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PROGRESS IN PARROTCO NS ERV ATI 0 N by Rosemary Low

"Parrots are important becausetheir beauty, character andadaptability have won them aspecial place in the hearts andminds Qfour species", wrote MikeReynolds. "Through this specialrelationship the parrots have theopportunity - not yet fully realised -to make people aware of theappalling speed at which so manywild and unspoiled places in theworld are being ruined. We see theparrots as ecological 'pathfinders',leading the way to a widerunderstanding of what is at risk:nothing less than the survival of ourplanet."

Mike Reynolds astute statementfocusses on the fact that parrotconservation is, in the long-term,also assisting the future of thehuman race. This might seem far-fetched - but ultimately the survivalof man and that of most parrotsdepends on the same thing - thepreservation of large tracts of forestand other undisturbed habitats

throughout the world. Destructionof forest affects rainfall, causingdrought and flooding, famine anddisease. Many such catastrophes ofrecent years originate fromdeforestation.

The Kea Parrot of New Zealand

(Nestor notabilis) and the AustralConure (Enicognathus ferrugineus)from southernmost Chile andsouthern Argentina are as familiarwith snowy landscapes as are ourcousins from Canada - but most ofthe 330 or so species of parrotswhich exist today are confined tothe tropics. Many of these inhabitrainforest and other types of habitatbut a very large number are

confined exclusively to rainforest.They cannot survive without it -and these, of course, are the mostvulnerable of all the threatened

species.During the past couple of years

biologists have estimated that 1,000of the world's 9,000bird species arethreatened with extinction. Theyalso believe that approximately 100species of parrots are similarlythreatened. Only a decade ago suchan estimate would have seemed

incredible. But a great deal hashappened in the intervening years.One of the factors which has led to

the decline of a number of specieshas been over-trapping for export tothe insatiable markets of the USA,Europe and Japan. Another has beendeforestation, especially in Braziland other South Americancountries, and on certain Indonesian

islands. On some islands of theCaribbean where parrots stillsurvive (some of the earliestextinctions were played out here)human population growth anddevelopment of the tourist industryhas disturbed and reduced parrothabitats. These catastrophes(together with the occasionalnatural one, such as HurricaneDavid which hit Dominica in 1979),have resulted in field studies on a

wide variety of parrot species beingcarried out during the past decade.Twenty years ago we were ignorantof some of the most basic aspects ofthe natural history of parrots,except regarding some Australianspecies which are easy to study intheir natural habitat.

In the neotropics (South andCentral America) and in most partsof Indonesia and New Guinea, one

needs more than ornithologicalskills to observe most parrotspecies at their nests, or when theyare feeding. One needs no smallmeasure of the stamina of the fabledexplorers of the past, combinedwith the climbing skills of a Sherpa.Many parrots nest at heights of 50ftor more, in locations where floodedforest, snakes, trees protected bygiant thorns and unfriendly (evenhead-hunting) natives are likely tobe encountered before nests can belocated. One of the reasons whyfield work has become not onlypossible but urgent, is that formerlyinaccessible areas have been

opened up by logging. In some areasof New Guinea, for example, teamsof biologists work literally a few feetin front of the bulldozers recordingfor the first and last time in historythe flora and fauna that exist there

Conservationist Bill Oddie meets a friendly aviary-bred Kea at Paradise Park, UK Photo: Nick Reynolds

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PuertoRicanAmazonat Luquillobreedingcentre.

and which, in only a few days hence,will be obliterated forever. Forestsand their inhabitants which have

taken millions of years to evolve, arewiped out in minutes to satisfyworld-wide demands for hardwoodsor other commodities.

There are now so many man-made pressures on countlessspecies of fauna, that man has toreverse his destructive role. To savesome of the most important parrotspecies, he has to work hard andfast. Parrot conservation is in its

infancy; there is no time toexperiment - the plight of manyspecies is too urgent. Conservationbiologists must learn fast. They willhave to try to take, as best they canand where appropriate, what hasbeen learned from one species andapply it to another.

In this article I will describe

some of the steps which have beentaken so far, steps which hopefullywill lead to the path of survival,despite mistakes whidl have beenmade. Manipulative managementhas been necessary in the case ofspecies on the verge of extinction.Perhaps in some cases it has notbeen manipulative enough. For toolong a soft approach was adoptedwhen a more positive approachwould have yielded better results.The first parrot to whichmanipulative management wasapplied was the Puerto RicanAmazon(Amazona vittata). Once itinhabited the entire island and wasfound in great flocks. However, by1835one third of the forest hadbeen destroyed. Between 1850and1900the human population onPuerto Rico had doubled to one

million, and three-quarters of theisland had been cleared for

agricultural use. By 1912less than1% of virgin forest survived. By 1940

Little Lorikeet at its nest. Photo: John Courtney.

the only habitat available to thissmall Amazon was the mountainous

Luquillo forest - a wet andinhospitable place. All the lowlandswere deforested.

The first population estimatewas made in 1954when it wasbelieved that 200 individualssurvived. By 1968the populationhad fallen to only 24 birds. Somefactors which contributed to the

rapid decrease were militaryexercises in connection with the

Vietnam war, testing of herbicides,road construction and increased

shooting. Taking of young for thelocal pet trade (the species hasnever featured in internationaltrade) and cutting down trees to robnests and using the same species oftree (Palo colorado) for charcoalburning contributed to the decline.

In 1968 biologists made asignificant discovery: one reason forthe poor breeding results of the fewremaining pairs was lack of suitablenest sites. Over 1,000trees in thenesting area were examined toreveal that the, majority of cavitieswere too small or too wet to be

used. This discovery wasunexpected. However, it has sincebe~n found that, in widely differingcountries, lack of suitable nest sitesis limiting the growth ofpopulations. In Mexico, for example,the Thick-billed Parrot(Rhynchopsitta p. pachyrhyncha) isthreatened by the felling of largepines, leaving few trees, especiallydead snags, suitable for their nests.

Some species not yet known tobe endangered could suffer localextinction due to lack of nest sites.

It could be years before thisproblem is apparent becauseparrots are long-lived. A localpopulation could be large but non-breeding, or producing too few

young to sustain its numbers.Nearly three years ago I stayed onthe farm of a friend in New SouthWales, Australia. I spent only threedays there - three days which I willnever forget. I was to see for myselfhow easily a local population of aspecies could be made extinct. Acombination of factors make a small

area just beyond the boundary ofhis farm one of the most importantbreeding areas for Little and MuskLorikeets (GlossopsittapusiliaandG.concinna)in the whole of thestate. These two species are notopportunist nesters; they havehighly specialised requirements,perhaps known only to my friendwho had been observing their nestsover a period of 35 years. Fewpeople have found nests of the MuskLorikeet, a fact borne out by therarity of eggs in collections and bythe scarcity of photographs of thisspecies at the nest.

The lorikeet nesting area of vitalimportance is on the property ofone farmer. In 35 years John hasfound only 20 to 25 nests, some ofwhich have been active for as longas 25 years. And then the farmerdecided, for no specific purpose, tobulldoze most of the trees in thenesting area. My friend's agonisedpleas fell on deaf ears. When Ivisited the trees were rotting wherethey had fallen, several years aftertheir destruction. One fallen treecontained a cavity in which LittleLorikeets had nested for years. Theentrance to the cavity had come torest only 3ft from the ground - yetso attached were the lorikeets totheir nest that they bred there for afurther three years until the farmerburnt the log...

A casual observer in the areawould observe that these twolorikeet species were fairly plentiful

and believe that thrivingpopulations existed, but because oflack of nest sites most pairs neverhave an opportunity to breed. Andwith nomadic species such aslorikeets, populations areparticularly difficult to assess.

Having diverged from the PuertoRican Parrot, now let me return tothat species. But for manipulativemanagement at the few nests whichremained in the early 1970s, thespecies would, in all probability, beextinct by now. Artificial nests wereprovided and nests already in usewere patched with aluminium andfibreglass. This resulted in a smallincrease in the population whichpermitted a few young to be takenfor a captive breeding programmeby government biologists. Thisprogramme limped along for toomany years until a furore eruptedregarding its ineffectiveness. Alesson was to be learned from thisearly experience - that officialcaptive breeding programmes ofendangered birds of genera whicha,re bred with success byaviculturists should be led byexperiencedaviculturists,not by fieldbiologists. Now, at long last,encouraging results are beingobtained with the captive PuertoRican Parrots. Although the wildpopulation remains at between 20and 30 birds, the captive populationon Puerto Rico is steadilyincreasing. There are critics, ofcourse, who say that its numberswould by now have been counted inthe hundreds had aviculturists beenresponsible for the captive birdsduring the past 15 years.

Millions of dollars have beenspent on keeping the Puerto RicanParrot extant. No other species,parrot or otherwise, has had somuch money invested in itsconservation. Never again will thishappen; today, if millions are to bespent, they are used to buy habitatwhich hopefully preserves andprotects a number of species. Thereis one exception, however. It is thecase ofthe Kakapo(Strigopshabroptilus), arguably the strangestparrot which ever existed. It is anative of New Zealand, where 47% ofthe species of land birds have

become extinct since the arrival ofman and where 55% of the survivorsare in danger of extinction. None isin greater danger than the Kakapo.

This, the heaviest of all parrots,weighs about 41/21bsbut up to 6lbs,and is flightless. These facts made itextremely vulnerable to predationby man. One early explorer statedthat Kakapo was the principal foodof Ngatau natives before the potatowas introduced to New Zealand;others have recorded that Kakaposwere used as dog food. Morerecently, during the 1860and 1870s,this tame and appealing parrot wasapparently the main item in the dietof the gold diggers. Not surprisingly,the Kakapo declined very rapidlyand almost unnoticed. However, itwas actually the subject of perhapsthe first ever parrot conservationexperiment. In 1890a small islandcalled Resolution was set aside as abird sanctuary. Several hundredKakapo were released there from1890onwards. But stoats reachedResolution and the Kakapopopulation there was decimated.

In 1952the New ZealandDepartment of Internal Affairs madean appeal in the ornithologIcaljournal Notornis for assistance inlocating the by now rare Kakapo.Between 1958and the mid 1970sNew Zealand's Wildlife Service maderegular expeditions to search forKakapo on South Island. But onlyeight birds were located - and allwere males. 'ihen helicopters wereused to make extensive searches.This operation revealed apopulation of 18 birds; alas, all weremales. The mainland populationwas effectively extinct. During thisperiod, however, much more wasdiscovered about the strangebiology of this species: not only is itnocturnal and unusually solitarybut, uniquely among parrots, it is 11lek species - one of about only 80worldwide. (This means that malesclan together and performcourtship displays on traditionalmating grounds.) It is the onlyflightless lek bird in existence.There are many other extraordinaryfacts about the Kakapo - but spacedoes not permit their discussionhere.

