LPF COMMITS 880,000 OUR BREEDING POPULATION BABY BOOM. The Newsletter of Loro Parque Fundación FOR CONSERVATION IN 2011 OF BLUE-THROATED MACAWS

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1 Nº The Newsletter of Loro Parque Fundación LPF COMMITS 880,000 FOR CONSERVATION IN 2011 OUR BREEDING POPULATION OF BLUE-THROATED MACAWS BABY BOOM IN LORO PARQUE

2 LP/SP NEWS Nº. 97 the newsletter of loro Parque fundación Message from the Founder Cyanopsitta is printed using environment friendly, recycled, woodfree coated paper: Symbol Freelife Satin, FEDRIGONI Index Message from the founder Successful International Parrot Convention...3 LP/SP News LPF News News of the parrot collection Projects up-date: new projects Grey-breasted Parakeet Breeding stock of Blue-throated Macaws Cover photo: Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) Editorial Office Loro Parque S.A Puerto de la Cruz Tenerife, Islas Canarias. España Tel.: Fax: loroparque@loroparque.com lpf@loroparque-fundacion.org Editorial Consultant Rosemary Low Editorial committee Javier Almunia, Wolfgang Kiessling, Matthias Reinschmidt, David Waugh, Rafael Zamora and Vanessa Figueroa. Visit our websites Membership Become a member of Loro Parque Fundación to support us in our activities. You will then receive our trimestral newsletter Cyanopsitta, as well as a supporter s card permitting free entry to Loro Parque during the validity of your membership and a visit to our breeding centre. The current annual membership fees are: Adults ,00 Children ,00 Life member ,00 Please send us your membership subscription by mail, fax or , or call us, and we will sign you up immediately. Bank Account Banca March, Puerto de la Cruz Account: IBAN:ES BIC:BMARES2M Banco Santander, Puerto de la Cruz Account: IBAN:ES BIC:BSCHESMM BBVA, Puerto de la Cruz Account: IBAN:ES BIC:BBVAESMM Legal deposit: TF-1643/2003 People love to see baby animals, especially of wild species, and this fascination with youngsters is for many reasons. For example, we can immediately think of their appearance, their fragility and their playfulness. Seeing baby animals also gives a strong signal that everything is as it should be. If the environment of a species has all the important elements, the most noticeable effect is the presence of babies, the continuation of breeding. Wildlife parks like Loro Parque have the mission to contribute to sustainable populations of wild species, especially those most threatened with extinction in the wild. This means creating and maintaining the optimal environments in which breeding can take place and baby animals can be born. Loro Parque takes special care to provide the correct environments for its animals, and every year we have thousands of animals born. Given that we have the world s largest parrot collection, logically many of the young animals are parrots. However, there need be no doubt about the other species as well because, as you can read in the pages of this magazine, they keep producing babies. And sometimes they surprise us, as with the arrival of twin Two-toed Sloths, and always they delight us, as with the first birth of an Orca in our specialised facilities. Naturally, because people are fascinated by baby animals, we want to share our happiness and show them to the public. We want to share our success in as many ways as possible, in magazines, on the radio, and on the television of course. This is a key reason why for us the recent television programmes of the German TV channel ARD are so important. They are a way for people to step inside the world of Loro Parque and see the expertise and commitment that results in lots of baby animals. Another important way of sharing is through our International Parrot Congresses, and in September this year we once again successfully celebrated the unique blend of learning and relaxation. Some of the presentations in the September convention were about the conservation projects supported by the Loro Parque Fundación. We are pulling species back from the edge of extinction, and we can see the successes accumulating, but we also know that this takes time. Therefore it is my pleasure to announce that the Loro Parque Fundación will continue to support the conservation projects in 2011 with a record sum of about US$1,150,000. Without doubt the Loro Parque Fundación leads the world in the extent of support directed to parrot conservation projects, and without doubt this is resulting in babies not just of parrots but of many other animals as well. This level of activity would not be possible without the wonderful help of all our supporters, and I take this opportunity to give my sincere thanks, and to wish you peace and prosperity. Wolfgang Kiessling President, Loro Parque Fundación 2

3 Saving wildlife and habitats A very successful International Parrot Convention At the end of September 2010, the VII International Parrot Convention was held in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, organised by Loro Parque and the Loro Parque Fundación. Over 650 participants from more than 40 nations attended this event, still the leading global conference to advance the welfare and conservation of parrots, and always with a social programme full of surprise and excitement. This year s internationally recognized speakers presented a varied and very interesting programme of lectures, translated simultaneously in German, English, Spanish and French. We have received so much positive feedback from the participants that we can say without doubt that the Convention was an unqualified success. As usual, Wolfgang Kiessling, President of Loro Parque and the Loro Parque Fundación, inaugurated this year s event at the opening cocktail at the Hotel Botánico. the evening dinner at the Lago Martiánez on the Puerto de la Cruz sea-front, where a prize-winning Canarian carnival group put on a wonderful display. Participants relax during a break in the programme On day one the keynote speaker, Dr. Franz Robiller, gave a presentation about the life of the great aviculturist Romuald Burkard, who was a pioneer in many aspects of bird breeding. Despite having to devote a great deal of time to his business activities, Dr. Burkard still managed many first breedings of bird species. The next two speakers, Dr. Matthias Reinschmidt and Rafael Zamora of Loro Parque Fundación, together brought aviculture into the presentday, with emphasis on innovations and the breeding of rare parrot species. The multiple innovations to successfully breed 15 Lear s Macaws (Anodorhynchus leari) were of particular interest, as was the analysis showing how age affects the breeding profile differently of different genera. Dr Irene Pepperberg of Harvard University followed with an absorbing demonstration of her famous African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) called Alex. With full understanding of the English names, Alex could count up to eight, could do small sums and had a concept of zero. In fact, his capabilities made everybody think again about their parrots back at home. From Costa Rica, Olivier Chassot spoke about the conservation project of the Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) in A presentation in the auditorium that country and adjoining Nicaragua. Supported by the Loro Parque Fundación, the project uses this species as a flagship to promote a biological corridor crucial for native forest protection. The following colourful presentation of Trichoglossus lories in Europe by Jos Hubers, showed how only a few still have good captive populations. The morning programme was followed by the first afternoon visit by participants to the parrot breeding centre of the Loro Parque Fundación in La Vera, where the majority of the parrot collection is accommodated, and where a careful arrangement allowed the viewing of Spix s Macaws (Cyanopsitta spixii) bred by the LPF. An excellent first day was polished with The first speaker on the second day was Dr. Petra Wolf of the University of Hannover who spoke about parrot nutrition. By providing easy to understand information based on solid science, she was able to reassure breeders of the safest way to feed their parrots, and at the same time she exploded several traditional beliefs. Dr. Wolf won the first speaker prize of 2,000 euros. Next was Eric Antheunisse, who spoke about his commercial breeding in the USA of a variety of parrot species, including large macaws. He described how the design and management are streamlined for efficient production, including the use of domestic chickens for incubation of parrot eggs, and also for pest control! Another major project supported by the LPF was described by its field coordinator, Mauricio Herrera of Armonía. The conservation programme for the Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) of Bolivia shows how the wild population is 350 birds or higher, from a low of 36. Mauricio demonstrated a native headdress made of artificial macaw feathers, and was third prize-winning speaker. In the following presentation, Drs Roland y Julia Seitre did a doubleact, with Julia interviewing Roland about their photo-journalistic assignments around the world. Wonderful photographs to publicise parrot conservation. To complete the morning s programme, Juan Cornejo of Africam Safari, Mexico and Texas A&M University spoke about the breeding of two species very rare in captivity, the Maroon-fronted Parrot (Rhynchopsitta terrisi), which is now in Loro Parque, and the Socorro Parakeet (Aratinga brevipes). The latter species is genetically limited in captivity, and the wild population is very small. The afternoon and evening were spent in Siam Park, with use of all attractions, a tasty barbeque, good band and excellent fireworks and laser show. 3

