Friday, February 12, 2010
Bonaire’s Lora (Parrot) Population on the Rise
There’s good news for Bonaire’s endemic parrot population, as it appears from a recent lora (Papiamentu for parrot) count, that the numbers of this bird are on the rise. Preliminary results from this year’s annual count show that there are now approximately 800 parrots around Bonaire, although this number can still change due to a more detailed analysis of the data collected. It’s thought that the increase over previous years’ counts (about 650 to 700 parrots) is due to better protection and education.
This year’s census was the fifteenth count since 1980, and it was organized by Fundashon Salba Nos Lora (Save our Parrots), STINAPA, and DROB (Department of the Environment and Nature). During this year’s count, dozens of volunteers simultaneously counted the birds in 27 different locations around Bonaire, including parts of Washington Slagbaai National Park. Censuses from the past two years indicated lower numbers of lora, but these numbers could be affected by heavy rains received on the island during December and January of those years, as the normal behavior of the lora is changed during rainy periods. This year, rains have been much more sparse, and many lora which normally stay in uninhabited areas of Bonaire are coming in toward neighborhoods in order to find more food. Therefore, including some of these areas in the census provides a more accurate count.
All lora on Bonaire have been protected since 2002. That year, any parrots in captivity, more than 620 birds, were registered and provided with an identification band. Fundashon Salba Nos Lora has had education campaigns running since 2002, and it is hoped that as a result, fewer birds are poached or killed. Although many Bonaireans are proud of the island’s nature, including the lora, not all are happy with the increased population of this rare parrot. Loras do not differentiate between native fruit-bearing trees in the non-residential areas or between planted fruit trees on a kunuku (farm) or gardens. But, like all animals, lora are driven by hunger and sometimes the environment simply does not provide enough. On Bonaire, one reason is that in past times, the island’s trees were felled, including fruit trees that would have provided such food.
To assist with this problem, last year, nearly 130 native fruit-bearing trees were planted in non-residential areas. As these trees mature, they will provide more food for Bonaire’s bird population, thus giving the lora less of an incentive to come into residential areas and be considered less of a pest due to destruction of crops. It’s hoped that Bonaire’s special lora can thrive independently and in harmony with the human population of the island. (Source: Fundashon Salba Nos Lora)