FemaleKakapofeedingherchick.

In 1977occurred the

momentous discovery of anotherpopulation on Stewart Island, off thesouth tip of South Island. Thepopulation of 200 included females,the first seen for 20 years or more. Areprieve for the Kakapo? Only just...The population was being depletedwith great rapidity by cats, at onestage at the rate of 50% per annum.In 1980 dogs were used to find thesecretive Kakapo and telemetryused to monitor their movements.

Radio transmitters weighing only30g are fitted to the bird's back. Bythe end of 198123 males and 11

females had been caught. In March1981 two nests were located and in

April that year a Kakapo chick wasseen for the first time. This was theonly Kakapo known to have beenreared on Stewart Island.

In 1982it was decided totransfer 11 males and seven femalesto Little Barrier Island. Two pairsfound on Maud Island were alsotransferred. In 1987only threefemales were known to survive onStewart Island - and an estimated 37males. At the end of the year 16males and five females weretransferred to tiny Codfish Island,not far from Stewart. Perhaps 20Kakapo remained in the latterlocation - but it was not possible tolocate them.

Clearly, the situation for thisspecies was becoming desperate. Alot of time and money had beenspent but the Kakapo still seemedbent on the downhill path toextinction. Then in 1989a five-yearrecovery plan was launched; it wasestimated that it would cost NZS2.3million. What has happened sincethen? In 1990 two females on Little

Barrier Island each laid a single egg.One egg was infertile. The otherhatched but the chick died at fivedays. This was a majordisappointment as Kakapo do notnormally nest every year but only intimes of a plentiful food supply.Supplementing the diet with high-protein food was one of the stepstaken under the new recovery plan.It worked! In 1991at least six chicks

hatched, one of these from an eggincubated at Auckland Zoo whereanother large New Zealand Parrot,the Kaka (Nestor meridionalis) hasbeen reared from the egg. Sadly, theKakapo chick died at five days,However, at last there is a newapproach and the promise toremove infertile eggs in future yearsto discover if a second clutch willbe laid. Long overdue? Yes. But 1991will surely go down in history as theyear of hope for New Zealand's mostfascinating bird.

Yes, conservation is expensive -but it does not have to cost millionsof dollars. This is borne out by theremarkable results achieved oncertain small Caribbean islands.These have been well documented -so I will not go into detail here, butno review of parrot conservationmethods would be complete

St.LuciaParrot in thebreedingfacilityfor thespeciesatJerseyWildlifePreservationTrust.Photo:Philip Coffey.

without mention of the successes ofa dedicated group of people on theislands of St Lucia, St Vincent and,more recently, on Dominica. Theseislands are of special interest toparrot lovers because each has anendemic Amazon Parrot - or two inthe case of Dominica. Thoseinterested in conservation willfrequently encounter the wordendemic. It means confined to onecountry, island or area. Someparrots endemic to Caribbeanislands exist in areas only a fewsquare miles in extent, because theyhave been pushed into themountainous interior by the ever-expanding human population.

The St LuciaParrot (Amazonaversicolor) once occurred alloverthe island of 235 square miles. Adecade ago its range had contractedto 40 square miles and itspopulation to 150 or fewerindividuals. It was believed to bedeclining fast, mainly due tohunting. Then somethingremarkable happened. Along came ayoung Englishman r:alled PaulButler. With his dynamic personalityand campaigning skills, he spear-headed a movement which,incredibly, made parrotconservation on the three islands,not only effective but fashionable-and fun.

How did he do it? The key to hiscampaign was education, startingwith the youngest element insociety. He went to the schools.With a wealth of ideas andinventiveness which fewconservation workers can everhope to equal, he breathed newhope into parrot conservation. I cando no better than to use PaulButler's own words to describewhat has been achieved on St Lucia:

"Saint Lucia implemented acomprehensive conservationprogramme that initiated legislativeenactments, reserveestablishments, and captivebreeding programmes

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simultaneousiy and underpinnedthese by a far reaching andinnovative conservation educationprogramme. It incorporates theusual components of a traditionaleducation project plus theinnovative use of music, dance,theatre and the interaction between

government, non-governmentalorganisations and local businesses.This tri-partite approach, with theexternal agency serving solely as acatalyst providing core materialsand technical assistance, hasresulted in a sustainable programmeof conservation education whichhas long outlasted the initfalinvolvement of outside funding. Atthe same time it has generated asurge of local pride and determinedefforts to protect the island'snatural patrimony, the end resultbeing that the government declaredAmazona versicolor to be theisland's national bird, passed strictnew domestic wildlife laws andratified CITES...

"As a result of the stringent newprotective measures and a cessationof all hunting the wild population ofthis beautiful psittacine hasincreased from about 150 to over250 in the space of a decade."(Butler, 1990).

Paul Butler's latest innovation isthe "Jacquot Express", Jacquotbeing the local name for the St LuciaParrot. In 1990he enlisted the helpof the World Parrot Trust to providea mobile interpretive centre whichcould carry the conservationmessage to every community on theisland in a lively and attention-getting format. A renovated BritishLeyland bus was stripped of itsseats and fitted with displaysillustrating environmental problemson St Lucia. Decorated with forestmotifs and squawking like a parrot,it attracts instant attention. At thetime of writing, the World ParrotTrust has delivered a second bus forDominica, and is preparing a thirdfor St Vincent.

WPT was founded only threeyears ago by Mike Reynolds, who Iquoted at the beginning of thisarticle. As members are aware, the

Trust raised £150,000 in its first 2years and immediately used it tofund urgent projects, like theJacquot Express. Yes, education ofpeople whose heritage include anendangered parrot is an urgent task.Without local education there canbe no conservation. Educationprojects on small islands arecomparatively easy; it is possible tovisit every school. Transfer thescenario to the vastness of Brazil,for example, and the task is a verydifferent one.

In 1990the World Parrot Trustestablished a special emergencyfund to help conserve what is surelyBrazil's best known parrot: theHyacinthMacaw(Anodorhynchushyacinthinus). It is believed that 20years ago the population of thisconspicuous bird, the largest andarguably the most magnificent ofthe parrots, was in the region of100,000. Now the wild population isbelieved to number only between2,000and 3,000with probably asimilar number in captivity. Notuntil 1987was this macaw placed onAppendix 1 of CITES(the categoryof the most endangered species).The Hyacinth was rarely importeduntil the early 1970s - and thentrade occurred on a scale so largethat at one stage dealers in Europehad unsold birds on their premisesfor months. The market had beenflooded. It was scandalous that suchtrade had occurred and surprisingthat it was not until 1987 that anattempt was made to stop it. Ofcourse, habitat destruction alsoplayed a part in its decline - andalthough it is protected by CITES,illegal capture has not ceased.

So what can be done now toensure that a few years hence theHyacinth is not in the same perilousposition as the Puerto Rican Parrot,the Kakapo and several otherparrots whose populations cannotbe counted in more than double

figures? The Hyacinth Fund of theWorld Parrot Trust has been drawnup to work with the appropriatenational and local organisations inBrazil, with the assistance of leadingwildlife conservation specialists.

A big welcome for the Jacquot Express in St. Lucia.

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HyacinthMacaws.ThisLimitedEditionPrint hasraisedsignificantfundsfor macawconservation.Printsstill available.

The first part of its objective, toassess the population in the wildand in captivity, is already underway. The second part is expensiveand more funds are needed before itcan be implemented: to providetrained wardens to monitor andprotect it in its natural habitat.

The third part is to encourageand help co-ordinate the breeding ofthese macaws in captivity. I mightadd here that the production ofparent-reared young or those whichare hand-reared and immediatelyplaced in a breeding programme(not sold as pets) willbe vital forthe future of this species inaviculture. Unlike the other threespecies on which I have focus sed inthis article, in which captive birdsare held in only one (two in the caseof vittata) officialbreedingprogrammes, the Hyacinth Macaw isin the hands of hundreds ofaviculturists and - unfortunately-pet owners. Many of these breederskeep this species only forcommercial reasons and makethousand of dollars annually fromtheir pairs. I would suggest that theleast they could do would be to give10% of their income from thisspecies to the Hyacinth Fund. Weplundered these birds from thewild... now it is time to givesomething back.

The fourth part of theHyacinth's Fund's aims is toreintroduce captive-bred birds intothe wild, if and when conditionsallow. No one will pretend this willbe easy; there will be a host ofdifficulties to overcome. I fear,however, that it will be virtuallyimpossible unless there are parent-reared captive-bred birds available.At the present time, I know of only

one breeder in the USAwho permitsHyacinths to rear their own young.This concept is not popular becauseit reduces the number of youngwhich can be reared in a year - andtherefore the income. Breeders ofAppendix 1 species who havejumped on the conservationbandwagon and claim to bemotivated by conservation, mightprove this point by allowing theirpairs to rear the chicks from onenest to independence every year -or at least every other year. Andthen ensuring that the resultingyoung are used for breedingpurposes.I suspect that not untilthis occurs will aviculture be takenseriously by the conservationcommunity.

~o,t everyone is fortunate tohave the facilities available to breed

magnificent macaws such as theHyacinth. But many would like toplay a part, no matter how modest,in conserving them. They can dothis by making a donation to theWorld Parrot Trust. Yourcontribution is desperately neededin the fight against time to save themost endangered species.

Reference cited:Butler, P., 1990, The Conservation ofLesser Antillean Amazons,Proceedings,SecondInternationalParrot Convention,Loro Parque,Tenerife.

NB - This article first appeared inBird Talk Magazine,USA.

INFECTIOUSDISEASE RISKS TO PARROTAVICULTURE AND REINTRODUCTIONAG.GreenwoodMA,VetMB,MlBiol,MRCVSInternationalZooVeterinaryGroupKeighley,WestYorkshire.

IntroductionParrots, asa family among birds,seemto be susceptible to a largenumber of highly contagious mainlyviral diseaseswhich may havesevereeffectson captive popula-tions, particularly those maintainedunder intensive conditions. Most ofthesediseasesare potentially fatal,someuniformly so,whilst othersmay decreaseproduction or theviability of offspring. Somehavelong incubation periods of up toseveralyears which, coupled with alack of tests for the carrier state,enablethem to infect whole groupsof parrots undetected. Vaccinesaregenerally unavailable or marginallyeffective.An understanding of thesediseaserisks is very important forthe maintenanceof parrots incollections and, particularly, fortheir safetransfer betweencollections and eventualreintroduction into the wild.

