After mentioning the work of Parrots International and its conferences, acknowledging along the way the contribution made by PSUK to corn subsidies etc. in parrot conservation in South America he generously waived any claim to travel expenses offered by the Society for his attendance at this weekend.


fostering international co-operation in the conservation of endangered parrot species. Its basic premise is that “Conservation happens in the wild”. Mark Stafford began by showing pictures of some of his collection of macaws and cockatoos, and posed the question “What creates this enthusiasm that we all have for parrots?” After mentioning the work of Parrots International and its conferences, acknowledging along the way the contribution made by PSUK to corn subsidies etc. in parrot conservation in South America, he generously waived any claim to travel expenses offered by the Society for his attendance at this weekend. He then launched into the most


fascinating, fact-filled presentation entitled “What’s so special about parrots that makes them worth conserving?” At the end of this breath-taking lecture, we were left in no doubt that they are indeed very special birds. Dr Stafford’s talk examined the intellectual, social, physiological and anatomical adaptations of parrots and how


26 BIRD SCENE


these adaptations relate to their lives in the wild and in captivity. He started with confirmation of the


evolution of birds from reptilian dinosaurs, with parrots and Corvids (crows) reaching the pinnacle of intelligence and social activity amongst avian species. Parrots can learn and perform quite complex tasks – Mark cited the work of Dr Irene Pepperberg with her African grey parrot Alex – and they have curiosity, use tools, and complex social interaction. In fact, captive bred parrots that are not allowed social stimuli, by being brought up alone; suffer from retarded development and a lack of psittacine social skills in later life. They have complex vocal ability, with latest research suggesting that several sounds can be combined to form meaningful ‘sentences’. Parrots eagerly learn ‘human’ communication, yet no human has ever learned the language of another species. Dr Stafford illustrated this with some entertaining video clips of conversations and interactions with his own parrots. Geographical dialects are recognised in parrot groups, but these are learned from adults in the flock, rather than being instinctive. Most parrot species roost communally, and many species (especially in South America) indulge in co-operative breeding activity, with


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52