Abstract
Indonesia has been identified as the highest priority country for parrot conservation based on the number of species, endemics, and threats (trapping and smuggling). It is crucial to understand the current population status of parrots in the wild in relation to the illegal wildlife trade but the ecology and population dynamics of most parrot species in this region remain poorly understood. We conducted a parrot survey around an area of high biodiversity in the Manusela National Park, in Seram Island, Indonesia. We used a combination of fixed-radius point counts and fixed-width line transects to count multiple species of parrots. We recorded nearly 530 wild parrots from 10 species in and around Manusela National Park. The dominant parrot species were Eos bornea, Trichoglosus haematodus, and Geoffroyus geoffroyi. We applied the Savage selectivity index to evaluate poaching of parrot species in proportion to their abundance and which species had higher than expected poaching pressure. This study has important implications for the conservation status of endemic parrots (Cacatua moluccensis, Lorius domicella, and Eos semilarvata) and shows that parrots in the Manusela NP are largely threatened by poaching.
Highlights
Parrots are the most threatened taxon of birds, with one-third of the nearly 400 species classified as threatened under IUCN criteria [1]
Indonesia was identified as the highest priority country for parrot conservation based on the number of species, endemics, and threats [2]
It hosts 11 parrot species, three of which are endemic to the Maluku archipelago: the Salmoncrested Cockatoo Cacatua moluccensis, Purple-naped Lory Lorius domicella, and the Blueeared Lory Eos semilarvata (Table 1)
Summary
Parrots (order Psittaciformes) are the most threatened taxon of birds, with one-third of the nearly 400 species classified as threatened under IUCN criteria [1]. Indonesia was identified as the highest priority country for parrot conservation based on the number of species, endemics, and threats [2]. Among CITES-listed species, parrots are by far the most traded and are declining faster than any other comparable groups of birds [2]. A higher proportion (almost half) of the parrot species in the Wallacean region of Indonesia are affected by trapping than in neighbouring regions or compared to the world average [5]. Seram Island is in central Wallacea, between New Guinea and Sulawesi. It hosts 11 parrot species, three of which are endemic to the Maluku archipelago: the Salmoncrested Cockatoo Cacatua moluccensis, Purple-naped Lory Lorius domicella, and the Blueeared Lory Eos semilarvata (Table 1). There are three non-endemic parrot species: the Red-breasted Pygmyparrot Micropsitta bruijnii, Red-flanked Lorikeet Charmosyna placentis, and the Coconut Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus (Table 1)
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