Diseaseswhich will beconsidered in this paper are:

Herpesvirus (pacheco's disease)

Polyomavirus (avian papovavirus)Psittacine beakand feather disease

Proventricular dilatation disease(Macawwasting disease)

Internal papillomatous disease

Chlamydiosis (psittacosis)There areother virus and

infectious diseasesof parrots, butthey are of lesser importance in thisgeneralcontext.

1.Psittacine herpesvirus infectionThis virus, oneof a group of avianherpesviruseswhich includes falconherpesvirus,pigeon herpesvirus,Marek'sdiseaseand others, is verycommon in shipments of New Worldparrots, particularly Amazons.Mostinfected birds die during quarantinewith acutesevereliver disease,butothers p1aybe unrecognisedcarriers. Caseshaveoccurred in UKcollections after several yearswithout the introduction of newbirds. Herpesviruscarriers typicallybeginshedding virus, or become ill,becauseof some intercurrent stresssuch as breeding,dietary change ortransport. Avaccine is available inthe USand hasbeen used in SouthAmerica before shipment but withvery poor results, possibly becauseof strain variation within the virus.The humanantiviral drug acyclovir

(Zovirax) is effective at stoppingoutbreaks, but there is usually toolittle warning to savethe individualbird. It is not known, however,whether the recovered birds mayremain carriers.

Serological and virus isolation(from faeces) tests are available, butthe former cannot distinguishcarriers from non-carrier contactsand the latter depends on the birdshedding virus.

Appropriate precautions arequarantine and testing of incomingbirds. Probably faecal culture isworth doing as a newly arrived birdmay shed virus under stress.Treatment of detected carrierswould be controversial. The virusoccurs naturally probably only inNew World parrots and there iscircumstantial evidence that someconures may be regularsymptomless carriers. It is thereforewise to keep Old World and NewWorld species separate and avoidmixing conures with Amazons andmacaws.

2.PolyomavirusThis highly contagious virus is theonly member of its family whichcausessystemic diseasein anyspecies. The rest cause typicalinfectious papillomas or warts. Inparrots, only chicks are clinicallyaffected (with a few recordedexceptions) but the disease iswidespread in captive populationswhere the adults are carriers. Some50%of Germanand USaviariestested positive in serologicalsurveys. The prevalence in Britain isunknown. The virus is spreadhorizontally between chicks innurseries, and probably betweensymptomless adults. It is almostcertainly vertically transmittedthrough the egg.Most species oflarger parrot are susceptible andchicks die at 3 to 16weeks,or maysimply be very difficult to rear withrepeated bacterial infections andpoor growth rate. Diagnosis innurseries may sometimes bepresumptive, based on constantrearing problems correlated withserologically positive adults. Testingis difficult to interpret as sero-negative adults can be shown toshed the virus. The development ofhighly sensitive tests for viral DNAin droppings and tissues is likely toimprove the situation in the nearfuture. The host-virus relationship ishighly complex and makespre-diction of carrier or immune statusvery difficult.

Appropriate precautions are

difficult to take. At present we cantest adults in quarantine by serology(in Germany),with the caveatsoutlined above.There are noeffective treatments or vaccines.Prevention of spread betweenchicks is crucial, always remem-bering that the symptomless chickmay be the culprit and that the virusis easily transmitted and veryresistant to disinfectants. Hypo-chlorite should be effective.

3. Psittacine beak and featherdiseaseThis disease is now known to becaused by a circovirus and causesfailure of feather and beak growth inall species of parrots, but is chieflyseen in cockatoos, African greys andlovebirds. Infection seemsonly tooccur in young birds, which may dieof acute liver disease,becomesymptomless carriers or demon-strate the classic signs at subse-quent moults one or more years inthe future. The virus affects therapidly multiplying epithelium of thefeather and beak causing new pinfeathers to become pinched off ortwisted and the beak to become firstshiny and then to crumble away.There is no effective treatment forcarriers or clinical cases.Genera-lised immunosuppression iscommon and the bird may die ofsome other unrelated infection.Extensive studies have taken placein the USAto produce a test forcarriers and a vaccine but neither iscurrently available in the UK.Affected birds can be tested by thehistological examination of adamagedfeather and its follicle, andspecific inclusions can be identified.The disease has occurred asdevastating outbreaks in parrotnurseries and frequently leads tothe euthanasia of affected adultbirds. Somecarriers can probablyremain normal for life. It is nowknown that the virus can be egg-transmitted.

Precautions include quaran-tining any incoming birds, especiallycockatoos, for long periods,elimination of breeding birdsdemonstrated to be infected by thepresence of disease in their chicks,and introducing chicks intonurseries only if they have beenincubator hatched. The disease isspread by parents to chicks in thenest by feeding, and between chicksby feather dust and dried faeces. Itis even possible for the disease tobe introduced by feather dust onkeepers' clothes!

4. Proventricular dilatation disease

(Macaw wasting disease)This disease affects many species ofparrots, particularly macaws,African greys and cockatoos. Adultbirds waste and die after periods ofregurgitating seed and passingundigested food in the faeces,whilststill eating well. There may benervous signs, although these aremuch more common in chicks,which may show changes in voice,unusual begging behaviour andparalysis as well as regurgitation.Outbreaks occur in intensive parrotunits but more often casesaresporadic. The diseaseis clearlytransmissible but no virus hasyetbeen definitively associated with it.The clinical and pathological pictureare classical, but there are otherdifferential diagnoses,such ascandidiasis or gastric foreignbodies. No bird should be labelledashavingMWD unlessadefinitivediagnosis has been made in anexperienced laboratory, becauseofthe potential implications for thecollection.

There is a very long latentperiod and the diseaseseemsto bespread by carrier birds which donot necessarily succumb to stress,but infect other birds when movedinto a collection. Other birds maythen die up to a year later.Consequently it may never bepossible to decide which bird wasresponsible for introducing thedisease.Once in a collection itcannot be eliminated by removal ofcarrier birds, although parents ofaffected chicks must be suspect,provided there has been no spreadwithin the nursery. Infection isprobably also spread indirectly bykeepers as casesseemto crop uphaphazard in a house rather thanpassing from one cageto the next.As no virus hasyet been isolatedthere are no tests for carriers andno real treatment is possible.

Precautions against intro-duction of the diseaseinclude longquarantine periods, thoroughknowledge of the origin of birds,X-ray examination of birds whichbecome or remain thin during thequarantine period, and hygienicprecautions to prevent spreadbetween aviaries.

5. Internal papillomatous diseaseCloacal papillomas occur frequentlyin New Worldparrots, includingAmazons, Greenwinged macaws andHawkheads, and are usuallyrecognised by the presence of freshblood in the faeces or frank cloacal

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prolapse. It is less commonlyrecognised that similar polyp-likelesions occur on the palate andglottis and even in the upperoesophagous. The disease appearsto be transmissible, although nocause has been isolated, and is oftenspontaneously self-curing.Treatment by surgical removal ofthe papillomas can be difficult anddamaging although the use of laserslooks promising. About 10 percentof affected birds have an associatedpancreatic atrophy and bile-ducttumour, which is usually fatal. It isnot clear how many affected birdsmay develop this sequel later in life,but the disease should obviouslynot be considered to be merelybenign. Some liver function testsshow promise in identifying suchbirds at an early stage.Transmission is believed to be byoral or venereal contact betweenbirds and there is concern that

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breeding may be affected.Incoming birds of susceptible

species should undergo a thoroughcloacal and oral examination as partof their general clinical check beforeentering the collection.

6. Chlamydiosis (psittacosis)This disease of all birds is well-

known in parrots, but muchmisunderstood. Emphasis tends todwell on the potential infectivity forhumans and frequently leads tooverreaction in this regard, whenthe main threat is to the birds. The

infectious agent is a primitivebacterium but, being cell-associated, has many similarfeatures to viruses, including beingvery indestructible in its restingstage. It is susceptible to antibiotics,including tetracyclines anderythromycin, when activelymultiplying, and there are tests forcarriers, so the outlook is more

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YoungLesserSulphur-crestedCockatoosufferingfrom a feathercondition

promising than for most viruses,However. a life-time carrier stateappears to exist. so this has to beincluded in the group of 'time-bomb'diseases. Infection is most oftenseen in newly imported New Worldparrots and losses can be massivein heavily stressed birds. Thewidespread illegal use oftetracycline antibiotics inquarantine frequently leads tosuppression of the disease, so thatthe parrot falls ill on the next owner,when antibiotics are withdrawn andthe stress of movement is added.

Chlamydiosis is typically manifest attimes of stress such as change ofownership, breeding, bad weatheretc. The clinical syndrome varieswith species - some, such ascockatoos, seem to be resistant,others like cockatiels and

budgerigars may have persistentsubclinical infection, whereasAmazons may develop severehepatitis and die quickly. Australianparakeets tend to get mild eyedisease and coryza. Some flocksmay only suffer poor egg productionand lowered hatchability.

Diagnosis is possible fromclinical signs, but there are nowvery sensitive faecal tests forchlamydial DNA(Central Vet Lab,Weybridge) which can detect manycarriers as well as clinical cases.Frequently the presence of thedisease is only suspected when ahuman case occurs. Chlamydiosis isnot notifiable (except inCambridgeshire) and officials haveno rights to dictate the managementof infected birds, although there areHealth and Safety implications inzoos. In any case, the response ofofficials is usually wrong. Positivecases should be isolated and

correctly treated, tested aftertreatment is complete and thenreturned to the collection, orallowed to enter it, while carrying a"flag" against their name as apossible carrier (with Iowprobability).

Incoming birds can be tested inquarantine, preferably twice, with agood likelihood of success as thestress should cause them to become

shedders. There is no justificationfor random treatment or treatment

of quarantine birds. Spread betweencages seems to be low, but is highwithin cages. Frequently the onlysign that a bird is a carrier is whenthe new mate to which it is

introduced goes down with thedisease. Because of widespreadcarrier states in parakeets,cockatiels, budgerigars and finches,large parrots should be kept wellaway from these species.

ConclusionThe foregoing should make clearthat the maintenance of closed

aviaries of parrots is the ideal. Ofcourse, this philosophy isincompatible with jointmanagement of species and thepairing of unrelated birds.

Nevertheless, it appears thatdiseases like MWDare increasingexponentially in captive parrotpopulations and any establishedbreeding collection would do wellnot to add to its numbers from

unknown sources unless absolutelynecessary and, in these cases, toquarantine and test incoming birdsexhaustively. The expense of suchprocedures should be well repaid intime.

