet!

It is not unusual to see single dark "stress bars"on a bird's plumage marking the exact progressof pinfeather eruption when abruptenvironmental change took place. If a chickmust be transferred, extra care, love andnurturing are essential. Hatch and nursery filesand all up-to-date information on the psittacineshould be included with the transfer, along witha supply of the exact formula being handfed atthe time. Moving a helpless chick to a new"habitat" is risk enough without the new ownerimmediately making a switch in food.

FINALLY, THERE ARE THOSE CASES when non-professional hand-feeders - that is, inexperiencedpet store personnel or a novice pet owner -purchase an unweaned chick. This is where 95%of serious problems arise. In many instances thenew owner is simply unfamiliar with the speciesbeing purchased. For example, all too manyaspiring aviculturists seem to think if they havehandfed a cockatiel or lovebird in the past, thenthey have the know-how to properly raise andwean an amazon parrot or African Grey. Not so,and believe me, one neonate amazon or conureis not the same as all the others. There are early-wean chicks and late-wean chicks and reluctantfeeding chicks and chicks with no feedingmotion whatsoever. There are those that arealways too warm or fidgety, and those that areafraid of the light and those that simply will notstay put in their holding basket in betweenfeeds…

THE KEY HERE IS KNOWLEDGE. And not justreading knowledge, but hands-on practice.

If there are those of you out there who arecontemplating raising a medium to largeunweaned psittacine of a kind you have neverworked with before, seek out and get aid fromexperienced handfeeders who have raised thatsame species many times. Ask questions, talknutrition, note weaning time periods andbehaviors, and learn, learn, learn.

By the way, some lethal diseases such as polyomavirus are serious nursery pathogens much morelikely to take the life of an unweaned chick.Waiting as long as possible to acquire your newpet while regularly visiting with it as it is beingweaned, is to a customer's advantage.

THE BREEDER OR SHOP that chooses to sell anunweaned parrot has far greater responsibility.Such sellers must know when to say "absolutelynot" to the transfer of an unweaned chick intoan inappropriate handfeeding situation. A newowner with a fulltime job who plans to take thechick back and forth to work could be one suchcase. An owner that has not yet purchased a cageis another.

Many other undesirable situations can be createdby the sale of unweaned chicks. For example,since many breeders discount birds soldunweaned, a purchaser may merely wish to get a

The interspecies socialization chicks receive at a professional site can be invaluable to later pet homes.


parrot at a cheaper price. Such a monetarymotive is suspect when considered in the light ofthe amount of time and commitment needed tohand-feed a parrot to full weaning.

Another situation I've seen is when a couplemust share handfeeding duties, but one individualis "beak shy" of a parrot's bite. This situationoccurs most often with large macaws that pumpvery strongly at formula implements.

A DESIRE TO BOND TIGHTLY with one's new pethookbill is frequently given as a reason for anowner to undertake handfeeding. This is anerroneous concept. Young psittacines are NOT

bonding when they attach themselves strongly tothe person holding the feeding syringe. This isnot a permanent emotional tie. Just as in thewild, a chick does not "bond" with itsmother/father. The quality and depth of theowner/psittacine friendship is determined afterweaning when the parrot pet begins personalityformation and thinking for itself. Bird dealerswho coerce unaware buyers into handfeedingwith this false ploy are to be avoided.

While my recommendations are clearly againstinexperienced owners taking on the job of hand-feeding, there is a time I consider ideal for themto step in. The early playful development phase(I call it the "puppy phase") is a joy for owners toexperience. This phase does not normally beginuntil some two weeks before expected weaning

and it continues right up through the fledgingphase. Ninety-nine percent of the unweanedpsittacine chicks sold through our shop backin Santa Fe were transferred to their newowners at this late phase. At that point, thebirds are 90% fully feathered, down to two-plus feedings per day from a warm bowl withthe fingers and are consuming nuts, seeds,veggies, pellets and other weaning foods. Beingoff the syringe, they are safe from aspirationand crop burn dangers. This phase is muchmore enjoyable and has the benefit of takingplace when the fledgling is flying around andcan come to you and the familiar food dish oncommand. This is the ideal time at which anew owner may begin feeding duties of thepet.

On a side note it is important to mention thatwherever a parrot is weaned should provideenough space for that bird to complete its fullflight training. Weaning goes hand in handwith proper fledging. Young psittacines needlots of enclosed room to develop propermusculature and advanced flying skills.

WHEN WE PREPARE TO SEND A BIRD HOME, weinstruct buyers to visit their new chickregularly for ten days to get it used to theirvoice and touch. The two weeks prior todeparture, owners arrive at afternoon feedingtime, and are given instruction and practice infeeding their chick warm mush with their

fingers. Any difficulties are ironed out before thebird leaves the shop!

