07/01/2019
Grey-breasted Parakeet, a threatened species
endemic to northern Brazil, enjoyed a fantastic year in 2018, in part thanks
to the prize-winning project for its protection and recovery, conducted by
the Brazilian NGO Aquasis with the Loro Parque Fundación as principal supporter
since 2007.
Prior to
2007, the wild Grey-breasted Parakeet population suffered a dramatic decline
due to habitat destruction and trapping for trade. Now it is found in only
three places in Ceará State, with the main population residing in the Baturité
Mountains, south of the city of Fortaleza. This so-called 'sky island' is a
remnant of humid Atlantic Rainforest, completely surrounded by unfavourable dry
lowland caatinga scrub and agriculture. Much smaller populations occur in
the Quixadá Inselbergs, and another elevated area called Ibaretama. The
combined area of these sites totals no more than 830km2.
The
selective removal of certain trees and the destruction of nest sites by
poachers have resulted in a shortage of suitable nesting cavities for
parakeets. In response, Aquasis has made a determined effort to install
nestboxes in forested areas on the land of sympathetic owners, being places
which provide more deterrence against nest poachers. The nestboxes preferred by
the parakeets are wooden with more than one entry and exit hole. The project discovered
that Grey-breasted Parakeet is a co-operative breeder, with occupation of a
single nest by a group of parakeets instead of just one breeding pair.
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