PS 20 1 Feb 08.qxd - World Parrot Trust

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On Life in Africa : interview with a parrot researcher Steve Boyes, a wilderness guide and PhD Zoology student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, answers some questions about his experiences studying the Meyer's Parrot. Steve is currently working with the World Parrot Trust on a lobby to get the wild-caught bird trade banned in South Africa and writing up his PhD Zoology in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. These are some insights from running the Meyer's Parrot Project in the Okavango Delta… How did you first get involved in African Parrot Research? Since childhood I have been interested in African birdlife and my parents made sure that whenever possible we were in the wilderness areas of South Africa and Namibia learning and absorbing as much as possible. As a young birding enthusiast one of the easiest calls to identify is the contact call of a Poicephalus parrot, for me the Meyer's and Brown-headed Parrots (P. cryptoxanthus) in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. I remember reacting to this high-pitched contact call every time I heard it, repeatedly notifying those around me that a parrot had flown over - a habit I found very useful 20 years later. So, the inclination to study the Meyer's Parrot was always there. I had been living in the Okavango Delta for 18 months already, working for Wilderness Safaris as a camp manager and guide, when Professor Perrin at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, having learnt that I was hiding in the Okavango, approached me with the offer of a PhD Zoology on the Meyer's Parrot. Obviously, I jumped at the opportunity and my involvement in African parrot conservation and research has grown ever since. Photo: © Caitlin Lepper A group of Meyer’s Parrots socialising in the morning before going off to feed. 6 PsittaScene February 2008
Insights and Photos by Steve Boyes Why are you and your team so excited about working with the Meyer’s Parrot? Meyer's Parrots (Poicephalus meyeri) have the widest distributional range of any of the African parrots, extending the length of Africa from South Africa all the way up to the southern Sudan. It is by far and away the most abundant parrot in Africa, best suited to the current climatic conditions and the predominance of savanna bushveld in southern and eastern Africa. Basically, given the current habitat conditions in Africa the Meyer's Parrot is a niche specialist that got it right! This is the most important parrot in Africa and understanding the ecological mechanisms that support its success across the continent is fundamental to the development of a conservation plan for all African parrots. The Meyer's Parrot could provide insight into the limited distribution and questionable status of other Poicephalus parrots, such as the Cape Parrot (P. robustus), Niam-Niam Parrot (P. crassus), Yellow-faced Parrot (P. flavifrons), Ruppell's Parrot (P. ruppellii), and Jardine's Parrot (P. gulielmi). Due to their recent speciation, any research done on the Meyer’s can likely be used to develop conservation tools, such as nest boxes, for other Poicephalus parrots. Beyond all of this the Meyer's Parrot is a fascinating, intelligent and interactive bird that will always keep you guessing and amazed. Your first quiet experience in a tree as a female carefully considers you and then accepts that you probably pose no danger is truly spiritual. In those eyes and in that silence you realize that she is self aware and complex of character. She is truly weighing you up. After years on the project individually identifying the breeding pairs (using unique crown markings) we also began to see distinct characters in the individual parrots - brave, nervous, careless, aggressive, etc. The reality of getting to know any species intimately is truly exciting and stimulating. What other kinds of work are you involved in? I am currently working with the World Parrot Trust to halt the import of wild-caught birds into South Africa, specifically the African Grey (Psittacus erithacus) and Senegal Parrot (Poicephalus senegalus). We are in the process of networking with conservation NGO's, breeders and importers in order to avoid unnecessary backlash after we make our pitch to the government. For more information on this effort please contact me on boyes@worldparrottrust.org Otherwise, I am in the process of inaugurating the Okavango Cavity Nesting Project with the Botswana Department of Wildlife & National Parks and University of Botswana, looking at the breeding biology of all cavity nesting bird, mammal and reptile species in the Okavango Delta. A pair of Meyer's Parrots launches into the morning sky from a favoured nest tree. Tell us one really memorable story from your years with the project? There is one particularly heart-breaking story. The pair (above) was the love story of the research project, as I had been tracking their breeding activity for three seasons. In 2004, I individually-identified these parrots using their distinctive yellow crown markings. That first season they fledged two chicks, probably losing one due to the poor rains and resultant lack of suitable insect protein for rapid chick growth that year. In 2005, they nested again, but this time due to an unknown predation event they lost their chicks after hatching. In 2006, I missed them as I was working on the project from the University of California, Berkeley. When I arrived in 2007 I was very interested to see whether they were still together and using the same nest cavity. They were, and thus became the February 2008 PsittaScene 7
Page 1 and 2: I N T H I S I S S U E 700+ Greys Se
Page 3 and 4: A 2nd Chance for confiscated greys
Page 5: Cameroon; terrible conditions in cr
Page 9 and 10: What do volunteers to the project d
Page 11 and 12: Photo: © Ferran Juarez Pluvins Cac
Page 13 and 14: RIGHT Chicks are weighed and measur
Page 15 and 16: to seek veterinary advice first. Al
Page 17 and 18: Bathing Schedules Skin and feather
Page 19: Ornate, creative fabric sculpture T

PS 20 1 Feb 08.qxd - World Parrot Trust

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