Bonaire’s parrot researchers Sam Williams and Rowan Martin are based at the University of Sheffield, England. Our fieldwork covers many aspects of the yellow-shouldered Amazon parrot’s ecology from looking at nest site limitation and pair behaviour through to habitat quality and reproductive success. Both PhD research projects last 3 years and are funded through a CASE partnership scheme with the World Parrot Trust and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). This year we have secured the future of parrot monitoring on Bonaire by training STINAPA rangers in the techniques used to record the reproductive success and chick development.

 

In addition to our scientific research on the parrot’s ecology we are dedicated to helping community based conservation efforts to protect this wonderful species. Together with our on island partners Salba Nos Lora (Save our parrot) we take steps to generate community awareness and safeguard the parrot’s future. In 2007 and 2008 the Bonaire parrot project team and SNL led the way for Bonaire to participate in the Caribbean endemic bird festival. Parrotwatch itself is a venture we have undertaken in an attempt to raise awareness for the yellow-shouldered Amazon and soon other parrots too! 

Below is an outline of our scientific research interests and you can learn more about our research goals at www.parrot.group.shef.ac.uk

 

Sam Williams
The focus of my research is to determine the key limiting factors that influence the yellow-shouldered Amazon parrot Amazona barbadensis on Bonaire. My fieldwork involves monitoring mortality, particularly during the reproductive cycle and investigating parrot requirements through habitat assessment and bird surveys.

Rowan Martin
From our human perspective, monogamy may not seem so unusual, but among the rest of the animal kingdom it is actually quite rare. Amazon parrots, in common with many parrot species, form strong sexually exclusive pair-bonds that are maintained for many years. I am using a combination of behavioural observations and manipulations of Amazon parrots to look for evidence of conflict and co-operation within pairs throughout the breeding cycle.