Injuries Sustained by Cape Parrots (Poicephalus robustus) During Poaching Attempts.

Abstract

As avian veterinarians, when we talk about African parrots, the African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) may come to mind. However, across the continent and into the surrounding islands approximately a dozen other Old World parrots hail from Africa: Coracopsis species, the Vasa parrots; Psittacula species, including the Alexandrine, Echo, and Seychelles parakeets; Agapornis species, the lovebirds; and finally, Poicephalus species, including the commonly seen Meyer’s parrot (Poicephalus meyeri) and, most importantly to this article, the Cape parrot (Poicephalus robustus). Endemic to South Africa, the Cape parrot is listed nationally as critically endangered. The majority of the remaining population can be found in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, with a smaller isolated population in the Limpopo province. It is South Africa’s only extant, endemic parrot species. The Wild Bird Trust’s Cape Parrot Project (CPP) was established in 2009 in South Africa to conserve the Cape parrot with research to fill key knowledge gaps, as well as by partnering with local communities for habitat restoration. It was the first project of the Wild Bird Trust, which was founded by Rutledge ‘‘Steve’’ Boyes, PhD, out of Hogsback, Eastern Cape, South Africa, where Dr Boyes lived while researching Cape parrots in their native habitat. The Trust’s primary objective is keeping birds safe in the wild by securing critical habitat for the benefit of ecosystems, wildlife, and people, in perpetuity. The CPP staff are co–BirdLife South Africa Species Guardians with the Cape Parrot Working Group, and as instrumental stakeholders, their work is closely aligned with the Cape parrot and Mistbelt Habitat Conservation Action Plan developed in 2019. The CPP is funded mainly through private donors and corporate support, both nationally and internationally. Cassie Carstens is the research technician for the CPP in Hogsback. A cultural, trails, and bird guide by trade, Cassie has a BA in Heritage and Cultural Tourism from the University of Pretoria and a BSc in Geography from the University of South Africa. He started in ornithology working as a research assistant for the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology. A keen photographer, cartographer, and tree climber, he conducts technical fieldwork and research activities across the Cape parrot’s range in South Africa studying their movement patterns, food sources, and breeding behavior. Dr Francis Brooke is the research manager for the CPP in Hogsback. Her research interests lie in the ecology of threatened bird species. She recently completed her PhD in Nature Conservation through Nelson Mandela University, focusing on another threatened species, the Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres) and, specifically, their vulnerability to renewable wind energy development. Her role as the research manager coordinates the research on the ground, focusing on breeding behaviors, movement patterns, and food availability for Cape parrots. Dr Kirsten Wimberger is the Project Director of the CPP and trustee of the Wild Bird Trust. After completing her postdoctoral research on the threatened Samango monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis) in the forests of Hogsback, she took over the reins from her husband and CPP founder Dr Steve Boyes to work on another threatened forest specialist in the area. She has been the Project Director since the end of 2014, focusing on ensuring the success of conservation efforts as part of a multigenerational project. She is based in Cape Town and has two young children. The CPP is now in its 12th year. Today, the team is comprised of 19 staff, mostly South African in origin. This allows the Wild Bird Trust through the CPP to be one of the most important stakeholders in ensuring the best conservation outcomes of the national Cape Parrot Action Plan. Over the past 12 years, the team has taken great strides forward in these efforts. Eight scientific publications with invaluable knowledge about habitat use, breeding and behavior, and threats to Cape parrots have been generated from the project over this time. The