|
|
|
|
Can you see the parrots in the picture above? A camera captured this pair of yellow-naped Amazon parrots just when they departed their nests to find food for their young. Three years ago, the cement nest at the left of the photo was developed by collaborating scientist Maikel Cañizares. This nest and similar nests were then carefully placed at safe locations throughout the Paso del Istmo by Hector and Cristian, Paso Pacifico's community parrot rangers.
Yellow-naped Amazons have taken to using these artificial nests, and along with the natural nests that we protect, many nests are active this year! This good news signals hope for the yellow-naped Amazon parrot. After the season is over, we will announce the number of fledged young parrots; for now, we are keeping the number a secret because we are in a time period when there is a high poaching risk.
|
|
|
Sadly, the yellow-naped Amazon parrot is the most recent parrot to be listed as endangered through IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species. This designation came in November 2018 after a review of the species throughout its range in Mexico and Central America. The yellow-naped Amazon population is plummeting almost everywhere. For example, scientists estimate that there are fewer than 250 individual birds remaining in the entire country of El Salvador.
|
|
|
 The Paso del Istmo Biological Corridor in Nicaragua is an exception to this trend. Here, the population has stabilized. There are even indications that it is increasing! We believe our integrated and sustained efforts have something to do with this. The driving forces behind this program have been the Loro Parque Fundación, the U.S. Forest Service—International Institute of Tropical Forestry, and our donors. Without them, we would not have such positive results to report from our region. We are very grateful and hope to to share our strategies regionally in order to save this charismatic parrot species from extinction.
|
|
|
|
Hector Luis Espinoza Acevedo is on our team of forest rangers who works along the dry tropical forests. Over the past several years he has specialized in parrot conservation and now has advanced skills in radio telemetry, tree climbing, and bird banding.
One of his toughest jobs is climbing trees to get to hidden natural cavities or to our artificial parrot nests. Each season he climbs forty to fifty nests multiple times—first cleaning nests from debris and clearing them of invasive bees, and then checking for parrotlets and carefully measuring and monitoring the chicks throughout the season until they safely fledge the nest. You can see a video here of Hector at work.
Hector is from the community of Las Parcelas de Escamequita. He is proud of his own little parrotlet, a nine-month-old baby girl.
|
|
|
We are grateful to be a part of the Mesoamerican Psitaciform Thematic Interest Group. This conservation network allows members to share best practices and strategies to protect parrots in the wild and discuss the most recent conservation science across Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. This past fall, three of us joined the group in Costa Rica during the 21st SMBC Congress. The group symposium discussed topics that ranged from population distribution to parasitism of birds. Paso Pacífico is proud to be a part of this network and share the results of our programs with scientists regionally to help save the yellow-naped Amazon parrot from extinction.
|
|
In one way or another, Christine M. Schmidt has been with Paso Pacífico since the beginning. As an MPA in nonprofit management, she helped Paso Pacífico draft our original founding documents, including our bylaws. She joined the Paso Pacífico board in 2014 and began her service as board president this year.
While she cares deeply about all the programs, Christine is particularly passionate about the yellow-naped Amazon parrot and our programs that specifically empower women. Christine has served on several nonprofit boards and currently works as the Assistant Dean of College Advancement for the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis. We are grateful to have Christine on our board.
|
|
|
|
|
Urge the Nicaraguan government to protect yellow-naped Amazon parrots this nesting season!
|
|
This month, the Pacific Coast Business Times honored Paso Pacífico with a Central Coast Innovation Award. Executive director Sarah Otterstrom and Development Associate Alice O’Connor attended the awards ceremony, and Sarah received the “No Boundaries” award on behalf of our organization.
Since 2001, the Pacific Coast Business Times has served the business community of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. It has the largest financial news team on the California Central Coast.
|
|
PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE
|
|
Local community members are critical partners in the fight to save the yellow-naped Amazon parrot. For the last five years, Paso Pacífico has used economic incentives to promote the conservation of parrots in their nests. We make payments to help counteract the illegal pet trade.
When community members find a yellow-naped Amazon nest on their property, they can notify a Paso Pacífico ranger and enter that nest into the incentive program. They then receive compensation to protect the nest. Once the parrotlets have successfully fledged, the protectors receive a significant bonus payment for each successful fledgling. With each passing year, more community members participate in the program. This year, 8 families from 4 different communities are protecting nests! Together, we are making a significant difference for yellow-naped Amazon parrots.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