4 LP/SP NEWS the newsletter of loro Parque fundación Wolfgang Kiessling closes the convention at the gala dinner Lively evening entertainment there. This conservation action has full support from the local people, and the birds are breeding successfully on Atiu. To close the speaker programme, Dr. David Waugh of LPF spoke about saving parrots from extinction in the context of the projects of LPF. Projects usually need to be longterm, but successes are multiplying, and the more than US$10 million contributed to date has been well invested. The Convention was completed with the Gala Dinner in the Hotel Botánico, which had in attendance the President of the Canary Islands Government, Paulino Rivero. Christoph Kiessling presents the first prize to Dr Petra Wolf. Heiner Müller of the LPF started the last morning s programme with his talk about veterinary assistance for reproduction problems, and the particularly interesting possibilities for using artificial insemination. Little is known about the keeping and breeding of parrots in Russia and adjacent countries, but we now know much more from the talk of Dr Vladimir Ostapenko of Moscow Zoo, including that 145 zoos between them keep 116 different parrot species. The second prize winner was speaker Dr Yara Barros, who reviewed the history of efforts to recover the Spix s Macaw, as well outlining what still must be done. To date the LPF has contributed more than US$700,000, and remains committed to the recovery effort for this slow-breeding species. The following topic was another commercial breeding operation, but this time exclusively for African Grey Parrots. Xavier Viader, owner of the company Psittacus Catalonia, described the meticulous attention to detail, including the equatorial photoperiod and the playback of forest sounds. The penultimate speaker was Alan Lieberman of the San Diego Zoo, who described the translocation of Rimatara Lorikeets (Vini kuhlii) from the island of Rimatara, French Polynesia to Atiu in the Cook Islands, 200 years after the species was last recorded Naturally the occurrence of the Convention also offered the perfect opportunity to visit Loro Parque to enjoy all its attractions, and to see the changes since The participants remarked especially favourably about the new lory enclosures and the Katandra Treetops free-flight aviary for Australian and Asian parrots and other birds. Such a successful Convention was due to the efforts of many people, and thanks to everybody who decided to participate, the speakers, the coordinators of the different countries, the editors of the magazines who gave publicity, as well as the local authorities. Copies of the proceedings of the Convention are available as a book or CD, available by contacting the LPF Secretary. For all those who could not attend this time, or are ready to return, please note the dates of the VIII International Parrot Convention as Monday 22nd to Thursday 25th September 2014, in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. 4

5 Saving wildlife and habitats LP/SP NEWS More than 53,000,000 viewers in Germany have enjoyed Tenerife through life in Loro Parque program, which was filmed entirely in Tenerife, has been broadcast daily between September and November of this year, in prime time on the first German TV Channel, also known as ARD. The viewer figures have reached over 13% of audience share, excluding the public in Austria and Switzerland, where the series was also broadcast. This means a great promotion of Tenerife as a tourism destination. In this audiovisual project, in which the protagonists are the animals and the daily happenings of a zoo, biologists, veterinarians and keepers of the park were also involved. They have shown the beauty and majesty of the animals, as well as the different day to day activities of the park, combining these stories with the landscapes of the island, its outstanding ecosystems and natural parks, always emphasizing the wonderful climate of Tenerife. More than 53,000,000 viewers in Germany have been able to visit and enjoy the wonders of nature and landscapes of Tenerife through the TV Series Parrots, Palms and Company, which reveals the life of the animals of Loro Parque and the daily happenings behind the scenes of the most recognized wildlife park in Spain. This TV These 40 programmes, entirely recorded in high definition and with the best technology, have brought considerable advertising and promotion of the island, which if paid for would have cost over 12,000,000. This television exposure has contributed to a big media push of Tenerife as an excellent tourism destination, with a good climate and eco-friendly, the key features that the German public seeks in tourism. Loro Parque expands its sloth family with two babies team, is growing from day to day and is beginning to observe its surroundings curiously while it is being fed or weighed to check its development. Loro Parque is celebrating the extension of its animal family with a unique event. The pair of Two-toed sloths, which came in 2007 from Italy to Loro Parque, has produced young, and two sloth babies were born! This birth has aroused the curiosity and interest of biologists and veterinarians worldwide, because no similar case is known in any other zoo of the world. The small mammals were born in a tropical ecosystem that has been created especially for this species, and this unique event leaves no doubt about the good conditions in which these animals live. The parents Bimba and Bianco, 4 and 5 years old, share the exhibition with one of the young, which is being fed and cared for by the mother, while the other young is being reared by the veterinarian team of Loro Parque. In this way, its welfare and growth can be guaranteed until it reaches the necessary independence to return to the exhibition with the rest of the family. In the exhibition there are also two Green iguanas, 12 White-faced marmosets and two pairs of Red-footed tortoises. Both young were born very well developed, strong and with open eyes, as well as with fully developed teeth and claws. This allows them to hold on in their natural position, with the back to the ground. The youngstergrowing with the mother is beginning slowly to stretch its limbs and loves the belly of its mother, while she protects it always and prevents it from falling to the ground. Meanwhile the other young maintained by the veterinary The Two-toed sloth (Cholopoepus didactylus) has a quiet nature, is slow in its movements, and is characterized by its small, round and flat-topped head. It is also an example that survival not only depends on force and speed, because it survived its huge relatives who became extinct 10,000 years ago. The length is between 41 and 74 centimeters and the body is covered with long, thick and brown hair. They spend most of their time hanging on trees, always with the back to the ground. The parents, who can live more than 20 years, come from an exhibition in the province of Pavia in Italy, and feel very comfortable in the climate of Tenerife, as the island shares lots of similarities with the tropical forests of South America. This species is native to countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Suriname and Peru. While the adults in captivity eat leaves, fruits and seasonal vegetables, and grain, and drink water, the young need milk, which they suckle several times a day during 6 to 15 minute feeding sessions. 5

6 LP/SP NEWS the newsletter of loro Parque fundación A big bottle of milk for baby orca An orca is born in Loro Parque On October 13th, 2010, Loro Parque reported an exceptional event with the birth of an orca in the OrcaOcean facilities. This is a major milestone for the breeding programme and Loro Parque is proud that reproduction has occurred, being the most important indicator that confirms the welfare of animals in the facilities, created especially for these marine mammals. Kohana, a female aged 8 born in the parks of Sea World (San Antonio), has given birth to her first calf, weighing 150 kilos and after 4 hours of labor, druign which time it was constantly observed and attended by the entire team of veterinarians, biologists, park trainers and experts from the United States. Moments after birth, the almost 2 meters long calf instinctively swam to the surface for its first breath. However, possibly due to the youth of Kohana, no link was established between the two, as often happens with mothers in other animal species. In this regard, and given the risk that this situation posed for the survival of the offspring, the experts decided to intervene to complement the care of the mother in the medical pool of the facility. It s a very important day for all of us at Loro Parque, as this birth backs-up the welfare that our animals enjoy, said Javier Almunia, PhD in marine science and deputy director of Loro Parque Fundación. He explained that the experience of handrearing of this species is scarce and presents many challenges to be gradually overcome with the development of the animal. For their part, the veterinarians and trainers wisely await the little male s progress, since the first few weeks are crucial for the development of the mammal, which starts life with a basic immune system and therefore takes time to strengthen it. The moment of birth of the orca This is the first birth of an Orca in the OrcaOcean facility, opened in 2006 for our very dear and beloved President, Adam Martin, recalled Wolfgang Kiessling with some emotion. In these facilities four Orcas coexist, from the United States where a total of 28 Orcas have been born within the world s most successful breeding programme (which includes this birth), at Sea World. This exceptional case will provide valuable scientific information and knowledge about breeding and care of the newborn, which will benefit future specimens of this and other cetacean species. 6

