Translocation and post-release monitoring of captive-raised Blue-fronted Amazons Amazona aestiva.

Abstract

Translocation is a useful tool for the conservation of endangered species, because it enables individuals to be moved between wild populations and between captivity and the wild. The use of captive-raised animals in these processes is sometimes the only option to recover a declining population, but captive-raised parrots are commonly seen as the worst candidates for release because they lose their ability to recognize predators, to find food in the wild and to socialize with conspecifics. The Blue-fronted Amazon Amazona aestiva is one of the most popular parrot species in captivity. Thirty-one parrots were soft released and monitored during 13 continuous months in a Cerrado area (savannahlike vegetation) of Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. Three released parrots (10%) were confirmed to die and five (16%) disappeared soon after release and no behavioral recordings or data about their destinations were available. Ten parrots (32%) showed behaviors that suggest adaptation to the wild and 13 individuals (42%) expressed behaviors more typical of captivity. Difficulties in settling were observed for the parrots after release. One released pair, and one female paired with a wild male, reproduced. There was a tendency to decrease in all captive-related behaviors and to increase in wild-related behaviors since time after release. Supplementary food use diminished as the parrots explored natural food resources. This study indicates that confiscated captive-raised parrots can be good candidates for translocation if a training program could be applied prior to their release to reduce undesirable behaviors and the chance of re-capturing by humans. Furthermore, the use of non-endangered species in conservation programs can be useful to create protocols for the conservation programs of rare and endangered species.