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(Ads are not endorsements..added by site provider ) Bahama Parrot Project
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Bahama Parrot Background
What is the Bahama Parrot? The Bahama Parrot (Amazona leucocephala bahamensis) is one of the five subspecies of the Cuban Parrot (Amazona leucocephala). Where can they be found? The Bahama Parrot was once all over the Bahama Islands. Until about 1950 the parrot was found on Acklin's Island. Today however the parrot is only found on two islands - Abaco Island and Great Inagua Island. The Abaco Island population is found mostly south of Bahama Palm shores (10 miles north of Crossing Rocks). The Inagua population is reportedly found all over, especially Matthew's Town. What are the issues? 1) Predators on Abaco - Mammals on Abaco are posing a threat to the ground nesting parrot. Cats and Raccoons have been introduced to the island. Both of these animals are known to be significant predators on other birds, especially ground nesting. The question is, what happens now? 2) The two populations exhibit different behaviors. The most significant one is that the Abaco population nest in limestone solution cavities on the ground and the Inagua population uses tree cavities for nests. This may just be a behavioral difference. There are no suitable tree cavities in Abaco, no suitable ground cavities on Inagua forcing one group to adopt the suboptimal habitat. The other cause could be a genetic predisposition for one type of nesting over another. 3) Should the two populations be treated alike? At the moment no special efforts are being made to protect each population based on it's own specific needs.
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