One alternative would be to setup a system of certifying collectionsas free of certain diseases. In theabsence of definitive tests this canbe difficult, but it should bepossible to a limited degree ifcertain criteria are met:-

a. All parrots, chicks and eggs dyingin the collection should be

examined post mortem, by acompetent laboratory with aknowledge of parrot diseases.b. All sick birds and chicks shouldbe examined clinically and anaccurate diagnosis made (as far aspossible).c. All birds should be testedregularly for those diseases forwhich tests are available, andclinically examined for signs ofothers (e.g. beak and featherdisease, papillomas) on an annualbasis.

d. Records should be kept ofoffspring from the collection, theirdestination and eventual causes ofdeath.e. There should have been no

incoming birds during the periodcovered by the ,certification.

It should then be possible tomake up further breeding groupsusing offspring from certifiedcollections which should, bydefinition, be free of the majorinfectious diseases. Such offspringwould be prime candidates forreintroduction projects as, with theexception of beak and featherdisease, we have no knowledge ofthese conditions among wildpopulations and cannot know thepossible consequences ofintroducing them either to naivepopulations or virgin habitat. Theability of other carriers than thebirds themselves, particularlyvisiting aviculturists and evenveterinarians, to introduce diseaseaccidentally should not beoverlooked.

Infectious disease represents amajor threat to the viability ofcaptive parrot populations in a waythat is probably unique in the zooworld. Tremendous efforts are beingmade to come to grips with theseproblems prompted, it has to besaid, by the economic pressures ofAmerican aviculture rather than bythe efforts of zoos. Nevertheless,complete success and security areclearly some way in the future anaitis vigilance now which will ensurethat we have breeding birds andoffspring for reintroduction in thefuture.

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TUE CONSERVATION OF TUEECU 0 PAKAKBET Psittacula eques of MAURITIUS

Carl G.lanes and Kevin Duffy

The World Parrot Trust hassupported the conservation of theEcho or Mauritius Parakeet for threeyears and several articles and noteshave appeared in PsittaSceneaboutthis highly endangered species. Inthis article we summarise theinformation which is to appear in alonger paper which has beensubmitted to the Dodo, Journal oftheJerseyWildlife Preservation Trust.

The Echo Parakeet is the last

surviving native member of itsgenus in the Western Indian Ocean.Other parakeets existed on theSeychelles, Rodrigues and Reunionbut became extinct in the lastcentury.

The Echo Parakeet did notattract conservation attention untilthe 1970s. The local naturalists R.Chevreau de Montlehu and FranceStaub studied the parakeet in theearly 1970s. Subsequently both wereinstrumental in helping to focusattention on this species and wereable to provide much backgrounddata on the ecology and status ofthe species for the decade beforethe start of the conservationproject.

The conservation effort did'notstart until 1973and initially wasprimarily aimed at the MauritiusKestrel, and subsequently the PinkPigeon and Echo Parakeet. Theparakeet however received the leastattention due primarily to ashortage of funding. Year aroundwork on the parakeet started in 1987and continues.

History of the Population's DeclineOn pristine Mauritius the parakeetwas probably found throughout theisland and to judge from therelatively frequent mentions in theearly accounts it was a commonbird.

By the 1940s and 1950s it waslimited to the south.west in andaround the Black River Gorgesextending as far as the centre of theisland, a range of about 200km2.Thepopulation at this time was notknown but it has been suggestedthat in the 1930s and 1940s therewere about 50-75 birds.

In the early 1970s there wereestimated to be 30.50 birds. The1986-1987estimate was put at only8.12 individuals with only threeknown females. Since then thepopulation has increased, the wild

Echo Parakeet photographed in 1972.Photo:LR. Chrevreau de Mont!i?hu.

population in March 1992 consistedof at least 16 birds: seven adultmales (almost certainly more), ajuvenile male, four adult females, ayearling juvenile (possibly moreexist) and three recently fledgedyoung. We suspect the population tobe 16-20individuals.Duringthelatter half of the 1970s andthroughout the 1980s the populationhas been limited to about 50 km' inand around the Black River Gorges.

Habitat destructionThis has been the main cause of theparakeets decline. The island wasonce mostly covered in forest.During the 18th and 19th centuriesas the human population increasedthe demand upon the forest grew,and areas of forest were cleared tomake way for agricultural land.Between 1835and 1850 the humanpopulation doubled and by 1860 ithad trebled. It was during this sameperiod, between 1835 and 1846when more than half the remainingforests were felled. By 1880 onlyabout 3.6% of the island wascovered by primary forest.

In the 1940s areas were cleared

for tea plantations, by 197254.6km'was under tea and most of this hadbeen former parakeet habitat. At thesame time other areas of parakeethabitat were being cleared for pineand other soft wood plantations.The most devastating blow for theparakeet was the clearing of keyareas of dwarf forest on PlaineChampagne and surrounding areasbetween 1973.1981. This last projectlargely financed by the World Bankdestroyed 30.6 km' of importantforaging habitat. In 1973 at the startof this project there were probably30 or more parakeets, by 1981 whenthis work was completed there wereless than ten birds known.

CyclonesThese affect the parakeets bycausing direct mortality during thestorm and by post-cyclone foodshortages and consequentstarvation. Parakeet populations arebadly affected by cyclones,following Cyclone Claudette in late1979the encounter rate dropped to38% of the pre-cyclone figure. On theisland of Puerto Rico in the WestIndies the Puerto Rican Parrotpopulation was halved by HurricaneHugo in 1989, when the 47 or moreparrots were reduced to no morethan 23.

With the present population ofparakeets at such a low level a badcyclone hitting Mauritius in the next

few years could kill all the remainingparakeets.

Disease and Inbreeding DepressionThese are real but unquantifiedthreats that may be affecting theparakeets. A c.21 day old chickrescued from the failing nest on 5December 1991 was under weight,anaemic and had lesions in both earorifices and in its nostrils caused bythe burrowing of nest fly maggots.Without our intervention it is highlyunlikely that it would have survivedanother day. There was the remainsof a second younger chick in thenest that had succumbed a few daysearlier.

The rescued chick was

successfully reared in captivity butwhen between seven and eightmonths old it developed a conditionsimilar to French moult where thetail and primary leathers broke off,the broken feathers having ashattered or chewed appearance atthe base. This bird still survives in

captivity but is unable to fly.There is apparently a much

lower survival rate among femaleparakeets. During the last twodecades the population has beenskewed to males with ratios ofbetween 3-5:1 being recorded.Historically the sexes were probablyequally represented.

Habitat ProtectionThe need to protect the habitat ofthe echo parakeet has always been avery high priority. Most of theparakeet habitat is State Landalthough much of this has beenused for deer hunting/ranching andforestry. These and recreation, suchas hiking and tourism, have beenconsidered as the main uses for theland which is mostly too rugged forefficient agriculture. The idea toturn the area into a national parkwas first voiced by the late Sir PeterScott in 1972and the plan was laterdeveloped in ] 975 in an officialreport. The plan was shelved until1988 when it was resurrected aspart of the World Bankenvironmental investment programfor sustainable development. TheJersey Wildlife Preservation Trustacted as advisors to this programand were represented by JohnHartley. The plans for the park havebeen drawn up. It is hoped that thepark will be officially proclaimed inthe next year.

The park will include the BlackRiver Gorges and surroundingforests, encompassing all thecontiguous state lands in the region

7

Macchabe forest, the last strongholdof the Echo Parakeet

and covering about 4,000 ha. Theprimary purpose of the park will beconservation.

Supplemental FeedingSeasonal food shortages were firstsuggested as a problem in 1979andthe first attempt at supplementalfeeding was in June and July of thatyear. Many different ways of feedingthe parakeets have been tried. So farthe most consistently successfulmeans of feeding the parakeets is toprovide food in 'simple rectangularwire-mesh baskets erected 6-8mabove the ground. These areattached to a simple wooden frameso that the birds can easily perch onthem to feed. This method has beensuccessful since February 1991.Itseems probable however that beforemany parakeets will take food out ofthe basket they have to learn to eatthe food while hanging naturally inthe tree or to learn from alreadyhabituated parakeets. Initially theparakeets fed on starfruit whichthey undoubtedly recognised, buthave subsequently tried severalother fruits and vegetables.

Baskets have attracted

parakeets almost daily during thewinter months. Three birdsregularly visit our baskets but wehave seen seven different birds in

the area. The vast majority of foodtaken has been starfruit but otherfoods such as acorn squash, pear,apple and grapes have beensampled.

Most commercially availablefruit and vegetables have beenoffered at one time or another but

many are unsuitable for a variety ofreasons. Grapes were often usedbecause they resembled nativefruits and the parakeets will eatthem although they also attractedMauritius Merles (Black Bulbuls) tothe feeding stations. These are oftenaggressive towards the parakeetsand chase them from feeding sites.Apple is also very palatable toMauritius Bulbuls and is also afavoured food of rats. Most fruit andvegetables are palatable to monkeysand troops 01these pass near thefeeding stations quite regularly.

These studies illustrate how

8

difficult it has been to get theparakeets to accept supplementalfood. More work needs to be done

to find out how to provision thewhole population. We shallexperiment further on rat andmonkey proofing feeding sites andhope to construct feeding towers inthe forest.

Supplemental feeding ispotentially of great value to theparakeets and constant foodavailability may bring the birds intobetter breeding condition and helpthem overcome food shortages inwinter or after cyclones, There is noevidence that the individuals whoregularly use the feeding stationsare totally dependent on thesupplemental feeding. Theycontinue to feed on a wide variety ofnaturally occurring plant species.

Although some parrots willreadily take provisioned food, whenwe started we knew of no cases

where supplemental feeding hadbeen used to help a failingpopulation of parrots. There arehowever several instances whereparrots readily take provisionedfood or exploit an artificial foodsource. In Australia many species ofparrots including cockatoos,rosellas and lories visit bird tables

to take food placed out for them.The galah has increaseddramatically in numbers anddistribution in Australia by feedingon wheat either in the fields or from

animal feeds. In southern Englandthe feral ring-necked parakeetpopulation only survives because itfeeds on bird tables during thewinter months.

In recent years supplementalfeeding has increasingly beenconsidered as a safe and relativelystraight forward managementtechnique. Inspired by our work onthe parakeet and other species,supplemental feeding is now usedas part of the conservation effort forthe Kakapo on Little Barrier Island.In 1991these birds successfullyraised two young birds, the firstbreeding for several years.

