Nicobar Parakeet
Encyclopedia
The Nicobar Parakeet, Psittacula caniceps also known as Blyth's Parakeet is a parrot
confined to the Nicobar Islands
of the Indian Ocean
. At 60 cm, it is the largest of the "true parakeets" in terms of length.
The Nicobar Parakeet is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Very little is actually known about its ecology and conservation status.
Justification This species has a moderately small range and population, it may be under pressure from habitat modification and trapping and hence is considered Near Threatened. The tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2006 may have caused a significant decline in the population. Should this be supported by empirical evidence, the species may qualify for uplisting in the future.
Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)
Distribution and population Psittacula caniceps is endemic to the Nicobar archipelago, India, where it has been recorded from Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar, Menschal and Kondul islands. It apparently remains common, although the effect of the large tsunami in the area in 2006 is unknown, and the species may have declined as a result of coastal forest destruction2.
Population justification The global population is thought to be moderately small because while the species remains relatively common in some areas it occupies a restricted range and hence the population is perhaps best placed in the band 10,000-20,000 individuals.
Trend justification The population is suspected to be decreasing as a result of habitat destruction due to the 2006 tsunami (K. Sivakumar in litt. 2007) and due to development on the island, and because of trapping for the cagebird trade. However, further research is required to accurately establish current trends.
Ecology It inhabits tall forest, feeding in small groups in the canopy on the fruit of Pandanus palms. It is perhaps more abundant in coastal forests than in the interior2.
Threats Moderately large numbers are trapped for the cage-bird trade. Furthermore, increased settlement of the islands has led to increased pressure on natural resources and planned development projects could severely affect the habitat of this species. The 2006 tsunami destroyed large tracts of coastal forest which may have caused a subsequent decrease in the population. However, data remains sparse, and the rate of regeneration of such forests is uknown2.
Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II.
Conservation measures proposed Determine the impact of trade on the species. Calculate rates of forest loss. Protect remaining areas of habitat. Assess the impact of the 2006 tsunami.
References 1. BirdLife International (2001). 2. K. Sivakumar in litt. (2007).
Click for a full list of reference citations.
Further web sources of information
Detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001).
Text account compilers Phil Benstead, Jeremy Bird and Rob Calvert (BirdLife International).
IUCN Red List evaluators Mike Crosby (BirdLife International), Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International)
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2011) Species factsheet: Psittacula caniceps. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 14/09/2011. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2011) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 14/09/2011.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
confined to the Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
of the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. At 60 cm, it is the largest of the "true parakeets" in terms of length.
The Nicobar Parakeet is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Very little is actually known about its ecology and conservation status.
Justification This species has a moderately small range and population, it may be under pressure from habitat modification and trapping and hence is considered Near Threatened. The tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2006 may have caused a significant decline in the population. Should this be supported by empirical evidence, the species may qualify for uplisting in the future.
Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)
Distribution and population Psittacula caniceps is endemic to the Nicobar archipelago, India, where it has been recorded from Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar, Menschal and Kondul islands. It apparently remains common, although the effect of the large tsunami in the area in 2006 is unknown, and the species may have declined as a result of coastal forest destruction2.
Population justification The global population is thought to be moderately small because while the species remains relatively common in some areas it occupies a restricted range and hence the population is perhaps best placed in the band 10,000-20,000 individuals.
Trend justification The population is suspected to be decreasing as a result of habitat destruction due to the 2006 tsunami (K. Sivakumar in litt. 2007) and due to development on the island, and because of trapping for the cagebird trade. However, further research is required to accurately establish current trends.
Ecology It inhabits tall forest, feeding in small groups in the canopy on the fruit of Pandanus palms. It is perhaps more abundant in coastal forests than in the interior2.
Threats Moderately large numbers are trapped for the cage-bird trade. Furthermore, increased settlement of the islands has led to increased pressure on natural resources and planned development projects could severely affect the habitat of this species. The 2006 tsunami destroyed large tracts of coastal forest which may have caused a subsequent decrease in the population. However, data remains sparse, and the rate of regeneration of such forests is uknown2.
Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II.
Conservation measures proposed Determine the impact of trade on the species. Calculate rates of forest loss. Protect remaining areas of habitat. Assess the impact of the 2006 tsunami.
References 1. BirdLife International (2001). 2. K. Sivakumar in litt. (2007).
Click for a full list of reference citations.
Further web sources of information
Detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001).
Text account compilers Phil Benstead, Jeremy Bird and Rob Calvert (BirdLife International).
IUCN Red List evaluators Mike Crosby (BirdLife International), Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International)
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2011) Species factsheet: Psittacula caniceps. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 14/09/2011. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2011) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 14/09/2011.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.