Parrot Monitoring on Palm Beach 2011

Yesterday RSCF staff members Dr. Paul Reillo, Dr. PJ Deitschel, Danielle Payne and Karen McGovern headed over to Palm Beach to check in on the ferel population of Green Cheek Amazons that live there.  The colony is doing extremely well, and RSCF has been checking in on six active nest cavities this season.  We weighed and examined eight chicks, banding four with colorful identification bands, then returned them safely to their nest cavities.  All the chicks we examined were healthy and robust!  We also filmed inside several nests, using a camera system designed by RSCF that uses a one-inch infa-red camera attached to the end of an extending 50-foot pole.  We got some great footage of adults with eggs and chicks.

It is wonderful to see so many active and healthy nests.  The flock is indeed doing well this year!

Endangered Exotics in our Backyard...

Since the 1940s, a ferel population of endangered Green Cheeked Amazon parrots (Amazona vidirigenalis) has nested in Palm Beach County.  RSCF has monitored this group for many years, photographing the flock, filming inside nest cavities and banding babies.  The group has begun nesting again this year, and yesterday RSCF staff visited the flock to assess nests and breeding activity.  Six active nests were discovered so far, and we will continue to monitor the group closely.  Green cheeks are native to Mexico and are considered endangered in their native country. 

Here are a few shots of the colony, which includes individuals of other Amazon species including Double Yellow Head (Amazona ocracephala oratrix), Blue Front (Amazona aestiva), and Orange Wing (Amazona amazonica).