Parrots : status survey and conservation action plan 2000-2004

One threat to parrot arises from their attractiveness as "talking" companions to humans, leading to a high demand for trade that involves hundreds of thousands of birds annually on a global basis, and gives parrots a high monetary value. There is an urgent need to change the attitudes of both the many millions who keep parrots, and those who make billions of dollars in trading them. Neither group accepts responsibility for survival of parrots in the wild, and governments find it difficult to establish sustainable use regimes. Additional threats include hunting for food and above all, loss of habitat. This plan is designed to aid managers and researchers entrusted with the conservation of parrot species. It is as much an evaluation of conservation techniques as a set of specific recommendations for individual species