When the psittacine is finally picked up, a list ofcare considerations, weaning foods, sterility andsafety concerns, etc. is reviewed and given thenew owner. Full contact information is sharedalong with instructions to call and report in after24 hours. The chick is brought back in for aprogress visit after 3 days. Weaning can be aparticularly difficult time. On several occasionswe had chicks brought back to us after 48 hoursbecause they were not eating well enough in theirnew environment.

So, it can be seen that the selling of an unweanedparrot does not absolve the seller ofresponsibility concerning the living creature.Once this is understood, and with strongcooperation between seller and new owner, sucha transfer can be successfully accomplished onlyat the end of the hand feeding phase.

But as already mentioned, as a pet parrot buyer,there is really no great advantage to taking thebird home early. Visit it often and leave theweaning to the professionals who have beenraising the chick for weeks. Stability and patienceare the key to producing the finest of new pets.

You will not be disappointed with the outcome.

With aloha, EB

Why would a pet buyer want to take a chick home early? So much learning comes from being with its brothers and sisters.


COMING AROUND A BEND IN THE RIVER I hear a bird call that I instantlyrecognize as a parrot but it still feels slightly unfamiliar to me. I askmy field assistants to paddle the canoe to the nearest river bank so Ican get a visual. The bird I hear must be a chick as it is callingrepeatedly in a grating manner, no doubt begging for a meal. Finally Isee them, a group of three Blue-headed Macaws (Primolius couloni)leaving a riverside perch for another further downstream. Sureenough, it is an adult pair with a single chick in tow, flying slightlybehind its parents, still calling incessantly. This is the first good lookI've gotten of the species almost a week into a survey I'm carryingout in the Ucayali region of the Peruvian Amazon. It's an extremelyrewarding experience for me as the Blue-headed Macaw was the soleremaining macaw species I'd yet to see in the wild.

In search ofthe most mysterious macawBy Toa Kyle

HEY ARE PERCHED IN A TALL TREE on the border of a small abandoned agriculture plot, called chakras in Peru. The vegetation in

the plot is extremely tangled and overgrown. Ittakes what feels like an eternity to cut my waythrough to get closer to the birds. Luckily they'restill nearby. I hide behind a large tree to observethem for several minutes. Blue-headed Macawsare the least studied species of macaw which addsto the rush of watching them this close.Unfortunately I get greedy and try to take somephotos. One of the birds spots me and theyquickly fly off into the forest away from the river.Part of me is tempted to keep following thembut I'm doing survey work which dictates that Ireturn to the boat and continue downstream insearch of other Blue-heads. The nature of thework requires that I cover as much ground aspossible in a confined period of time. Stoppingto explore is rarely an option.

CONCERN FOR THE STATUS of the Blue-headedMacaw in the wild has been gathering momentumin recent years for several reasons. Rare in theaviculture community, birds fetch thousands ofdollars in Europe and North America. Given thatthe per capita income in Peru is only US$7,600,there are obvious motives for the intensivetrapping of the species. Compared to thedistribution of most other macaw species,Blue-headed Macaws are restricted to a relativelysmall area in the south-western Amazon,

principally the south-central Peruvian Amazonwith additional records in neighbouring areas ofBrazil and Bolivia (see map). We have alreadywitnessed other macaw species with restricteddistributions such as Glaucous Macaw(Anodorhynchus glaucus) and Spix's Macaw(Cyanopsitta spixii) go extinct in the wild so theBlue-headed Macaw merits our attention.Also, surprisingly little is known of thenatural history, habitat requirements andpopulation size of this species, so there isan urgent need to conduct surveysthroughout the entire range of the speciesto better understand its conservationstatus in the wild.

It may seem curious that in the 21stcentury we still don't know what thesebirds feed on and an active nest for thespecies has yet to be described.Considering where they are found thisshould not come as a surprise. Thisparticular region of the Amazon containssome of last truly wild forests on the

planet. There are still tribes of uncontactedindigenous peoples in parts of the Blue-headedMacaw's range and human population densitiesare relatively low. This past May manyinternational news agencies featured a story ofphotos taken by small plane of members of anuncontacted tribe in western Acre, Brazil, well

T

The Blue-headed Macaw (above right) occurs ineastern Peru, extreme western Brazil, and

northwestern Bolivia. The least studied of allmacaws; its population is thought to be decliningthough estimates are difficult due to low density

and extremely remote habitat.


within the distributional range of Blue-heads.Given the remote nature of much of this region,conducting research is both logisticallychallenging and expensive. Another possibleexplanation for the paucity of information onthis species may simply be due to its rarity in thewild. There is an ongoing debate concerninghow many Blue-headed Macaws exist in the wild.Some researchers argue that due to large areas ofintact habitat within the species range there maybe up to 50,000 birds in the wild. Others take amore cautious approach pointing to the scantnumber of published records for the species asbeing indicative of a much smaller population,possibly less than 3,000 mature individuals. Dowe know so little about Blue-heads because thereare so few of them or because where they reside

is difficult to access? Questions such as this canonly be answered by putting people in the fieldwhere Blue-headed Macaws are thought to exist.With this in mind I set out for the Ucayali Riverlast fall in search of these poorly known birds.This fieldwork was supported by the WorldParrot Trust and Natural EncountersConservation Fund.

