BREEDING THE THICK-BILLED PARROT RHYNCHOPSITTA-PACHYRHYNCHA AT JERSEY-WILDLIFE-PRESERVATION-TRUST

The thick-billed parrot Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha is one of two speci es of temperate parrot in the genus Rhynchopsitta found in Mexico. Lis ted as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List, a breeding programme far this parrot was established at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust in 19 68. First breeding occurred in 1970 since when 34 chicks have been rea red to fledging, using hand-rearing methods. Over this period only one chick was parent reared due to problems of poor survival in the nestb ox and feather plucking. This paper describes successful reproduction in a pair of thick-billed parrots in 1995. Two chicks were parent rear ed to hedging, with none of the previous problems encountered. It is i nteresting to note that both parents were hand reared, and hence reari ng method should not necessarily exclude individuals from a captive br eeding programme.