Echo Bonaire Parrot Rescue Report

Bonaire Parrot Rescue Report

July 2012

Major Funding Provided by:

Introduction This report will detail the successful rescue and rehabilitation of 16 Yellow-shouldered Amazon Parrots and 94 Brown-throated Parakeets by Echo. This would not have been possible without the rapid and generous funding from the World Wild Fund for Nature, World Parrot Trust, Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, and many other donors. These wild birds were intended to be shipped illegally from the Caribbean island of Bonaire to neighboring Curaรงao where they would have been sold into the international pet trade. Thanks to the joint efforts of the National Park organization STINAPA and the police, these birds were confiscated and delivered into the care of Echo. After several months of care, all 16 parrots and 87 parakeets have been released back into the wild.

The Problem The Yellow-shouldered Amazon Parrot is still being illegally collected in Bonaire. Chicks are being poached from their nests before they have reached fledgling age and even fledged chicks have been caught. The parrots are then sold as pets on Bonaire, or shipped to the neighboring island of Curaรงao where they enter into the global pet trade.

To prevent this illegal trade, in 2002, the government of Bonaire had metal identification rings put on the legs of all existing pet birds.

Since that time, any pet bird found without a ring is considered illegal. The policy is enforced and illegally held birds are being confiscated.

Many illegally poached parrots die. The birds brought to Echo were kept in terrible conditions, and this poor parakeet likely died from starvation before being confiscated.

The Rescue On July 1, 2011, Bonairean authorities confiscated a total of 16 Yellow-shouldered Parrots, 94 Brown-throated Parakeets, and two exotic parakeets from a local poacher. Most of the 112 birds were young chicks, including one who was less than a week old.

Echo mobilized tireless volunteers to help clean and feed the birds.

Initially, the rescuers gathered at the kunuku (farm) of Echo Director Sam Williams, but as there was no running water or electricity at the site, the situation was extremely

difficult. Fortunately, the afterschool program Jong Bonaire provided a classroom to give the birds a home.

The volunteers of Jong Bonaire built aviaries inside a donated classroom where the chicks stayed until they fledged. The children became a vital part of the rescue team, feeding, cleaning, and providing overall care for the birds. Companion parrot hand-rearing expert Phoebe Greene Linden joined the efforts from California.

At just one week old, Sid was the smallest of the parrots. He was named to ensure he received special treatment, and he became a popular character for Echo's online audience.

Under Echo's care, Sid grew up to become a healthy and well adjusted parrot.

The Rehabilitation Echo had successfully released several confiscated illegal adult pet parrots on the kunuku at the beginning of 2011.

Their aviary was immediately used to house 35 older parakeets from the rescue. They were released once their condition improved. This release was filmed and became part of a 15-minute parrot conservation documentary that now shows on Bonaire’s Tourist Channel.

After fledging, the younger birds were moved to large outdoor aviaries the team built on Sam’s kunuku. Over time, they were weaned and began eating

In the aviaries, fresh branches of many different species were provided to help the birds learn the proper foods to eat in the wild after release.

an adult diet. This also marked the start of acclimatizing them to the wild environment.

Later, Echo had the opportunity to move its operation to an incredible site called Dos Pos, a parrot hotspot recognized as a Birdlife Important Bird Area. This new kunuku provided a perfect location to release inexperienced young birds.

New facilities were built for the birds at Dos Pos, including a large release aviary. A separate rehabilitation aviary and a hospital shelter for injured birds were also built.

With the help of Echo’s dedicated volunteers, a 15-meter-long and 4-meter-high aviary was built with chicanes to challenge the birds’ flying skills and ready them for release.

The Release After making certain the birds passed thorough health checks, they were released in several separate groups using soft release techniques. This calm approach encourages the birds to recognise immediately the supplemental food provided for them and does not push them to fly off unprepared into the wild.

By releasing some but not all the birds at the same time, the first released birds were inclined to stay around the release site while learning to forage and adjusting to a diet of wild foods. As more birds were released, the flock became progressively more adventurous, venturing out on their own to forage in areas beyond Echo’s feeding stations – a monumental success.

The Echo team was equally amazed to discover that Isla, a confiscated adult

16 Yellow-shouldered Amazons survived, all of whom were released at our new site at Dos Pos. 87 Brown-throated Conures also survived and were released.

parrot from the very first release in 2011, had paired with Johan from the second release. Together they claimed a nest box at the release site as their own and laid an egg.

Although the clumsy firsttimers later cracked the egg, it was an incredible sign of the rescue's potential.

Echo’s Continuing Work The rescue effort helped Echo establish its position on Bonaire and since July 1, 2011, a further 14 confiscated and injured parrots have been brought to us. Seven of these birds, including two who arrived with broken wings and another who had been shot, have been rehabilitated and released back into the wild. The degraded habitat on Bonaire drives wild parrots to explore all foraging opportunities, even those that are dangerous. We suspect the parrot with the gunshot injury, whom we named "Billy the Kid," was as a result of conflict with a fruit grower or farmer.

Only one parrot, who had sustained serious injuries, has died in our care.

Now that the July 2011 rescue is complete, we can begin preparing a further nine confiscated birds for release. These parrots are currently in the holding avi-

Four parrots with badly clipped wings currently remain in our care along with two other wild birds, each of whom has a broken wing.

We hope these birds will fly again and can eventually be released.

ary at the Ministry for Agriculture (LVV). By moving these birds, we will free up space, making further confiscations and the enforcement of the parrots' protected status possible.

Special Thanks:

The rescue and release was made possible thanks to Echo’s dedicated volunteers and the generous support of many donors including:

Franziska Vogel Cornell Bialicki Brenton Head Mhairi McFarlane & Brent Sinclair Jeff & Judi Bergfield Susan Sedlmayr Karen Haycox Colette Wheler Harold Schessler Kathryne Thorpe Harris Friedberg Louise Prowse Ivo Jonker & Roos de Groot Alan Gross & Jane Townsend Marylin & Edward Leask

The release program is just one component of Echo’s work. The team are also working hard to achieve population monitoring, conservation management, and outreach. Find out more at: http://www.echobonaire.org https://www.facebook.com/echobonaire.org Contact: Dr. Sam Williams, Director info@echobonaire.org Echo Sabadeco Terrace #3 Kralendijk, Bonaire Caribbean Netherlands

Copyright Š 2012