The World Parrot Trust was founded in 1989 as UK Registered
Charity No 800944 International expansion has been rapid and the
Trust now has linked charities and support groups in Africa,
Australia, Pelgium, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Italy,
Scandinavia, Switzerland and the USA.
Funds raised for the parrots have now reached £650,000 (S JM)
and have been used to initiate and support conservation and
welfare projects in 19 countries for 23 species of parrot.
Despite this wide-ranging activity, the Trust is run on a
volunteer basis, with only two part time administrators
worldwide. This uniquely cost-effective approach is made
possible by substantial financial and logistical support donated
by Paradise Park, the UK home base of the World Parrot Trust.
The objective of the Trust is to promote the survival of all
parrot species and the welfare of individual birds. It pursues
these aims by funding field conservation work, research projects
and educational programmes. The Trust seeks to promote the
concept of 'responsible aviculture' where the interests of the
parrots themselves are given priority over commercial,
political, career or other human concerns. The World Parrot
Trust and its members wish to be recognised as the 'True Friends
of the Parrots', and to win over the majority of aviculturists
to its point of view. The task is huge - our resources are
limited. We need the commitment of everyone in the 'parrot
community': those who keep, breed, study and protect the
parrots. Beyond those special interests, we look for support
from everyone who understands the crisis facing the world
through the loss of biodiversity. We aim to continue using the
special charm of the parrots to win the hearts and minds of
thoughtful people everywhere.
Michael Reynolds
Founder and Hon. Director
World Parrot Trust
ECHO PARAKEET Psittacula echo Mauntius
When the World Parrot Trust began to support this species in
1990 it was the least numerous parrot in the world, with only
about 15 individuals left in the wild and none in captivity. We
began by supplying a 4WD vehicle (with help from the UK Parrot
Society), and have provided research funds every year, to reach
a current total of £50000. For the past three years we have sent
our trustee and veterinary consultant Andrew Greenwood to advise
the team headed by Carl Jones of the Jersey Wildlife
Preservation Trust. Working together with the Mauritian Wildlife
Fund, they have raised the total number of Echo Parakeets to
around 50. Of these, 17 are in the new aviary facility, and
plans are in hand to begin releasing some back into the wild in
1996. This is probably the world's most successful parrot
conservation programme.
LEAR'S MACAW Anodorhynchus leari Brazil
Since 1992 the World Parrot Trust has been supporting the work
of Dr Charles A Munn III, the world's leading expert on macaws.
At one time, Lear's Macaw was thought to be reduced to only 50
or 60 specimens, living in a dry and desolate area of NE Brazil.
These birds are threatened by a shortage of the palm trees on
which they rely for food and this lead to our funding a longterm
scheme to grow and transplant thousands of these trees. The
other main threat is the trapping of these birds for sale to
unscrupulous collectors. Dr Munn, with his Brazilian colleagues
in the area, has made substantial progress in converting
trappers to macaw protectors. His team has also discovered the
nesting cliffs of an entirely new population of Lear's Macaw, a
very welcome development (see our PsittaScene newsletter for
November 1995).
PALM COCKATOO Probosciger aterrimus Australia,
New Guinea
Following five years of providing funding for an endangered
sub-species of the Red- tailed Black Cockatoo, we have now made
a conirnitment to help fund a new three year comparative study
of the Palm Cockatoo in Cape York, Australia, and Crater
Mountain, Papua New Guinea. We will be working with the
Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service, and with the
Wildlife Conservation Society, a branch of New York Zoological
Society. Surprisingly little is imown about the Palm Cockatoo,
and this long term study will be of great value to the future
conservation of the species, which has been placed on Appendix 1
of CITES because it has been so heavily trapped and traded. It
will be pleasing for the World Parrot Trust to be working for
the survival of the bird which is part of its logo.
PARROT ACTION PLAN 1997-2002
A previous draft Parrot Action Plan had been discontinued due to
differences of opinion between leading scientific experts. The
World Parrot Trust took the initiative in making a new attempt
at this task, so vital to the conservation of endangered parrot
species. With the invaluable help of British Airways Assisting
Conservation, who provided flights worth £20000, a meeting of
international parrot specialists was arranged in London in June
1995. This resulted in agreement to proceed with a new Action
Plan, backed by IUCN, the World Conservation Union, Birdlife
International, the Association for Parrot Conservation and the
World Parrot Trust. We have been given the job of coordinating
and progressing the Action Plan, which is to be completed by the
end of 1996. We need $30000 for this, but so far we have only
$5000 provided by ourselves, and $4000 from the Institut fur Pap
ageienforschung. We would welcome further donations or pledges
to complete the necessary funding.
