Figure 2 - uploaded by José Ignacio González Rojas
Content may be subject to copyright.
(TOP LEFT & CENTRE) Artificial wooden nest boxes installed throughout key breeding sites by a climber (orange circle) to facilitate nesting success in Thick-billed Parrots. Note aluminum flashing to deter climbing predators. (TOP RIGHT) Parrot remains at the base of a nesting tree following bobcat predation. (BOTTOM) Thick-billed Parrots drinking at a communal water hole.
Source publication
We report on what appear to be increasing predation events on nesting Thick-billed Parrots Rhychopsitta pachyrhyncha. Thick-billed Parrots are classified as 'Endangered' and their seasonal breeding range is restricted to increasingly fragmented and degraded high elevation mixed conifer forest habitat within the Sierra Madre Occidental region of nor...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... deployed 22 camera traps on trees adjacent to active natural nests in tree cavities and nine on trees adjacent to artificial nest boxes ( Table 1). As part of a conservation strategy started in 2014, more than 110 wooden nest boxes have been installed on trees throughout parrot breeding sites to encourage breeding and boost nesting success in Thick-billed Parrot populations ( Figure 2). Nest boxes are attached to trees at heights between 12-18 m to deter predation on breeding pairs and their chicks. ...
Context 2
... boxes are attached to trees at heights between 12-18 m to deter predation on breeding pairs and their chicks. Two camera traps were also deployed at communal water sources in high-elevation rock pools at the Tutuaca site and another was deployed by a water source at the Campo Verde site (Figure 2). We used climbing spikes, ropes, and harnesses to inspect nest cavities and artificial nest boxes. ...
Context 3
... had the most bobcat predation events, although this was likely an artifact of the greater number of camera traps deployed at this site. We suspect that at least eight predation events on nesting parrots were also by bobcats during 2018 based on our detection of bobcats at 20 nest trees and our inspection of bird remains within nests and at the base of nest trees (Figure 2). Remains of parrot chicks were found inside of four nests and adult and chick remains were discovered at the base of trees at nine of the nest sites during 2019. ...
