Our Living Resource's — BlnJs 



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2000 



37 50 



Fig. 2. Population trends of the Puerto Rican parrot in the 

 2()th century. 



Hurricane Hugo hit the island in 1989 (Meyers 

 etal. 1993). 



Intense research and management strategies 

 during the last 27 years have prevented the 

 extinction of the Puerto Rican parrot. Much of 

 the effort to rebuild the population has involved 

 research and management of nesting sites 

 (Wiley 1980; Snyder^'et al. 1987; Lindsey et al. 

 1989; Wiley 1991 ). Predators, such as black rats 

 (Rattiis rattus) and pearly-eyed thrashers 

 (Margarops fiiscatus), have been controlled 

 (Snyder et aj. 1987). Bot fly (Phihmus spp.) 

 infestations of nestlings are still a minor prob- 

 lem (Lindsey et al. 1989). Management of nests 

 by fostering captive-reared young into wild 

 nests, guarding nests, controlling honey bees 

 (Apis meUifera). improving and maintaining 

 existing nest cavities, and creating enhanced 

 nesting cavities should increase the population 

 of the Pueilo Rican panot (Wiley 1980; Lindsey 

 et al. 1989; Wiley 1991; Lindsey 1992; Vilella 

 and Garcia 1994). 



Hurricanes will continue to threaten the wild 

 population of the Puerto Rican parrot. 

 Researchers estimate that storms equal to the 

 intensity of Hugo (sustained winds of 166 km/h 

 or 104 mi/h) occur at least every 50 years in 

 northeastern Puerto Rico (Scatena and Larsen 

 1991). The risk of extinction caused by huni- 

 canes will be reduced by establishing a geo- 

 graphically separated wild population (USFWS 

 1987). 



Introduced parrots and parakeets are com- 

 mon in Puerto Rico, including some of the 

 genus Amazona. Monitored populations of 

 these non-native birds have increased from 50% 

 to 250% during 1990-93 (J.M. Meyers, 

 National Biological Service, unpublished data). 

 If they expand their ranges to include older 

 forests, these populations may pose a threat to 

 the Puerto Rican parrot by introducing diseases 



and by competing for resources. At present, 

 none of the introduced Amazona populations 

 are found near the Luquillo Mountains; howev- 

 er, orange-fronted parakeets {Anitinga cunicii- 

 laris) have foraged and nested in these moun- 

 tains at lower elevations (J.M. Meyers, NBS, 

 unpublished data). 



As the Puerto Rican parrot population 

 increases, it is possible that suitable nesting sites 

 may limit population growth. Before this occurs, 

 research and management should concentrate on 

 increasing the wild population. The ability of the 

 Puerto Rican panot to expand its population in a 

 manner similar to the exotic parrots in Puerto 

 Rico, in a variety of natural and human-altered 

 environments, should not be underestimated and 

 may be the key to its recovery. 



References 



IjiiJsey, G.D. 1992. Nest guarding from observational 

 blinds: strategy for improving Puerto Rican parrot nesi 

 success. Journal of Field Ornithology 63:466-472. 



Lindsey. G.D.. M.K. Brock, and M.H. Wilson. 1989. 

 Current status of the Puerto Rican parrot conservation 

 program. Pages 89-99 in Wildlife management in the 

 Caribbean islands. Proceedings of the Fourth Meeting of 

 Caribbean Foresters. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Institute of Tropical Forestry. Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. 



Little. E.L.. Jr.. and F.H. Wadsworth. 1964. Common trees 

 of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (reprint). 

 Agriculture Handbook 249. U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture. Washington. DC. 556 pp. 



Meyers. J.M.. F.J. Vilella. and W.C. Ban-ow. Jr. 1993. 

 Positive effects of Hurricane Hugo: record years for 

 Puerto Rican parrots nesting in the wild. Endangered 

 SpeciesTech. Bull. 27:1.10. ' 



Rodriguez-Vidal. J.A. 1959. Puerto Rican partot study. 

 Monographs of the Department of Agriculture and 

 Commerce I. San Juan. Puerto Rico. 15 pp. 



Scatena. F.N.. and M.C. Larsen. 1991. Physical aspects of 

 Hurricane Hugo in Puerto Rico. Biotropica 23:317-323. 



Snyder. N.R.F. j'^W. Wiley, and C.B. Kepler. 1987. The par- 

 rots of Luquillo: natural history and conservation of the 

 Puerto Rican partol. Western Foundation of Vertebrate 

 Zoology. Los Angeles. CA. 384 pp. 



USFWS. 1987. Recovery plan for the Puerto Rican parrot. 

 Amazona vinata. VS. Fish and Wildlife Service. Atlanta. 

 GA. 69 pp. 



Vilella. F.J.. and E.R. Garcia. 1994. Post-hurricane manage- 

 ment of the Puerto Rican parrot. In J.A. Bissonette and 

 PR. Krausman. eds. International Wildlife Management 

 Congress Proceedings. The Wildlife Society. 

 Washington, DC. In press. 



Wadsworth. F.H. 1949. The development of the forested 

 land resources of the Luquillo Mountains. Puerto Rico. 

 Ph.D. dissertation. University of Michigan. Ann Arbor. 

 481 pp. 



Wiley. J.W. 1980. The Puerto Rican parrot (Amazona villa- 

 la): its decline and the program for its conservation. 

 Pages 133-159 in R. E. Pasquier. ed. Conservation of new 

 world parrots. International Council for Bird 

 Preservation Tech. Publ. I. Smithsonian Institute Press. 

 Washington. DC. 



Wiley. J.W. 1991. Status and conservation of parrots and 

 parakeets in the Greater Antilles. Bahama Islands, and 

 Cayman Islands. Bird Conservation International 1:187- 

 214. 



For further information: 



J. Michael Meyers 



National Biological Service 



Patuxent Environmental 



Science Center 



PO Box N 



Palmer. Puerto Rico 00721-0501 



USA 