7 Saving wildlife and habitats LP/SP NEWS Baby Boom at Loro Parque with 2 new jaguars The Loro Parque animal family is experiencing an authentic Baby Boom, after the recent birth of two jaguar twins, which together with other young animals, such as for example the orca baby and the two-toed sloths, have become the central point for children and adults. These attractive and inquisitive baby cats are the result of the jaguar (Panthera onca) pair that Loro Parque formed in 2009 with a female coming from Germany. The two young are very similar to their parents, in the striking colour and patterns that characterize these animals. They are being fed by their mother, who dedicates the whole day pampering and giving them attention. The jaguar is the largest feline in the Americas and the third largest worldwide, after the tiger and lion, and is classified in the IUCN Red List as a near threatened species and with its number in decline. Although this is a species which prefers to inhabit the dense and humid forests, they also frequent a big variety of forested or open lands, but always with the presence of water. The loss and fragmentation of their habitat, the conflicts with ranchers and farmers, coupled with the international trade (currently prohibited), are the main threats for this feline. Diverse and numerous species of water, land and air have filled the nurseries of the park in the recent months, breeding being the main indicator of the welfare that the animals enjoy in their different ecosystems. This is so much the case, that the two jaguar cubs add to other mammals also in luck, like the marmoset babies or our very special sloths (the only twins in the zoo world), which our keepers and veterinarians attend with great care. The breeding station for birds of the Loro Parque Fundación also has chicks of different and important species which are highly endangered. This reserve gives them a real chance to survive, like for example the Spix s Macaw (totally extinct in the wild) or the Lear s Macaw, also seriously threatened. Similarly, in the coming days we expect that more eggs of other species will hatch, and all the visitors will be able to appreciate them in the Baby Station, during feeding time. The orca baby is the first born in Spain, and from day by day it is growing more and more with the constant attention of the keepers and veterinarian experts. For their part, Paul and Pedrito, as the Facebook fans have affectionately named the two young sea lions, are growing well and their keepers are surprised at their strength and energy. The authentic explosion of life in the past months has fulfilled the expectations of the employees of Loro Parque, who dedicate their time and affection to all the animals. They all experience great satisfaction in helping to make them stronger and bigger. It is a very rewarding work, and all the visitors who come each year to Loro Parque can discover, learn and be truly excited by all the different wonders of nature. 7

8 LP/SP NEWS the newsletter of loro Parque fundación Loro Parque awards the Premio Gorila 2009 to the German TV Channel VOX more than viewers to the promotion of the island and the tourism sector. The event was also attended by numerous civil, military and ecclesiastical personalities, as well as personalities from the tourism sector such as Tour Operators, Hotel Managers, Travel Agencies and Media. The Premio Gorila is a recognition that Loro Parque has been awarding to the most important contributer of the year for effort and commitment to the development of the sector, and the application of responsible environmental policy. This prize consists of a bronze sculpture of a a gorilla, because this animal represents loyality, strength and fidelity. Paulino Rivero, Jan Biekehör and Wolfgang Kiessling Loro Parque has awarded the German TV Channel VOX with the Premio Gorila 2009, in recognition of the support and dedication provided by this TV Channel in making the series Menschen, Tiere und Doktoren (People, Animals and Doctors), which has shown animal life and landscapes of Tenerife during 200 chapters broadcast in Germany in 2008 and This event was held at the headquarters of the Presidency of the Canarian Government, in the presence of the President, Paulino Rivero, the President of Loro Parque, Wolfgang Kiessling and the Executive Producer of the German Channel, Jan Biekehör. This prize, which is given annually, recognizes the effort of this channel to promote a good image of the island and the activities of Loro Parque, elements that contribute in each chapter to In previous editions, Loro Parque has awarded the Tour Operator Iberostar, and its President Miguel Fluxá received the award in The following year the award was for the group Neckermann Thomas Cook AG, with the presence of the General Manager Wolfgang Beeper. Globalia Travel Plan received the award in 2005 and in 2006 TUI UK, its General Manager David Harper attending the official event. In 2007 the Touroperator TUI Germany received this award, and in 2008 it was for the President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Ricardo Melchior, in recognition of his dedication and advocacy for the environment. Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary receives a visit from Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Princess Sirindhorn meets staff of PKWS This year both Loro Parque and Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand celebrate 38 years of existence. Two years ago, the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand visited Tenerife especially to inaugurate Siam Park, and also to make a tour of Loro Parque to discover its attractions. Included in the tour was the breeding centre of Loro Parque Fundación, where the Princess also learned about the project of our foundation to help protect Phu Khieo, which began with the invitation of her father, King Bhumibol, for our foundation to become involved. To celebrate its 38th birthday, in May the Princess visited Phu Khieo, where she was able to experience directly the activities that are taking place within the project. 8

9 Saving wildlife and habitats LPF NEWS Protected areas reduce poverty in Thailand and Costa Rica Protected areas are important for the conservation of biodiversity, including parrots. Many of the conservation projects of the Loro Parque Fundación involve protected areas, not least in Thailand and Costa Rica. These projects not only protect the Grey-headed Parakeet (Psittacula finschii) and the Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) respectively, but they also conserve entire ecological communities. However, as global efforts to protect ecosystems expand, the socioeconomic impact of protected areas on neighbouring human communities continues to be a source of intense debate. Ecosystem protection limits agricultural development and exploitation of natural resources. Therefore, opposition to protected areas is frequently based on the assumption that they impose large economic costs and thus exacerbate local poverty. However, protected areas can also generate economic benefits by supplying ecosystem services, promoting tourism, and improving infrastructure in remote areas. Thai farmer who benefits from the PKWS project A recent study (Andam et al*) has used comprehensive national datasets to measure socioeconomic outcomes, and used appropriate comparison groups of communities, to estimate impacts of protected area systems on poverty in Costa Rica and Thailand. The study has found that although communities near protected areas are substantially poorer than national averages, comparison with appropriate communities far from protected areas shows that differences in socioeconomic status are not due to the protected areas. In contrast, the results of the study indicate that the net impact of ecosystem protection alleviates poverty. Thus, these results suggest that protecting biodiversity can contribute to both environmental sustainability and poverty alleviation, two of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. This study accords especially with the achievements of the project for the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary in north-east Thailand, supported by the Loro Parque Fundación since 1997, which not only protects a rich biodiversity but also improves the socio-economic situation of the people living near the protected area. *Andam, K.S., Ferraro, P.J., Sims, K.R.E., Healy, A. and Holland, M.B. (2010) Protected areas reduced poverty in Costa Rica and Thailand. PNAS 107 (22) Agreement on zero extinction at biodiversity conference in Japan In October in Nagoya, Japan, a milestone agreement was reached by the representatives of 193 governments of countries which are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The conference of the parties agreed that by 2020 the extinction of known threatened species will be prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, will be improved and sustained. Part of the agreement is that the governments commit to increase to 17% the land surface of the Earth occupied by protected areas, 4% more than the target until now. This gives the opportunity to include the highest priority areas not yet under protection. The LPF Lear s Macaw project occurs at an AZE site To help the conference reach its decision the Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE), of which the Loro Parque Fundación is a member, presented new data and a map that pinpoint 587 single sites where 920 of the world s most endangered wildlife species are restricted. Together, these conservation tools represent a straightforward means to cost-effectively address the issue of imminent and predictable species loss, a central component of biodiversity conservation. At the present time, only half of the sites identified enjoy any formal protection, and of those, half are only partially protected. The countries and big international donors such as the Global Environment Facility and the World Bank are expected to bear most of the cost, but other donors such as Loro Parque Fundación are also contributing. 9

