King Bird of Paradise
(Cicinnurus regius)

The newly hatched King Bird of Paradise chick weighs only
4 grams.

Curious King BOP just after fledging,
19 days old.

Pesquet’s Parrot
(Psittrichas fulgidus)
January 2005

As the preservation’s aim to breed endangered species it achieved its target again in breeding success. The preservation’s first Pesquet’s Parrot chick hatched on the 11th December 2004.

9 days old
The human surrogate parent expresses his warmth affection.

27 days old
At age of 27 days, curiosity is being expressed.

47 days old
Being revealed to its new world.

Age 54 days
Preparing to face the challenging future.

Written By:
Mr. Dean O. Tugade
Assistant Bird Curator
Click here to Contact

Marabou Stork
Leptoptilus crumeniferos
(January 2005)

Another anticipated hatch in the Bird Department was the Marabou Storks. From December 2004 to February 2005 2 eye-catching chicks were successfully hand-reared.

Having a pleasant nap waiting for the next meal.

At 16 days old getting a fish treats for lunch.

28 days old attempt to jump out of the box!

30 days old, preparing to stand and walk.

 
43 days exercising several advanced skills while waiting for breakfast.

Written By:
Mr. Dean O. Tugade
Assistant Bird Curator
Click here to contact

Spix’s Macaw hatching
(Cyanopsitta spixii)
May 2005)

In the first week of May 2005 another two Spix’s Macaw chicks hatched, and are now being hand–reared by the staff at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation. These two new baby macaws represent an amazing almost 4 % increase in the known world population of their species.

Since year 2000 the Spix’s Macaw has been considered to be extinct in the wild. All hope to save the bird species from total annihilation, rest with a very small population kept in captivity.

Sheikh Saoud Bin Mohammad Bin Ali Al-Thani and the Al Wabra Wildlife  Preservation have been dedicated to this species for some years, and have been facing many hurdles in the effort to save the species. These two chicks which are number three and four to hatch under the AWWP management represent super mario world new hope and motivation.

Simon Bruslund Jensen, Curator of Birds

Chick on the first day

First chick on day 9 just before the eyes start to open.

Both chicks on day 12 &16

Stay tuned for updates and new pictures to be downloaded:

THE IMPERIAL AMAZON, DOMINICA

Popularly known as “the Nature Island of the Caribbean”, Dominica is home to two endemic Amazon parrot species, the Imperial Amazon (Amazona imperialis) and the Red-necked Parrot (Amazona arausiaca). The Imperial Amazon, locally known as the Sisserou Parrot, is the national symbol of Dominica and is the largest, and probably the rarest, of the Amazon parrots. A reclusive inhabitant of the montane rainforests on the slopes of the Morne Diablotin volcano in Dominica, the Imperial Amazon was feared to have gone extinct after Hurricane David hit Dominica in 1979. Ever since, the species has been the subject of widespread conservation activities including habitat protection and captive breeding in order to re-establish a self sustaining wild population.

Imperial Amazon

AWWP has been involved in capacity building of the local authorities in charge of conservation of the Sisserou. Logistical support for field activities and funding toward the formal training of personnel in endangered species management has been the focus of AWWP’s initiative. In the near future, a closer collaboration and involvement in the conservation efforts for the Sisserou is envisaged.

CONSERVATION OF THE INDRIÂ

Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, is considered one of the highest priorities for conservation today due to the rich biodiversity and high rate of endemism that the island affords.

The Indri (Indri indri) is the largest of the extant lemur species, revered by the local people for its haunting song-like call. Due to its rapidly disappearing habitat, the Indri today is highly endangered and in need of urgent conservation efforts. Its unique and charismatic appearance, as well as the high level of superstition surrounding the Indri that protects it to some extent from being hunted by the local people, makes it an ideal choice of flagship species for conservation of its habitat as well as other co-existing species.

In January 2008, an evaluation study was carried out by AWWP, in partnership with ACT FOR NATURE (AFN) – a Monaco based conservation organisation with various conservation activities in Madagascar, and their local Madagascan partner- FANAMBY. In keeping with the proposed aims, contact was made with local authorities as well as conservation organisations active at the ground level. Habitat fragmentation as a result of destruction of forest for timber, fuel and clearing for agricultural development appears to be the main threat to the viability of Indri populations in the wild.

The species is notoriously difficult to keep and propagate in captivity, and therefore, in-situ measures such as habitat protection and preservation of corridors linking areas inhabited by these primates is the key to conservation of the species.

The habitat of the Indri in Andasibe / Perinet Nature Reserve	Team members from AWWP Act For Nature Fanamby

Related Links:
ACT FOR NATURE www.actfornature.org
FANAMBYwww.fanamby.org.mg

Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco

In order to reassess the conservation status of this highly endangered and charismatic species, and to assess the risk of degradation of the genetic pool of the species through introgression of genes of another species, an in-situ research project was initiated by AWWP in 2003 in collaboration with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Organisation (EWCO) in Ethiopia. The project was exclusively funded and coordinated by AWWP through the employment of independent Italian field researcher, Luca Borghesio.