ST VINCENT PARROT Amazona guildingii St
Vincent, West Indies
Our involvement with this most beautiful of parrots goes back
many years. In 1974 Paradise Park (home of the World Parrot
Trust) was sent a pair of these birds by the St Vincent
Government. The Park has succeeded in breeding them and is
sending offspring to members of the official St Vincent Parrot
Consortium. In 1994 we were able to send one of our four Parrot
Buses (created in partnership with Paul Butler of RARE Centre)
to St Vincent, where it is used to educate the island's children
about the importance of preserving the remaining rainforest, not
just for the parrots, but to ensure the island's water supply.
We have also sent Dr Andrew Greenwood to advise on the
government's breeding programme for the St Vincent Parrot and we
are in the process of building a new display aviary in the
famous Botanical Gardens in Kingstown.
RED-VENTED COCKATOO Cacatuci haematurnpy~ia The
Philippines
This cockatoo is now listed as 'Critical' in BirdUfe
International's 'Birds to Watch 2'. The total population may he
between 1000 and 4000, scattered among many islands. The
destruction of its lowland forest habitat is a major concern,
but trapping is probably the greater threat. Indeed, 'Birds to
Watch 2' reports 'the young of every known accessible nest are
taken for the pet trade.' Urgent action is needed and Marc
Boussekey of Espace Zoologique, France, has been successful in
setting up a conservation programme on Palawan, a remarning
stronghold of the species. His partners there have established
the Sagip Kotala (Save the Cockatoo) Movement, and their members
are protecting nest sites by providing incentives for cx-
poachers and educating the local population through radio
broadcasts. We have provided $2000 towards a total budget of
$20000, so much more help is needed. Remember, this species is
'Critical', so please consider helping this project.
HYACINTH MACAW Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
Brazil, Paraguay
When we first started working with Dr Munn in 1991, we
part-funded some research into the breeding biologr of the
Hyacinth Macaw in the Pantanal of Brazil. We also funded a
successful experiment in the provision of artificial nestboxes
for these birds. A wild population of at least 50000 thirty
years ago has been reduced to an estimated 3000 today,
almost entirely due to the insatiable
demand for these beautiful birds as pets in developed countries.
Many thousands have died in the processes of capture and
transportation and it is certain that there are now more in
captivity than in the wild. With this history, aviculture has a
duty to 'put something back' to help the birds in the wild. We
are currently working with Charlie Munn to develop a programme
to help protect an important population of Hyacinth Macaws in
Eastern Brazil. This is our most urgent
and underfunded project, and we need to find $40,000 for 1996 -
please help.
PARROT HABITAT FUND
One of our original stated 'Aims' was 'to protect and preserve
the natural habitats of parrots'. We now feel ready to start a
special fund for this purpose. The PARROT HABITAT FUND
uses a beautiful rainforest painting generously donated to the
Trust by Cyd Riley of Firefly T-shirts. It carries the message
'Save it for the parrots, save it for us all!'
We have established contact with a number of excellent habitat
preservation projects involving parrots and details of these
will be provided in our newsletter PsittaScene. Our hope is that
this campaign and the T-shirts and other merchandise associated
with it, will appeal to a wide general audience in addition to
the 'parrot world'.
YOU CAN HELP US...
Charles A Muno III PhD.
Founder Trustee WPT-USA Senior Research Biologist.. Wildlife
Conservation Society.
Andrew Greenwood MRCVS.
Founder Trustee of WPT-UK and WPT-USA. Zoo and wildlife vetinary
consultant.
Audrey Reynolds.
Director, Paradise Park. Founder Trustee of The World Parrot
Trust UK
Rosemary Low.
Author of 'Endangered Parrots' and 20 more parrot books. Editor
of PsittaScene
Wm. Richard Porter MO.
Director of the International Aviculturists Society. Founder
Trustee of WPT-USA. David Woolcock.
Curator, Paradise Park Founder Trustee of Thr World Parrot Trust
UK.
Michael Reynolds.
Founder of The World Parrot Trust, Hon. Director of WPT-UK,
Trustee of WPT- USA.
SAVE THE PARROTS!
Join us.
Become a member of the World Parrot Trust, receive our
PsittaScenee newsletter, know that you are actively contributing
towards our aims
Help fund our Projects.
We are currently supporting parrot conservation, education and
welfare projects in Africa, Australia, Bolivia Brazil the
Caribbean, Ecuador, Mauritius, New Zealand Paraguay, Peru and
the Philippines. Your generosity towards the parrots could help
us expand current schemes and start new ones.
Aims of the Trust. The
survival of parrot species In the wild, and the welfare of
captive birds.
These aims are pursued by:-
Educating the public on the threats to parrots. Opposing trade
in wild-caught parrots. Preserving and restoring parrot habitat.
Studying the status of parrot populations. Encouraging the
production of aviary-bred birds. Creating links between
aviculture and conservation. Promoting high standards in the
keeping of parrots. Supporting research into veterinary care of
parrots.
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