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From the tropical jungles of South America to the alpine regions of New Zealand, parrots are one of the most diverse groups of birds on our planet. They are also one of the most threatened, in terms of the proportion of species assessed as being at risk of extinction on the IUCN Red List.
The World Parrot Trust (WPT) is an international charity dedicated to conserving parrots around the world, and their projects cover every continent except Antarctica - possibly due to the lack of parrots there. Dr Rowan Martin is the Director of WPT’s Africa Conservation Programme, and has been working with parrots ever since he did his PhD on the Yellow-shouldered Amazon (Amazona barbadensis), a Vulnerable species native to South America and the Caribbean. From there, he moved on to work on African parrots. |
Dr Rowan Martin. Photo credit: Madalena Boto.
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“After my PhD I went to the University of Cape Town, to the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology where I was a postdoctoral fellow researching the impacts of climate change on birds in southern Africa. While there, I ended up coordinating a review of research and conservation priorities for African parrots.
That involved coming up with a status assessment of what we knew about the threats, where the focus of research was, and to try to identify knowledge and conservation gaps. That review was published in Ostrich - The Journal of African Ornithology and it formed the roadmap for what became the WPT’s Africa Conservation Programme. In 2013 they asked me to come on board to lead the process of developing that programme.“ |
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There are around 25 species of parrots in Africa, the majority of which has so far received very little research attention, even though some of them are highly threatened. They face unique conservation challenges, since they are greatly endangered by habitat loss - parrots tend to rely on large mature trees for nesting sites, which are the first trees to disappear from humanized landscapes, and then take a long time to regenerate. Parrots are also popular as pets and are traded in large numbers. “There have been very few assessments of the status of African parrot populations. Some species seem to be doing fairly okay, but there are huge gaps in our knowledge of the status of others. For example the Niam-niam Parrot (Poicephalus crassus), which occurs in parts of the Central African Republic, in southern Chad and possibly in southern Sudan is almost unknown. It was only last year that someone conducting surveys in southern Chad managed to get photos of these parrots. We still know next to nothing about their ecology or conservation status. Some of these African species are the most internationally traded of all wild parrots, such as the Senegal Parrot (Poicephalus senegalus) the Red-fronted Parrot (Poicephalus gulielmi) and the African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus). Some of the lovebirds are also traded in considerable numbers." |
Parrots tend to rely on large mature trees for nesting sites, which are the first trees to disappear from humanized landscapes. |
Lilian’s Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae). Photo credit: Dominique Schreckling
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Rowan’s work is to ensure that the African Conservation Programme achieves the best results possible for threatened parrots in Africa. To do this, the programme targets priority species in a number of countries, tailoring the approach to the situation. Generally, the programme’s strategy is to support the work of local partners, helping to develop appropriate conservation initiatives, providing technical support, field expertise and securing funding.
Actions range from wild population management, such as installing nest boxes where there is a lack of nest sites, field research to understand the threats to wild populations, community-focused projects to discourage trapping and the felling of nest trees, and education programmes focused on schools and young people living near parrot populations. |
“Every country, every area, every community has a unique set of challenges. It requires spending time and it is essential to work with partners that understand the local context well.“
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“For example, we have been supporting partners in Guinea Bissau, where there are a couple of communities that essentially own the two islands where the majority of Timneh Parrots (Psittacus timneh) in the country are still found. The project involves working with community members who were previously involved with trapping parrots, and finding them employment, be that in protecting or monitoring nests, or taking part in other activities within the national park.
Another project focuses on lovebirds in the Zambezi valley. There are two closely-related species, Lilian’s Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae) and Black-cheeked Lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis), which are endemic to the Mopane woodlands there. Our focus there has been to try and understand the status of wild populations and the threats they face. |
Timneh Parrot at a nest. Photo credit: Rowan Martin
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Although they were traded in large numbers in the past, this threat no longer appears to be significant since demand is largely met by captive bred birds. The big threat at present seems to be the rapid rate of woodland clearance - so we are trying to understand what the specific habitat needs of these species are, where the key areas of habitat are found, and where we should focus conservation efforts.“
Of course, as many conservationists well know, working with local communities can be challenging. Encouraging changes in behaviour is a time-consuming and demanding task, and one of the hardest parts of the job, according to Rowan. “Every country, every area, every community has a unique set of challenges. It often comes down to a few personalities in the community. It requires spending time and it is essential to work with partners that understand the local context and values well.“ |
Installing artificial cavities. Photo credit: Hamilton Monteiro
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Rowan and a colleague size up a nest tree. Photo credit: David Wiles
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Increasing knowledge about parrot species can be tricky, as they are difficult animals to study. “They tend to have very patchy distributions for reasons that we do not fully understand, and they spend a lot of their time perched high at the top of canopies, making them difficult to observe. They are not easy to put tracking devices on either. There is still a huge amount we do not know about parrot movements which can have a huge influence on appropriate conservation strategies.” The WPT also works to encourage policy changes that will be favourable to the conservation of parrots. For example, by making sure that the decisions made at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are based on the best available scientific evidence. |
Timneh Parrot seized from illegal tarde. Photo credit: Rowan Martin
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“CITES can certainly help. For example for grey parrots, the legal trade in wild birds provided cover for illegal trade. There were large numbers of parrots being exported, reported as captive bred, from countries where there were no captive breeding facilities. While most countries had quotas, there were various ways of getting around the system, for example by falsifying or re-using documents.
The move to put grey parrots on Appendix I of CITES, which prohibits commercial trade in wild-caught grey parrots, has closed a lot of the loopholes and provides clarity which allows customs authorities to act and effectively enforce the agreements under the convention.” |
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Rowan’s long term vision includes vastly increasing our knowledge of parrots in Africa and developing, and putting into action, conservation strategies for the most threatened species. As for Rowan’s favourite parrot species, it is Lillian’s Lovebirds.
“Their social behaviour is fascinating. They roost in groups inside tree holes and as many as 25 lovebirds have been found snuggled up together in the same hole. Some other lovebird species have this fascinating behaviour where they carry nesting material back to their nests by tucking it under their feathers. They are amazing little parrots.” |
Lilian's Lovebirds at dusk. Photo credit: Georgios Chaziris