I CHOSE THE UCAYALI for several reasons.Although it is situated in the central portion ofthe range for the Blue-headed Macaw it hasreceived relatively little attention from biologists.Most of the information we have about Blue-heads comes from the Madre de Dios region ofsouth-eastern Peru, famous for its large macawlicks and pristine nature. By contrast, the capital

of the department of Ucayali- Pucallpa - is connected tothe Pacific coast via a pavedhighway making it the mainlogging center in Peru. UnlikeMadre de Dios, Ucayali has

relatively few protected areas which provides anopportunity to observe how Blue-heads fare inforests that are experiencing varying levels ofanthropogenic disturbance.

The Ucayali River is one of the main tributariesof the Amazon River that originates in Peru.The river is simply too wide to conduct macawsurveys from and roads are virtually nonexistent.I rented motorized canoes from locals tonavigate smaller tributaries. These long woodencanoes are called peke-pekes in Peru in tributeto the loud noise they make. The motor forpeke-pekes is much better on gas than anoutboard motor but comes at the cost of theassault on your eardrums. I quickly learned thatin order to adequately survey areas with thistype of boat I needed to turn the motor offand move downstream by paddle. I wasaccompanied by a driver and a puntero or"pointer" who would occupy the bow of theboat to watch for sand bars or submergedtrunks of fallen trees. On numerous occasionswe'd hit stretches of low water and need to getout and push the boat along while wadingthrough the river. When rivers were notnavigable I'd conduct land based surveys,walking along trails utilized by hunters. Theseare some of the most biodiverse forests on earthso I was always rewarded with observations ofsome spectacularly coloured insect or bird I'dnever seen before during these walks.

A peke-peke is a motorized canoeused to survey remote rivers forBlue-headed Macaw. An indigenousAsháninka youth serves as the“puntero” – using a long pole toavoid obstructions. Toting your owngasoline is essential in surveyingisolated areas where none isavailable for sale.

Photo: © Luiz Claudio Marigo

Photo: © Toa Kyle


HE FIRST TRIBUTARY OF THE UCAYALI

I visited is inhabited exclusively by communities of Asháninka Indians. This

surprised me at first as I'm not used to being incontact with indigenous people when I'mconducting field work elsewhere. In Brazil, forexample, most indigenous people live onreserves which are closed to outsiders, especiallyforeign researchers. This isn't the case in Peruwhere native communities are for the mostpart left to fend for themselves. Most of theAsháninka communities had their ownpeke-pekes but very few had gasoline to runthem. When our canoe was travelling upstreamby motor, people would come running out oftheir houses to get a look at the lucky peoplewith gas. Needless to say they were surprised to

see me seated in the middle of the boat staringout of binoculars. Some of them were dressedtraditionally and had red achiote dye on theirfaces making them just as fascinating to me as Iwas to them. Large parts of the Blue-headedMacaw's range are inhabited by indigenouspeoples therefore providing a unique opportunityto collaborate on conservation activities. Likemacaws, these people are still dependent on thesurrounding forest for their sustenance and havea vested interest in its preservation. I have alwaysadmired the keen senses these people possess inthe wild. My Asháninka assistants were initiallyunfamiliar with the call of the Blue-headedMacaw but quickly learned it and would oftendetect birds before I did during the survey.Although I initially came to this region in searchof a poorly known bird, on my departure I alsofound myself concerned with the future of themany indigenous communities I visited in light ofthe threat posed by encroaching loggers, minersand petroleum surveyors.

I VISITED A CLAY LICK near the first tributary Isurveyed one morning and was disappointed tosee nets placed over it. Large numbers of parrotsassembled above it in the early morning hoursbut luckily no birds descended to ground level tofeed at the lick. My guide said that members ofanother community had placed the nets there to

catch birds to eat. Unfortunately they'd eitherforgotten or neglected to remove the netsmeaning that any birds that did become entangledwould eventually die there. Most of the licks Iwas told about during the course of the surveywere being exploited either for trapping orhunting. There is an urgent need to better protectbirds and mammals that frequent clay licks inPeru though admittedly implementing thisprotection would be difficult. In Madre de Diostourism has been used successfully to protectlicks. Unfortunately, in Ucayali ecotourism isvirtually unknown.

As I got closer to Pucallpa there were fewerindigenous settlements along the tributaries ofthe Ucayali, instead they were populated bymestizos (mixed European-Native blood) andlogging operations. On the whole, Blue-headswere absent or viewed infrequently in thesetypes of areas relative to those with minimallogging. In fact, overall parrot diversity waspredictably lower in areas being actively logged.Of the five areas surveyed, three had Blue-headedMacaws though at one site birds were observedonly once over the course of four days.