10 LPF NEWS the newsletter of loro Parque fundación The AZE was established in 2000 to increase efforts to prevent the imminent extinction of species by identifying and safeguarding the places where species evaluated to be Endangered and Critically Endangered in the IUCN (World Conservation Union) Red List of Threatened Species, are restricted to single remaining sites. To date, AZE has identified sites for mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, conifers, and reef-building corals, providing a strategic tool to defend against many of the most predictable species losses. Country-based initiatives, representing partnerships of government agencies and non-government organizations, have been developed in Brazil and Colombia to accelerate the protection of AZE sites. Protecting an AZE site can often prevent multiple extinctions, since some of these sites host more than one highly threatened species. Studies show that AZE sites are particularly important for providing ecological services too, so their protection brings an even wider range of benefits. The countries with the most AZE sites are Mexico (68), Colombia (46), Peru (34), Indonesia (31), Brazil (27), and China (23). However, a large number of sites does not necessarily reflect a nation s environmental performance, because a high level of biodiversity, such as in countries with many different eco-regions in a small area, usually poses an extraordinary conservation challenge. Through its direct support to protect threatened species of parrots, the Loro Parque Fundación is contributing to the zero extinction goal. As an example, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park in Colombia is the world s fourth most important site for AZE species (12), which includes the Critically Endangered Santa Marta Parakeet Pyrrhura viridicata, the conservation of which is being sustained by a partnership between Fundación ProAves and the Loro Parque Fundación. The LPF Red and blue Lory project occurred at an AZE site The AZE website is: Loro Parque Fundación issues World Habitat Day appeal On World Habitat Day, 4th October 2010, designated by the United Nations, the Loro Parque Fundación issued an appeal for urban environments to be improved for wildlife as well as for humans. This year s World Habitat Day was intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat, and to the basic right of all to have adequate shelter. To create and maintain a sustainable urban world is without doubt a major challenge, given that currently 55% of the world s human population lives in cities, with 85% predicted to live in urban areas by the year Thus, adequate planning is essential to ensure that the future urbandwellers do not become entirely disconnected from the natural world, because its biological diversity is what will help to sustain these urban conglomerations. Urban planners must use their maximum creativity to include sufficient green spaces in urban developments, where wild plants and animals can flourish, and where people can enjoy this wildlife and gain spiritual renewal. Furthermore, responsible and progressive wildlife parks like Loro Parque will have an increasingly significant role to provide a window onto nature for urbanites, with environmental education of younger people assuming major importance. Also without doubt is that companion animals, including pets of wild species such as parrots, will feature strongly as part of the urban habitat for humans. Therefore, on World Habitat Day 2010, the Loro Parque Fundación also made an appeal for these animals to be cared for responsibly. 10

11 Saving wildlife and habitats LPF NEWS Big increase in the Yellow-eared Parrot population Another young Yellow-eared Parrot to increase the population The Yellow-eared parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis) population in the Department of Tolima, Colombia has reached historically high population levels with 727 individuals following their most successful breeding season with 291 chicks fledged from 131 nests. These data are evidence of a significant increase in the population of this species. This report comes from the population census conducted in Tolima in recent months, and after the IUCN lowered the threat category of the Yelloweared Parrot from Critically Endangered to Endangered in May. The continued recovery of this species is due to the efforts of Fundación ProAves, supported since 1999 by Loro Parque Fundación Two more reserves join National Protected Area System In order to strengthen the protection of each of its reserves, Fundación ProAves has worked to register every reserve with the Ministry of Environment and the Administrative Unit of National Parks, within the National System of Protected Areas (SINAP by its Spanish acronym) to be included within the category of Civil Society Reserves (Private Nature Reserve). The procedure carried out to achieve the linking of reserves is relatively short: the application for registration must be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, following which the Minister gives notice of the initiated proceedings to the City Councils and the Autonomous Regional Corporations or Sustainable Development that have jurisdiction in the areas, to display the notice in their offices. The SINAP is the set of protected areas, stakeholders and management strategies that integrate to help achieve the conservation goals of Colombia. The establishment of the system began under the Convention on Biological Diversity ratified by Colombia in Colombia, as part of this agreement, is committed to establishing and maintaining national and regional systems of protected areas comprehensively and effectively managed and ecologically representative that contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the Convention. This is why it is so important for Fundación ProAves to elevate to Natural Reserves of the Civil Society the status of the lands acquired, because from that moment we are contributing to the fulfilment of the objectives of conservation for Colombia ensuring the preservation, regeneration or restoration of the ecosystems in the reserves and allowing the generation of environmental goods and services essential to human welfare. Then the Ministry and the Natural Parks Unit may request a visit, to determine and verify the importance of the example in the natural ecosystem and the production and utilization carried out in the property subject to registration. Next, following publication of the result of the visit, the technical report receives further study and if the property is found to be important, the Ministry and the Special Administrative Unit of the National Natural Parks System proceed to give their decision. Two reserves are in the process are the El Dorado Bird Reserve and Yellow-eared Parrot Bird Reserve. These reserves are a very important element in the projects of the Loro Parque Fundación and ProAves for the conservation of two endangered species of parrot, respectively Pyrrhura viridicata and Ognorhynchus icterotis. For more information about SINAP: visit

12 LPF NEWS the newsletter of loro Parque fundación New locality for the Perijá Parakeet At the end of September, Fundación ProAves reported that its expedition to the Department of Cesar in north-east Colombia discovered a new population of the Perijá or Todd s Parakeet (Pyrrhura caeruleiceps) which is Critically Endangered. This is the first record in fragments of tropical forest in the foothills of Perijá and only the third population existing of the species. The enigmatic and little known the Perijá Parakeet has a highly restricted range in tropical forest, mainly between 500 and 900 meters attitude along the border between Colombia and Venezuela. As part of the Pyrhurra project, supported by the Loro Parque Fundación, Fabián Guzmán, a ProAves researcher, is conducting expeditions in Department of Cesar. After analyzing the possible range (within the Colombian Parrot Conservation Plan ), this exploration uncovered the new population in the foothills of the Serranía de Perijá, 130 km from historical populations. An adult Perijá Parakeet Forest loss and fragmentation are the major threats facing these birds. ProAves is trying to determine the current status of the population and the habitat characteristics of the species, among other aspects of its natural history. The Loro Parque Fundación will direct US$ to conservation actions in 2011 Funding to stop parrot trappers in Halmahera, Indonesia Funds will help study the genetics of the El Oro Parakeet Bucking the trend of cut-backs related to the economic recession, the Loro Parque Fundación has again made a firm commitment to the natural world by approving the use of ( US$) of its funds for conservation actions in This is a record amount of funding, and is the result of the recent recommendations by the foundation s international Advisory Board and endorsement by its President and Trustees. The members of the Board, all experts in different disciplines related to the activities of the Loro Parque Fundación, reviewed the many proposals received and recommended those considered most likely to have the best conservation impact. Thus, in 2011 the foundation will have 31 active conservation projects in 20 different countries around the world, as well as in the Canary Islands and peninsula Spain. Many of these projects will be to protect and recover some of the world s most threatened species of parrots, while others will involve the conservation of cetaceans. Fundamentally the projects are designed to not only protect the rarest species, but also to protect and restore natural habitat, and to collaborate with local people to instil a sense of pride in their natural heritage, as well as to promote sustainable local economies. Announcing the project funding, Wolfgang Kiessling, President of the Loro Parque Fundación said, In the current uncertain economic climate I am proud that the good governance and expertise of the Loro Parque Fundación allows it to increase its help to the natural world, a world on which we all depend. Loro Parque continues its commitment to cover all the administration and operational costs of the foundation, so that 100% of what is received from our supporters goes directly to the projects. I take this opportunity to give my heartfelt thanks to all our supporters, because together we have saved wild species from extinction, and will continue to do so. Among the projects for 2011 can be mentioned the conservation of the most threatened parrot species of Colombia and their forests, new genetic techniques to study macaws, monitoring the migration of Orcas in the Iberian Peninsula and research on the health of Bottlenose dolphins in the Canary Islands. 12

