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earlierevents,wasaspectacular success. Thepublic(e.g.,school children,hunters,citizens) participated in theinventoryof parakeet populations centredon thenorth-central coastof Cuba, thenenjoyeda community festivalin celebration of conservation andtheparakeet. Plansaremovingaheadfor reintroducingtheparakeet in the Isladelajuventud(Isleof Pines), wherethespecies was exterminated nearlya century Or.lamesWileyof Grambling ago.Wehavelaidthegroundwork StateUniversity, Louisiana, USA, for suchaneffortthrough reportsasfollowsontheCuban baselinestudiesof potentialnest Conure(Aratingaeuops): cavityandfoodavailability, Xiomara Galvezandherteamof predatorandcompetitorthreats, biologistsaremakingtremendous andpotentialreleasesites.In addition,Xiomara hasledapublic progress onthestudyof the statusanddistributionof this education programme thatbegan in December 1995withthefirst parakeet. Thisyearwe concentrated onthelittle-studied Conservation Festival(areportof whichis in pressin Bird areaof Oriente,wherewewere InternationaO. That ableto assess parakeet andparrot Conservation festival w asfounded onthe populations. Inaddition,Xiomara participationof thepublicandwe andhergrouphavebeen hadmorethan300localresidents collectinggooddataonthe manning surveystationsduringa biologyof theparakeet, asneeded one-dayinventoryof theparrot to developbiologically sound andcranepopulationonthe conservation programmes for the island.Thisyear(November species. Ofparticularinterest duringthestudyperiodhasbeen 1998),wewill havea follow-up festivalat therequestof Isla theparakeet's dietand residents. All of thisis quite reproductive biology.Also,we nowweare havemadea specialefforttoward exciting,because gettingtremendous public understanding its positionin interestin,andsupportof, local Cubanecological communities, programmes. especially thosegreatlyalteredby conservation man. Theeffortsof the1998field will becontinuedinto In 1998,asin 1997,weconducted season 1999.Wewill beconcentrating a Conservation Festivalaspartof oureffortsto informand ourstupiesof parakeet biologyin theBelEmNationalEcology Area, "convert" thelocalpublicto in east-central Cuba. supporting thedriveto conserve Camaguay, theCubanParakeet andother Effortstherewill beconcentrating oncharacterising nesthabitat, endangered species. Thisyear's includingnestcavity Festival wasinjaguajayand,like characteristics, aswellasthe behaviour andecologyor the parakeet. Additionalareaswill be surveyed to addto ourpoolof knowledge abouttheparakeet's distributionandstatusin Cuba. Anotherfestivalis plannedfor February, thistimeto becentred in theZapataSwamp, anareaof importance for manyof Cuba's endangered species, includingthe parakeet. Pending theoutcomeof thedata collectionin 1999,wemaybegin preparingmanuscripts describing ourparakeet findingslatenext year,butcertainlybythe CubanConure Photo:R.Low followingyear.Thesupportthat
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Cuba
theCanadian WorldParrotTrust havegenerously affordedXiomara andherteamis greatly appreciated, asit hasallowedher to maketremendous gainsin knowledge andto usethat knowledge in developing an effectivemanagement program for Cuba's psittacines.
EchoParakeet
Update fromGrantHarper('Harpo'), ProjectLeader, 1998/99 at 8 October, 1998 Therearecurrentlyeightnests. Fivehaveeightchicksatvarious stagesof growth,andthreehave eggs.Twowild chickshave alreadybeentransferred to the aviariesat BlackRiver,wherethey accompany thetwochicksthat havebeenhatchedfromthree harvested eggs.Weexpectat leastfourneststo produce clutchesin thenextweekor two. Themostinterestingnewsthus farhasbeenpairingof a twoyear oldcaptiverearedreleasebird witha wildmale.She('Gabriella') has producedaneggwhich unfortunately, butnot surprisingly, is infertile. Wehope to fosterachickto herin the immediate future.Thisnestis a turningpointfor theEcho Parakeet project,showingthatthe releasebirdscanbecome functioningmembers of thewild population,andbodeswellfor thefutureof thereleaseprogram andthespecies asawhole. We havealsofounda pairingbetween a oneyearoldfemaleanda four yearold male,bothbandedas chicksonnests.Thispairingmay giveussomebaseline information onsexualmaturity,depending on whetherthey producea clutchor not. Therecentpurchase of a portable incubatorhastakena lot of the guesswork anduncertaintyoutof chicktransfers,andis avaluable and longawaitedadditionto the team! Dalejacksonleavesustomorrow to gobackto Paradise Parkafter his sixweeksecondment here. TheEchoteamandDalehave bothlearnta lot whilehehas beenhere,andhe'sbeena valuable,hardworkingandeasy goingmemberof theteam.It wouldbegoodto seehimout hereagainat somestage.
Dalejacksonin Mauritius
TheEchoGoes
Techno withHelp fromPanasonic byAmberDelahooke andRob Sullivan TheEchoParakeet Projectin Mauritiushastakenona new technicaldimension withthe introductionof a nestcamera! Thecamera will beusedto record everygoing-onin thenestcavity of awild pairof Echo's, (Corner Pair),throughoutthisbreeding season. It shouldhopefullylead to importantdiscoveries about theproblemsfacingtheyoung chicksin thenest;revealing the extentsto whichtheyarebegging for andreceivingfood,theroleof theextramalesin thepopulation or perhapstheintrusionof exotic competitors suchasIndianMynah birds.Wearehopingto setup anothersystemin theCaptive Breeding Centreto comparethe wildandcaptiveEchos,the resultsof whichwill beusedas thebasisfor Emma's Masters degree. Weareverygratefulto Panasonic for donatingtheheartof the system,a 12VPanasonic timelapse VCR(worthÂŁ895)which canbeprogrammed to stretcha4 hourtapeover24hours.It is nestledsafelyin a parrotproof casethatisairandwatertightand will behiddenawayfromthenest tree. Manythanksarealsodueto the NewZealand Department of Conservation for all theirhelpand advice,especially Pauljansenand MurrayDouglas,whohave developed extensive fieldcamera systemsfor monitoringthe ,
Visitour new website.at:http://www:worldparrottrust.org .'
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