Cameroon WCS Grey Parrot meeting

Posted by Stuart Marsden

L-R - Liz Bennett; Stuart Marsden; Boo Maisels;
David Wilkie; Roger Fotso. Photo: Steve Zack

There is indeed a lot of interest in Grey Parrots – at pretty much the same time as the CITES/BirdLife project, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is also interested in studies that will inform on sustainability of grey parrot harvests. In support of this, we had a very productive meeting to discuss research priorities and methods to study Grey Parrots before the CITES 2016 meeting. The four-day meeting was held at a hotel in Limbe, Cameroon and was attended by Steve Zack, Boo Maisels, Liz Bennett, David Wilkie and other key WCS staff working on wildlife trade issues.  It was a huge pleasure to meet these ‘veterans’ of Central African ecology and conservation and thanks to them for making me so welcome. A single Humpback whale breaching offshore was a treat.

Grey Parrots at Campo-Ma'an. Photo: Steve Zack

After the meeting, I travelled with Steve Zack and Takuo Jean Michel to Campo-Ma’an National Park – the aim was to see wild Grey Parrots. Parrots were locally common in and around the park – quite consistent with the density estimates (5-15 per sq km) recently calculated there. Other goodies seen were Grey-necked Picathartes, a single Chimpanzee for Steve, and a nice group of Red River Hogs Potamochoerus porcus.

Confiscated Grey Parrots at the Limbe Wildlife Centre (see www.limbewildlife.org/). Note the released bird visiting its former inmates.