Wild parrots represent one of the greatest commercial interests in the legal trade in wild birds. Although it is difficult to quantify, there is a considerable illegal trade in wild parrots. Thirty-six per cent of the world's parrot species are listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as threatened or near threatened, and 55% of these are threatened to some degree by trade. In this paper, we investigate the impact of protection on the number of nests that failed because of nestlings being taken by humans (hereafter nest take) and on nesting success in parrots. We collate data on parrot nest take from published and unpublished studies from Africa, Asia and Australasia, including countries and sites with and without national and local parrot protection measures in place. Nest take was insignificant in Australia, where all studies were from areas with both local and national protection. For less developed countries, levels of nest take were variable between studies, spanning the whole range from 0 to 100%. Protection significantly reduced nest take and correspondingly increased nesting success. Our results corroborate those for the Neotropics; thus, the advantages of protection appear to be independent of geographical location or political and economic conditions. We analysed data on legal trade in wild-caught parrots before and after implementation of the 1992 Wild Bird Conservation Act (which practically eliminated import of parrots to the USA) and found that there was no apparent shift in parrot imports to other global regions from the Neotropics. We suggest that conservation of parrots globally would benefit from similar legislation introduced in other regions, such as the EU (15), which is responsible for more than 60% of global imports of wild parrots.

SummaryA population of about 60 Red-fronted Macaws Ara rubrogenys, a parrot endemic to centralsouthern Bolivia, was studied in an area of around 200 ha in the Rio Caine valley, northern Potosi department, in October and November 1990. The habitat was semi-desert steppe dominated by cacti; the very light rainy season (in which the macaws are believed to breed) lasts from November to April. The birds, most commonly to be seen in pairs, were active in the early morning and the later afternoon, feeding during both these periods on groundnuts in a 30 ha area cultivated by local Indians who, however, made no attempts to persecute them. There seem to be no serious threats to the species in the Rio Caine valley. However, breeding success appeared to be low, presumably reflecting the sparse dietary resources of the region.Durante los meses de octubre y noviembre de 1990, se estudio una poblacion de Guacamayo Dorado Ara rubrogenys (especie endemica del area centro y sur de Bolivia) compuesta por unos 60 individuos. El area de estudio abarco unas 200 ha en el valle del Rio Caine, al norte del departamento de Potosi. El habitat en esta zona estaba formado por estepas semideserticas dominadas por Cactaceas, con un periodo de lluvias moderadas (tiempo en el que se cree que tiene lugar la reproduccion) que se extiende desde noviembre hasta abril. Las aves se observaron preferentemente en parejas, siendo las primeras horas de la manana y las ultimas de la tarde los momentos de mayor actividad en los que se alimentaban de mani (cacahuetes) en un area de 30 ha cultivada por indigenas, quienes no mostraron intention alguna por evitarlo. Aparentemente no hay evidencia que induzca a pensar que la especie se encuentre amenazada en el valle del Rio Caine, no obstante, el exito reproductor aparentemente resulto ser bajo, lo que reflejaria quizas unos recursos troficos escasos en la region.

The endemic Philippine cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia is classified as Critically Endangered. In 1992 an in situ conservation programme was launched on Palawan island, the major stronghold of the species, and the education, law‐enforcement and nest‐protection schemes are described. An EEP (European Endangered Species Programme) was also established in 1992 to co‐ordinate the breeding of Philippine cockatoos already maintained in captivity. The collection of ecological data through fieldwork, and research into disease and genetics are outlined.