There are an estimated 25,000 to45,000 Asháninka Indians remaining,

mostly in Peru. The largest indigenousgroup in the Peruvian Amazon, they

are predominantly an agriculturalsociety, growing manioc, plantains and

papaya. Traditionally the Asháninka,men, women and children paint their

faces using the bright red crushedseeds of the Achiote fruits.

(L) Wild caught animals, mostly parrots, are sold in anopen market in Pucallpa, the capital of Ucayalidepartment. Although the sale of wildlife is technicallyillegal in Peru there appears to be little enforcementof this law. (R) A net on a clay lick is evidence of hunting andtrapping at these wildlife gathering spots.

T

Photo: © Toa KylePhoto: © Toa Kyle

Photo: © Toa Kyle


Photo: © Sam Williams

BY FAR THE BEST AREA for Blue-heads I visited wasin the Purus region. Only 4,000 people live in thisextensively forested area, most of whom areindigenous people belonging to eight differentlinguistic groups. Located in the southeast cornerof the department of Ucayali near the Brazilianborder, Purus was also the most logisticallydifficult area to survey. All of the rivers here floweast towards Brazil and Bolivia and thereforeisolate the region from the Ucayali River whichflows north towards Pucallpa. Residents arealmost totally dependent on infrequent cargoflights from Pucallpa to bring in food andsupplies. Gasoline was selling for US$15/litre(US$60/gallon) when I was there. Anticipatingthis I purchased all my gasoline in Pucallpa to beflown in to Purus after my arrival. While I waitedI hitched rides with traders who would travelupriver to trade goods with native communitiesin exchange for plantains and yucca. I was able to

The Golden-collared Macaw(P.auricollis, left) and Blue-wingedor Illigers Macaw (P. maracana,right) are the two other macawsin the Primolius genus. They arepredominantly green, smallermacaws that replace one anothergeographically in central S.America. P. couloni has thesmallest range of the three.

see Blue-heads on a daily basis during these trips,usually in small family units of two to five birds.Purus is apparently rich in mahogany trees so tobetter protect this rapidly disappearing hardwoodspecies, the Peruvian government had recentlyimplemented a ten year moratorium on alllogging activities in the region. Bad news for thefrequency of cargo flights carrying supplies toresidents (and carrying timber back to Pucallpa)but good news for the forest and the Blue-headedMacaw found there.

ALTHOUGH PRELIMINARY, MY STUDY SUGGESTS

an extremely local distribution of Blue-headedMacaws in the Ucayali region though the reasonsbehind this are likely more complicated thansimply the presence or absence of loggingpressures. As often happens with research, Ifound myself with more questions about thesebirds at the end of the study than at the beginning.Though I was able to identify areas with smallpopulations of Blue-headed Macaw, I still failedto collect important data on food resources andhabitat preferences. It is a future goal for WPTto assist in implementing studies into the basicecology of these birds to better understand why

they are found in some areas and absent fromothers. Ideally more surveys can be carried outin other areas of the species distribution,notably western Acre in Brazil andnorthwestern Bolivia.

Although some of the forests where Blue-headedMacaws are distributed remain intact, theirfuture is deeply uncertain. In recent years theBrazilian government has attempted to curtailillegal logging operations in the Amazon whichis good news for birds found on that side ofthe border. However, such a policy will likelycreate a greater demand for timber fromneighbouring forests in Peru and Boliviawhere environment protection agencies areunderstaffed or even nonexistent. In addition,the first highway to connect Brazil to thePeruvian coast, via Acre and Madre de Dios(the Transoceanica Highway), is nearly completewhich, coupled with increasing gas explorationin the Peruvian Amazon, will undoubtedlyadd to a decline in available habitat for thesebirds. It is important that we intensify ourefforts to better understand theconservation requirements of theseenigmatic parrots.

(L) The campsites used while surveying macaws consist ofsimple palm leaf shelters constructed on sandbars. (R) Logging is active on many of the tributaries beingsurveyed. With no heavy machinery, most logs are floateddownstream to the Ucayali River then by barge to sawmillsin Pucallpa. Many don’t make it downstream and end upcollecting in big piles.

Photo: © Toa Kyle

Photo: © Toa Kyle Photo: © Toa Kyle

Update from Felix Lankester, Limbe Wildlife Center (LWC)

More Greys Released...More Greys Released...

Two "notorious" parrot capturers, Roger Atangana and Ignace Onana were recently arrested and detainedpending trial, for illegally trapping African Grey Parrots. The duo is responsible for the capture of over5,000 parrots each year in Lobeke National Park and its buffer zone, in the East Province. Their arrestswere orchestrated by local forest and wildlife authorities, in collaboration with the gendarmerie, facilitatedby WWF.