Nest Cavities and Nest Boxes

Echo parakeets nest in tree holes,

either vertical or horizontal cavities.Some sites are used annually. Webelieve good nest sites to be at apremium, a view held by manyworkers in recent years:

The parakeets may be limitedby a shortage of potential nestcavities due to competition withhole-using species. In the face ofcompetition echo parakeets willrelinquish their cavities to mynahbirds and Ring-necked Parakeets.The single nesting attempts in 1980and 1981 failed when the birds were

displaced by mynahs. Further tothese Black Rats, bees and White-tailed Tropic-birds also use parakeetnest holes. The high level of nestsite competition is demonstrated bythe fact that in 40 nest box years, 22(55%) were occupied by alienanimals. A former Echo Parakeetnest hole used in the 1989/90 seasonwas occupied by Ring-neckedParakeets during the 1991/92breeding season.

Black Rats have been recorded

around all parakeet nest sitesthroughout the year, often living inthe same trees that the birds nestin. Large species of native tree mayproduce cavities suitable forparakeet nests, but may havesmaller cavities elsewhere in thetree that rats can use. Parakeet

nests are often an easy target forrats. A failed nest in the 1990-1991breeding season contained ratdroppings and the broken remainsof two eggs.

Good quality sites which aresecure and of the correct

dimensions are probably veryscarce and potentially may be usedfor many seasons. In the PuertoRican parrot some nest cavities maybe used for 20 years or more.

Natural cavities are oftendestroyed in cyclones. The cycloneof 1975destroyed 9 (38%) of the 24known parakeet nest cavities. Sincecavities may be in dead trees orlimbs they often decay and becomeunusable after only a season's use.

This has happened to two of thethree cavities lost since 1987. Threecavities have been lost in 17 cavityyears (18%). A higher rate of lossthan the values quoted for otherparrot species.

The loss of cavities in native

trees is being offset by theproduction of new ones as the oldforest trees die off or are damagedby cyclones. However, many maturetrees are not being replaced, so inthe long term the number of cavitiesavailable to the parakeets isdeclining.

After cavities are lost or the

parakeets are usurped by nestcompetitors the parakeets remain inthe territory and appear to havedifficulty in finding alternative nestholes even though some may beavailable. A similar phenomenonhas been recorded for the PuertoRican Parrot.

In an attempt to address theproblem of few available nest sites,nest boxes have been placed in theforest since 1974. None of these nestboxes were ever used by EchoParakeets but one of the first boxes

ever erected was prospected by apair.

It is probable that these boxeswere not the ideal dimensions for

parakeets or attractively positioned.Nest-boxes made of hollowed outseasoned pine logs are now beingerected in areas where pairs ofparakeets have been seenprospecting or are likely to breed.The dimensions of these are based

on the measurements of parakeetsnest cavities and are 24 x 24 x 45cmwith an entrance hole 9cm in

diameter. We are also makingwooden boxes 22.5 x 22.5 x 50cmdeep or if they are to be horizontalboxes, 70cm long. Substrate in theseboxes is made of crushed termitenest.

The argument for continuing toprovide nest boxes is very powerful.Studies on the Green-rumpedParrotlet have shown that by

Female Echo Parakeet leaving the nest, October 1975.Photo: LR. Chrevreau de Monttehu.

Carllanesandsomenest-boxesreadyto beplacedin theforest

providing nest-boxes the number ofbreeding pairs increases. Nest-boxes also have the advantage thatthey can be made more secure thannatural holes and birds nesting inthem are more likely to fledge youngand brood sizes may be larger.

Breeding SuccessBreeding success in the EchoParakeet is relatively poor. Between1973 and 1983less than half of thepairs attempted to breed in any yearand of those that did try and breedonly 40% succeeded in fledging anyyoung (an average of 0.63young/breeding attempt). Since1987breeding success hasimproved, and a larger percentageof the population has attempted tobreed annually. Breeding wasproven in ten out of 17 pair years.Productivity has also improved withan average of 1.3 young perbreeding attempt.

The fertility and hatchability ofEcho Parakeet eggs is good, out of18 eggs 16 (89%) were fertile. Ifweexclude a fertile egg that wasdepredated then 14 (93%) of these15 fertile eggs hatched. Fledgingsuccess is more difficult to putfigures to since some of the birdshave been harvested. However we

can provide a reliable estimate, outof 12 eggs laid (11 of which werefertile) it is likely that six birdswould have fledged.

The poor breeding successrecorded in the Echo Parakeet

population during 1973-1983isprobably attributable to thedestruction of some of its main

foraging areas during this period.The population is likely to havebeen severely food stressed. Therecent improvement has probablybeen due to the populationstabilising at a much lower level andthe parakeet's exploitation ofdifferent food sources.

Improving Breeding SuccessThere are several options availablefor improving breeding success andto increase the productivity of egglaying pairs. It has beendemonstrated that many species ofbirds will lay replacement clutches

should their first breeding attemptfail. In the Echo Parakeet we haveexperimented by harvesting eggsand young for captive breeding andsubsequently some of the birdshave recycled.

Harvesting of clutchesEchoParakeets have produced clutchesof 1-3eggs, with a mean clutch sizeof 2.25. Complete clutches havebeen harvested twice and the birdsrecycled on both occasions. On oneoccasion they laid in the samecavity but on the second chose anunknown cavity and thereplacement was not realised untilthe fledged young were discovered.The inter-clutch interval wasrecorded once. The clutch wasremoved on 4 November and the

female started incubating herreplacement clutch on 25November. Since Echo Parakeets

usually start incubation with thesecond egg we can assume an inter-clutch interval, from the removal ofthe first clutch to the laying of thefirst egg in the second clutch, of 18-21 days.

Harvesting of broodsComplete,healthy, broods have been taken onfour occasions. The first two wereboth of two young and were taken in1974 and 1975. As far as we areaware the adults were notmonitored to see if they recycled.On the two occasions where thepair were followed after the removalof the young one pair recycled. Thisrecycling was not detected untilafter the chicks had fledged, but byback-dating using known incubationand fledging times the periodbetween the removal of the broodand the start of the replacementclutch was similar to the inter-clutch interval recorded above. Thepair that did not recycle nested latein the season.

Since 1987 brood size has beenrecorded 7 times in the nest or atfledging and was 1-3,with a meanbrood size of 1.86.

Eleven young have been rearedunder foster ring-necked parakeetsand the nestling period was 48-69days.

These studies illustrate that

there is plenty of scope for

developing different managementtechniques. If the opportunity ariseswe shall use proven good parents toraise eggs or chicks from lesssuccessful pairs thereby insuringthat all the pairs continue to begenetically represented in thepopulation.

Multiple-clutching has rarelybeen tried with wild parrots and wehave been unable to find anydocumented cases. This techniquehas been widely used in captivity byparrot breeders, but has yet to beused very intensively. Someexperiments have been done toincrease the egg production ofcaptive Puerto Rican andHispaniolan Parrots by doubleclutching and egg pulling. Onefemale Hispaniolan Parrot produceda total of 21 eggs in a single seasonduring a sequential removalexperiment.

Captive BreedingCaptive breeding has long beenregarded as one of the best optionsfor the survival of the parakeet. Inthe late 1970s and early 1980s thesituation for the Echo Parakeet

looked very grave and captivebreeding was viewed by most as thelast hope for the species. Aresolution passed at the ICBPWorldConference on Parrots held in StLucia in 1980recommended that allthe remaining Echo Parakeets becaptured for captive breeding. Theadult birds proved difficult to catchand the harvesting of eggs andyoung is the best hope for obtainingstock for captive breeding.

The parakeets used to be fed ona standard parakeet diet high inseeds, including sunflower, canary,millet, pine nuts and peanuts. Theparakeets became very fat on a seeddiet. All of these are now excluded

and they are fed entirely on a fruit,vegetable and leaf diet. High energyfoods are not fed, favoured foodsinclude, starfruit, bilimbi, badamier,ochra, fresh peas, green beans,apple, orange, cabbage, lettuce,pomegranates and acorn squash.

Echo Parakeets are able toreadily convert carbohydrates intofats. This may be an adaptation tothe dry winter months when theparakeets feed on leaves, unripefruits and other low energy food.The parakeets seem to have anability to utilize a high percentage ofthe nutrients present in the foodand in captivity if fed on high energyfoods they become obese.

To overcome the problem ofobesity we are planning to build alarge L shaped aviary 200ft long 15ftwide and 12ft high with smallerbreeding units built off it. This willallow us to keep the birds togetheras a flock which we feel will enhancenormal pair formation and socialbehaviour.

Ring"necked Parakeets havebeen maintained at the GovernmentAviary Since 1979where they havebeen used as model species onwhich to practice managementtechniques and for foster parents.The harvested eggs and six of theyoung were reared by these fosterRing-necked Parakeets. Modelspecies have been used in othercaptive breeding projects andHispaniolan Parrots were used asmodels for Puerto Rican Parrots.The Orange-bellied Parrot projectpersonnel first practicedextensively with Rock Parrots andBlue-winged Parrots andsubsequently used Rock Parrots asfoster parents for Orange-belliedParrots. The value of closely relatedmodels in any captive breedingproject for endangered species can

A pair ofEchoParakeetscourtshipfeeding,October1975.Photo:L.R.ChrevreaudeMontlehu.

9

OurforestcampfromwheretheEchoParakeetwork is conducted

An adultmaleEchoParakeetin a Calophyllumparviflorumbush,July 1979

not be overstated.

Although Ring-necked and EchoParakeets are closely related, theRing-necked Parakeets are far easierto manage and more hardy.

A review on the management of wildparrot populations needs to becompiled. Studies on maximisingproductivity by egg pulling, doubleclutching and fostering need to beconducted.

It is encouraging to note theparallels between the Echo Parakeetproject and the Puerto Rican Parrotand the Orange-bellied Parrotconservation projects and howthere has been a convergence ofideas on the way to manage thesecritically endangered parrotpopulations.

It has been suggested that theEcho Parakeet is in imminent

Some Final ThoughtsThe conservation of the EchoParakeets has been hampered by alack of data on the biology of thebird and a lack of information on themanagement of parrot populations.With the increasing rarity of a largenumber of parrot taxa there is avery real need to rapidly developsound management practices forthis group in the wild and captivity.

10

danger of becoming extinct.Findings in recent years seem toshow that this may not necessarilybe the case. It is worth commentingon the fact that many island birdpopulations may exist for manygenerations at a very Iow level.There are several examples fromNew Zealand, West Indies, Hawaiiand the Mascarenes showing thateven very small populations areoften restorable and no population,provided there are still males andfemales surviving should beregarded as beyond salvation.

Ackno~IegementsThe project is a joint one betweenthe Conservation Unit of the

Ministry of Agriculture Governmentof Mauritius and non governmentconservation organisations. Wewould like to thank the WildlifePreservation Trusts, MauritiusWildlife Appeal Fund, World ParrotTrust and The Parrot Society.

