204 : Fischer's Lovebird

Fischer's Lovebird - Agapornis fischeri

I expect I should say something meaningful about the pet trade today but after my revelation that Mrs C has a bird order list including diminuative falcons I haven't got a leg to stand on (see last post - its a joke). Its easy to see why someone would want to capture these and put them in a cage. Thankfully there is a wild population of 250,000 + of these birds in the wild although quite local in East Africa. There is a ban on taking them from the wild and exporting them. I think they are bred now in captivity so hopefully all is good.

We stayed in a budget lodge, the "Bouganvillia'' the night before and after we did our day's safari into the Ngorogoro crater. Apart from feeling stressed by the staff scrumming to carry bags and waiting from about 5 am to try and be the bag carrier right outside my chalet door the place was cheap and cheerful and clean and friendly. We had to tell the boys to stop staring at what I presume was a pygmy lady who was waiting on tables but then again she might just have been very short. You know what children are like.

The roofs of the chalets were tiled and under the eves there was a world of nesting possibilities. A small colony of these Lovebirds had taken up residents and noisily clattered about the place squabbling over tenancy rights and perching rights or whatever else there was to argue about. I didn't manage I think to get a shot of a Lovebird next to zebra or perched near a crocodile. We are so used to seeing parrots and the like in cages or Paraketes roaming our cities that we forget they have a home - a wild home. They aren't pets. My mother in law has an African Grey Parrot who is the funniest bird alive - stills swears at the dogs and mimics my Father in Law a couple of years after he passed away - "Bloody Dogs". His little green mate Rico (not with her now) was taken in after being seized I think in customs (My father in law was a specialist exotica vet and worked closely with RSPCA etc at times) - that bird started out speaking portugese which tells you its origin. (I read a story about a parrot who was a witness in cartel trial once but thats another story !) So I like parrots in cages - they are funny. The whole thing though has a sinister start and some really sad stories attached.

If I am going to say something about the pet trade we could start with the story of the Spix's Maccaw. One of the rare blue parrots coming from South America. The collectors would pay huge sums to own a Spic's and kudos in the parrot world was gained by having a small collection of them. The difficulty was that these ignorant Sheikh's, businessman and "theme park" owners had no idea where Spix's came from or why they were so rare. By the time the sceintific world got a handle on it the truth was shocking. They depended on on type of fruiting palm that lived along dry creek edges in Brazil, a habitat under massive pressure from the development of ranching. They were probably rare in the first place and the rarer they became the higher the value placed on them by the collectors. The last couple of breeding pairs were located but it was too late and eventually after chicks and eggs were stolen one lone female was left in the wild in 2000 - mating with a different species of parrot. And then disapeared - extinct in the wild without a fanfare on the news. Of course there were collections in private , perhaps a hundred birds but then the stupid selfish collectors could not agree how and where a breeding programme should be set up and insisted that all of their birds were captive bred etc etc. and legal. The Brazilian government soldiered on with various interested conversation Groups. The last things I read about the saga weren't good but I understand there is a committee set up now to try and get a breeding programme going with reintroduction etc. The first stage though is to protect the habitat.

A book by Tony Juniper probably does as much as anything to highlight the plight of the Spix and to expose the morons who caused the tragedy in the first place and then spent a decade arguing about what they could do to help. Why are 60 or the 93 known birds that survive in the world in Qatar ?? Yes they have a breeding programme but how did the birds get there in the first place. Equally who is this idiot in Switzerland with a giant walled ranch with security cameras etc who won't disclose how many birds he has etc or lend them out the programme to keep the gene pool healthy. This is a book to make you weep. Literally burst into tears.

If you are flying this Xmas watch the Hunter - or it may now be out on DVD - William Dafoe as a hunter asked to  verify and "collect" a speciman (''shoot"), what might be the last surviving Tasmanian Tiger. A piece of wimsey but heartbreaking. I won't spoil it - just watch it.  

I was saying to Mrs C last night that when I am finished with desk jockeying and the boys have found their way into the world I'd like to get involved with a Spix or a frog or a Munia or anything and see if I could make a difference. We were watching stuff about Dianne Fossey last night - without her the highland Gorillas might not still be around. I am not saying I'd like to be Diane Fossey - I think I could write a book about some little animal and spend some time raising some money or whatever. Thats got to be a worthy thing to do.

Where was I ? Yes Lovebirds

Fischer's Lovebird, Agapornis fischeri

Tanzania, Bouganvillia Lodge, Near Ngorogoro Crater

July 2012