Psittacus erithacus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

View Printer Friendly

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PSITTACIFORMES	PSITTACIDAE

Scientific Name:

Psittacus erithacus

Species Authority:

Linnaeus, 1758

Common Name/s:

English	–	African Grey Parrot, Grey Parrot
French	–	Perroquet Jacko

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Taylor, J., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Gascoigne, A., Vande Weghe, J., Gilardi, J., Melo, M., Christy, P., Rainey, H., Hall, P., Maisels, F., Citegetse, G., Amuno, J.

Justification:
This species is listed as Near Threatened because a recent analysis suggests that up to 21% of the global population may be harvested annually. In combination with the rate of ongoing habitat loss, the species is therefore suspected to be declining moderately rapidly.

History:

2007	–	Near Threatened
2006	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Psittacus erithacus has a distribution extending from Guinea-Bissau east through the moist lowland forests of West Africa to Cameroon, and thence in the Congo forests to just east of the Albertine Rift (up to the shores of Lake Victoria) in Uganda and Kenya and south to northern Angola⁸. Preliminary calculations based on forest cover and country-level population estimates^1,2,3,4,7 suggest a global population of between 680,000 and 13 million individuals¹⁰. Population declines have been noted in Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda and parts of Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo¹⁰. In all of these declines, trapping for the wild bird trade has been implicated, with habitat loss also having significant impacts throughout West and East Africa. Global population trends have not been quantified; there is evidence of a population decline through most of its range, but it is unclear if the species approaches the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List Vulnerable category (i.e. declining more than 30% in three generations).
Countries:	Native: Angola; Benin; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Mali; Nigeria; Rwanda; Sao Tomé and Principe; Sierra Leone; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Uganda
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Gatter (1997) estimated two breeding pairs/ km² in logged forest north of Zwedru, Liberia. McGowan (2001) provided similar estimates of nest densities in Nigeria of 0.5-2.1/km², believing the higher end to be more accurate. This would indicate 4.2 breeding birds/km² plus non-breeding birds (the remaining 70-85% of the population, as estimated by Fotso 1998b), giving estimates of 4.9-6.0 birds/km². These estimates are substantially higher than those of 0.3-0.5 birds/km² in good habitat in Guinea (Dändliker 1992a) and 0.9-2.2 birds/km² (in evergreen forests) or 0.15-0.45 birds/km² (in semi-deciduous forests) in Ghana (Dändliker 1992b). Using these density estimates, the overall P. e. timneh population was estimated at 120,100-259,000 birds, and the West African population of P. e. erithacus at 40,000-100,000 birds, although Central African populations of this subspecies are much larger (Dändliker 1992a). Using a global land cover classification (JRC 2000), a digitised map of the species's range from Benson et al. (1988), and estimates of density of 0.15-0.45 birds/km² in semi-deciduous forest (including deciduous forest) and 0.3-6.0 birds/km² in evergreen forest (including swamp forest and mangrove), supplemented by recent (post-1995) published national estimates where available, an initial coarse assessment of the global population of this species is 0.68-13 million individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

Gatter (1997) estimated two breeding pairs/ km² in logged forest north of Zwedru, Liberia. McGowan (2001) provided similar estimates of nest densities in Nigeria of 0.5-2.1/km², believing the higher end to be more accurate. This would indicate 4.2 breeding birds/km² plus non-breeding birds (the remaining 70-85% of the population, as estimated by Fotso 1998b), giving estimates of 4.9-6.0 birds/km². These estimates are substantially higher than those of 0.3-0.5 birds/km² in good habitat in Guinea (Dändliker 1992a) and 0.9-2.2 birds/km² (in evergreen forests) or 0.15-0.45 birds/km² (in semi-deciduous forests) in Ghana (Dändliker 1992b). Using these density estimates, the overall P. e. timneh population was estimated at 120,100-259,000 birds, and the West African population of P. e. erithacus at 40,000-100,000 birds, although Central African populations of this subspecies are much larger (Dändliker 1992a). Using a global land cover classification (JRC 2000), a digitised map of the species's range from Benson et al. (1988), and estimates of density of 0.15-0.45 birds/km² in semi-deciduous forest (including deciduous forest) and 0.3-6.0 birds/km² in evergreen forest (including swamp forest and mangrove), supplemented by recent (post-1995) published national estimates where available, an initial coarse assessment of the global population of this species is 0.68-13 million individuals.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Although typically inhabiting dense forest, they are commonly observed at forest edges, clearings, gallery forest, mangroves, wooded savannah, cultivated areas, and even gardens⁸, but it is not clear whether these are self-sustaining populations. At least in West Africa, the species makes seasonal movements out of the driest parts of the range in the dry season. It has never been seen in the isolated Marahoué National Park in Côte d'Ivoire, suggesting that it does not travel large distances between isolated forest blocks, or that some northern semi-deciduous forests are not preferred habitat¹¹.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Although typically inhabiting dense forest, they are commonly observed at forest edges, clearings, gallery forest, mangroves, wooded savannah, cultivated areas, and even gardens⁸, but it is not clear whether these are self-sustaining populations. At least in West Africa, the species makes seasonal movements out of the driest parts of the range in the dry season. It has never been seen in the isolated Marahoué National Park in Côte d'Ivoire, suggesting that it does not travel large distances between isolated forest blocks, or that some northern semi-deciduous forests are not preferred habitat¹¹.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species has been heavily traded: during 1994-2003, over 359,000 wild-caught individuals were reportedly exported from range states¹². It is one of the most popular avian pets in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East due to its longevity and unparalleled ability to mimic human speech and other sounds. Demand for wild birds is also increasing in China, and increased presence of Chinese businesses in central Africa (particularly for mining, oil and logging) may increase illegal exports of this species^9,11. While there has been some domestic demand within range states, most impacts seem to be due to international trade, probably owing to the high value of this species¹⁰. Habitat loss is also thought to be having significant impacts throughout West and East Africa.