PostscriptInterested in a job in parrotconservation?

Kevin Duffy who does the fieldwork on the parakeet leaves us inMarch 1993at the end of thebreeding season, following nearlythree years working on the project.We are looking for someonebetween the ages of 25-30 whowould need to start with us in

August 1993at the beginningof thebreeding season, and will remain onthe team for eleven months with theoption of renewing their contract.Interviews for this post will be heldin Britain in June or July.

Finding a replacement for Kevinwill be difficult since we are looking

for someone with a wide range ofskills. We require a first ratefieldworker who is physically fit, agood tree climber, and whopossesses some avicuItural skills.Duties will include careful fieldworkand monitoring of the wild birds,the provisioning of the wild birdswith supplementary food, providingand maintaining nest boxes andpoisoning rats. A four wheel drivevehicle is provided for fieldwork.

The successful applicant will beexpected to live in the field in atented camp shared with 3-5 otherfieldworkersjstudents working onother projects. Being part of a teammeans that the successful applicantwill need to be able to take on campduties including cooking and campmaintenance.

The job is not in the least bitglamorous and not very well paid.Camp is at 2,000feet, during winterit rains a lot and temperatures maydrop to 7-10degrees C.ln summer itis hot and we may get cyclonicrains, humidity frequently reaches100%for days on end. The campfloods nearly every summer season.

Working as part of a team in adeveloping country means that youhave to be pleasant, diplomatic andwith a good sense of humour. Thereis definitely no room for free-spiritsor prima-donnas.

If you feel that this is the job foryou and possess these skills thenwrite with a full c.V.to Carl G.Jones,Project Director, La Mivoie, Tamarin,Mauritius, Indian Ocean.

INTERNATIONALNEWSROUND-UP

r

AUSTRALIA

In 1992the first legal parrotshipment was imported intoAustralia via the SpotswoodQuarantine Facility in Victoria. Itincluded 60 Macaws from the UK.Weheard that the birds weremaking so much noise on the flightinto Australia that the captainthreatened to dump them inSingaporeas they were annoyingthe multi-million dollar racehorseswhich happened to be on the sameflight! Fortunately, he did not carryout his threat.

BENELUXGROUP

Our Benelux Group has receivedofficial recognition of their charitystatus in the Netherlands. Theyrecently recruited a total of 26 newmembers, largely due to the effortsof Mr Tom Morrell of Belgium. Thismonth we were delighted to receivethe sum of £1000which representsdonations collected by Or KoenBrouwer of Rotterdam Zoo for theGoffins Cockatoo appeal. Memberswho live in the Netherlands areinvited to contact Mrs Juim Fiege,telephone number (31)885955038ifthey wish to become more involvedwith members and fund raisingactivities in their areas. In Belgium,please contact Tom Morrell on (32)6469410.

Coffin's Cockatoo

BOLIVIA

Wehear from Charles Munn that inAugust 1992he located a populationof Am glaucogularis,the Caninde orBlue-throated Macaw.He reports: 'Inone Bolivian site, WCI is nowstudying and rhotographing fournests and other mated pairs of thispreviously unstudied species.Although certainly a few ruralBolivians may traditionally haveknown about the existence of this

species, never before has anornithologist reported a confirmedsighting of this bird in the wild.Also, WC! has obtained informationthat should allow us to locateseveral other populations of thespecies in the next few months.'

Blue-throatedMacawsat ParadisePark UK

CANADIAN WPT

Our Canadiangroup has justobtained official charity status inCanada.DesireeWyant and LeslieReissnerare forming a smallcommittee to plan future strategy.Members in Canadaare invited tocontact Desiree,telephone number(416) 383 8671 iftheywish tobecome more involvedwithmembers and fund raising activitiesin their areas.

FRENCU POLYNESIA

The ultramarine lory, Viniultramarina, is one of the leastknown and most threatened of allthe insular lory species. Known onlyfrom the Marquesas archipelago, itis a species of special concern forthe Marquesan islanders as well asthe Office of Environment for FrenchPolynesia. Its distribution includedthe islands of Nuka Hiva, Ua Pou,Hiva Oa and UaHuka, beingextirpated from all but the latterisland. A special expedition inNovember, 1991,co-sponsored bythe Office of the Environment (F.P.)and the Zoological Society of SanDiego(ZSSD),found no lories onNuka Hiva or Ua Pou and apopulation of between 1,000and1,500individuals on Ua Huka.Although this population is fiercelyprotected by the Ua Hukanislanders, its future is of muchconcern due to the prospect of theconstruction of a wharf to be built in1993. Such development will allowthe docking of large cargo shipswhich will lead to the potential

11

Thefirst Ultramarinelory, Viniultramarina,peeksout from its travelingcratetoinspectitsnewsurroundings.

invasion of exotic rat species andfurther anthropogenic activities, Le.industry, agriculture, and urbandevelopment. Such factors, inaddition to cats, a large goatpopulation, possible presence ofavian malaria and the introductionof the common mynah and greathorned owl have led to the

extinction of the ultramarine lory onall of the other islands.

In accordance with the draftrecommendations of theICBP/IUCN/CBSGParrot Action Planfor V ultramarina, the ZoologicalSociety of San Diego undertook thefirst step of an experimentaltranslocation of this lory speciesfrom Ua Huka to Fatu Hiva, the mostsoutherly of all the MarquesanIslands. This decision was based on

the prehistoric evidence of thepresence of the ultramarine lory inFatu Hiva and the pristine nature ofthe island, having few of theenvironmentally negative features ofUa Huka; Le. no wharf, introducedrat species, no introduced aviancompetitors or predators (mynah,owl, harrier), and a controlled goatpopulation which has allowed theisland to maintain good primary andsecondary forest cover. In addition,Fatu Hiva has many of the plantspecies known to be food plants for

the lory, including kava, banana,coconut, coral tree, "ahaian",mango, "tamanu", and Tahitianmango.

In August, 1992, ZSSDstaff,accompanied by personnel fromF.P.Office of the Environment and

the rural Economy Service, travelledto Ua Huka and spent 10 days mist-netting ultramarine lories.Hampered by the unseasonablerains caused by Hurricane Omar, thetotal capture was seven lories.These birds were kept for six daysbefore being transferred by boat toFatu Hiva. In Fatu Hiva theinhabitants of Omoa visited thebirds while still in their holdingcages and learned about thetranslocation program. The birdswere released in a foothill valleyabove Omoa, in an area rich in foodplants, especially coconut andbanana. All the birds were releasedat first light and began to feed oncoconut flowers within minutes.

Within one hour the birds' foragingactivities took them high into thehills and out of contact with thehuman observers.

The birds will be monitored in

the future by an employee of theRural Economy Service who willmake field observations, as well ascollect data from other island

CyndiKuehler,releasesoneof thesevenUltramarinelories (Vini ultramarina).

12

residents. This translocation

program will continue on an annualbasis to provide enough founderbirds to establish this species onFatu Hiva.

This translocation project is justone component of a comprehensivejoint conservation program betweenthe government of French Polynesiaand the ZSSD,which includes fieldresearch, continuous monitoring ofendangered bird populations,translocations and captive-rearing.

Submitted by:Cyndi KuehlerCurator of Zoology, San Diego Zoo

Alan Lieberman

Curator of Birds, San Diego Zoo

MEXICO

The centre for the conservation of

Mexican Parrots founded by Dr LP.Ehrenberg has now beenincorporated under the name ofAmerycop, A.c. It is now in aposition to sign an agreement withthe local government to obtain theproperty for the Centre'sheadquarters. Recently acommunity-based theatre project inenvironmental education wassubmitted. Also, Olivia Newton-John, the well-known singer, willgive a concert in Mexico City in aidof the centre. A "live parrotmuseum" is planned which will bepart of a tropical park and a regionalarboretum.

NEW ZEALAND

Dear Mr Reynolds,Enclosed is the latest saga of thesmuggling attempts in New Zealand.There was a short footage ontelevision which revealed the birdsto be two pairs of Yellow bibbedLories and two pairs of Maroonbellied Conures. Both these speciesare breeding well in New Zealand.

Because of the attemptedsmuggling of the Yellow-bibbs it hasnow become urgent that world widerecognition be given to our Patronof the New Zealand Avicultural

Society Inc, Mr Fred Rix. Mr Rix hashad Yellow-bibbs since 1953when

they were legally brought into NewZealand (along with ChatteringLorys) by a Mr Farnsworth in theBay of Plenty. This gentleman wasnot managing the birds at all welland Mr Rix was asked to help him.This he did and from that time onMr Rix has had the Yellow bibbs.

Over the years he did not havevery much success with them - justmaintaining his number. There wasanother member of our Society withthe odd couple of birds and he andMr Rix kept the species alivebetween them.

It was during an Australian

Avicultural tour to Europe andUnited Kingdom in the early 1970sthat Mr & Mrs Rix visited GeorgeSmith. Here they learned the art ofhand rearing and since that time Mr& Mrs Rix have hand raised most of

their Yellow bibbs (and a largenumber of other parrots in hiscollection). With the addition of theabove extra birds this gave Mr Rix 6breeding pairs. Over the past 5years he and his wife have handraised a large number of Yellowbibbs and they are well establishedhere in New Zealand.

For the past two years severalpairs of these birds have legallybeen exported to Europe andelsewhere. Since the uncovering ofthe smuggling I wrote to you aboutin July, Geneva has disallowed ourDepartment of Conservation toissue export permits as they believethat the Yellow bibbs have been

raised from eggs smuggled into NewZealand. Despite assurances fromour Department and Customsauthorities, Cites still are notconvinced all these birds are aviarybred in New Zealand.

It is a pity that none of thebreeders (excluding myself) closering their birds. If they had donethis, there perhaps would beevidence that they were aviary bred,but it would still not overcome theproblem that Cites still say the eggswere smuggled.

Mr Rix is now the only breederin New Zealand breeding HoodedParrots. He has 4 breeding pairswho reared 5 chicks last year andthis year he has already hand rearedover 10 chicks. He also is one of thefew here with purebred BrownsRosella. Unfortunately there aremany hybrids around throughthoughtless breeders just throwingbirds together.

Please feel free to publish any ofthe above. Officials from ourCustoms and conservationDepartment have agreed that I goahead with trying to have Mr Rix'sbreeding achievementsacknowledged. I also have Mr Rix'sapproval.

