Fifteen years of annual Cape ParrotPoicephalus robustuscensuses: current population trends and conservation contributions

Abstract

The Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus is endemic to South Africa and numbers have reportedly declined since the early 1900s. It is a forest specialist and food nomadic, moving between patches depending on fruit availability. This makes it difficult to estimate numbers accurately and to determine its distribution. The annual Cape Parrot Big Birding Day was initiated in 1998 as a national census to determine a population estimate. Volunteers assist in monitoring and counting the Cape Parrot in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces in indigenous forests as well as sites where the parrots are known to feed outside of forests. Here, a summary of 15 years of census data is presented. In all years, with the exception of 2009, less than 1 600 Cape Parrots were recorded in the wild. The census data showed a slight increase in Cape Parrots, although this may be largely explained by an increase in coverage of suitable habitat and stabilisation in the population since 2005. A current distribution map for the Cape Parrot, based on census data, is presented. The distribution remains largely unchanged from that presented in the 1970s. This study highlights the value of public participation in monitoring an Endangered species and the need to conserve the forests where these parrots occur, due to their nomadic feeding behaviour.

Influence of historical and contemporary habitat changes on the population genetics of the endemic South African parrotPoicephalus robustus

“…Despite this, the current distribution of the Cape Parrot is fragmented, and the species is restricted to forest patches in the Eastern Cape (EC) and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) (Figure 1), with a relict population in Limpopo province (Wirminghaus 1997). Historical records show that populations of these parrots have drastically contracted over the last century, especially in the northern parts of KZN and along the escarpment of Mpumalanga (Wirminghaus et al 2000, Downs 2005a, Downs et al 2014. Large flocks of Cape Parrots were frequently observed during the early 1950s (Wirminghaus et al 1999); these numbers declined sharply after 1950.…”

“…This decline can in part be linked to eradication of "pest' parrots during the early 1900s (Symes 2010). In recent times, large flocks are rarely seen except when parrots congregate at agricultural pecan orchards during periods of food shortages (Downs et al 2014). Illegal harvesting of individuals for the pet trade and psittacine beak and feather disease (Wirminghaus et al 1999(Wirminghaus et al , 2000 both play a role in the decline of Cape Parrots, but the greatest threat to the species is habitat destruction (Downs 2015a).…”

“…Habitat loss is one of the main extinction drivers in wild parrots globally (Collar 2000, Pain et al 2006. Despite the Cape Parrot experiencing a range decline of 59% in the past quarter century alone (Cooper et al 2017), recent census data suggests that the population is not in decline (Downs et al 2014).…”

“…Contemporary samples were used to examine the current population structure of the species. The date of 1950 was selected for the separation of historical and contemporary samples, following the observed population decline between 1900 and 1950 (Wirminghaus et al 1999, Downs et al 2014. Multilocus microsatellite data were used to estimate changes in population structure over time.…”

Testing of microsatellite multiplexes for individual identification of Cape Parrots (Poicephalus robustus): paternity testing and monitoring trade

“…The South African endemic Cape Parrot ( Poicephalus robustus ) is a locally endangered parrot species found in the South African mistbelt forests (Wirminghaus, 1997; Taylor, 2014), with fewer than 1600 individuals left in the wild (Downs, Pfeiffer & Hart, 2014). It has been suggested that the Cape Parrot is under tremendous pressure, not only due to habitat fragmentation, but also due to the illegal harvesting of wild birds and eggs for the pet trade (Wirminghaus et al, 1999; Martin et al, 2014).…”