Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Parakeets Endangered on Margarita Island

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CARACAS, May 13 2006 (IPS) - Fewer than 20 blue-crowned parakeets (Aratinga acuticaudata neoxena) survive in the mangroves of La Restinga Park, on Venezuela's Margarita Island, in the Caribbean. The species is in grave danger of extinction, biologist Marialejandra Faría, of the environmental group Provita, told Tierramérica. This is due to “the degradation of its habitat, the growth of neighboring populations, but also to poaching of the birds for pets,” said Faría. “We could try a program to hatch eggs in captivity, but we don't have the resources,” she said.

Provita has launched a program for young biologists involving 17 environmental organizations and 400 schoolchildren on Margarita, seeking to raise awareness about preserving the habitat of the blue-crowned parakeet and the yellow-shouldered Amazon parrot, whose population has grown from 750 to 1,900 in the past 17 years.