Yours sincerely,

Elaine S Ashton (Miss)Albany, New Zealand

***

Ship search nets birds

NZPA Dunedin

Customs officers seized eight exoticparrots, believed to be valued atmore than $10,000, from the UnionRotorua container vessel at PortChalmers yesterday. TheDepartment of Conservationconfirmed last night that it was thefirst seizure of birds protected bythe Convention on International

Trade in Endangered Species from avessel in any domestic port sinceNew Zealand signed the conventionin 1987.The Dunedin collector of

customs, Mr Murray Anderton, saidit was the first case of illicit birdexports detected by DunedinCustoms in the past 20 years.

The brightly coloured birds, ofspecies native to Argentina, theSolomon Islands and South-east

Asia, might have been bred in NewZealand and intended for export toAustralia, authorities said. It wasunclear where the birds had beenplaced on board the ship andinvestigations were continuing. MrAnderton said the Union Roturuahad arrived at the Port Chalmers

multipurpose berth from Lytteltonat Ilpm on Thursday and was dueto leave for Sydney at lOamyesterday. Shortly before then asenior customs officer, Mr PeterWilhelmsen, had given the vessel itsfinal clearance and was taking a lastwalk around the ship when he heardthe sound of birds. A full customs

team was immediately called onboard, and officers found four-cagescontaining a pair of parrotsconcealed in the ceiling of a disusedsick bay.

(New Zealand Herald 24th October]992)

UNITED KINGDOM

Report supplied by RSPB, RSPCA,ElA

GOVERNMENTREPORTSHOWSTHOUSANDSOF BIRDSSTILLDYING

10}

I

MAFF(Ministry of Agriculture,Fisheries and Food) today releasedfigures for imports of birds into theU.K.While imports fell from 175,967in 1990to 129,490in 1991,mortalityrateS, (on arrival and duringquarantine) had risen from 12.32%to 14.81%during the year.

But the EIA/RSPB/RSPCAwholaunched a campaign to end thewild bird trade in May 1991,welcomed news that imports fell by50% in the six months following thecampaign launch. However, 19,178birds still died in air transport orduring quarantine in 1991 withthousands more dying prior toleaving the exporting country.

For the fourth year running thedata shows that mortality during airtransport and quarantine is onlysignificantly reduced in shipmentsinvolving less than 100 birds.Shipments can be as large as 4,000at present.

The organisations have beendelighted at the response fromairlines - by the end of 1991,41airlines had stopped carrying thewild birds. Yesterday a director ofKenyaAirways appeared on KenyanTVto announce that the airline

oil::

would become the one hundredth

airline with a wild bird embargo,following lobbying fromcampaigners. According toexporters the trade worldwide hasfallen to around a half of formerlevels due to the embargos.

As a result of the Euro-widecampaign the European Parliamentpassed a resolution calling for a banon the trade. Last month President

Bush signed "The Wild BirdConservation Act". The Act requiresa moratorium in one year on most ofthe half million annual wild-caughtbird imports to the U.S.

Dr. Arthur Lindley of the RSPCAsaid, "We are delighted thatnumbers of birds imported andmortality rates dropped in thesecond half of the year due to thecampaign. But the evidence clearlyshows that the Government mustseverely limit shipment size if it is toreduce mortality."

Peter Knights of EIAcommented, "MAFFhave done theirhomework. Now they must act tosave thousands of birds and to set

an example for Europe and the restof the world."

Paul Hannon of the RSPB stated,"As President of the Community,John Major should follow ex-President Bush's lead bygtlaranteeing better protection forwild birds in the current review ofEC wildlife laws."

EDITOR'SNOTE:Since 1989The World Parrot Trust

has been campaigning for individualshipments of parrots to be limitedto 50. We have once again written tothe Minister to advocate this limit.

***

From Department of theEnvironment - Exotic WildlifeDivision

13 November 1992

PROPOSEDECREGULATIONONTHE WILDLIFE TRADE

Discussions have been continuingunder the UKPresidency of the ECon the proposed EC Regulation onthe Wildlife Trade. I hope you willhave seen Lord Strathclyde's letterof 14 September to Lord Moran ofWildlife Link, which set out theGovernment's approach to theproposal in the light of the manyrepresentations received during ourinitial consultation exercise earlierthis year.

ECEnvironment Ministersdiscussed the Commission's

proposal for the first time at theEnvironment Council meeting inLuxembourg on 20 October. Thefollowing summary of thediscussion was recorded in Hansard,in a reply given by our Secretary ofState who chaired the Councilmeeting.

The Council considered for tbefirst time the Commission'sproposal for a revision of controlson the wildlife trade (the "CITESRegulation"). Other Member Statesjoined the United Kingdom insupporting a significantstrengthening of current controls,while emphasising that anyextension of controls beyond thosespecies covered by CITESmust beon a scientific basis. The Councilagreed that any harmonisedcontrols within Member States mustbe sharply focused; that theCommunity must avoid needlessbureaucracy; and that it wasimportant to ensure that MemberStates retained an appropriate levelof discretion in operating thecontrols. Ministers invited theCommittee of PermanentRepresentatives to continue theirwork on this issue.

A further meeting of the CouncilWorking Group is due to take placeon 17 - 18 November, at whichofficials will aim to make furtherprogress in particular in fleshing outthe ideas expressed by ECMinisters. After that meeting wehope to be in a position to reportback progress to those with aninterest in the UK.

USA

Communication received from AnnMichels of EIA(EnvironmentalInvestigation Agency) Washington:-

Dear Mike,

Writing to let you know that the U.S.Wild Bird Conservation Act passedthe U.S. Senate this past Thursdayand is due to pass the U.S. House ofRepresentatives sometime thisweekend. All that will be needed is

for the President to sign the billshortly after. Following is a factsheet describing what this bill willdo (its a compromise bill supportedby all conservation, environmentaland animal protection organizations,the zoological community, the petindustry and a large number ofavicultural organizations - no finalword from the AFAyet). I'll drop youa copy of the legislation in the mail.

The Wild Bird ConservationAct:

. Places an immediate moratorium

on importation of ten of the mostheavily traded and knownthreatened bird species in trade.. Allows the Secretary of theInterior to place an immediatemoratorium or quota on CITES-listed species if trade is detrimentaland might be necessary for theconservation of the species.. Enacts an import moratorium onall CITES-listed bird species, at theend of one year.

. Allows the Secretary of theInterior to establish a moratorium

or quota on bird species from acountry which has not implementeda management program that ensuresboth the conservation and thehumane treatment of the birds.

. Gives the Secretary of theInterior the power to requiremarking and recordkeeping for anyspecies that are smuggled in largenumbers.

The Wild Bird ConservationAct allows importation of:

. Wild-caught birds for zoos,scientific research and cooperativecaptive breeding.. Wild-caught birds for which ascientifically-based managementplan is in place which provides forthe conservation and humanetreatment of the birds; the planmust also ensure that trade is notdetrimental to the survival of the

species, as required by CITES.. Birds captive-bred from foreignfacilities approved by the Secretaryof the Interior.

. Birds exclusively bred incaptivity for the pet trade such ascockatiels and budgerigars.

New York and New Jersey havepassed state laws banning the saleof wild-caught birds. H.R. 5013 willnot pre-empt state laws.

***LATEST NEWS

The hope for survival of some of theworld's most beautiful and

threatened exotic birds grewstronger today as President Bushsigned into law the Wild BirdConservation Act of 1992.

The law is designed to restrictthe import of wild-caught birds,primarily parrots and parrot-likespecies, as pets. The United Statesis the world's largest importer ofthese birds, with imports totallingnearly a half million each year.

"The Administration is veryconcerned about the conservationof exotic bird species and thedepletion of wild populations due totrade," said Secretary of the InteriorManuel Lujan. "I am gratified by thebroad-based support this legislationreceived."

Mike Hayden, Assistant InteriorSecretary for Fish and Wildlife andParks, said, "President Bush'ssigning of the Wild BirdConservation Act shows that this

country is determined not tocontribute to the loss of the nativewild birds of other countries."

13

"...

