Conservation status of parrot populations in an Atlantic rainforest area of southeastern Brazil

A census of four species of syntopic parrots was carried out using distance sampling methods on Sao Sebastiao island, SE Brazil. Most of the 33 593 ha island is covered by mature and secondary Atlantic rainforest. Almost 80% of these forests are within the Ilhabela Park. Although the species counted have marked differences in size and weight, density (individuals/km(2)) an d estimated population size in 23 500 ha of well-preserved forests were sim ilar: Amazona farinosa (13.82 +/- 5.94; 3247 +/- 1395), Pionus maximiliani (15.79 +/- 7.04; 3712 +/- 1654), Brotogeris tirica (15.05 +/- 4.87; 3537 +/ - 1143) and Pyrrhura frontalis (13.06 +/- 5.53; 3068 +/- 1298). Encounter r ates of Forpus crassirostris and Pionopsitta pileata were very low, which s uggests that there is only a small population of these species on the islan d. The Sao Sebastiao forests still support healthy populations of parrots. Although woodpecker population estimates on the island are large enough to provide nesting sites for parrots, competition for holes with other seconda ry cavity nesters such as toucans, flycatchers and tytiras, and the selecti ve cutting of dead trees for canoe construction, which is a common practice on the island, may limit hole availability for parrots.