Major Threat(s):

The species has been heavily traded: during 1994-2003, over 359,000 wild-caught individuals were reportedly exported from range states¹². It is one of the most popular avian pets in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East due to its longevity and unparalleled ability to mimic human speech and other sounds. Demand for wild birds is also increasing in China, and increased presence of Chinese businesses in central Africa (particularly for mining, oil and logging) may increase illegal exports of this species^9,11. While there has been some domestic demand within range states, most impacts seem to be due to international trade, probably owing to the high value of this species¹⁰. Habitat loss is also thought to be having significant impacts throughout West and East Africa.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway As a result of concerns about international trade, P. e. princeps was put on CITES Appendix I in 1975, and the remainder of the species was put on CITES Appendix II with all Psittaciformes in 1981 at the request of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In 1994, the P. e. princeps CITES listing was removed due to lack of evidence that it is a valid subspecies. Due to concern about the effects of the large numbers of this species traded, it was the subject of a CITES significant trade review, in which it was listed as of "possible concern"⁶. The Animals Committee of CITES has recommended up to a two-year ban from January 2007 on exports of African Grey Parrots Psittacus erithacus from four West African countries (Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea), where the distinctive (sub)species timneh is found, and in Cameroon, where the more widespread (sub)species erithacus occurs. For a further two countries - Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo - the Committee has recommended that quotas should be halved to 4,000 and 5,000 birds respectively. The species occurs in a number of protected areas. Conservation Actions Proposed Ensure that proposed trade restrictions are implemented. Monitor wild populations to determine ongoing trends. Consider banning trade in Congo and DRC, as both countries are lacking the necessary capacity to manage it¹³.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
As a result of concerns about international trade, P. e. princeps was put on CITES Appendix I in 1975, and the remainder of the species was put on CITES Appendix II with all Psittaciformes in 1981 at the request of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In 1994, the P. e. princeps CITES listing was removed due to lack of evidence that it is a valid subspecies. Due to concern about the effects of the large numbers of this species traded, it was the subject of a CITES significant trade review, in which it was listed as of "possible concern"⁶. The Animals Committee of CITES has recommended up to a two-year ban from January 2007 on exports of African Grey Parrots Psittacus erithacus from four West African countries (Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea), where the distinctive (sub)species timneh is found, and in Cameroon, where the more widespread (sub)species erithacus occurs. For a further two countries - Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo - the Committee has recommended that quotas should be halved to 4,000 and 5,000 birds respectively. The species occurs in a number of protected areas.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Ensure that proposed trade restrictions are implemented. Monitor wild populations to determine ongoing trends. Consider banning trade in Congo and DRC, as both countries are lacking the necessary capacity to manage it¹³.

Bibliography [top]

	Collar, N. J. 1997. Psittacidae (Parrots). In: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (ed.), Handbook of the birds of the world, pp. 280-477. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Dandliker, G. 1992. Le Perroquet Gris (Psittacus erithacus) en Guinée: evaluation des populations, contribution à la biologie, étude de l'exploitation commerciale et recommendations pour la gestion. Report sur le projet CITES S-30. CITES Secretariat, Geneva. Dändliker, G. 1992. The Grey Parrot in Ghana: a population survey, a contribution to the biology of the species, a study of its commercial exploitation and management recommendations. Fotso, R. 1998. Survey status of the distribution and utilization of the Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) in Cameroon. Gatter, W. 1997. Birds of Liberia. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Inskipp, T.; Broad, S.; Luxmoore, R. 1988. Significant trade in wildlife: a review of selected species in CITES Appendix II, 3: Birds. IUCN & CITES Secretariat, Cambridge, U.K. Juniper, T.; Parr, M. 1998. Parrots: a guide to the parrots of the world. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. UNEP-WCMC. 2005. CITES trade database.

Collar, N. J. 1997. Psittacidae (Parrots). In: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (ed.), Handbook of the birds of the world, pp. 280-477. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Dandliker, G. 1992. Le Perroquet Gris (Psittacus erithacus) en Guinée: evaluation des populations, contribution à la biologie, étude de l'exploitation commerciale et recommendations pour la gestion. Report sur le projet CITES S-30. CITES Secretariat, Geneva.

Dändliker, G. 1992. The Grey Parrot in Ghana: a population survey, a contribution to the biology of the species, a study of its commercial exploitation and management recommendations.

Fotso, R. 1998. Survey status of the distribution and utilization of the Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) in Cameroon.

Gatter, W. 1997. Birds of Liberia. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK.

Inskipp, T.; Broad, S.; Luxmoore, R. 1988. Significant trade in wildlife: a review of selected species in CITES Appendix II, 3: Birds. IUCN & CITES Secretariat, Cambridge, U.K.

Juniper, T.; Parr, M. 1998. Parrots: a guide to the parrots of the world. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK.

UNEP-WCMC. 2005. CITES trade database.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Psittacus erithacus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2012.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided