Urgent action required to prevent critically endangered parrot from succumbing to ruthless exploitation
In just a single decade the yellow-naped amazon, or yellow-naped parrot, has been moved from a species considered safe, to one at the highest official level of extinction warning possible.
A wave of poaching activity has decimated numbers to fewer than 2,500 mature individuals.
With such a dramatic decline and such low numbers, we need to give this parrot the best chance of recovery by continually patrolling around active nests and raising awareness in nearby communities.
We urgently need funding to do that – please – help save these wonderful birds.
£95
could help pay for a community event at a local school - teaching future generations about how precious these birds are, and how people can help protect them.
Hem Manita / Fauna & Flora
£45
could help pay for a pair of boots to replace those worn out by countless miles of patrolling.
£30
could help equip a member of community patrol staff with camping equipment - such as a hammock and sleeping bag - enabling them to stay on the move for longer.
Tree nursery. Credit: David Gill / GTC
£10
could help plant a tree, helping to restore critical areas of forest that have been lost.
Why are yellow-naped amazons critically endangered?
These birds are being decimated by the illegal pet trade.
The eggs and chicks of these highly intelligent parrots are in high demand among exotic bird owners who desire little more than to watch them repeat banal human phrases, even if it comes at the cost of the species’ survival.
To meet this demand, eggs and chicks are removed from nests by poachers. If they don’t die in cramped transport conditions, they end up incarcerated in a cage for life. They face a lifetime of solitary suffering – sometimes causing insanity or driving them to pluck out their own feathers.
Furthermore, parasites and habitat loss are compounding an already desperate situation. Swift and effective intervention is all that will save them now.
By how much has the yellow-naped amazon declined?
As an indication of how aggressive poaching has been, the number of wild yellow-naped amazons has halved in nesting strongholds in just the last decade. In some areas, every single nest has been harvested for eggs and chicks.
It is entirely unsustainable.
Why is saving the yellow-naped amazon so important?
Aside from their colourful contribution to the rich forest tapestry, these parrots are crucial for a healthy forest ecosystem. By distributing plant seeds through their droppings, they contribute to the vital regeneration of the forest. If this function is compromised through the parrot’s disappearance, there is no telling how disastrous it will be for the health of countless other forest species.
Fortunately, we have a plan to save them.
Yellow-naped parrots in flight. © Osmar Sandino / Fauna & Flora
Yellow naped parrots fly for unbelievably long distances and live in flocks with hundreds of other individuals. Keeping one solitary in a tiny cage is akin to keeping a dolphin in the bath.
How is Fauna & Flora helping to save the yellow-naped Amazon?
Saving yellow-naped amazons is about empowering communities.
Community-led team patrols are best placed to monitor breeding pairs, thwart poaching efforts and engage with residents to spread the word of the continual threat faced by this bird.
Fauna & Flora is working in Nicaragua with local communities to further understand yellow-naped amazon behaviour. This is to ensure conservation efforts are as effective as possible.
Furthermore, we are bolstering the parrot’s protection by encouraging communities to value them as part of their cultural heritage, rather than as pets. By engaging with children in schools and wider communities, we are driving interest in this beautiful bird, and raising awareness of its plight.
But we need your help to continue this invaluable work and save these wonderful animals.
Yellow-naped parrot. © Richard Schuerger
These birds are a beautiful part of our natural world. They fill the skies and actively grow rainforests by distributing seeds. We have to protect them while we still can.
Why Fauna & Flora?
We know Nicaragua. With over 20 years of public and government engagement, we have a track record of success that gives us the insight and ambition needed to deliver a robust conservation programme for Nicaragua’s wildlife. We have worked with communities to secure fishing rights, developed ecotourism initiatives and worked with farmers to adapt their approaches to combat climate change.
Our deep understanding of the land and positive relationship with communities put us in prime position to help protect Nicaragua’s wonderful yellow-naped amazon.
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