How You Can Help Save Dominica's Parrots

Abstract

Many bird breeders and avicultural
societies have been generous enough
to make donations to the Dominican
Parrot Project sponsored by ICBP
(International Council for Bird Preservation).
Since I started to raise funds
for this project in August 1986 they
and, more recently, zoos in the UK,
also Loro Parque in Tenerife, have provided
virtually all the funds for this
urgent conservation programme.
The current situation regarding the
parrotsĀ· of Dominica is, therefore, of
interest to many. For those who have
not read of the plight of Dominica's
parrots let me briefly outline the situation.
Dominica is a mountainous
rainforest-covered island in the Caribbean
which measures about 29 by 16
miles (46 x 25 km). Only in the last 30
years has widespread forest clearance
occurred, mainly for agriculture.
It is remarkable that there are two
Amazon parrots endemic to the island,
that is, found nowhere else in the
world: the magnificent imperial ( Amazona
imperialis), the largest Amazon
in existence, and the red-necked (Amazona
arausiaca). Both species are
now concentrated on the northwestern
slopes of Morne Diablotin in
the north of the island.

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