Ngozi Okafor
The Endangered Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus is one of the most traded CITES-listed birds in the African International pet trade. Its capture for pet trade, habitat loss and degradation due to agricultural expansion, hunting for food and medicine/belief-based use have contributed to its rapid population decline. (BirdLife International, 2024). Although the capture and sale of Grey Parrots have been prohibited in Nigeria, they are still declining (Ezenwa et al., 2019) and little is known about their population size in the wild.
Afi River Forest Reserve (ARFR) is a large forest and an endangered Important Bird Area (IBA) known to support the Grey Parrot, Yellow-casqued Hornbill, and Grey-necked Picathartes (Birdlife, 2024). The reserve is currently threatened by logging, forest clearance for agriculture, hunting, bush fires. Despite its endangered status, there has been no direct research carried out to investigate its population status and habitat utilization in the ARFR hence the need for this extensive and detailed survey.
This study will provide current information on the population status and distribution of the endangered Grey Parrots and other birds of conservation concern in the ARFR. It will contribute to understanding their nesting behaviours and habitat utilization. We will identify forest fragments and suitable nesting sites that support its populations and devise strategies to mitigate deforestation and habitat loss. We will use semi-structured questionnaires to access local knowledge of the Grey Parrots and the threats they face in the ARFR to develop effective conservation actions. We will intensify conservation awareness in the selected communities surrounding the ARFR on the illegal capture and sale of Grey Parrots, their environmental roles and the importance of conserving them and their associated habitats.
This project will promote positive attitudinal change by encouraging sustainable harvesting, the conservation of associated tree species that support the endangered Grey Parrots, and discouraging hunting, deforestation, and pet trade. Training of the community youths in identification, monitoring and reporting sightings of the Grey Parrots and other birds of conservation concern to the Nigeria Bird Atlas Project will be implemented. Furthermore, the research findings will enable us to develop an effective conservation strategy that we will share with the Cross River State Forestry Commission and Wildlife Conservation Society to foster the continuous and improved protection of the endangered Grey Parrots and other bird species that share similar niches such as the Vulnerable Yellow casqued hornbill in the ARFR.