English
  • EspañolEspañol
  • CatalàCatalà
  • Home
  • About us
  • Products
    • Psittacus
    • Serinus
    • Columbae
    • Wildiets
    • Disruptive
    • Get to know us better
  • African grey breeding
    • Breeding center
    • Nursery and incubation
    • Buy
  • Blog
  • FAQs
  • Psittacus TV
  • Psittacus Foundation
  • Contact
  • Store

We use cookies with an analytical purpose. You can either configure or reject the cookies by clicking on "Cookies configuration". You can also accept all the cookies clicking on "Accept all cookies". For more information you can visit our Cookies Policy.

Accept all cookies
Deny cookies Cookies configuration
Deny cookies Cookies configuration
Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are necessary for the platform to work properly and can not be deactivated from our systems. In general they are used for responding to your actions in order for you to recibe services, such as adjusting your privacy settings, log in or filling forms. You can configurate your browser for blocking or alerting the presence of these cookies, but some parts of our website may not work properly.
Analytics cookies
These cookies allow us to count visitors in order to measure and improve the functionality of our website. They help us know which page is the most visited and also see how many visitor do we have. If you block these cookies we will not know when you visited our website.
Confirm my preferences
  • Dec 20, 2024
  • News
Scientific expedition in the DR Congo. Challenges to the survival of the African Grey Parrot


Between October and November 2024, a team of researchers from the Doñana Biological Station, led by Pedro Romero Vidal and José Luis Tella Escobedo, travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to carry out a study on the African Grey Parrot, a species in serious danger of extinction. The expedition was carried out with the collaboration of Luis Flores, from the Lwiro Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, and was funded by the Psittacus Foundation, with the support of the Pablo de Olavide University’s Own Cooperation Plan, directed by Martina Carrete.

For five weeks, the team travelled through some of the most remote jungles in central Africa. The expedition began in Rwanda, a country in East Africa. There they visited Nyungwe National Park, which borders Burundi, Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They then crossed into the DRC via Bukavu and continued their journey to the Kahuzi-Biega and Lomami National Parks. During their journey, the researchers travelled by foot, canoe and motorbike, visiting places such as Lokandu, Kisangani and Lwiro, where the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is located.


The researchers’ main task was to study the population density of the African Grey Parrot, a species listed in CITES Appendix I due to the serious threats it faces. As well as investigating the critical status of the species, the researchers also documented the political, social and economic situation in the region, which has a direct impact on wildlife conservation.

In their analysis, the researchers looked at the impact of the illegal animal trade, the link between the DRC’s energy crisis and habitat loss, and the severe threats to local biodiversity, particularly deforestation and poaching.


A preliminary assessment shows that African Grey Parrot populations have declined drastically, and in some protected areas have even disappeared. However, the expedition also revealed that deforestation, mainly driven by the demand for plant fuel and illegal hunting, is affecting not only this species, but also other local species and the ecological balance of the region.


Dr José Luis Tella Escobedo: Research Professor at the Doñana Biological Station. He has extensive experience in conservation biology and has focused his studies on various aspects of avian ecology. In recent years, he has devoted considerable effort to understanding the extent of the illegal parrot trade in the Neotropics and its impact on ecosystems due to the loss of ecological functions of this group of birds.

Dr Pedro Romero Vida: Postdoctoral researcher at the Doñana Biological Station. His research is based on various aspects of the illegal parrot trade in the Neotropics, focusing on the impact of this human activity on one of the world’s most endangered bird groups. His research also covers other ecological aspects, such as the impact that their disappearance can have on ecosystems through the loss of ecological functions, or the effects of their introduction outside their native habitats.

GO TO PSITTACUS LIVE >

< Go back
Artículos recientes
  • Scientific expedition in the DR Congo: Challenges to the survival of the African Grey Parrot. Part 2
    Scientific expedition in the DR Congo: Challenges to the survival of the African Grey Parrot. Part 2 Scientific expedition in the DR Congo: Challenges to the survival of the African Grey Parrot Part 2
  • Scientific expedition in the Democratic Republic of Congo
    Scientific expedition in the Democratic Republic of Congo This passed 3rd August, the Spanish government brought to the Congress the draft of the poorly named "Animal Welfare Law" (Ley XX/2021, de XX de XXX, de protección, derechos y bienestar de los animales). I don't know if the PSOE and the parties that support it are clear about it or not, but what is certain is that if this law is approved as it has been presented, it will be a real catastrophe that will have extremely serious consequences in many areas.
  • Veterinarian reflections on exotic pets or NACs
    Veterinarian reflections on exotic pets or NACs Three renowned exotic animal veterinarians help us demystify the stereotypes surrounding the so-called New Animal Companion (NAC): are they good pets, are they legal, are they a health risk?
Etiquetas
News
< Go back
  • Home
  • About us
  • African grey breeding
  • Blog
  • Legal Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Psittacus Foundation
  • Store
  • Psittacus TV
  • Contact
Products
  • Psittacus
  • Serinus
  • Columbae
  • Wildiets
  • Disruptive
Catalogues
Psittacus catalog
Serinus catalog
Columbae daily diets
Utilities
Psittacus product range selector
Psittacus daily diets selector
Psittacus hand feeding selector
Psittacus pellet conversion
Serinus selector
Annual feeding serinus planning
Crop milk selector
Detailed analysis chart
Contact us

Africa Street, 1-5, Pol. Ind. Can Mora, 08459 Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Barcelona - Spain

+34 938 411 267
[email protected]
© 2022 Psittacus Catalonia, SL