Make the Future Bright: Thick Billed Parrot

Miri Taple

http://main.abqjournal.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/b01_jd_17nov_bird2.jpg

The thick billed parrot has been the center of much controversy in the realm of wildlife management.  This visually beautiful species used to have a home that spanned from Arizona and across Mexico.  It is now contained to the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico.  The sheer collapse in number of the thick billed parrot has landed them a spot of the Endangered Species List.    

Ecology

The Thick Billed Parrot dwells in temperate conifer and mature pine oak forests. Their breeding concurs and responds to the pine seed production.  They breed at high levels in the tree than they nest.  These old growth forests are essential to their survival (birdlife).

                

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=1584      http://joyofbirding.com/birding-a-tour-of-madera-mexico-with-solipaso-day-3/

Threats

There are several threats facing the Thick Billed Parrot that are contributing and have contributed already to the rapid decline in their populations.  In the 19th and 20th centuries an unbounded amount of unchecked shooting of the species had occurred, playing a visceral role in their inevitable endangerment (ecos).  Another key facet in their decline is the expansive loss of habitat.  The logging of old growth conifer forests reduced the amount of snags necessary for their reproduction.  Not only habitat destruction, but within that, fragmentation has severed their tie to habitat (ecos).  To a lesser degree, yet still impeding on their survival, is the increase in forest fires with immense magnitude to them; this is an additional component to their habitat destruction (ecos). Furthermore, climate change has also had an impact on their decline (ecos).  

Threats lead to POPULATION DECLINE: Only about 2,097 left and this could be an overestimate (ecos).

Listing

The Thick Billed Parrot was listed on the Endangered Species List in 1973.  However, not much action was taken as it did not have a recovery plan until much later on (wildearthguardians).  Its listing type is "5C" which expresses that there is steep severity in terms of threat to them in correlation with an inferior recovery potential (ecos).  

Recovery Plan and Attempts at Recovery

The species has been astray from the United States for over 70 years and the little that remains of their populations resides in Mexico.  Therefore, the recovery plan is primarily focused on salvaging their population in Mexico, as it is more viable and realistic.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service has adopted the Mexican recovery plan so as to collaborate and succeed further than they potentially could alone (ecos).  The first and ultimate goal of the plan is to decrease their standing on the "endangered" list down to the "threatened" list (ecos). 

As listed directly from the recovery site (ecos), there are five steps to their inevitable recovery:

• protect existing populations and their habitat
• survey, monitor, and research the population and habitat
• manage habitat for future thick billed parrot population growth 
• reduce or eliminate threats, such as illegal trade, timber harvesting, and high-intensity fire
• build partnerships and educate the public

The central focus is to sustain and aggrandize old-growth and mature forests as their degradation has been addressed as the primary cause of extinction.  There are and have been, historically, attempts to reduce timber removal so as to protect their species, and those actions are substantial.  However, there is additional action to be taken by local communities to further progress the maintenance and restoration.  

A previous attempt at restoration: 

A seven year endeavor to bring back their population in the pine forests of Arizona was initiated in 1995. It quickly deteriorated, however.  The USFWS had annexed approximately 29 adult birds of their species from the illegal pet trade and attempted to bring them back into the wild.  They found that since the birds had been raised in such extreme conditions of captivity, they had no chance of survival in the wild again.  They were prone to disease and became prey for hawks.  

This attempt is one of the many reasons that the modern proposed recovery is taking place in Mexico where there is an existing population, small yet still standing (nytimes).

Success Story for Recovery

http://www.abcbirds.org 

In the above video, an attempt to aid in the recovery of the Thick Billed Parrot was successful as opposed to the attempt in Arizona.  In the birds' current area of range in Mexico the American Bird Conservancy worked to conserve habitat and create nesting boxes.  The creation of the nesting boxes was the key success in this attempt.  Chicks were being raised successfully which could eventually contribute to a rise in their population. 

Personal Action

The main threat, as we have discovered, to the Thick Billed Parrot is habitat loss.  Logging is the primary industrial action that is contributing to said habitat destruction.  In the specific part of Mexico that the now small yet remaining population of the birds live, Sierra Madre, excessive logging has been linked to products sold to the U.S.  The main products that are imported here from the habitat of the parrot are plywood, paper, and pulp.  As an architecture student I am fully aware that we, as opposed to other students, use an excess of similar resources, in general.  My goal of personal action is to think in an innovative way when faced with the projects at hand in terms of material use.  Carrying it beyond the point of simply thinking, I will implement those ideas and purchase less paper, wood, etc.  If those materials are necessary for a project and there is no exception I will find an alternative recycled solution so as to not add fuel to the fire of habitat loss.  Now these products that I buy may not necessarily come from their specific region but they do come from a habitat of some species, probably similar species at that.  I can always look into the products that come directly from their area and avoid them as well as educate others to stray from them as well.  It is a simple matter of thinking before you buy.  I may not single-handedly bring their population back to it's peak but every refrain from purchase of harmful products contributes and the education of others on the same matter can only help from there.  

I encourage everyone to be conscious in their decision of purchasing paper and wood products.

Sources

·         http://www.defenders.org/thick-billed-parrot/basic-facts
http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/thick-billed-parrot
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/30/science/effort-to-reintroduce-thick-billed-parrots-in-arizona-is-dropped.html
http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/Thick-billed%20Parrot%20Recovery%20Plan%20Addendum%20to%20PACE_1.pdf
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=1584
http://www.wildearthguardians.org/site/PageServer?pagename=species_birds_thick_billed_parrot#.VkPqyq6rSqA
http://www1.american.edu/ted/mexdefor.htm