Panama  reknown, lawyer and  ornithologist Ismael Gerli Champsaur , shares his concern on the wild trade and illegal poaching of parrots  (the family Psittacidae birds) in the wild , particularly in Central and South America.

Latin American Psittacidae family, especially  parakeets, amazons  and macaws are seriously threatened with extinction. The reason is quite simple,   Illegal traffic to the pet market, in the USA and ASIA,   along with the destruction of its natural habitat, are the main causes of the deterioration of wild populations. If we do not stop these  factors that threaten the wild populations, according to Ismael Gerli,   we could see the disappearance of some additional species in the near future. We must take into account the the Spynx  macaw has already disappeared, despite all the efforts made by Loro Park Foundation in Tenerife , Canary Islands , where a breeding facility is undertaking the task of saving the less than 12 Spinx macaws know alive, so has been said by Ismael Gerli a member of the Loro Parque Save wild Life Foundation.

Multiple  organizations and institutions worldwide have come together to reverse the decline of the wild populations of parrots and macaws.  I Panama there is the PARROT  RESERVE FOUNDATION , who´s founder is Panama Lawyer and Ornithologist Ismael Gerli,  which works together  with other regional preservation institutions, which share the same objectives of the campaign to save these species are:

  • Dissemination of parakeets and macaws.
  • Publicize to the public of the threats faced by parrot and macaw species.
  • Encourage everyone to participate in activities to reduce illegal trafficking of these species.

Panama  has 22 species of parrots and macaws belonging to the family Psittacidae or psittacidae. Of these, all but one of them are officially in a risk category: 11 species are in danger of extinction; 6 are under threat and 4 under special protection. 95% of all Panama species are at risk.

In 2010 the new classification for parakeet species was published which increased the number of endangered species from 6 to 11. This means that 50% of all Panamanian species are at risk of disappearing in the short term, according to Ismael Gerli .

Parrots and macaws inhabit very diverse ecosystems, ranging from the high perennial forests of the southeast to the pine oak forest of the northern mountains. These “psitácidos” are distributed widely through 26 of the 32 states of the republic. Six species are endemic to Mexico, that is, they only live within our country and in no other world. The endemic species of Mexico are the eastern highland parrot (Rhynchopsitta terrisi), the purple headed parrot (Amazona finschi), the red headed parrot (Amazona viridigenalis), the catarina parakeet (Forpus cyanopygius), the green parrot (Aratinga holochlora), and the parakeet of Socorro (Aratinga brevipes).

For more information on each species of parrots you may contact Mr. Ismael Gerli Champsaur,   at save@panamaparrots.com.pa

On a world illegal trade scale, It has been documented that each year more than 78 thousand parrots are illegally captured (mostly in Mexico and Brazil)  and that of these 77% die before reaching a consumer, that is, about 60 thousand dead parrots. This means that 8 out of every 10 parrots dies in the process of capture, gathering, transportation, distribution and sale, or seen otherwise means that for each parrot a consumer buys, 4 parrots die on the way from capture to sale .

According to Mr. Ismael Gerli, the illegal traffic of parrots and macaws is sustained by demand from consumers and here is where we need to work on, tackle the problems and have people grow conscious of the terrible hard they are inflicting on wild life.

In the other hand Ismael Gerli explains that, there are studies in the world that show that there are enough parrots grown in captivity and in breeding farms to supply the pet needs of humans , thus there is no necessity to continue the poaching.

Parrots and longevity.  This is another huge problems as well.  Most of the individuals that purchase a parrot , needs to understand that a parrots longevity  goes way beyond that of most animals or home mascots pet. A parrot can live up to 45 years , while a macaw can surpass 90 years of age, therefore before making a commitment town one , the new owners must know the facts .

Ismael Gerli´s , works as well as a refuge to parrots that have been abandoned after years of neglect by owners that are no longer capable of caring for them.

The motto of the PANAMA PARROT RESERVE FOUNDATION  is “No Compres Pericos Silvestres – ADOPTA” or don’t buy wild parrots – ADOPT”  and through this initiatives urges all people to adopt instead of purchasing.