Atangana was arrested in his house after a scuffle which resulted in his being shot in the arm. Onana wasarrested while attempting to capture parrots in a forest clearing inside

Back in December 2007 we rescued 1,220 illegally trapped African Grey parrots. Approximately 700 birdswere released almost immediately. The remainder of the parrots had damaged feathers from the glue thatwas used to catch them or from being purposefully cut by the hunters. Each of these injured parrots wastreated in January 2008 with the help of a veterinary team from the World Parrot Trust, and they havebeen recuperating ever since. Now, four months later, some of these parrots have shown, through theirability to fly strongly in the flight cage, that their plumage has recovered enough to begin the final releasephase.

However, these will be different from the previous releases, as, rather than taking the selected birds to anearby forest to be set free, we have decided to simply open their flight cage and allow them to fly off intheir own time. The decision to opt for this LWC-based "soft-release" strategy was taken after we sawhow well a few parrots who had escaped from the flight cage were doing living free. On Sunday 18th May,the roof of one of the flight cages was peeled back and the first batch of 12 recovered parrots werefreed. The sight of a flock of parrots flying strongly through the trees of the LWC is a truly wonderfulsight, all the more so when one considers the absolutely appalling conditions in which they arrived 6months ago.

...For the full story

see PsittaScene

February & May 08

and parrots.org >

current projects >

African Grey

By Fidelis Pegue Manga excerpted from The Post (Buea 12 May 2008)

Lobeke (right). They have been operating in complicity for over 10years. So far this year they are suspected to have slaughtered some1,000 parrots, exporting the heads and tails for alleged medicinalpurposes, according to wildlife authorities.

Eighty percent of parrots exported from Cameroon are captured inLobeke which harbours a significant population of Grey Parrots.About 15,000 birds are taken out of the region every year, thoughalmost half of this number perishes in transit due to poor handling.

Capturers mostly transport the birds in the night to avoid thenumerous law enforcement control posts. The African Grey Parrotis a Class A (totally protected) species in Cameroon and can only becaptured upon obtaining a special authorization from the Ministryof Forest and Wildlife.


The Battle Continues

Formerly widespread over equatorial Africa, the Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is now threatenedthroughout much of its natural range and is disappearing from many countries. Wild populationsare in decline due to poaching, capturing for the domestic and international pet trade, habitatdestruction, and from land use resource conflicts. WPT's SAVE THE GREYS FUND has beenlaunched to help these charismatic and popular beautiful parrots to survive. The fund's objectivesare to protect wild Greys by:

Ending the trade in all wild caught African parrotsParrot populations across Africa have suffered continued losses for decades due to capture for thepet trade. One of the hardest hit species is the Grey Parrot. During the period of 1994-2003, over359,000 wild-caught individuals were reportedly exported from range states and have most recentlysuffered from trade for traditional medicines. Our efforts will continue to encourage regionalgovernments and local NGOs to endorse trade bans, support efforts to capture poachers, and toenforce wildlife laws.

Aiding rehabilitation and release efforts for confiscated birdsWhen local efforts succeed in stopping illegal wildlife trade confiscated birds are often left in needof housing and rehabilitation before they can be reintroduced to the wild. With over 20 years ofexperience, we at the WPT are uniquely positioned to provide veterinary assistance and advice onappropriate care to aid these birds.

Encouraging sustainable alternatives to parrot trappingThe trade in wild caught parrots continues due to high demand. This trade creates an income forindividuals and local communities, which benefit from the trade. When enforcement effortssucceed in halting the trade, alternative sources of income must be sought for these communitiesto permanently alter their reliance on income from the parrot trade. We will work to help findsustainable alternative sources of income that help protect parrots.

Re-establishing wild populations in suitable areas of their former rangeGrey Parrot population declines have been noted in many Africa countries. Although suitable andprotected habitat may remain in national parks and reserves often no birds remain. We will workwith local governments and NGOs to re-introduce recently confiscated parrots into former rangeareas to re-establish the species in suitable and protected environments.

Raising awareness for the plight of wild Grey parrotsWe will continue our efforts to educate in local communities and by increasing internationalattention to the plight of these parrots.

WPT Launches African Grey FundWPT Launches African Grey Fund


Your support and caring are crucial toour efforts to save African Greys. Wehave already made an impact in therescue and rehabilitation of 1200confiscated Greys in Cameroon. Pleasehelp us to continue this important work- find out what you can do to help!

We need your help

Imperiled species gets a helping hand

...to learn more

please visit

www.parrots.org /

savethegreys or

contact us directly

at our UK or US

office

www.parrots.org/savethegreys

Photo: © Diana May

T


Amazons left in Belize. This is where I workedfor two weeks in December 2006. The goal ofthis initiative was to learn about the Yellow-headed Amazon so that I could create educationalmaterials for the rangers to distribute on theperiphery of the RBCMA. This project wasfunded by the McMaster School for AdvancingHumanity at Defiance College, in Ohio, USA.

