Return to Freedom! (Retorno a la libertad!) Captive-bred Puerto Rican Parrots released in El Yunque

For the first time in history, ten captive-bred endangered Puerto Rican parrots were released yesterday to join the last 40 parrots existing in the wild. The release into the Caribbean National Forest of Puerto Rico is the result of a 32-year combined effort of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and Puerto Ricos Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, to help bring this species back from the brink of extinction. "This is a great step forward for recovery," said Sam D. Hamilton, Southeast Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "While much work remains, this proves that if people work together we can help save endangered species, and in particular, the magnificent Puerto Rican parrot. The Service is committed to continuing cooperative management of the Puerto Rican Parrot recovery program, and has proposed to establish a National Wildlife Refuge in the karst zone of north-central Puerto Rico, which could serve as a site for establishment of a second wild population of parrots." The Secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Honorable Daniel Pagan-Rosa, today represented the Governor of Puerto Rico, who is out of the country, at the official release ceremony at the El Portal Visitor Center in El Yunque Forest. Pagan-Rosa stated that "for the first time, the coordinated effort of Commonwealth and Federal agencies have made possible the reintroduction of this Puerto Rican species into the wild." "The Puerto Rican government is committed to increasing its efforts to release additional individuals of this species," said Pagan Rosa. "During the next fiscal year, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources will begin a land acquisition program in the karst zone, specifically the area adjacent to the Rio Abajo Forest, which in the future will become the second release site of Amazona vittata - our Puerto Rican Parrot." Pagan-Rosa also indicated that the Department proposes to increase its efforts by hiring a technician specializing in aviculture. "The release of the ten captive-reared Puerto Rican Parrots marks a milestone in our long journey to recovery of this species," said Hilda Diaz-Soltero, Associate Chief, U.S. Forest Service. "This journey has occurred thanks to the hard and dedicated work of so many biologists, aviculturists, veterinarians, managers, and members of the Interagency Committee and the Recovery Team. This release initiates an aggressive recovery action that could finally bolster the parrot population above precariously low levels. The methods used for this release will be utilized to establish the second population of parrots in the karst forests of north-central Puerto Rico. The release program reaffirms my confidence in the ability of our managers and scientists to protect and conserve our natural resources." When the Taino Indians of Puerto Rico called the Puerto Rican parrot ( Amazona vittata) Iguaca, a name that resembles the sounds of their take-off squawks, the bird was abundant and wide-spread throughout Puerto Rico and Culebra. They were so common the Indians used them as pets and food. Now it is considered to be one of the most endangered birds in the world. Largely emerald green with a red forehead, white rim around the eyes and blue feathers along the edges of the wings, the parrot is less than a foot tall, and is one of the smallest members of its genus. They mate for life, reproducing once a year, between January and July, and are cavity nesters, predominantly using Palo Colorado (Cyrilla racemiflora) trees. The availability of suitable nesting cavities may be one of the main factors currently limiting the species recovery. By the 1930s, the Puerto Rican Parrot population was estimated at 2,000 individuals. Between 1953 and 1956, when Don Antonio Rodr