Parrots of Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands

Laubscher, Mike Perrin

Description

Parrots’ colour and charisma, coupled with the fact that they mimic human speech, make them fascinating to many people. They are ancient birds with unique bill and foot structures that enable them to forage in the canopy of forests and also in grasslands. Because they depend on fruits and seeds all year round, most species are confined to the tropics or subtropics, where the world’s biodiversity is greatest. There are over 300 species of parrots, of which more than 100 are recognised as rare, endangered, vulnerable or threatened. Parrots are largely distributed in developing countries where economies are uncertain, and where there is great dependence on the exploitation of natural resources. Unfortunately, high levels of corruption are common to these regions, with much illegal trade in animals. However, research, education and conservation actions are reducing illegal trade in African parrots. This book provides complete coverage of all aspects of the biology of extant African, Malagasy and Mascarene parrots, and reviews our knowledge of extinct and fossil parrots from the region. It will appeal to ornithologists, conservation biologists, avian ecologists, academics, birdwatchers and parrot fans alike. It is illustrated with original photographs and includes distribution maps, figures and tables.
Chapter 1. Introduction
What is a parrot?
Plumage
Social behaviour
Habits
Activity
Roosting
Movements
Habitat
The parrots of Africa
Phylogeny, systematics and taxonomy of parrots
Chapter 2. Conservation biology
Ignorance about the survival of Africa’s parrots
Risk of extinction
Status and conservation. an introduction
Deforestation. a crucial issue
Effect of nest poaching on the viability of populations of wild parrots
Poaching, habitat destruction and conservation strategies
Trade figures for African parrots
Conservation status in detail
Conservation through education
Chapter 3. Systematics
Evolutionary history (phylogeny)
Not the missing link
The fossil history of parrots
The extinct parrots of the Mascarene Islands
Systematics and evolution of the genus Agapornis
Molecular systematics of some African parrots
Chapter 4. Biogeography and niche separation
Avian community structures in Africa
Zoogeography
Ecological separation of African parrots and lovebirds
Why is the parrot family so rich in species?
Chapter 5. Intelligence, communication and behaviour
Intelligence
Vocal communication
Behaviour
Chapter 6. Breeding biology
Flocking
Helpers
Cooperative breeding
Clutch size and asynchronous hatching
Competition for nest cavities by lovebirds
Nesting biology of the Black-cheeked Lovebird
Chapter 7. Diet and metabolism
Food and feeding
Metabolism
Chapter 8. Case study – the Cape Parrot
Needs and actions
Distribution and origin
Study sites
Numbers
Activity and abundance
Feeding biology
Breeding biology
Vocalisations
Behaviour
Conservation
Taxonomic status
Chapter 9. Trade in African Parrots
Sustainable harvesting
Modelling markets for African parrots
Trade in African Grey Parrots
Trade in Fischer’s Lovebirds
Trade in Madagascan parrots
Chapter 10. African Parrot conservation
Parrots and humans
The IUCN Parrot Action Plan
Applying the plan to Africa
CITES and parrots in international trade
The Parrot Species of Africa
Keys to the genera and species of parrots of Africa and adjace-nt islands
IUCN categories
Chapter 11. Long-tailed and fossil Parrots
Order Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family Psittacidae (African and South American parrots)
Subfamily Psittacinae (African parrots)
Family Psittrichasidae
Subfamily Coracopseinae
Family Psittaculidae
Subfamily Psittaculinae
Chapter 12. True Parrots
Order Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family Psittacidae (African and South American parrots)
Subfamily Psittacinae (African parrots)
Chapter 13. Lovebirds
Order Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family Psittaculidae (Parrots, cockatoos, lories and lorikeets)
Subfamily Agapornithidae (Lovebirds, hanging parrots and ‘mountain parakeets’)
Chapter 14. Field techniques in Parrot research
Field marks and field guides
Recording bird song in the field
Keeping field notes
Ringing wild parrots
Measuring and weighing birds
Field censusing
Species lists
Common and scientific names of birds
Common and scientific names of parrots
Common and scientific names of vertebrates other than birds
Scientific names of invertebrates
Common and scientific names of plants

Sujets

• Environmental Protection
• Environmental Conservation
• Birds
• Animals
• Nature

Informations

• Publié par: WITS University Press
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781868145911
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 17 Mo

Extrait

Parrots of Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands

BIOLO GY, ECOLO GY AND CONSERVATION

MIKE PERRIN | WITH PHOTO GR APHS BY C YRIL L AUBSCHER

I dedicate tis book to te late Olaf Wirmingaus wo began tis odyssey wit a filed study of te Cape Parrot.

