fws.gov
PUERTO RICAN PARROT
Mikayla Mularoni BIO 227 Fall 2016
With its incredibly
bright green, red, and blue feathers, one might think the appearance of the Puerto
Rican parrot closely resembles that of a show girl in Las Vegas. Unlike feathery,
flamboyant lounge acts in Vegas, however, this unique species is near the top
of the endangered species list.
It is petite in size – in fact, it is the
smallest of its genus – measuring only about 29 centimeters and weighing around
270 grams (“Puerto
Rican Parrot”). This little guy packs a mean punch, though, and often engages in fights with other
parrots, trying to protect his or her territory at all costs. When it’s not
busy battling, the Puerto Rican parrot starts breeding at the ripe old age of
four, which actually might seem a little late in the game considering that it
matures within three to five years. Nonetheless,
once it finds its soul mate, the Puerto Rican parrot bonds for life. And unlike
most humans, the male bird is responsible for finding and setting up the home
for the happy couple. These nest sites or territories are usually close to
other parrot pairs as well, which reinforces the idea of long-term partners.
More living proof that it takes a village.
Geographic and Population
Changes
The diminishing
Puerto Rican parrot is found in the Caribbean National Forest and the Rio Abajo
Commonwealth Forest on the Island of – you guessed it – Puerto Rico.
ecos.fws.gov
There is much evidence showing that the parrot used to be bountiful across the Puerto Rican Archipelago’s major islands; experts think past populations might have actually been in the millions! When humans began invading the island in the 1600s, the bird population started to take a dive. The most rapid and devastating decline took place in the 19th and 20th centuries, just as deforestation started across the islands. By about 1940, the poor little parrot disappeared altogether from all of the offshore islands. A few heartier souls flew the coop, and were later found in the Luquillo Mountains on the eastern side of Puerto Rico, but on March 3rd in 1967, the lovely Puerto Rican parrot was officially listed as an endangered species. And since these little fellows mate for life, it has been tough trying to grow that village – as of 2008, only about 25 individual birds have been counted. Sadly, the population has only increased slightly in the last eight years (“Puerto Rican Parrot”).
Why are they Endangered?
The biggest factor
in the parrot’s decline in number was the destruction of its habitat – and
still is today. The parrots rely on trees for nesting cavities, but without them,
the population of parrots literally reached a standstill. Other human
activities like road construction plus guerrilla warfare and radiation
experiments during WWII took its toll on the birds’ populations. Disease,
predation, and local weather conditions didn’t help either, and continued to
affect the parrots’ existence (“Puerto Rican Parrot”).
THE PUERTO RICAN PARROT RECOVERY
PLAN
The first and most obvious step in preventing these striking birds from
forever becoming extinct is to protect and – shocker – increase the current
Puerto Rican parrot wild population. Who would have thought? In order to do
this, some smart biologists manage populations of the little birds’ competitors
and predators. They also practice their nurturing skills and help human-raised
chicks adapt to nests in the wild. When they’re grown, the pseudo-captive parrots
are released into two distinct aviaries.
fws.gov
Here they do a variety of things;
hopefully their interior design skills will allow them to set up a
trendy-yet-artificial home nests, which will allow the adult parrots to experiment
with pairings. They will have to play nurse-maid as well, ensuring that the
parrots themselves receive free health care benefits. Once these parrots are
deemed fit for the wild, the human parents will literally become empty-nesters,
setting their youngins’ free in the hopes that they will establish additional wild
populations. The newly released parrots will be closely monitored – tweeting their
whereabouts didn’t pan out, so leg bands and custom made radio transmitters are
attached to the little guys to help determine how well they make it on their
own. Along with this high-tech tracking, wild additional nests will be set up (the
ones tested in the aviaries) to try and help the couples reproduce. Although
some nesting sites could be potentially found in the form of old, dead royal
palms, older growth forests in sinkholes, and/or cavities in caves, placing
these fake nests in a comfortable spot for the parrots is crucial for
re-establishment. Natural nesting sites already in the wild will be inspected
and ‘redecorated’ to maximize the odds of the parrots claiming them as their
territory – all to try and make sure these love birds actually reproduce in the
wild (“Puerto Rican Parrot”).
How is the
Recovery plan doing?
Now that
this recovery plan is in place, the two captive populations have already
reached more than 200 birds each, and they are increasing every year (“Puerto Rican Parrot
comeback”). And for
the first time in years, parrot couples are creating their own little love
nests again, eliminating the need for the artificial habitats.
So now
what?
Want to
help keep the love fest movement going? There really are ways to pitch in –
here are some suggestions:
- Donate to conservation groups, or join a local one!
- Resist the temptation to buy exotic or wild animals as pets – but if you already have them, don’t release them.
- Show your love by supporting environmental legislation, and get involved in local government to see if they are doing anything to help endangered species.
Last but
not least – spread the word! Talk to your friends, see if they even know about
the Puerto Rican parrot. Explain how yet another lovely living creature has
been devastated by human “progress”. And while it may not be the most riveting
conversation you’ll have with your friends, let them know that conserving
wildlife habitat for the benefit of endangered species makes for better
villages for all of us. Well, except maybe in Las Vegas.
Conservation Groups YOU can donate to:
Want to learn more?
Click the
links below!
Works Cited:
“Puerto
Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata).” ECOS
Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,
http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=B00L. Accessed 17 Nov.
2016.
“Puerto
Rican Parrot comeback.” National
Wildlife. National Wildlife Federation, 1996, http://www.nwf.org/news-and-magazines/national-wildlife/birds/archives/2015/puerto-rican-parrot-comeback.aspx.
Accessed 17 Nov. 2016.
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