African grey parrots descend in a forest clearing. Photo by Andrew Bernard/TL2 Project CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Ahoy mateys!

AAARRGGHH! International Talk Like A Pirate Day is September 19. Have fun!

Sure, no PIRATE ship is complete w’out a PARROT, and what good be a pirate without his trusty featherrred first mate? But did ye know that many parrots are prrrrotected wildlife? We want t’remind ye that parrots be in trouble in t’wild, and ye can help ARRR featherred mateys by followin’ t’laws o’ t’land. Read on t’learn how ye can help parrots. #TalkLikeAPirateDay

The legend of the pirate with the parrot began with Robert Louis Stevenson’s beloved book Treasure Island, as the parrot “Captain Flint” rode the high seas on the shoulder of Long John Silver. People have long delighted in the intelligent and charming companionship of parrots –even the ancient Greeks kept them as pets. But love of these birds has come at a high cost as demand from the pet trade has pushed some species to the brink of extinction.

PARROTS AS PETS As awesome as they are, remember parrots are a long-lived (some live for decades and can outlive their owners), highly social species that require specialized care, commitment and a lot of attention.

The World Parrot Trust estimates that nearly one in three parrot species are under threat in the wild due to habitat loss and overharvest for the pet trade. Parrots are especially vulnerable to overharvest because of certain life-history traits. Parrots often mate for life, they take time to reach maturity, they reproduce slowly, and chick survival rates are often poor.

Not too long ago, the United States was a big part of the problem, importing more wild-caught parrots than any other country. At the height of the international bird trade from the 1980s to the early ‘90s, almost half of all parrots in documented international trade, more than 100,000 a year, were imported into the United States. Although captive-bred, hand-raised parrots make better pets, it was cheaper and easier for wildlife dealers to take birds from the wild and send them to U.S. markets. Often, birds suffered high mortality during capture, pre-shipment care and transport to importing countries.

This changed in 1992 with the passage of the Wild Bird Conservation Act (WBCA). Designed to ensure international trade does not harm exotic bird species and to encourage wild bird conservation programs in range states, the WBCA prohibits the import of most exotic birds. Although most parrot species were already listed under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), CITES protections weren’t enough to address insatiable demand from consumers in the United States. The high volume of exports from range states, while legal, wasn’t sustainable.

Under the WBCA, we must authorize imports of live exotic birds such as parrots, and we grant an import permit only for several purposes: scientific research, zoological breeding or display, or for individuals traveling with personal pets.

The WBCA reduced the unsustainable trade of parrots into the United States from a flood to a trickle. For example, from 2011 to 2013 only 791 parrots were imported into the United States (including 690 pet parrots), authorized under WBCA and CITES, while our wildlife inspectors refused clearance on 57.

Certain highly imperiled parrot species such as Indonesia’s yellow-crested cockatoo and Brazil’s indigo macaw receive additional protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which further limits imports.

To learn more about requirements for permits for pet birds, check out our Traveling with Your Pet Bird page.

Chief of the U.S. CITES Scientific Authority, Dr. Rosemarie Gnam, conducted her doctoral field research on the Bahama parrot, and she brings personal insight into the impacts of the WBCA. “Before the WBCA, the United States imported large numbers of parrots from all the over the world. Those of us working in the field were extremely concerned about the conservation threat that the international trade in live parrots posed. With the passage of the WBCA, captive breeding of parrots in the United States took off, and today, the consumer reaps the benefits of having a healthy and captive-bred parrot with many varieties to choose from.”

African grey parrots are the most traded of all CITES-listed birds. Photo by Keith Allison

Despite increased protections in the United States, unsustainable harvest for both legal and illegal international trade remains a global problem for parrots. The African grey parrot, which is popular among pet owners, continues to experience marked population declines due to overharvest and habitat loss in the wild. Over the past 25 years, exports of more than 1.3 million wild African grey parrots have been reported, making it the most traded of all CITES-listed birds. Large numbers may also been exported illegally. Due to these and other concerns, some CITES range states are considering proposals to increase protections for the species under CITES.

We support critical conservation initiatives for species such as the African grey parrot. Check out this blog from our partners at the TL2 Project describing their work to conserve African grey parrots in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Puerto Rican parrot is the only native parrot remaining in the United States. Photo by Tom MacKenzie/USFWS

Here at home, the Puerto Rican parrot, the only native parrot remaining in the United States, has benefitted from several decades of painstaking conservation through the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program. It is estimated that there once were more than a million parrots, but deforestation for agriculture and capture for the pet trade drastically reduced their numbers to a low of 13 individuals. It was designated as an endangered species in 1967, and we work with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service on recovery efforts. A captive-breeding program in two aviaries increased numbers of parrots in both captivity and in the wild. There are more than 500 birds in aviaries or in the wild. Last year, the program reported the birth of two Puerto Rican parrots in the wild in a natural nest in the Rio Abajo State Forest, a milestone in reintroduction efforts (here’s why), and this year the program began to establish a third wild population of Puerto Rican parrots.

Jimmy Buffet sings, “I am a pirate two hundred years too late,” and while you can talk like a pirate for a day, it probably is too late to be a swashbuckling buccaneer. It’s not too late for parrots.

Parrot lovers and pet owners can contribute to parrot conservation by being sure to purchase only captive-bred parrots, by supporting the conservation of parrots in the wild and by complying with wildlife laws.

Keri Parker, International Affairs