Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us in our virtual “From the Nest” edition! Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Puerto Rican Parrot
The Puerto Rican Parrot is one of nine species of Amazon parrots endemic to the Caribbean region. It is the only native psittacid in the island, although 46 species of exotic Psittaciformes have been reported. This species can be distinguished from other green parrots by a red forehead, white eye ring, and brilliant blue flight feathers. It feeds on a variety of wild fruits, like those from the Sierra Palm, but also consumes seeds, flowers and leaf buds.
The Puerto Rican Parrot, locally called Iguaca, was so abundant during Spanish colonial times, that the population was believed to reach about one million individuals, particularly in the coastal forests. Sadly, human activities, mainly development of cities and towns, destroyed the parrot’s native forest habitats. In addition, parrots were captured for the pet trade and shot by farmers who regarded them as pests. All these actions led to a massive decline in the species so that by 1975 only 13 individuals were left in the wild!
This led to the Puerto Rican Parrot being listed as Critically Endangered and conservation programs were established to restore their numbers. A captive breeding program in relict habitat at El Yunque National Forest was established in 1973. Careful release of some parrots into the wild rebuilt the total wild population to nearly 200 birds by the middle of 2017. A second captive breeding facility in Río Abajo State Forest in the north-central karst area began successfully rearing parrots around 1994, and a second wild population was reintroduced there in 2006. This program has been successful in raising many parrot chicks that have been released into the forest and are thriving. After losing the relict wild population in El Yunque to Hurricane Maria in 2017, a new population has been recently reintroduced at the captive-rearing facility there and currently has 28 free-flying individuals and 2 active nests, where none existed less than 4 months ago.
At present, the two Puerto Rican Parrot subpopulations add up to more than 600 individuals, including approximately 180 living and breeding around Río Abajo. But small populations have extra concerns when it comes to conservation. Fewer individuals means less genes to share, resulting in a limited capacity to evolve with a changing environment. They are also more vulnerable to random events like disease and storms. Despite these barriers, thankfully the population is increasing. We hope someday, that with continued efforts to grow the population and restore its habitats, enormous parrot flocks will once again move through the tree tops, flashing their brilliant blue flight feathers for all to enjoy. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Puerto Rican Parrot!
Download the page from Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the drawing above or photo below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the call of the Puerto Rican Parrot
The Puerto Rican Parrot’s call is raucous squawks and distinct bugling during flight.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Test your knowledge of where Caribbean endemic birds live with our Colouring Map Matching Activity! Draw lines from the colouring book drawings to match each Caribbean endemic parrot with its home island. And here is the Answer Key – don’t look until you have completed the activity!!! More information about our Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book is here. We are sharing a new colouring page from the book each day of our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival 2020, From the Nest, Virtual Edition.
FOR ADULTS: Read the dramatic story about the impacts of Hurricane Maria in 2017 on the Puerto Rican Parrot, and ongoing efforts to save it from extinction.