13 Saving wildlife and habitats LPF NEWS News from the Loro Parque Fundación parrot collection The Spix s Macaw born in 2010 (right) with her older sister A mixed group of lories ready to fledge August The young Spix Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), which hatched in spring of this year, is a female. Our veterinarians were able to determine this with a DNA test. At the age of 135 days, she became completely independent and was removed from the office of the curator, who had raised her from the first day on, together with her older sister Turquesa born in Turquesa was kept with this year s female as a socialization partner during the past few months. Previously she was in a separate large freeflight aviary for Spix s Macaws with two other pairs. The young female has been named Yara. She received this name in honour of Dr. Yara Barros, the Brazilian biologist who Lear s Macaw chicks had been watching the last Spix s Macaw in the wild during the last five years until its disappearance in the year These studies, which were supported by the Loro Parque Fundación, revealed much scientific information about the nutrition, behaviour and way of life of the Spix s Macaw. Without these studies, this information would be lost forever. These important findings will one day be the basis for the reintroduction of the Spix s Macaw into its natural habitat. The 2010 breeding year also seems to be most extraordinary for our Lear s Macaw. Up to now, five chicks have hatched from our two breeding pairs, so that the total number of Lear s Macaws bred by the LPF since 2007 is 15. The breeding of the lories is also very good this year. Nearly twice as many chicks as at the same time last year have been ringed, with 25 types of lory successful so far in Very important to mention are three young Red and blue Lories (Eos histrio), eight young Fergusson Island Lories (Lorius hypoinochrous devittatus), five young Collared Lories (Phigys solitarius) as well as two young Mt. Apo Lories (Trichoglossus johnstoniae), all of them very important breeding results to establish self-sustaining breeding lines. These species are very rare to find in breeding centres and the Red and Blue and Mt. Apo Lories are threatened in the wild. Also very surprising this year were our Ouvéa Parakeets (Eunymphicus cornutus uvaeensis), which for the first time independently reared two chicks. Previously, we always had to rear the young birds by hand, because they had not been fed by their parents. Now, after several attempts, it finally works! This is a great success that will hopefully continue in the coming years. By the end of August, 1006 young parrots had been banded, so to date we have a better result than the previous year. 13

14 LPF NEWS the newsletter of loro Parque fundación A hungry Palm Cockatoo chick September As in any collection, there are species that surprise us with their breeding success, but also other ones for which we hope in vain for a good breeding success. For example our Hawk-headed Parrots (Deroptyus accipitrinus) last year had no young, but this year we can already report six chicks. Thick-billed Parrots inspecting nest-boxes The Lear s Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari) Year 2010 in the Loro Parque Fundación continues its course beautifully, with three siblings in the hand-rearing station already with blue feathers, and two other young birds of the same age who are thriving perfectly with their adoptive parents, a pair of Ara chloroptera. One of the pairs is raising two chicks for the first time on its own, while the other Lear s Macaw pair has just produced the first egg of the second clutch, which will also stay with the parents to allow this already experienced and proven breeding pair the chance to raise the chicks naturally. 14 Also particularly gratifying is that our successful breeding pair of Palm Cockatoos (Probosciger aterrimus) started breeding again, although later than last year. Currently, the chick from the first clutch is about three weeks old and growing very well in the Baby Station in Loro Parque, while the female has once again laid an egg, which is also fertile. Our other black cockatoos also start to breed mostly in late summer, and we have had eggs from two pairs of Redtailed Black Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus magnificus) and from a pair of big Yellowtailed Black Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus funereus), although unfortunately the eggs were not fertile, so we now hope to have better results with the next eggs. During this year we are testing a new breeding method with our Thick-billed Parrots (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha). We have put eight individuals of this species in a communal aviary with the following measures: 20m long, 12m wide and 3.5m high. The idea is to use the colony to stimulate breeding. The nest-boxes were quickly occupied and the first pair has started to breed. Given that this species is known as a colony breeder in the wild, we do not want to interfere now and will wait some time to see whether this breeding system also works for us. In September 2009, in Loro Parque in Tenerife, the inauguration took place of one of the largest free-flight aviaries in Europe, named Katandra Treetops. This is an aviary for birds, and among them parrots in particular, from Australia and Asia. The walk-in aviary for the visitors is at some points 15 meters high, and takes the visitors above the canopy of the trees that grow in this huge space. Trees which have been growing for decades surround the aviary with its 17 to 28 meter high pylons, and give Katandra Treetops a special and unique atmosphere, taking the visitors directly into the natural habitat of the animals. About 150 birds inhabit the giant aviary, and about 100 of them belong to the parrot family. In particular the lories, cockatoos, Eclectus parrots and Australian parakeets in their colourful splendour astonish all the visitors. The bird population is supplemented by selected species of the same habitats, such as emus, herons, swans, several species of pigeons, Bali Starlings, Masked Lapwings and pheasants. After one year, we can now draw the first balance. The coexistence of such different species of birds cannot be completely predicted in advance, and so we also have had to gain experience on what works or not. Thus, the aviary is large enough for there to be sufficient alternatives for all the residents, and the coexistence among all the animals works perfectly. Only the pair of Laughing Kookaburras had to be moved to another aviary, because suddenly they reacted aggressively to our lories. This behaviour started to develop over the course of time, so that in the first month it was impossible to discover. Some other parrots had to be removed from the aviary, but for very different reasons. Thus, for example our Moluccan Cockatoos and the Ducorps Cockatoos became so tame and intrusive to the visitors, that several earrings of the visitors were removed. This was not acceptable, and therefore these thieves were put back into the aviaries where the lived previously. Now, instead of them we have Major Mitchell s and Palm Cockatoos inhabiting the aviary. A couple of lories (Edward s Lories) were also Keeper Palm Cockatoo encounter in Katandra Treetops

15 Saving wildlife and habitats LPF NEWS Small chicks of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo intrusive, always landing on the heads of the visitors. They were not dangerous, but the visitors who do not know the behaviour of these birds were frightened, and thus these two animals were also replaced. In addition, other types were added or are still on our list of cast members. Golden Conures Our wonderful Victoria Crowned Pigeons are now so tame that they love to use the pedestrian walkway, and when there are a lot of people they provide a traffic jam of astonished visitors. Now everything has settled down and two keepers from Loro Parque are always available in the aviary during the opening times to assure a smooth process. After one year, we can draw a very positive result and can declare that the big effort was worthwhile. All the Loro Parque visitors are excited to see the birds without a separating mesh. With this new attraction, Loro Parque has set new standards in this unique presentation of parrots and other birds in a natureinspired enclosure. October Hyacinth Macaw chick two days old The year 2010 seems to be a good breeding year for our black cockatoos. Now three young Palm cockatoos are growing in the Baby Station of Loro Parque and another fertile egg is in the incubator. Although the first clutch of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos was not fertile, the second clutch indeed was fertile. The two chicks have hatched and are currently growing in the Baby Station of Loro Parque. Also with the Pesquet s parrots (Psittrichas fulgidus), a young bird hatched, and has been ringed. Our Golden conures (Guaruba guarouba) also laid eggs this year, and while five young birds are now independent, four others are currently growing with their parents and are being very well cared for. 15

