17 RETURN HOME
Cockatoos and lories released
Two Seram
cockatoos, drawn to the newly opened
hatch above their cages, come forward
to investigate the ramifications of this new and
strange occurrence.
These cockatoos had been under the care and
observation of the staff at Kembali Bebas
Avian Rehabilitation Center (KB) in Seram.
KB currently houses more than 150 birds seized by
government officials from trappers and smugglers
in the illegal trade of protected wildlife.
At KB, the birds receive
veterinary care and testing for diseases.
They are housed in cages surrounded by the
natural sounds and sight of their rain forest
home to recover from injuries and
psychological trauma.
These two cockatoos in the
photograph above are two of the seventeen birds
- thirteen Seram cockatoos and four
Purple-naped lories -
soft-released in January and February this
year.
In a soft-release, the cage
as well as food remain available to them
should they
need them as they adapt to independence.
Their adjustment to forest life is also
made easier by releasing them during the rainy
season, the time of year their natural foods
are most
abundant in the wild.
Like the Seram cockatoos released in 2006, this
year's cockatoos did not take long to climb
one by one through the opening and onto
the top of the cage.
Pausing briefly to assess the situation from
this vantage point, they spread their wings
and flew confidently into the forest.
The lories on the other hand spent a good
twenty minutes, making sure to
take their fill of the complimentary fruit
before taking flight
and disappearing into the forest.
Indonesian Parrot Project website
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Here, There and Everywhere
Here, There and Everywhere by
noted author, Mira Tweti, is a
delightful children's book about a Rainbow
lorikeet named Sreeeeeeeet who is
trapped by poachers in the rainforest of New
Guinea. He is sent to the U.S. and sold by a
New York City pet store to a little boy
named Peter. The two learn about living in
captivity and...
Following this story are educational pages
about parrots and about the Indonesian Parrot
Project (IPP) which Here, There and
Everywhere is partnered with for
conservation. A percentage of sales benefit
bird organizations.
The satisfying heartfelt ending and the
incredible
illustrations by Disney illustrator, Lisa
Brady, will make this book a home library
favorite.
Read review by Dr. Jane Goodall
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Spotlight
In January, four of the
seventeen birds released were
Purple-naped lories (lorius domicella).
Although it is a protected species,
Purple-naped lories are disappearing from
their endemic habitats in the montane forests
of South Molucca. Capture for the cage-bird
trade - the main cause - has devastated
populations.
They are also believed to
have magical qualities by the Nuaulu, a tribe
of 2500 people living in central Seram, who
are legendary for their tradition of ritual
decapitations. They are known to
hang "kihoke" wings outside houses to protect
occupants
from illnesses.
What do they eat in the wild? Nectar-, pollen-,
flower-, and fruit-eaters, Purple-naped lories
feast on the
calcium-rich fruit of the immense fig tree as
do many other animals of the forest. The
flowers of Eucalyptus deglupta are
also relished (this tree is also
valuable for providing nesting sites). There
appears to have
been a solitary sighting of a Purple-naped lory
picking into a dry flower of the spiny
rattan, and they have been observed chewing
on the bark of dead trees. They tend to
forage in the sub-canopy sometimes along with
other birds such as Red and Rainbow
lorikeets, honey-eaters, and Moluccan
King-parrot.
Known to exist in the wild only on Seram,
and possibly on the adjacent small island of
Ambon, the population of this charismatic
species continues to decline. It is now
classified as
"vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species, upgraded from
"threatened" in 1988.
BirdLife International 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
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Certificate of "Adoption"
A
Sponsor-a-Wild-Parrot certificate is a
great gift for that someone who has
everything. It can be made "in memory" or
"in honor" of a loved one. If it is for a
special occasion, it can be personalized with
the specific date as well. Please allow a
minimum of 3 weeks
for processing and delivery.
Information on levels of sponsorship
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Donate by Credit Card or Check
Sponsor in honor or memory of a loved friend. Organize a group effort at your bird club!
Donating by credit card is easy:
1. Click on the link below and follow the
directions under "Donate by Credit Card."
2. Send an email to Barbara
([email protected]) with the
following information:
a. Your name, address, phone number, and
email address. (the
recipient's information also, if this is to be a
gift).
b. The species of parrot you are sponsoring
and length of
subscription.
Donating by check or money order is easy too.
Print and fill out
the Sponsor a Wild Parrot Order form and send
with your
payment to:
Maggie Sichel-Pinatelli
1417 Deer Lane
Sebastapol, CA 95472
Make a donation to "Sponsor a Wild Parrot."
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