Which is more frightening for parrots, humans or a hurricane that destroyed 5 million trees?

On the evening of September 18, 2017, the sky over the northeastern Caribbean Sea was covered with dark clouds, the waves were surging, and a terrible storm was quietly brewing.

Hurricanes are commonplace for Dominicans, but no one expected that the hurricane, called Maria, would hit the island in the eastern Caribbean Sea with winds of up to 260 kilometers per hour.

After the hurricane left, it left behind a ruin. The roofs of almost all buildings were blown off and scattered everywhere. The streets were filled with house fragments and uprooted trees. Communications, water and electricity were all cut off. People were displaced... The disaster caused at least $1.3 billion in economic losses , which is more than twice Dominica's GDP last year.

Streets filled with rubble after a hurricane Zaimis Olmos | flickr

It was not only the human homes that were hit hard, but also the homes of all the animals on the island - the tropical rainforest covering 60% of the island . Overnight, the hurricane swept away every inch of green on the island, leaving only bare tree trunks.

The rainforest here is home to more than 200 species of land animals, but now there is only silence. Can they come back?

The island destroyed by the hurricane｜UNDPLAC/flickr

Endangered royal amazon parrot

The most worrying species in the destruction of the rainforest is the country's national bird, the imperial Amazon parrot (Amazona imperialis). It is one of the island's endemic species. Before Hurricane Maria, the number was only about 240, and it was listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.

The Emperor Parrot has an irreplaceable position in Dominica. It is painted in the center of the national flag and is also the main element of the national emblem , symbolizing "flying to higher heights and realizing ideals."

Dominica's national flag and emblem｜Open Clip Art Library

The purple head and chest of the emperor parrot on the national flag are matched with green wings, which is unforgettable. However, it is not easy to see their true appearance. They are timid by nature and difficult to approach. They often appear in the canopy above the rainforest. Their green feathers also provide them with protective color, which can be well hidden in the dense branches and leaves.

Imperial Amazon Parrot | P. Reillo, RSCF, TCI/FIU

The breeding season for emperor parrots is from February to April every year. They end their wandering life and look for a suitable place to build a nest - usually in the tree holes of tall trees in the rainforest. The female lays two white eggs in the hole, and only one of them can hatch successfully. Then, the male and the female will take on the responsibility of feeding the young bird together until it is fully grown. This process takes three or four months.

It can be seen that the breeding habits of the emperor Amazon parrots are one of the factors that lead to their endangered status : with the development of human society, there are fewer and fewer large trees in the rainforest that are suitable for nesting; their clutch size and hatching rate are extremely low, and the raising process is relatively long; even more tragically, they only reproduce once every other year.

If they experience another devastating hurricane, the entire population is likely to be wiped out.

Are islands afraid of hurricanes, or are they afraid of humans?

In fact, the creatures living on tropical islands are not fragile. Over the past tens of millions of years, the Caribbean Sea has experienced countless hurricanes, but no island has been left barren.

Within a few months, new leaves will sprout on the bare branches; seedlings will break through the soil next to the fallen trees and grow wildly using them as nutrients; butterflies, lizards, and birds will reappear, bringing the rainforest back to its former vitality.

In 2018, Dominica experienced Hurricane Maria and the rainforest regenerated｜Derek Galon / youtube

The ecosystem's own resilience is fully capable of withstanding the impact of hurricanes, but the presence of humans has made this process no longer so easy .

Habitat loss is the most serious threat . Tropical rainforests are essential for the maintenance and reconstruction of parrot populations. However, over the past few decades, Dominica's original forests have been cut down for charcoal production and farmland reclamation. In recent years, many forests have been replaced by banana plantations, and aerial spraying of pesticides can directly cause parrots to be poisoned and blind.

Add to this the capture of parrots as pets or even for eating, and the invasion of natural enemies, and the parrot population is in jeopardy.

A captive emperor parrot, one of only two in captivity｜Joel Sartore

In 1979, a hurricane known as David destroyed at least 5 million trees in Dominica, destroying the food and nesting areas of the royal Amazon parrots and causing the population to plummet to 25-40 individuals .

People realized that if no timely measures were taken, the "national bird" would become just a symbol on the national flag.

A way for all living things to live in harmony?

Conservation work is urgent. Establishing national parks and protecting their habitats are the top priorities for restoring their populations.

Since 1975, Dominica has established three national parks. Among them, Morne Diablotin National Park, located in the northwest of the island, was planned based on the distribution area of ​​the emperor parrot.

The park is named after a volcano in the core area, which is also the highest peak in Dominica, at 1,447 meters above sea level. The parrots are mainly active in dense forests at an altitude of 600-1,200 meters . These areas have been effectively protected through the joint efforts of the Dominica Forestry Department, the Wildlife and Parks Department, and the Rare Species Conservation Foundation (RSCF).

Morne Diablotin National Park | Facebook@Go Dominica

At the same time, the forestry department of Dominica also attaches great importance to public education. In addition to broadcasting public service advertisements related to environmental protection on major domestic television and radio stations, Dominica also participates in the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival every Earth Day to raise people's awareness of the country's endemic birds. During this period, the Forestry Department will invite the public to participate in bird watching activities, speech competitions, and even a " Whistle like a Bird " competition...

It is time to change the development mode that comes at the cost of deforestation. This island, formed by volcanic sedimentation, not only has a large area of ​​tropical rainforest and rich species, but also has 365 rivers, many hot springs, cold springs and other unique landforms. The natural landscape of the island has always attracted tourists from Europe, America and the Caribbean.

In recent years, Dominica has vigorously developed ecotourism . They protect the integrity of the rainforest ecological landscape and present the most moving side of the island to tourists. At the same time, the rainforest has also brought considerable benefits.

The royal Amazon parrots, which can only be seen here, have become the stars of bird watching tourism. Bird watching enthusiasts from all over the world come here to look for them in the rainforest.

Emperor Parrot Spreading Wings｜Paul Reillo

This series of conservation actions eventually achieved some success - in a 2012 survey, the number of emperor parrots had increased to 160-240 .

Their numbers have not been fully surveyed since Hurricane Maria, but an increasing number of sightings suggest they have not been wiped out by the disaster.

Today, people are exploring ways to coexist harmoniously with the creatures on the island. I believe that with the help of various conservation actions, the population of the emperor Amazon parrot will flourish again.

References

[1]Dominica: The impact of Hurricane Maria - Disaster Profile – January 2018 https://reliefweb.int/report/dominica/dominica-impact-hurricane-maria-disaster-profile-january-2018

[2]Forest area (% of land area) - Dominica https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS?locations=DM

[3]DOMINICA NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN 2014-2020 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1446dominica.pdf

[4]DOMINICA NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN 2014-2020 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1446dominica.pdf

[5] Winging It: Discovering The Caribbean Birding Trail, Part II: Dominica—The Rare Parrots' Paradise https://www.laaudubon.org/blog/2020/6/29/winging-it-discovering-the-caribbean-birding-trail-part-ii-dominicathe-rare-parrots-paradise

[6] Amazona imperialis (imperial amazon) https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Amazona_imperialis/

[7] Dominica participates in 10th Caribbean Endemic Birds Festival https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/dominica-participates-in-10th-caribbean-endemic-birds-festival/

[8] A call for the preservation of Dominica's endemic birds https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/general/a-call-for-the-preservation-of-dominicas-endemic-birds/

Author: Jian Er

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