Abaco and Inagua, Bahamas
Amazona leucocephala bahamensis
Abaco Parrot Emergency Hurricane Supplemental Food Program:
The Abaco Parrot and it's habitat were devastated by Hurricane Dorian on September 1, 2019. A Category 5 hurricane with 180-185 mile per hour winds (290-297 kph), 17-23 foot storm surge, and 4 feet of rain in 24 hours. Amazingly, research on Caribbean islands (Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic) has shown that a percentage of parrots can survive the initial onslaught, only to starve to death days later due to the destruction of their natural sources for food. The Abaco Parrot Emergency Supplemental Food Program is designed to provide food sources during the interim period until the habitat regenerates. CRUCIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF THE PARROTS IN THE WILD.
PLEASE DONATE AND HELP SAVE THE ABACO PARROT!
The Bahama Parrot on Abaco differs because it’s the only known parrot that nests in the ground in the Western Hemisphere and has adapted to fire and hurricanes. This little Amazon Parrot faces pressures from predation and fierce hurricanes. Over the years Parrots International has donated more than $50,000.00 to help protect the Bahamian Parrot. These funds have provided predator control, nesting studies, demography studies, post hurricane studies, and annual censuses for the Bahama Parrot. Additional donations have been made by Parrots International to The Bahamas National Trust to help Caroline Stahala with her study of the nesting ecology of Bahama Parrots on the Island of Inagua.
Nestlings survive forest fires and hurricanes in their ubterranean nests. Photo by M. Stafford
