Wildlife Trade Influencing Natural Parrot Populations on a Biodiverse Indonesian Island

Indonesia has been identified as the highest priority country for parrot conservation based on the number of species, endemics, and threats (trapping and smuggling). It is crucial to understand the current population status of parrots in the wild in relation to the illegal wildlife trade but the eco...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dudi Nandika, Dwi Agustina, Robert Heinsohn, George Olah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:Diversity
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/10/483
Description
Summary:Indonesia has been identified as the highest priority country for parrot conservation based on the number of species, endemics, and threats (trapping and smuggling). It is crucial to understand the current population status of parrots in the wild in relation to the illegal wildlife trade but the ecology and population dynamics of most parrot species in this region remain poorly understood. We conducted a parrot survey around an area of high biodiversity in the Manusela National Park, in Seram Island, Indonesia. We used a combination of fixed-radius point counts and fixed-width line transects to count multiple species of parrots. We recorded nearly 530 wild parrots from 10 species in and around Manusela National Park. The dominant parrot species were <i>Eos bornea</i>, <i>Trichoglosus haematodus</i>, and <i>Geoffroyus geoffroyi</i>. We applied the Savage selectivity index to evaluate poaching of parrot species in proportion to their abundance and which species had higher than expected poaching pressure. This study has important implications for the conservation status of endemic parrots (<i>Cacatua moluccensis, Lorius domicella,</i> and <i>Eos semilarvata</i>) and shows that parrots in the Manusela NP are largely threatened by poaching.
ISSN:1424-2818