16 LPF NEWS the newsletter of loro Parque fundación November Lories in Katandra Treetops It was interesting to observe how carefully the parents treated the young chick of only 25 g and without any feathers. After a few days, the consistency of the regurgitated food changed, because we could see the first pieces in the viscous mucus lining. The installed camera gave us an excellent insight into these nest behaviours. Very often following question is asked: How does a Hyacinth macaw, with its huge beak, feed the newly hatched chick with its, by contrast, tiny beak? The camera provides the evidence: The parent s beak is in fact too large to feed into the small beak of the chick, so the food is regurgitated in the area of the chick s beak, and the chick is actively fed, but most of the food does not actually enter the beak.. After the feeding the chick is smeared all over with food, which afterwards is cleaned-up by the parent with its tongue. After each feeding, the chick is perfectly cleaned, so that nothing is left or wasted. This is a very interesting way of feeding, that we would never have discovered without the nest-box camera. With the increase in size of the young bird, the feeding becomes targeted and less food is wasted, until the beak of the young macaw has reached a dimension that allows targeted feeding without any waste. On the 25 th and 26 th of December at 5.15 pm on the SWR channel in Germany, the two-part documentary of the blue macaws will be broadcast, which the curator from the Loro Parque Fundación, Dr. Matthias Reinschmidt, together with the famous German TV presenter Frank Elstner, shot in March/April of this year in Brazil. On the 8 th of January 2011, a summary of 48 minutes will be broadcast on the ARD channel. The journey began at Tenerife, where the two main protagonists packed a Spix s macaw and a Lear s Macaw into two transport boxes for the journey. These animals were bred Victoria Crowned Pigeons building a nest in Katandra Treetops This year for the first time we have installed a camera in the nest box of the Hyacinth macaw pair, which gives us detailed information about the breeding behaviour of the animals. During the breeding period, the female was visited very often by the male and was fed and preened extensively. This plumage care was mutual, because the male was also preened by the female as a reward for the visit. Very often, the male came in the nest box, just to be with the female, to be next to her or just to rest a little bit, without intervening actively in the business of breeding. From the moment that the young bird hatched, the male fed not only the female, but also the youngster. It was fed by both parents equally, initially with regurgitated very thin mucus-like, liquid food, which is more like saliva than a mash. The Spìx s Macaw school was included in the filming in Brazil in the Loro Parque Fundación and during this journey were returned to Brazil, where they will contribute to build breeding groups. After that, the biologist and presenter commenced the trip to the northeast of Brazil, where the Spix s Macaw, now extinct in the wild, was once widespread and the population of the Lear s Macaw, thanks to the support of the LPF, has been recovering. The Pantanal, the largest area of swamp in the world, was another place to visit, because it is the main site of the Hyacinth macaw. The camera crew obtained fantastic pictures of all the blue macaw species as well as of many other species that inhabit the same habitats, and therefore this documentary can be recommended strongly to all parrot and animal lovers. 16

17 Saving wildlife and habitats PROJECTS UP-DATE New projects of the Loro Parque Fundación New projects have been approved for Loro Parque Fundación financial support, and three of them are described here. Swift Parrot Breeding biology and migratory behaviour of endangered Swift Parrots: key knowledge for effective conservation food sources. Swift Parrots are continuing to decline and are likely to become critically endangered unless better management can be implemented. This project aims to provide crucial techniques and data for improved management of Swift Parrots. At an early stage the project needs to: Detail the critical aspects of Swift Parrot breeding biology and ecology in relation to land management practices, especially forestry. Determine breeding requirements, including nesting hollows and food sources. Determine breeding habitat selection related to critical levels of food sources (nectar from highly variable Eucalyptus flowering events). Flowering Eucalyptus trees provide food for Swift Parrots The Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) is an endangered species that undertakes an annual 5,000 km migration from its breeding habitat in Tasmania to wintering habitat scattered across approximately one million square kilometres in south-eastern mainland Australia. It searches for nectar in temperate Eucalyptus forests and requires old-growth trees for nesting hollows. However these habitats have been dramatically impacted by human activities including agriculture, forestry and urban development. Highly variable climatic conditions also influence the availability of their nectar Develop techniques for tracking individual birds and determining use of landscape during breeding. Determine reproductive success related to availability of breeding resources. The above information should fit into a broader project which will include undertaking population viability analyses for the species. The project also expects to the first in the world to attempt to track small migratory parrots, using the latest field robotics and 17

18 PROJECTS UP-DATE the newsletter of loro Parque fundación aeronautical technology together with miniaturised tracking technology. This should provide unprecedented insights into the ecology of Swift Parrot migration, including their strategies and pathways across south-eastern Australia. Also for the first time, the project will examine climatic conditions and food availability across the landscape and relate this to Swift Parrot migration and breeding success. Finally, the project will inform policy development and strategic landscape conservation planning, and fulfil key National Swift Parrot Recovery Plan actions. The principal investigator will be Dr Robert Heinsohn, Associate professor of the Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University. Development of novel genetic techniques for conservation studies of large macaws Also from the Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University is researcher George Olah, who will undertake the field part of this project in the Tambopata National Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park of the Madre de Dios Region of Peru. Genetic studies are important tools for understanding conservation issues such as the impact on fauna of habitat fragmentation, degradation and loss. This is the first project of its kind, and is intended to provide a broad-based genetic tool for the conservation of wild parrots. Macaws at a clay lick The project will analyse DNA extracted from feathers dropped by wild Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao) at clay licks, with the aim to estimate population size, genetic structure, and individual movements. This research should provide essential baseline data for understanding the impacts of habitat fragmentation on large wideranging macaws, and for comparison to other more endangered species. In the project it should be possible to: Identify individual Scarlet Macaws from the feathers they drop in the study area using genetic tagging; Use individual identities from genetic samples to study individual movements and to estimate home range size; Reconstruct demographic and genetic traits of the study populations, especially effective population size, genetic diversity, genetic differentiation among populations, and sex-biases in dispersal; Use knowledge of home ranges and population structure and size to assess the impact of human disturbances to the environment, including the new Interoceanic Highway through south-eastern Peru and expanded oil exploration in wilderness areas such as the Candamo Valley; Assess the feasibility of these novel genetic tagging techniques as a widely applicable tool in conservation biology. Monitoring of the migration processes of Orcas (Orcinus orca) in the Iberian Peninsula The Loro Parque Foundation is co-financing this project with the Biodiversity Foundation and the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs of the Government of Spain. It is directed and coordinated by the Biological Station of Doñana, Higher Council of Scientific Research, with the collaboration of CIRCE (Conservation, Information and Research on Cetaceans), and the principal investigators Dr. Manuela González Forero and Dr. Renaud de Stephanis. According to the Biodiversity Act, 2007 in Spain, the species included in the categories of vulnerable on the Endangered Species List must have a conservation plan. Thus the project is integrated into the wider project Proposal for conservation plans for species of migratory cetaceans in the Peninsular Mediterranean. 18 Orcas are top marine predators feeding on a fairly wide range of prey. Genetic studies carried out recently on the genetic structure of populations of this species in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean have shown that there are three distinct populations. One population typically feeds on herring (Clupea spp) and inhabits the North Atlantic. Another population, which stretches from the UK to the Mediterranean has a varied diet including herring, mackerel (Scomber scombrus), blue-fin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), and occasionally marine mammals such as minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). A third population is specialized on the exclusive

