For the third time in history, captive-reared Puerto Rican parrots were released into the wild. Nine (9) parrots raised in the Luquillo Aviary, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, were released in the early morning hours of May 14, 2002. The young birds will join the last 25 parrots existing in the wild.
The release into the Caribbean National Forest of Puerto Rico, known also as "El Yunque", is the result of a 34 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 another great step forward for recovery" said Sam D. Hamilton, Southeast Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "While recovery of this highly sensitive species is slow and happens over a period of time, this proves that if people work together, we can help save an endangered species, and in particular, the magnificent Puerto Rican parrot. In Puerto Rico there is a saying "poco a poco" meaning little by little. We must be patient and take many small steps forward in order to accomplish our long range goal of saving the Puerto Rican parrot from extinction. The Service is committed to continuing cooperative management of the Puerto Rican parrot recovery program, and supports the protection of a conservation zone in the karst area of north-central Puerto Rico, which could serve as a site for establishment of a second wild population of parrots."
"Todays release marks an exciting and historical milestone in the recovery of the Puerto Rican parrot" said Robert Jacobs, Regional Forester (Southern Region) of the USDA Forest Service. "It is a testament to the outstanding cooperation between the Puerto Rico Commonwealth, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, and Puerto Ricos Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. We are excited to witness the return of this native species to its home in El Yunque. This is a major step in our effort to fully recover this endangered bird. It is one of the boldest conservation efforts under way in the Western hemisphere. We are fortunate to be partners in this effort."
When Europeans arrived in the Caribbean 500 years ago, more than one million Puerto Rican parrots flew wild in Puerto Rico. Now it is considered to be one of the most endangered birds in the world. When Taino Indians of Puerto Rico called the Puerto Rican parrot (Amazona vittata) Higuaca, a name that resembles the sounds of their flying squawks, the bird was abundant and wide-spread throughout Puerto Rico and Culebra. They were so common the Indians used them as pets and for food. Largely emerald green with a red forehead, white rims around the eyes and blue feathers along the edges of the wings, the Puerto Rican parrot is less than a foot tall, being one of the smallest of its genus. They mate for life, reproducing once a year, between January and July and are secondary cavity nesters. Thus, they require mature cavity forming trees, predominantly Palo Colorado (Cyrilla racemiflora) for nesting. The availability of suitable nesting cavities may be one of the main factors limiting the species recovery.
By the 1930s the Puerto Rican parrot population was estimated at 2,000 individuals and between 1953 and 1956, when Don Antonio Rodr
