Nest poaching in neotropical parrots

Although the poaching of nestlings for the pet trade is thought to contribu te to the decline of many species of parrots, its effects have been pool ly demonstrated We calculated rats of mortality due to nest Poaching in 23 st udies of Neotropical parrots, representing 4024 nesting attempts in 21 spec ies and 14 countries We also examined how poaching rates vary with with geo graphic region, presence of active protection programs conservation status and economic value of a species, and passage of the U.S. Wild Bird Conserva tion Act. The average poaching rate across all studies was 30% of all nests observed. Thirteen studies reported poaching rates of greater than or equa l to 20%, and four reported rates of >70%. Only six studies documented no n est poaching. Of these, four were conducted on islands in the Caribbean reg ion, which had significantly lower poaching rates than the mainland Neotrop ics. The other two studies that showed no poaching were conducted on the tw o species with the lowest economic value in our sample (U.S. retail price). In four studies that allowed direct comparison between poaching at sites w ith active nest protection versus that at unprotected sites poaching rates were significantly lower at protected sites, suggesting that active protect ion efforts can be effective in reducing nest poaching. In those studies co nducted both before and after the passage of the U.S. Wild Bird Conservatio n Act, Poaching rates were found to be significantly lower following its en actment than in the period before. This result supports the hypothesis that the legal and illegal parrot trades are positively related, rather than in versely related as has been suggested by avicultural interests. Overall, ou r study indicates that poaching of parrot nestlings for economic gain is a widespread and biologically significant source of nest mortality in Neotrop ical parrots.