19 Saving wildlife and habitats PROJECTS UP-DATE by CIRCE over the past 10 years, with some studies supported by Loro Parque Fundación. consumption of blue-fin tuna and that resides in the Gulf of Cadiz. The latter population has been monitored in the Strait of Gibraltar Thanks to the information collected we are thoroughly acquainted with aspects of population dynamics, social structure and spatial distribution in spring and summer. However, there is a complete lack of information on the use of species habitat and its feeding strategies during the autumn and winter, and similarly we do not know their feeding strategies in summer (when not interacting with fisheries). To fill this knowledge gap, we are trying to deploy satellite tags allow the locating of the whales through ARGOS positioning, and to obtain information on their feeding strategies and migration throughout the year. This information will be key in the development of conservation measures for the species. A double boost for the Grey-breasted Parakeet Adult Grey-breasted Parakeets at a nest-box Grey-breasted Parakeet chicks in the nest-box As recently as 2005, the Grey-breasted Parakeet (Pyrrhura griseipectus) became recognised as a proper species, but at virtually the same time gained the unenviable title of being the Pyrrhura species closest to extinction. Revealing its true taxonomic status, as well as exposing its precarious existence, was the result of pain-staking work in museum and field by the Brazilian NGO Aquasis. Using available historic information, the Aquasis field team identified and searched 16 distinct localities across the states of Alagoas, Pernambuco and Ceará in north-eastern Brazil where this species could possibly still have occurred. The result of the search contained good and bad news. The bad news was that the Grey-breasted Parakeet could no longer be found in 15 of the localities, widespread habitat destruction and previous intensive trapping being the likely important factors in its decline and disappearance. The good news was that it had not gone extinct, a small population being found by Aquasis in the unique moist montane forests above 500m in the isolated Baturité Mountains of Ceará State, about 100km south of the coastal capital city of Fortaleza. These mountains, in which humidity from the clouds supports the moister forest, are surrounded by the low-lying semi-arid caatinga ecosystem, with ecological conditions considered sub-optimal for this species. In the knowledge that the original forest cover of the Baturité Mountains has been reduced to 13% or less, and that illegal trapping remains a threat, Aquasis launched an urgent conservation project for this Critically Endangered species. These conservation actions, supported by the Loro Parque Fundación, Act for Nature, Chester Zoo, and ZGAP (Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations) have currently focused on the recovery of the species and its habitat in the Baturité Mountains. Central to the project is to promote the Grey-breasted Parakeet as a flagship species, promoting awareness within the local communities of its uniqueness and fragility, and of the ecological and economic importance of the forest. With the additional support of the Brazilian Fundação O Boticário de Proteção à Natureza, the Aquasis project has been developing alternative economic activities for the local communities. The Baturité Mountains are one of the top birdwatching destinations in north-east Brazil, and the project is providing courses to train local guides for bird-watching and other nature activities. Partnerships with important local stakeholders have been established, the main focus being the education of young people, the initiation of a local event, the Guaramiranga Bird Festival, and even encouraging the possible creation of a private protected area. Another crucial aspect of the project has been to investigate the distribution in the Baturité Mountains of the species, and its reproductive cycle. A major limiting factor is the lack of trees big enough for suitable nesting cavities, and so in the longer-term Aquasis intends to increase the availability of nesting habitat. However, a short-term objective is to increase the wild population in Baturité, currently estimated at 250 birds, by using nest-boxes, and to date 60 of two designs (wooden and PVC) have been installed in carefully selected sites. During the first breeding season, monitoring of the nest-boxes demonstrated that pairs of Grey-breasted Parakeets inspected them, and even mating behaviour was observed only three meters from a nestbox, but no nests were occupied. This was somewhat disappointing. Early in the most recent breeding season the field team again observed Grey-breasted Parakeets inspecting two of the wooden nest-boxes (none observed near the PVC nests yet), and the sudden exciting news on the 9th of March 2010 was that parakeets had been photographed inside one of the boxes. 19

20 PROJECTS UP-DATE the newsletter of loro Parque fundación Nest-box attacked by wasps Rescue of the parakeets chicks from the wasps Their presence showed a more serious intent than just inspection, and subsequent monitoring has confirmed that reproduction has occurred, and the nest contained four healthy chicks, soon to fledge. This occurrence is indeed a boost for the conservation of this rarest of Pyrrhura parakeets, but just to illustrate the hazards and precarious existence of tiny populations, this brood was attacked by a group of carnivorous wasps intent on occupying the nest-box. The parents were desperate and two of the chicks managed to clumsily fly away. One of the four chicks was severely stung while trying to leave the nest and was trapped inside. Fortunately, members of the field team were monitoring the nest, and could quickly remove the two remaining chicks that were being attacked. It was a dangerous operation because they had to act quickly, at 8m height, and without any special clothing or protection. With the help of some local people they managed to smoke the wasps away, and returned the chicks an hour later. After another hour, the parents arrived and fed Rescued chick them. The next day, two youngsters were flying around, and the two remaining in the nest-box were alive and active, but one had suffered such a severe attack that it in the end it died in the nest. This will be used for DNA studies, but the other three young have survived and are being monitored. But there is more good news than bad, and a double boost has happened with the report that Grey-breasted parakeets have just been found in another locality. After a programme about the Grey-breasted Parakeet and the nest-boxes was aired on national television on the 13th of March, a landowner from the municipality of Quixadá (a straight line distance of 70km from the Baturité Mountains) called Aquasis to say that he was sure there was a group of these Habitat of the recently re-discovered locality parakeets living in a secluded valley on his property. The Aquasis team had previously made a search in the municipality of Quixadá, and even though no parakeets had been found, ten local persons interviewed gave positive descriptions of the species, and Aquasis considered that an extremely small population could still remain undetected. Because of this, and also that six specimens of P. griseipectus (in the American Museum of Natural History) collected in 1926 by Emil Kaempfer were labelled Quixada, Ceara, Brazil, the Aquasis field team went to the Quixadá locality immediately. Finally, on the 31st of March, they found (recorded, photographed and filmed) a group of Greybreasted Parakeets, with a preliminary estimate of 50 individuals. These parakeets roost in cavities on the vertical rocky cliffs, and foraging in the dry forest that occurs along the base of the slopes of these cliffs. These observations have not only caused Aquasis to rethink the habitat requirements for the species (not only high altitude moist forests), but also give extra hope for the recovery of the Grey-breasted Parakeet. David Waugh, Loro Parque Fundación Weber Girao, Ciro Albano and Alberto Campos, Aquasis Building a breeding stock of Blue-throated Macaws The Loro Parque Fundación (LPF) has succeeded, within 25 years since the first successful captive breeding, in having good breeding regularly and to establish a selfsustaining breeding stock of Blue-throated Macaws (Ara glaucogularis). This is a safety net for the wild population, which is classified as threatened. A few years ago there were known to be no more than a hundred animals in the wild. With the strong support of the LPF it has been possible to sustain numbers in the wild by various protective measures, such that we now have up to 400 Blue-throated Macaws again in nature. To ensure a wonderful success, what has been done to date must also be true for the future. As parrot breeders, in the foreground for us is always the discipline of breeding our subjects, that is, in the first place we want to rejoice in the offspring of our breeding pairs. Nesting and breeding pairs bring us exactly the satisfaction that we expect of our hobby. Non-breeding pairs are most frustrating for parrot breeders such they 20

21 Saving wildlife and habitats PROJECTS UP-DATE Part of the stock built-up by LPF In other species with a larger number of pairs, failed breeding pairs were always replaced by other renewable pairs. This is the purpose of breeding lines. Therefore the fundamental recommendation, speaking from experience, is to put together at least five pairs of a parrot in order to make a meaningful breeding work. Especially for rare and endangered species, we always have to try this number as a minimum, though it may not always succeed at first. We strive also for some species to have a higher number of up to ten pairs. We have the LPF Management Plan created for our collection, which is well defined and indicates how many pairs are to be formed of any species or subspecies. In general, the most important criteria are being threatened in nature and rarity in captivity, and thus we try to establish more couples. often lose the pleasure of the animals very quickly, sometimes too fast, and they get rid of the birds. This has nothing to do with conservation breeding. If we really are committed to the conservation breeding of parrots, we must strive to build our breeding stocks of parrot species. A pair is a pair, for a still-producing couple of birds, but one partner will eventually die and breeding comes to an end. Therefore, responsible breeders are constantly striving to keep several of pairs of a species, and the formation of unrelated young pairs is the responsibility of the breeder. Especially with our very large number of parrot species, and over the observation period of 10 years during which Dr Matthias Reinschmidt has been curator for the parrot collection of LPF, we have often made the observation that species initially breed well, but the breeding of a species can quickly falter, because this or that animal failed. Now to introduce in particular a rare and critically endangered species of parrot, showing how we have managed to establish a breeding stock. In 1984 was the world s first breeding of Blue-throated Macaws at Loro Parque. Since then we have been able to put a leg-ring on (until the end of June 2010) 250 young Blue-throated Macaws. It has been a very productive building of a breeding stock of this very rare species of parrot in captivity, in which until now have successfully reproduced a total of 16 pairs. There is a pair that has been nesting successfully since 1990 to today, with the record of 59 chicks bred. Now we breed the Blue-throated Macaws even in the 4th Generation, while emphasizing however that we still have animals from the founder population breeding successfully. This also shows that long-lived parrots, including the Blue-throated Macaw, usually can have quite successful breeding over a period of more than two decades. This also confirms the good holding conditions under which we keep these animals. Under suboptimal conditions, the 21

