Posted: August 3, 2009, 3:30 p.m. EDT
Updated: August 5, 2009, 9:00 p.m. EDT
Twelve species of parrots ranging in location from Latin America and the Caribbean to Indonesia will undergo an in-depth status review following receipt of a petition to protect 14 species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was published in the Federal Register for July 7, 2009.
According to the USFWS, the petition provides adequate evidence to suggest that ESA protection may be warranted for the following 12 parrot species: blue-headed macaw (Primolius couloni); crimson shining parrot (Prosopeia tabuensis splendens); Buffon’s macaw (Ara ambiguous); grey-cheeked parakeet (Brotogeris pyrrhoptera); hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus); military macaw (Ara militaris), red-vented cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), green-cheeked Amazon (Amazona viridigenalis), scarlet macaw (Ara macao); umbrella cockatoo (Cacatua alba); yellow-billed Amazon (Amazona collaria); lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea).
Friends of Animals filed a petition in January of 2008 requesting the listing of 14 parrot species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). One of the 14 species, the thick-billed parrot, has been protected as “endangered” since 1973, when the ESA was first passed, and does not require further review, according to the USFWS. The blue-throated macaw was previously petitioned by the International Council for Bird Preservation and added to the list of candidates for ESA protection.
The primary factors causing the population decline in the parrot species include low reproductive rates, habitat destruction and loss, and the lack of anti-poaching enforcement, said the government organization. The Service has concluded the petition presents adequate scientific information warranting a comprehensive status review and is soliciting all available scientific and commercial data.
Addition of a foreign species to the Federal list of threatened and endangered species places restrictions on the importation of either the animal or its parts. Listing also serves to heighten awareness of the importance of conserving these species among foreign governments, conservation organizations and the public, according to the USFWS.
The Service will accept comments and information concerning the species from interested parties for 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. Comments may be submitted at the Federal eRulemaking Portal, http://www.regulations.gov. (Follow the instructions on the Web page for submitting comments). To deliver written comments by U.S. mail or hand-delivery, address to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: RIN 1018-AV75; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. The Service is not able to accept email or faxes. All comments except anonymous comments will be posted on http://www.regulations.gov. Comments, along with personal identifying information such as an address, telephone number, e-mail address or other personal identifying information will be posted along with your comments.
For more information, visit www.fws.gov