Ivan and I returned to the savannah a few dayslater and walked until we came to a tree that wascompletely cut down. Last season, during nestmonitoring, Ivan recorded three healthy chicks ina cavity in this tree before stopping his survey forthe night. When he returned the next morning,the tree had been cut and the chicks were gone.Worse than losing the brood was the loss of thisfairly new nesting tree.

Traveling through the rainforest of Belize onunmarked roads so rutted our heads hit theceiling of our vehicle, we made our way to thepine savannah only getting stuck in the mudtwice. I was part of a team of students andprofessors in search of the endangered Yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix). Accompaniedby Ivan Gillett, the "Programme for Belize"ranger in charge of the recovery program for theYellow-headed Amazon, we trekked thesavannah in search of potential nesting sitesamong the Caribbean pine trees. Ivan explainedsome of the problems he faces trying to savethis parrot from extinction. We came to a treethat had been cut open with a machete leaving agaping hole two feet below the nesting cavityentrance. Ivan explained, "This hole was made tograb chicks, pulling them out from the bottomof the nest. If they [the poachers] try to reachinto the cavity they risk getting bit." A 2nd holewas evidence that this tree had been poachedtwice. "Yellow-headed Amazons will start at thetop of the Caribbean pine tree and work theirway down as each nest becomes unusable," Ivanexplained. Poaching has largely contributed tothe decline of the Yellow-headed Amazons'population. Yellow-headed Amazons are verypopular in the pet trade because they can learnto mimic human voices very quickly. The pinesavannah in the Rio Bravo Conservation andManagement Area (RBCMA) is home to theonly viable population of Yellow-headed

L e a v i n g W i l d to Save a SpeciesBy Kaitlin Studer

Photo: © bowles/erickson www.amazornia.us

Caribbean pines (above) in Belize bear the scars from poachers seeking Yellow-headed Amazons (top). Kaitlin Studer, here withproject leader Ivan Gillett, wrote a children’s book to help raise awareness and local pride in order to protect the amazon.

Poaching is not the only problem impacting theYellow-headed Amazon. In some areas of Belizethe parrot is being killed because local peopleconsider it a pest. Yellow-headed Amazons eatthe fruit from cashew trees, impacting a sourceof income for many Belizeans. The parrots'population is also threatened by habitatdestruction as a result of frequent fires. Pinesavannah ecosystems benefit from infrequentnatural burns. Repeated burning damages someCaribbean pine trees and also destroys manyYellow-headed Amazon nests. Last year when thePine Savanna in the Rio Bravo was burned toallow for easier hunting, over 15 Yellow-headedAmazons' nests were destroyed.

During our conversations Ivan also mentionedthat poachers sometimes bring children along

Photo: © Kaitlin StuderPhoto: © Robin KratzerPhoto: © Kaitlin Studer


Kaitlin Studer is a senior biology major at DefianceCollege in Ohio, USA. For more information abouther book Leaving Wild or her Belize initiative pleasecontact her at [email protected]

because they can reach into the nesting cavitieseasier than adults. That was a pivotal momentfor me and the moment I knew I needed towrite a children's book. I wanted to focus onthe importance of protecting endangeredspecies and specifically to inspire children toleave Yellow-headed Amazons wild. That nightI lay awake crafting the words in my head thatwould convince young readers to move awayfrom a practice that they had grown up aroundand move toward protection of the parrots.Finally I got up and began jotting down notesso that I could remember the details of Ivan'saccount as the foundation for the book.

I started to write the book the day I returnedfrom Belize, even though it was two daysbefore Christmas. I was driven. The sectionabout the poachers was difficult to compile. Ihad to be sensitive to the possibility that myreaders may have family members who are, infact, poachers. I didn't want to alienate myreaders, but I still wanted the text to beinformative, truthful, and powerful. I began tocontemplate a title that would clearly articulatethe challenge that the book was posing to thereaders. The goal of the book was to inspirereaders to leave wild animals wild, thus the title- Leaving Wild. As the book was being editedand printed I found myself thinking about whatelse I could do to educate the Belizean childrenabout their environment. I knew I needed toget them interested and excited about their ownbackyard ecosystem, and what lives in it. Iknew that engaging people with theirenvironment would lead to an increasedappreciation for the parrots and thus reducepoaching. It was at that point that I decided toearmark the proceeds from the sale of my bookLeaving Wild in the U.S. to create field packs forbird watching. Each field pack would containbinoculars, a field guide to Central Americanbirds, and a water proof notebook.

When we arrived at the research station thefollowing year (December 2007) I was nervousand eager for Ivan to see Leaving Wild. He wasvery pleased with the book and happy thatthere were enough copies for all of the childrenin the schools we were going to visit. We

distributed field packs and books and I was ableto talk to the children in the schools about theparrot and explain to the teachers how to use thefield packs and how to incorporate them in theirclasses. In addition, I created a Yellow-headedAmazon awareness poster which we displayed inpublic areas on the periphery of the parrot'shabitat. During that trip I also conductedresearch on the biodiversity of different land useareas to provide information that could be usedby the rangers of the Rio Bravo to convincepeople to reduce the practice of slash and burnon the periphery of the rainforest.