The project, in spite of an abrupt end due to political interventions, culminated in more than 5 major publications on the status of the Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco, its habitat as well as on other endemic bird species in the region. Moreover, the reassessment confirmed the presence of hybrids, identified hitherto unknown threats to the survival of the species, and formulated recommendations to Birdlife International to elevate the conservation status of the species based on the findings of this study. In addition to detailed data on the Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco, the project was also able to produce data for publication on the threats to the survival of the endemic Ethiopian Bush Crow (Zavattariornis stresemanni).

Kibre Mengist Forest Ethiopia.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

2. The present conservation status of Juniperous forests in the South Ethiopian Endemic Bird Area.  (187 KB)

3. Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, Qatar: Working with Turacos Musophagidae spp.  (3.7 MB BIG FILE!)

4. Habitat degradation threatens the survival of the Ethiopian Bush Crow Zavattariornis stresemanni.  (177 KB)

5. Publication for AWWP_Website (783 KB)

PROTECTION OF THE SWAYNE’S HARTEBEEST IN SENKELLE, ETHIOPIA

Swayne’s Hartebeest in Senkelle

THE SPIX’S MACAW (CYANOPSITTA SPIXII) RECOVERY PROGRAM

Melancia Creek Gangorra Farm Curaca	Spix’s Macaw Chick age 25 days.
Spixs Macaw School Curaca

Spix’s Macaw Fact File 2009 – Portuguese
Spix’s Macaw Fact File 2009 – English

PROTECTION OF THE BLUE-HEADED QUAIL DOVE IN CUBA

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Proyecto Paiz is a joint initiative of the Empressa Nacional para la Proteccion de la Flora y la Fauna (ENPFF), Cuba, the Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (ZGAP), Germany, and the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP), Qatar.

Blue-Headed Quail Dove incubating an egg

Proyecto Paiz is a national project of Cuba with the objective to initiate in-situ conservation measures and implement conservation activities for Cuba’s globally threatened endemic Columbiformes spp. These are
 – The Blue-headed Quail Dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala), a Cuban Ground Dove locally known as Paloma Perdiz, classified as endangered by the IUCN,
 - The Grey-headed Dove (Geotrygon caniceps), classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, andÂ
 - The Plain Pigeon (Columba inornata), also classified as vulnerable by the IUCN but close to being upgraded to endangered status.  The Blue-headed Quail Dove is the main focus of the project and forms a flagship species for the conservation of the other less known species.

OBJECTIVES OF PROYECTO PAIZ 

• In-situ protection in selected field sites and protected areas by means of threat mitigation and habitat protection and restoration
• Establishment of a captive population of the Blue-headed Quail Dove for conservation breeding, and
• Increase awareness and education of local people about Proyecto Paiz, thus using the project to heighten interest and awareness of nature conservation and the countries endemic species

The project, after an initial delay due to a long evaluation and permission process from the relevant authorities in Cuba, is now well on its way with a small captive population of 6 Blue-headed Quail Doves housed in the breeding aviaries that have been newly-renovated, under the auspices of Proyecto Paiz, in the protected area “Sabanas de Santa Clara”. At the last update, the birds were showing considerable breeding activity. The project is exclusively funded by the Al Wabra WIldlife Preservation, Qatar.

An Update

As of September, 2008, AWWP, along with it’s project partners, the ENPFF in Cuba and ZGAP, Germany, is proud to announce the successful breeding in captivity of the population of Blue-headed Quail Doves in Cuba under Proyecto PAIZ.

After an extensive and time-consuming process of registering the project officially with the Cuban government, AWWP funded the travel of Mr. Juan Cornejo, Bird Curator of Africam Bird Safari in Mexico, with the purpose of improving avicultural techniques as well as the captive condition of the birds. In addition to collecting invaluable morphometric data from the birds, new coloured leg bands were used to facilitate easy identification and significant behavioural observations were made which later translated into pairing recommendations for separating the birds. The field coordinators were trained in basic avicultural techniques, providing enrichment, equipping aviaries with artificial nest boxes, and record keeping.

Thereafter, a visit by the AWWP veterinarian and conservation coordinator allowed a basic health evaluation of the birds, carried out with the help of Cuban laboratories as well as the establishment of basic health monitoring and necropsy protocols for birds and eggs. DNA sexing of the birds using feather and blood samples revealed an ideal ratio of 3 males and 3 females in the captive population.

Thereafter, pair separation was done on the basis of DNA tests and behavioural observations, and, in May 2008, the first fertile eggs were laid. The first Blue-headed Quail Dove chick in captivity hatched in June and was successfully parent-reared to fledging. Thereafter, two pairs went on to lay 5 more fertile eggs and from these 4 chicks were successfully reared. The third pair, however, laid a number of infertile eggs.

Currently, Proyecto PAIZ has 5 chicks from this season and 2 fertile eggs in the nests. As a result of a coordinated team effort, the captive breeding of the birds has been a success after 2 years and has resulted in a near doubling of the captive population in a short span of time.

First Blue-headed Quail Dove chick bred in captivity in Proyecto PAIZ.