Protecting Mexico's Endangered Parrots

Of all of the families of birds in the world, parrots are the most endangered. In Mexico, of the 22 species of parrots and macaws that inhabit that country, approximately 90% are in at-risk categories: 11 endangered, up from 6 in 2007; 5 threatened; and 4 requiring special protection. Moreover, six of those species are endemic only to Mexico. That is pretty dismal news regarding the current state of Mexico’s parrot population but the potentially good news is that the government of Mexico has decided to take its firmest action to date to try to protect all of its parrots.

In response to the 2007 report, “The Illegal Parrot Trade in Mexico: A Comprehensive Assessment,” produced by Defenders of Wildlife, a wildlife conservation organization based in Washington, DC, President Calderon of Mexico, in October, 2010, signed into law a bill banning the capture and export of all of the country’s species of parrots. That report quantified and detailed that after the loss of habitat, the illegal wild parrot pet trade was the leading cause of threat to the existence of its parrots. It was documented that yearly between 50,000 to 65,000 parrots were being illegally captured and that greater than 75% of those birds died before they could be sold due to improper handling and hazardous transport; of the parrots that did not die, many were sick, injured, or severely traumatized.

Of the parrots being illegally trapped, 90% are destined for Mexico’s domestic pet trade market where the demand has been increasing annually. It is estimated that approximately 9400 Mexican parrots were illegally exported into the US last year, down from 150,000 per year in the 1980's. Of those entering the US, 8 out of 10 of the species were in the top ten of Mexico’s at-risk parrots- 5 endangered, 2 threatened, and 1 under special protection.

Realizing that the newly signed law is just one needed step in protecting the parrots, Defenders of Wildlife, with offices in Mexico headed by Juan Carlos Guzman, the director of its Mexican programs, has developed a nationwide public awareness campaign, “Don’t Buy Wild Parrots.” Knowing that totally eliminating illegal poaching is not realistic, the goal of that educational campaign is to decrease the demand for parrots as pets while promoting birdwatching as an alternative.

If successful, the new law and the public awareness campaign will not only help to save the parrot populations from its current level of endangerment due to the illegal pet trade, it will also help preserve or, even, enhance, the future of parrot-related eco-tourism in the country. As a personal example, one day I hope to go to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, to go birdwatching primarily to have the opportunity to view the maroon-fronted parrots that only make the Northeast region of Mexico its home. Presently, there are only 2500-3000 of that species remaining and they only produce 95-100 chicks per year. It is likely that I would not be going that long of a distance from my home to Monterrey if those parrots were no longer plentiful enough for me to have a reasonable chance of viewing them and, therefore, my pesos would be spent elsewhere or not at all. Without immediate action, those numbers would surely decrease even more!

Consequently, if you reside in the US or anywhere that parrots are sold as pets, Mexican or otherwise, and if you desire to purchase a parrot (as I have done, an enchanting, strong-willed, and delightful half-moon conure from western Mexico that was bred in captivity) only buy one that it is legal to do so. Only consider buying those that can be definitively documented as being bred in captivity. That can be done by making sure that you receive the proper official documentation and that the parrots have a closed ring on their leg bands (providing information regarding their breeding circumstances) that were applied when they were chicks. As the campaign says, for the sake of not only the parrots but for future generations of humans who want to be able to observe, admire, and appreciate them, don’t buy wild parrots!