TY - JOUR

T1 - Low abundance of the Endangered timneh parrot Psittacus timneh in one of its presumed strongholds

AU - Valle, Simon

AU - Collar, Nigel

AU - Barca, Benjamin

AU - Dauda, Patrick

AU - Marsden, Stuart

PY - 2020/1

Y1 - 2020/1

N2 - Although both the grey parrot Psittacus erithacus and the recently recognized timneh parrot Psittacus timneh are categorized as Endangered because of harvest for the pet trade and loss of habitat, the latter has a much smaller rangeand may be largely restricted to a few stronghold areas. In March–April 2018 we surveyed for a total of 114 hours in and around one of these presumed strongholds, the large and well-protected Gola Rainforest National Park, theSierra Leonean portion of the Gola Transboundary Peace Park. Timneh parrots were encountered at a rate of 0.1 groups/h in the National Park and 0.3 in the buffer zone, indicating densities of 1-3 individuals per km2. These figures are similar to recent density estimates from the Liberian side of the Peace Park, suggesting that the transboundary population amounts to c. 2,400 individuals inside the Park and an unknown number in the surrounding areas. Densities of the timneh parrot may be generally low even in strongholds, its numbers may be declining steeply, and the global population size is probably lower than previously believed.

AB - Although both the grey parrot Psittacus erithacus and the recently recognized timneh parrot Psittacus timneh are categorized as Endangered because of harvest for the pet trade and loss of habitat, the latter has a much smaller rangeand may be largely restricted to a few stronghold areas. In March–April 2018 we surveyed for a total of 114 hours in and around one of these presumed strongholds, the large and well-protected Gola Rainforest National Park, theSierra Leonean portion of the Gola Transboundary Peace Park. Timneh parrots were encountered at a rate of 0.1 groups/h in the National Park and 0.3 in the buffer zone, indicating densities of 1-3 individuals per km2. These figures are similar to recent density estimates from the Liberian side of the Peace Park, suggesting that the transboundary population amounts to c. 2,400 individuals inside the Park and an unknown number in the surrounding areas. Densities of the timneh parrot may be generally low even in strongholds, its numbers may be declining steeply, and the global population size is probably lower than previously believed.

KW - Conservation

KW - Encounter rate

KW - Grey Parrot

KW - Psittacus timneh

KW - Sierra Leone

KW - West Africa

KW - wildlife trade

U2 - 10.1017/S0030605319000802

DO - 10.1017/S0030605319000802

M3 - Article

VL - 54

SP - 74

EP - 76

JO - Oryx

JF - Oryx

SN - 0030-6053

IS - 1

ER -