An ‘El Niño’ event causes food shortage and security concerns, and puts an important area off-limits to one of the Philippine Cockatoo project’s co-directors. But in the same area, 220 Cockatoos have been counted and Cockatoos released to the wild at another site, continue to survive.
Close to the equator, and with about 7,640 islands, the Philippines has countless sundrenched, white-sand tropical beaches and warm, crystal-clear waters. The western most island of Palawan, and its satellite islands, is well-endowed with these natural assets which, together with the greater area of forest which it retains, is designated as a Biosphere Reserve under the Man and Biosphere Programme of UNESCO. It also constitutes the stronghold of the Philippine Cockatoo (Red-vented Cockatoo – Cacatua haematuropygia), a species classified in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as ‘Critically Endangered’. The threats to the existence of the Philippine Cockatoo are various, but the two main causes of its highly threatened status, are the widespread destruction of its lowland forest habitat and the illegal removal of mainly young Cockatoos for the pet trade.
The result of these pressures is the disappearance of Cockatoos from most of the Philippine islands, and an upper estimate of only 1,120 wild Philippine Cockatoos. The lower estimate could be as few as 640, but without doubt, this would be worse without the strenuous conservation efforts made by the local Katala Foundation Inc. (KFI) within its Philippine Cockatoo Conservation Program (PCCP). Katala and Kalabukay are two local names for the Cockatoo.
Since 1999, The Loro Parque Fundación (LPF) has been the principal supporter of the PCCP, with its main partner donors being the Chester Zoo, ZGAP (Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations) and Beaval Nature. Without the $US1,679,278 contributed to date, it is likely that the species would now be extinct in the wild, but instead we now have a much more optimistic scenario where recovery of the wild population increasingly becomes reality.
Still challenges ahead
This story is from the August 2017 edition of Parrots magazine.
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This story is from the August 2017 edition of Parrots magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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Parrot language issue
Puerto Rico’s endangered parrots are facing a new threat to their survival – their strange squawks. In a phenomenon never seen before, Puerto Rican parrots bred in captivity, with a view to being released into the wild, were communicating with a different dialect to the wild populations.
Regent parrots thriving in SA wetland
Passion drips from Tim Field’s every word when he speaks about eastern Regent Parrots. The wetland manager at Banrock Station in South Australia is, it’s fair to say, smitten with these striking birds. “September and October is Regent Parrot survey time,” Tim says, “So we’re up well before dawn to make sure we’re at the wetland’s to track the fly-in, fly-out breeding population.”
Landmark event for Philippine Cockatoo
Exciting news has recently arrived of a landmark event in the Philippine Cockatoo Conservation Program (PCCP), the long-term endeavour to bring about the recovery of this ‘Critically Endangered’ species endemic to the Philippines. For the first time ever, a Philippine Cockatoo rescued from the wild, and subsequently released back to its original site, has been recorded to breed and produce a healthy hatchling. Such rescue and release to augment the wild population is just one of a raft of conservation measures conducted by the PCCP and supported by the Loro Parque Fundación over many years.
Increasing Knowledge of the Most Endangered Parrots
Fifty years ago our knowledge of the status of parrots in the wild was limited. Few parrot species were known to be in danger of extinction and these were mainly Amazona parrots which were confined to small islands. At that time very few species had been studied in the wild.
Coronavirus threat to PNG's animal rescue centre
Port Moresby is the capital of Papua New Guinea and is home to its unique animal rescue centre that is now facing the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic, and could be shut down. Papua New Guinea is the most populous nation in Melanesia and faces a potentially devastating wave of Covid-19 infections.
Cucurbitaceae enrichment for our parrots
The group of cucurbitaceae is the one that includes cucumbers and pumpkins. Climbing or creeping plants that usually cover large areas to produce fruits that usually accumulate a lot of water. In nature, these plants defend themselves with a very bitter substance called cucurbitacin.
Rare macaw refuge destroyed
A rare bird sanctuary in Brazil, which is home to 15 per cent of the world’s population of Hyacinth and Lear’s Macaws, has been destroyed by fires, and there are now fears for the survival of these blue macaws. “It is very sad to see decades of my family’s work, years taking care and preserving nature, for this to happen,” said Ana Maria Barreto, owner of the São Francisco do Perigara, a cattle ranch and bird sanctuary of more than 61,000 acres in Mato Grosso state.
The value of animals
Children at a nursery and day care facility were delighted to receive a visit from some very special guests. Learning Land in Workington has a range of animals drop by, as part of an educational encounter paid for by the Co-op. The store has been working with animal specialists, Pet Encounter Cumbria, based in Workington, to deliver therapeutic and educational visits to children and the elderly.
Complete Psittacine Subtle Secrets for Feeding Psittacines – and Getting them to Eat
I have been daily feeding psittacines for 40 years now and there have been times in the past when I felt that was all I did each day – pets, breeders, babies, the birds at the shoppe in Santa Fe. The good news is this has taught me a whole lot about how to do it. And across all species groups, there are some really good guidelines for what to feed, when to feed, and how to make sure your parrots are actually consuming what you are giving them.
Calabash for parrots
Different types of calabash has grown this year very well within our organic crops and a big advantage for our parrots that are relishing every moment during this season.