22 PROJECTS UP-DATE the newsletter of loro Parque fundación birds would not turn out to be productive for such a long period of time. Important for establishing a breeding group is first of all to keep in all cases the youngest of the offspring and only let go of them if there is the possibility of an exchange with other normal, unrelated individuals of the same species, so that you build yourself a gene pool which reflects as many unrelated founder animals as possible. Thus, after a few years, breeding your own parrots should be mostly with the best breeding birds, because they are familiar with the given environmental conditions from infancy. Therefore you should fall back whenever possible on their own offspring to establish a breeding stock, followed by bringing in animals from elsewhere. Maintenance All aviaries intended for breeding Bluethroated Macaw pairs are two meters wide, eleven meters long and with a height of 2.5 meters. At the front extremity feed balconies are attached, so that most of the waste from eating is kept out of the aviary, facilitating the cleaning immensely. At the rear near the top and on the outside is installed a nesting box with dimensions of 1 m length, 40 cm width and 40 cm height. This can be checked from the outside, thus reducing the disturbance of the animals to a minimum during nest monitoring. The two feedings in the day include in the morning a mix of fresh foods with fruit, vegetables, and seeds (Versele-Laga) for foraging. The afternoon comprises macaw seed mixture (Versele-Laga) plus a few extra nuts. Periodically, the water spray equipment installed in the aviary is turned on and the macaws thoroughly enjoy the shower. This is not only a enrichment good measure to occupy the birds, but it also promotes preening and the health of the macaws. Breeding The management of our Blue-throated Macaws includes the removal of the first clutch of a pair, after 10 days of incubation, for hand-rearing in the incubator. Without exception all our females produce a second clutch that we usually leave with the parents for natural breeding. Of 110 newly hatched Blue-throated Macaw chicks, the average hatching weight was determined as 19.35g, with the lightest chick weighing only 12.2 g, and the heaviest 25.5 g, more than twice as much. Also interesting is the following example: from a clutch of four fertile eggs hatched four young, which from the first egg to the last were progressively lighter (weights in the order of hatching: 24.7 g, 23.1 g, 21.1 g and 18.5g). In hand-rearing the Blue-throated Macaws usually easy and can be reared exactly like their close relatives, the Blue and Yellow macaws (Ara ararauna). They are reared very well with the Nutribird A19 hand rearing food from Versele-Laga. Also with parent rearing it is very rare to have breeding problems, and there are only one or two pairs that pluck the feathers of their chicks somewhat, but the plucked feathers grow again fast in the very young animals. Up to three young per clutch raised by our birds are problem-free. In 2009, we were able to raise young animals of nine different Bluethroated Macaw pairs, which places us in a good position to put together different blood-lines from the younger pairs. Matthias Reinschmidt Chicks hand-raised at the LPF and almost ready to fledge 22 The average clutch size of the Blue-throated Macaws (from 81 clutches) is exactly 2.5 eggs per clutch, but clutch size may vary from one to four eggs. Of the 81, were 12 had a single egg, 19 with two eggs, 44 with three eggs, and six clutches of four eggs. The average egg size (n = 206) was measured as cm x cm. Recently fledged chick in the project in Bolivia

23 Saving wildlife and habitats LP/SP NEWS Sponsors and donors of Loro Parque Fundación Loro Parque is the Foundation s principal sponsor. Therefore, the financial support provided by our sponsors, members and donors can be dedicated 100% to the wide range of parrot and biodiversity conservation activities of Loro Parque Fundación. Special thanks to the following supporters during the VII International Parrot Convention: DMP Engineering Ltd., Peter Graumann, Andrea Guimaraes and Gastao Zanirato, Mark Hagen, Parkieten Federatie, Perroquet Club Nord Alsace, Arleen Powers, Roland and Julia Seitre, Petra Wolf. And the organisers who donated their organiser benefits: Frank Fredriksen, Lars Lepperhoff, Paulo Machado, Ricardo Sobrino. Garjor, Klaus Murmann, Cumba, Fontasol, ONO, Pencovi S.L., Emerencio e hijos S.L., Global Sistemas Integrales S.L., Frutas Cruz Santa, Rohersa S.L., Dialte S.A., D.H.E., Fandango GmbH, Soulsurfing S.L., Astral Export, Melinda Pennoy Chouinard, Vogelfreunde Höchstadt, Aqualandia, Rio Safari S.L., Vogelfreunde Achern, Vogelfreunde Kevelaer, Vogelverein Dingolfing, HSH Henri D arenberg, Opein, Anfra Estructura Metalicas S.L., Proyectos Instalaciones S.L., Banif, Max & Ruth Kuehbänder, Brotogeris Bociety International, Club Leones de Puerto de la Cruz, Juan Luis Garcia Rodulfo, Papageienfreunde Nord e. V., Allwa Calefaccion, Bellevue Hospiten, Westerwälder Vogelfreunde e.v., J.C. van Leijde, AFA, Andaman, Lemmikkilinnut Kaijuli Ry., Lero Minusval S.L., Pittimax, Verein Exotenzucht W. Zimmermann, Abeer bin Faisal bin Turki, Krisztina Bordás Our thanks to all our sponsors, donors and other supporters

24 one of Hospitality is our tradition PAQUET SPECIAL 7 NIGHTS PACKAGE FOR LORO PARQUE We have created a special package for you Friends of Loro Parque that gives you the chance to enjoy services and a wide range of facilities of the Hotel Botánico. Included is a visit to Loro Parque and its magnificent installations during your stay free of change. Once back in the Hotel, we suggest a visit to our healing temple The Oriental SPA Garden where you will have free access to our thermal circuit with indoor and outdoor pool with underwater massage, three diferent kinds of whirlpools, aromatherapy room, Turkish bath, Laconium, ice igloo, experience showers, relax area with warm water beds and cardiovascular fitness room. Daily activities are being organised such as aqua-fitness, aerobics and Thai Chi. You will be staying during 7 nights in a deluxe room with sea or garden view and receive VIP treatment. Every day an extensive and varied breakfast-buffet will be served and can be taken on the terrace enjoying the sepectacular views to Mount Telde. Three dinners a la carte to choose in any of our themed restaurants; The Oriental (Asian cuisine), Il Pappagallo (Italian/Mediterranean cuisine) and La Parilla (Local and Spanish cuisine). For families with children Hotel Botánico offers family rooms and double deluxe rooms with connecting door upon availability / / / / Twin Room Single Use Twin Room Rates are per person for 7 nights, 5% tax has to be added to these rates Optional services Limousine service from airport Reina Sofía (South) to Hotel Botánico (one way) 120 Limousine service from airport Los Rodeos (North) to Hotel Botánico (one way) Puerto de la Cruz Tenerife Canary Islands Spain Tel.: Fax: hotelbotanico@hotelbotanico.com