CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Parrots are among the most preferred species for the pet-trade market. The sustainability and implications of wild parrot trade have been extensively analyzed and discussed. In Argentina, since 1998, there is a local community based national harvesting program that regulates the harvest and commercialization of a variable number (between 300 and 5,000) of Blue-fronted Parrots (Amazona aestiva) chicks every year. The aim of this study was to determine the main factors that affect the reproductive success of Blue-fronted Parrots in the Chaco region of Argentina. This information is particularly relevant for estimating the impact that harvesting could have on parrot wild populations. We monitored Blue fronted Parrot nests during five consecutive breeding seasons (2002-2003 to 2006-2007). Clutch size was 3.7 eggs and it decreased along the breeding season. Number of eggs at the end of incubation was 3.6 and number of chicks hatched was 2.7. We observed brood reduction in 20% of the nests and it was more frequent in broods of three and four chicks. On average 2.2 chicks fledged per nest and young?s survival during the first month was 94%. Nest survival varied between 27% and 67% depending of the year and method of estimation used. Most nests failed during the incubation and the first 10 days of the chick?s period. Daily survival rates varied between 98.5% and 99.5%. The best models to explain survival included as covariables age of the nest, laying date, high and orientation of entrance hole. Nest site fidelity was 68% and cavity reoccupation was 62%. Harvested nests had a low survival than non-harvested nests (73% vs. 93%). The information presented in this work represents a contribution to the general knowledge of the reproductive strategies of parrots. In addition, this information could be relevant to develop management and conservation strategies for Blue-fronted Parrots.

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