One evening Ivan and I went out with the rest ofthe team of Defiance College students andprofessors to see the parrots fly in for the night.Ivan wanted me to talk to the group about theproblems the parrots face. I showed them howto look for potential nesting sites and challengedthem to find a viable nesting site for the Yellow-headed Amazon. They pointed to the largeCaribbean pine tree nearby. As we walked up toit I recognized it as the poached tree Ivan hadshowed me the year before. As we walkedaround the tree I explained that the large holeswere not made by the parrots but rather bypoachers in order to steal chicks from their nest.Their facial expressions were exactly like minewas when I first saw the tree - devastated andalmost in a state of disbelief. Several of thestudents talked to me that night about poaching.They said they had no idea that this was such ahuge problem. Seeing for themselves they gainedan appreciation for my passion to spread theword and educate people about this seriousproblem.

The Yellow-headed Amazons' population willnot increase, nor will that of any otherendangered species, if people are not educated.It only takes one person to make a difference soplease help to spread the word to save a speciesfrom extinction. And as my children's book ends,

Photo: © Mary Ann Studer

Photo: © Pam Gibson

Every child in three different schools received acopy of Kaitlin’s bilingual book Leaving Wild. Fieldpacks with birding supplies and awareness posterswere also distributed.

“That was a pivotal moment for me and the moment I knew I needed to write a children's book”

“Always Remember to Leave Wild”

Photo: © Robin Diers


PsittaNewsPsittaNews

ParroteventsParrot Behaviour, Training andEnrichment Workshop, 13th & 14thSeptember 2008 - Hayle, CornwallFeedback from previous Workshop:I have just returned from attending the firstcourse for parrot owners run by the WorldParrot Trust and Paradise Park WildlifeSanctuary, and I would like to recommend it toother readers. The 2-day course covered fourmain topics:

1 - Interpreting avian body language2 - Positive reinforcement techniques3 - Problem behaviours4 - Environmental Enrichment

The course was 'workshop' in style, withclassroom presentations - discussion of videocase histories and some 'hands-on' with thebeautiful residents of Paradise Park. The staffwere very welcoming and helpful. I came awaywith many new ideas and many old assumptionschallenged.

I would recommend this course to anyone whois serious about giving their parrot the bestpossible quality of life." KKKKeeeerrrrrrrryyyy WWWWiiiillllkkkkiiiinnnnssssTo book your place for the upcoming trainingcontact Karen Whitley in our UK office or bookonline at www.parrots.org - tel 01736 751026email [email protected]

Parrotnews"Norwegian Blue" discoveredThe fictional dead Scandinavian parrot that anunhappy customer tried to return in a famousMonty Python TV sketch may have a 54-million-year-old real-life ancestor.

An ancient bird found on Denmark's Isle ofMors has already been nicknamed the "Danishblue" in honor of the fictional "Norwegian blue"parrot featured in the 1970s British comedy show.

The fossil-a large wing bone called the humerus-represents the oldest and most northerly remainsof a parrot ever discovered, the study authorssay. Parrot fossils are scarce, because their small,light bones tend to be destroyed before they canbecome fossilized.

The discovery suggests that parrots evolved inthe Northern Hemisphere before branching intowildly diverse species in the southern tropics.Today no wild parrots live in northern Europe,but the newfound Danish blue would have flownover a decidedly more lush and tropicalScandinavia-one that resembled the habitat ofmodern parrots.Source: Matt Kaplan for National Geographic News, May 23, 2008

Eclectus Parrots ReleasedIn February 2008, ProFauna Indonesia receiveda tip about six Eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus)being smuggled from Maluku to Sulawesiand.They advised the forestry department whichfoiled the trafficking attempt. Unfortunately, thegovernment officers did not arrest theperpetrator who claimed that the parrots weregifts, but did seize the birds.

ProFauna believes the man is a professionalsmuggler since he cruelly crammed the birdsinto water pipes. Eclectus parrots are protectedunder Wildlife protection law. Trade isprohibited and offenders will get a maximum of5-years in jail and Rp. 100 millions in fines.

With funding provided by ProFauna, thegovernment officers released the parrots in aforest in Maluku within a few days. ProFaunaalso assisted the officers in a four-day postrelease observation and continues to urgethe government to enforce the law in orderto curb the illegal trade and deter theperpetrators.Source: Profauna News - March 2008

Image: © David M Waterhouse

Surveysays

We invite you to participate in a short survey to help us find out moreabout our community.

3 Who are you and what matters to you most?

3 What kinds of communications do you find most useful from the World Parrot Trust?

Our goal is to create an active community devoted to saving parrots and that meets your needs forinformation, communication, and action. Your anonymous responses will go far to help us plan ouroutreach efforts for the coming year.

Enclosed in this issue of PsittaScene you will find a short survey. It will only take a few minutes tocomplete and return. Better yet, complete the survey online at www.parrots.org/survey.

Thanks in advance for your help and participation!

wpt

conta

cts

OnlineMain: parrots.org

Languages: Dutch, Finnish, German,Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and SwedishJapan: worldparrottrustjapan.org

Main - UK & WorldKaren Whitley, (Admin)Glanmor House, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 4HB UK.Tel: (44) 01736 751026Fax: (44) 01736 751028, [email protected]

USAGlenn Reynolds, PO Box 935, Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA.Tel/Fax: (1) 863 956 [email protected]

AfricaDave DennisonPo Box 32, Link Hills, Natal 3652, South Africa.Tel (27) 31 763 4054Fax (27) 31 763 [email protected]

AustraliaNicholas Bishop, c/o Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, PO Box 20, Mosman, NSW 2066, Australia.Tel: (61) 408 011 443 [email protected]

BeneluxRuud Vonk, Tel (31) 16 847 [email protected]

NetherlandsJacques Gardien, (Mem)Laan van Tolkien 51, 5663 RW Geldrop, The Netherlands. Tel: (31) 40 2850844,[email protected]

BelgiumRonald Coen, (Mem) Tel (32) 3 314 44 83 [email protected]

CanadaMichelle Kooistra, 4377 Gordon Drive, Kelowna, BC, V1W 1S7, Canada.Tel/Fax: (1) 250 766 [email protected]

ItalyCristiana Senni,C.P.15021, 00143 Roma, Italy. [email protected]

SpainGemma Cruz Benitez, C / Enrique Granados, 5 ch. 4, 28290 - Las Matas, Madrid, Spain. Tel: (34) 619 847 414 [email protected]

SwedenDan Paulsen, Talluddskviar 22 D, S-621 41 Visby,[email protected]


Toyko parrot rescues himselfPolice rescued an African grey parrot from aroof near Tokyo. After spending a night at thestation, he was transferred to a nearby veterinaryhospital while police searched for clues. He keptmum with the cops, but began chatting after afew days with the vet.

"I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," the bird told theveterinarian. The parrot also provided his fullhome address, down to the street number, andeven entertained the hospital staff by singingsongs. "We checked the address, and what doyou know, a Nakamura family really lived there.So we told them we've found Yosuke."

The Nakamura family told police they had beenteaching the bird its name and address for abouttwo years. But Yosuke apparently wasn't keen onopening up to police officials who said "I triedto be friendly and talked to him, but hecompletely ignored me."Source: http://www.foxnews.com

Kakapo on displayThousands of people from throughoutSouthland were oohing and aahing over sixgreen parrots at the weekend. Southlanders wereinvited to see the newest additions to NewZealand's small but increasing kakapopopulation. Only 91 Kakapo, including thechicks, remain.

The Department of Conservation offered apublic viewing of Kakapo and about 3000 tookthe opportunity to see the six parrots at theInvercargill Workingmen's Club yesterday.People waited in queues before being usheredinto a room with a glass-fronted enclosurefeaturing the six young Kakapo surrounded byferns, tree stumps and flax.Source: ttp://www.stuff.co.nz

ThankyouWe would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the following individuals and organizations for their supportduring the last few months when several parrot events took place to benefit the World Parrot Trust.

Living and Learning with Parrots (LLP)Distinguished behaviourist Dr. Susan Friedman hostedseveral dozen registered participants in an 8-weekonline training course focused on teaching theprincipals of parrot behaviour. Students are urged todonate a minimum of $50 to a worthy bird cause andthe World Parrot Trust was once again the recipient ofthis generosity. Funds raised exceeded US $2,000.

Future sessions of the LLP course are scheduled andinterested participants can learn more by visiting thewebsite - www.behaviorworks.org.

Phoenix Landing Foundation On May 10, 2008, this non-profit group, whichprovides educational programs on proper bird care,hosted a full-day event with guest Steve Martin ofNatural Encounters Inc. Proceeds from a silent auctionwere donated to the Trust and totaled US $1500.

Conference: Understanding BehaviourA successful conference held in Scarborough,Ontario, Canada. Forty-five participants fromten US states and 3 Canadian provinces tookpart in the highly interactive event, whichfeatured operant trainer Bob Bailey,behaviourist Dr. Susan Friedman, PhD, andpositive reinforcement trainer Phung Luu.The event, hosted by Pat and Lorne Phillips,also featured a raffle with proceeds beingdonated to the Trust. Funds raised totaledCDN $800.

ThePerchStore.net This online retailer of parrot products kindlydonated a percentage of all their sales toWPT for the months of April, May and June2008. Donation received totaled US $785.

Documents

PS 20 1 Feb 08 - World Parrot Trust · Blue-headed Macaws in Peru 14 African Grey update 15 New African Grey fund launched 16 Leaving Wild - to save a species Belizean Yellow-headed