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14

Give your friends

~~~~K ~\~r:==

~!)~:='

may soon be starved into extinction pi\BBOTas its principal food, ripened nuts TIlt WO~V ce~jjieSIha'fromlicuripalmtrees,becomes . here.increasingly scarce. The WorldParrot Trust, in cooperation withWildlife Conservation International,is mounting an expedition led by Dr.Charles Munn and Carlos Yarnashitato investigate the potential for apalm tree regeneration scheme. Theproject will begin by conductingthorough biological and ecologicalstudies of the birds and theirfeeding behaviours. Palmexperiments will follow to determinethe best strategy for ensuring thesurvival of the Lear's Macaw.

For just £10.00 you can help usmount this urgently needed projectto save the Lear's Macaw by buyingA Palm for a Parrot, an unusual giftavailable exclusively from the WorldParrot Trust. You will receive anattractive A5 certificate, suitable forframing, which confirms thepreservation of a palm in Brazil.Inscribed with your name or thename of the friend or relative towhom you wish to give the "palm"on the front, the story of the Lear'sMacaw and its struggle to survive isdescribed on the back of thecertificate.

Although most people think ofparrots in rainforests, the Lear'sMacaw lives in thorny scrubland inthe Brazilian state of Bahia. Reducedto just 65 birds in the wild, theLear's Macaws leave their roostsbefore dawn to fly distances of up to20 miles to reach feeding grounds.There they visit as many as fivepalm trees, consuming 350 palmnuts each day.

Scientists suspect that the licuri

.!ft qEol;;;ka~rrotinBM""BraZd "

'" S3\~ Ihe LEAKS MACAW iront "lInenon

palm trees so vital to the macaws'survival cannot, even now, meet theparrots' dietary needs in the dryseason. Worse, the palms arerapidly disappearing as pasturelands are cleared for the free rangecattle farming on which the localeconomy depends. The cattle alsograze on unripe palm fruits, whichmeans not only that there are fewerfruits left to ripen into the hard nutsthe parrots require but also that thepalm trees are not regenerating inareas used by the livestock.

As the palm trees graduallybecome old and unproductive, theLear's Macaws seem to fly furtherand further from their roosts insearch of new feeding grounds. The

macaws make long, exhaustingflights over open ground, perch inpredictable palm trees and evenforage for palm nuts on the ground.This makes them easy targets forhunters who may shoot the birds forfood or capture these valuableparrots for sale to the pet trade.

Will you help us save the Lear'sMacaw? Buy "palms" for all yourfriends.

A PALMFOR A PARROTfrom The World Parrot Trust

Only £10.00 by cheque, Visa, Accessor Mastercard

Please use the Priority Order Formenclosed with this issue.

New World Parrot Trust Funding Projects

The Trust has agreed to make acontribution of $1000towards a newstudy and survey to be carried outby ICBP(International Council forBird Preservation) in Brazil. Thissurvey will seek to establish thecurrent status of Amazona pretreiand Amazona vinacea, both ofwhich are thought to be in aperilous condition. We will advisemembers of the results in duecourse, in a future issue of'PsittaScene'.

When Hurricane Andrew

devastated South Florida on August31st, the Trust was very concernedabout the damage and distress

which would clearly be suffered bythe extensive avicultural communityin the area. The problem was to seea way to give some help, and theredid not seem to be a practicalmethod available. Now, however, wehave read in the AFA(AmericanFederation of Aviculture)'Watch bird' magazine of theirDisaster Relief Fund. The trusteeshave agreed to send $1000 to thisfund as an indication of theirsupport for aviculture. We feel sureour membership will approve of thisdonation.

Membership DriveI

We think it likely that virtually everymember of the Trust must know one

or two parrot people who would besympathetic to the Trust's statedobjectives. Like every charitablemembership organisation we needto increase our membership, and weare therefore including a return formwith this issue which asks for namesand addresses of potential memberswho might like to receive a copy of'PsittaScene'.

We hope that many memberswill help us in this way - it hardlycosts anything, but could be of greatbenefit to the parrots of the world.Thanks.

15

Action in Paraguay and Parrot StudbookWOKLDPARROTTRUST Brazil KeepersLEAGUETABLEOF ENDANGEREDPARROTS Once again we publish a list of

The Trust's Honorary Director, Mike Studbook Keepers. All readers

Reynolds, recently visited Paraguay holding these species would do

to discuss the possibility of creating well to register their birds with

The Trust is constantly looking for ways to focus attention on endangered a 'Conservation Bus' there, similar the relevant studbook keeper.

parrot species. This first attempt at a kind of league table of endangerment to those we have sent to the The development of these vital

may seem frivolous, but if it should attract media attention it will help to Caribbean. He also spent a week in studbooks is being seriously

educate the general public, and that will be worthwhile. Comments, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to attend damaged by the non-corrections and new information are invited. workshops on the conservation of participation of leading

Brazil's endangered macaws: Spix's aviculturists. If they are as

Species No. in wild No. in captivity Total Lear's, and Hyacinth. A full report conservation-minded as theywill be made in the next issue of pretend, they will register their

I Echo Parakeet 16 2 18 'PsittaScene'.lncidentally, Mike has birds right away.

(psittacula eques) been looking for an opportunity to BLUE-EYEDCOCKATOO*R*Mauritius explain that the term 'Honorary PALMCOCKATOO*R*

2 Spix's Macaw I 30 31 Director' simply means that he does Dr.RogerWilkinson,NorthofEngland(Cyanopsitta spixii) the job for no payment. Some ZoologicalSociety,ChesterZoo,Brazil overseas members have gained the CaughallRoad,Upton-by-Chester,CH2

3 Kakapo 40 2 42 mistaken impression that he is somelLH

(Strigops habroptilus) kind of grandee - not so! GREEN-CHEEKEDAMAZON*R*

New Zealand LlLACINEAMAZON4 Lear's Macaw 61 8 69 MarkPilgrim,NorthofEngland

(Anodorhynchus leari) The Goffin's Cockatoos: ZoologicalSociety,ChesterZoo,Brazil

an updateCaughallRoad,Upton-by-Chester,CH2

5 Imperial Amazon 80 I 81lLH

(Amazona imperialis) MOLUCCANCOCKATOO*R*

Dominica Wl. In the August 1992issue of RobColley,PenscynorWildlifePark,6 BlackParrot 100 0 100 'PsittaScene' we reported our Cilfrew,Neath,Glam.,S.Wales.

(Coracopsis nigra barklyi) concern about 535 Goffin's GOFFIN'SCOCKATOO*R*

Praslin, Seychelles Cockatoos being held by a dealer at SCARLET MACAW *R*7 Orange-bellied Parrot ISO 35 185 Saumlaki on the island of Yamdena BUFFbN'SMACAW*R*

(Neophema chrysogaster) in Indonesia. Strenuous REDFRONTEDMACAW *R*

Australia representations have been made to DavidWoolcock,ParadisePark,Hayle,8 St Lucia Amazon 250 12 262 the Indonesian government, through CornwallTR274HY

(Amazona versicolor) their embassies in London and THICKBILLEDPARROT*R*St Lucia W.I. Washington, and directly to PHPAin DavidJeggo,JerseyWildlife

9 Red-necked Amazon 300 5 305 Jakarta, the government body PreservationTrust,LesAugresManor,(Amazonaarausiaca) responsible for wildlife Trinity,Jersey,ChannelIslands.Dominica W.I. conservation. We have also sought HYACINTH MACAW *R*

10 St Vincent Amazon 500 104 604 the help of WWF TRAFFIC,CITES, ColinBath,PaigntonZoological&(Amazonaguildingii) and ICBP. BotanicalGardens,TotnesRoad,St Vincent Wl. We have now heard from PHPA Paignton,Devon.

11 Maroon Fronted Parrot 700 2 702 that they will do all they can to GOLDENCONURE *1*(Rhynchopsitta p. terrisi) resolve the problem, and this AlanLieberman,SanDiegoZoo,POMexico assurance is welcome. Meanwhile, Box551,SanDiego,California,92112-

12 BahamasParrot 1500 0 1500 however, the birds, a few of which 0551USA.(AmazonaI.bahamensis) have died over the past few weeks, GOLDENCONURE*R*Bahamas remain at Saumlaki. They have been RED-VENTEDCOCKATOO*R*

13 Blue-throated Macaw 1500 200 1700 moved to a farm belonging to a BLUE-STREAKEDWRY *R*(Ara glaucogularis) chinese family, where unfortunately c/o TheParrotSociety,108b,FenlakeBolivia they have been kept close to

14 Night Parrot 2000 0 2000 poultry.Road,BedfordMK42OEU

(Geopsittacus occidentalis) A representative of ICBPhas*R* = UKREGIONALSTUDBOOK

Australia now also visited them, and he feels *1*= INTERNATIONALSTUDBOOKIS Ground Parrot 2500 I 2501 that the birds would represent a

(pezoporus wallicus) disease threat to the wildAustralia population if released.

16 Red Fronted Macaw 2000 1500 3500 This is very bad news, as the domestic market. This would be

(Ara rubrogenys) cost of quarantining these birds and legal, though highly regrettable. TheBolivia ensuring their freedom from disease only possible alternative would be

17 Golden Conure 2000 2000 4000 would run into tens of thousands of for the Indonesian government,(Guarouba guarouba) pounds. We don't believe any through its PHPAauthority, toBrazil organisation has funds available for decide to accept the disease risk

18 Moluccan Cockatoo 1000 4000 5000 such an operation; certainly The and authorise the release of the

(Cacatua moluccensis) World Parrot Trust does not. birds. We'll keep you informed.Indonesia We are advised that there is In the meantime our Benelux

19 Hyacinth Macaw 3500 3000 6500 little possibility of the Goffin's Chapter has raised over £1000for(Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) Cockatoos entering the international our Indonesia Parrot Fund, andBrazil, Bolivia,Paraguay market now they are listed on other donations will ensure that we

20 Palm Cockatoo 6000 1000 7000 Appendix I of CITES,but there is can raise our contribution towards

(probosciger aterrimus) every likelihood that they may be ICBP'splanned survey of YamdenaNew Guinea, Australia absorbed into the Indonesian to £2000.

AIMS OF TUB WORLD PARROT TRUSTThe objective of the trust is to promote the survival of all parrot species and the welfare of individual birds.

1 By educating the general public worldwide about the threat toparrot survival, and seeking their interest, concern andsupport.

2 By action to protect and preserve the natural habitats ofparrots worldwide.

3 By gathering and disseminating information on the status ofparrot populations in the wild and in captivity.

4 By advocating effective controls on the international trade inwild-caught parrots, and its replacement by captive-bred birds.

5 By encouraging co-operation in the breeding of parrots byaviculturists and zoological institutions, and better liaisonbetween the captive breeding community and conservationbodies, with the aim of creating self-sustaining populations ofendangered species.

6 By promoting high standards in the keeping of parrots as pets.7 By encouraging research projects, Le.: the veterinary care of

parrots, and the preservation of genetic diversity.8 By any other means that may be appropriate.

TUE WORK OF TUE TRUST: A BRIEF REVIEW

Hyacinth FundThis special fund, launched in 1990,has providedover £13,500 to help conservation measures forboth the Hyacinth and Lear's Macaw. Current workfocusses on our 'Palm for a Parrot' campaign.

Caribbean Buses

The 'Jacquot Express' was sent to St. Lucia in 1991,the 'Sisserou Express' was sent to Dominica in1992. We are now about to send the 'Vincie

Express' to St. Vincent. This unique 'conservationbus' scheme is remarkable value for money.

Indonesian Parrots

Many Indonesian parrots are under threat, andwith the particular help of our Benelux Chapter weare doing all we can. Currently we seek the releaseof over 500 Goffin's Cockatoos held by traders, andwe are supporting an ICBPsurvey of Yamdena.

Amazons in Brazil

The Trust has been invited by the Braziliangovernment to help with the conservation of all itsparrot species. We have recently contributedtowards a new survey to establish the status in thewild of two Amazon parrots: A. pretrei and A.vinacea.

Black Cockatoos in Australia

The Trust provides half the cost of a four yearprogramme to assist the survival of an endangeredsub-species of this spectacular cockatoo inVictoria. Cost: £8000

Echo Parakeet

This is the world's rarest parrot, as only about 17still exist on Mauritius. The Trust has providedcontinuous support for this species, includingsupplying a four wheel drive vehicle, a computerand other equipment, and helping with training anddiets.

Other Activities

The Trust has supported and attended parrotconservation workshops and conventions in Brazil,

~- ~ Paraguay,Honduras, Holland,Spain,UKand the~.~ USA.It has contributed towards hurricane relief for

~Gn'u..Al\9' aviculturists in South Florida. It is researching.::atrruu ways to improve the conditions in which pet

parrots are kept. Through its 'Parrot Bureau' it seeks to inform the publicabout parrot conservation and welfare. Principally through this publication,'PsittaScene', it sets out to inform parrot aviculturists about developments inconservation. The World Parrot Trust aims to represent the interests ofenlightened, responsible aviculture in its contacts with national andinternational bodies and authorities. In all its work, the interests of theparrots themselves come first.

"ELP SAVE TUE PARROTS OF TUE WORLDPlease join the Trust, or encourage friends to join

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Michael Reynolds

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