Parrots of Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands

BIOLO GY, ECOLO GY AND CONSERVATION

MIKE PERRIN | WITH PHOTO GR APHS BY C YRIL L AUBSCHER

Publised in Sout Africa by Wits University Press 1 Jan Smuts Avenue Joannesburg

www.witspress.co.za

Copyrigt © Mike Perrin 2012 Potograps © Individual copyrigt olders 2012

First publised 2012

ISBN: 978-1-86814-552-2 (print) ISBN: 978-1-86814-591-1 (ePDF)

All rigts reserved. No part of tis publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mecanical, potocopying, recording or oterwise, witout te written permission of te publiser, except in accordance wit te provisions of te Copyrigt Act, Act 98 of 1978.

Wits University Press and te autors ave made every reasonable effort to contact and acknowledge copyrigt owners. Please notify te publisers sould copyrigt not ave been properly identified and acknowledged. Corrections will be incorporated in subsequent editions of te book.

Project management by Julie Miller Edited by Martina Mössmer Cover design by Hybrid Creative Layout and design by Hybrid Creative

Contents Acknowledgements List of tables List of figures Abbreviations

Contents at a glance

Capter 1: Introduction Capter 2: Conservation biology Capter 3: Systematics Capter 4: Biogeograpy and nice separation Capter 5: Intelligence, communication and beaviour Capter 6: Breeding biology Capter 7: Diet and metabolism Capter 8: Case study – te Cape Parrot Capter 9: Trade in African parrots Capter 10: African parrot conservation Te Parrot Species of Africa IUCN Categories Capter 11: Long-tailed and fossil parrots Capter 12: True parrots Capter 13: Lovebirds Capter 14: Field tecniques in parrot researc Species lists Glossary Bibliograpy Index

vii xvi xviii xx xxv

1 27 65 83 103 129 159 193 241 285 308 311 313 351 455 519 526 546 552 595

Acknowledgements lIst oF tAbles lIst oF FIgures AbbrevIAtIons

chApter 1: IntroductIon Wat is a parrot?  Plumage Colouration of African psittacines  Convergence  Sexual dimorpism Social beaviour  Habits  Activity  Roosting  Movements  Habitat Te parrots of Africa  Wat is a species? Pylogeny, systematics and taxonomy

chApter 2: conservAtIon bIology Ignorance about te survival of Africa’s parrots Risk of extinction Status and conservation: An introduction Deforestation: A crucial issue  Vulnerability of wild parrot populations to deforestation pressures Effect of nest poacing on te viability of populations of wild parrots  Developing studies of parrot biology in Africa Poacing, abitat destruction and conservation strategies  Factors influencing poacing rates Trade figures for African parrots  An example: Fiscer’s Lovebird Conservation status in detail  Treatened species

Contents

xvi xviii xx xxv

1 1 6 8 10 10 11 13 15 16 16 17 19 22 24

27 27 29 30 33 34 35 36 36 37 38 40 40 40

 Quantifying te treats  Habitat loss  Live bird trade  Application and action  Introduced parrots  Oter introduced species  Persecution  Storms and climate cange  Captive breeding  An example: Te Eco Parakeet  Conservation of te Praslin Island Black Parrot Conservation troug education

chApter 3: systemAtIcs  Evolutionary istory (pylogeny)  Not te missing link  Te fossil istory of parrots  Fossils  Te extinct parrots of te Mascarene Islands  Mauritius  Réunion  Rodrigues  Systematics and evolution of te genusAgapornis  Nest-building beaviour  Molecular systematics of some African parrots

chApter 4: bIogeogrAphy And nIche sepArAtIon  Avian community structures in Africa  Zoogeograpy  Zoogeograpical regions of te world  Te Afrotropical region  Te avifauna of Madagascar  Ecological separation of African parrots and lovebirds  Te lovebirds  Te parrots  Wy is te parrot family so ric in species?  Competitiors

viii

PARROTS OF AFRICA, MADAGASCAR AND THE MASCARENE ISLANDS

41 42 43 46 46 46 47 47 47 48 60 61

65 65 67 68 69 71 72 73 73 74 77 78

83 83 84 86 86 87 88 90 93 96 98