The population of Lilian's Lovebird, Agapornis lilianae, may be as little as 10,000 in the wild. In 2013 WPT began supporting researchers who have now completed exploratory field expeditions, added new distributional records, identified multiple roost sites in Zambia, and had meetings with key partners. One of those researchers, Tiwonge Mzumara-Gawa, recently received the International Young Conservationist Award at the IUCN World Parks Congress in Sydney Australia.

The award recognises Tiwonge's bird conservation work in her native Malawi, which has included some important parrot work. WPT is delighted to be working with Tiwonge, helping bring her skills and experience to bear on the conservation of Lilian's Lovebirds in Zambia and throughout their range.

Read more about Lilian's Lovebirds »

Genus: Charmosyna
Species: amabilis

World Population: <50
Where found: Viti Levu, Ovalau, Vanua Levu and Taveuni (Fiji Islands group).
Ecology: Found in upland rainforest to 1000m (3280 ft), high up in the forest canopy, therefore hard to spot. Birds feed in small groups of 5-8 birds (Holyoak, 1973) getting together to feed on flowers, nectar and pollen. Sometimes driven away by aggressive Collared Lories (Phigys solitarius). Birds are inconspicuous in behaviour, and not seen often. Lorikeets observed (Holyoak, 1973) feeding in the canopy of a tall, unknown flowering tree, hanging upside-down to get at the flowers.
Threat Summary: Predation by introduced mammals, and, to a lesser extent, logging.
IUCN/CITES Listings: Critically Endangered, Appendix II

More about the Red-throated Lorikeet »

In part 2 of a podcast series on wild and companion bird diets, EB Cravens shares his thoughts on providing natural foods to mimic those found in the wild, and the benefits of doing it.

Listen to the podcast »

WPT supporter Evet Loewen's Red-bellied Macaw Chronicles continues an ongoing dialogue on the highs and lows seen in the care of the species. In Part 8, she discusses the introduction of two young macaws to her growing flock, and in Part 9, introduces us to Sophia, and shares the wonder of watching previously suppressed wild tendancies come to life.

Part 8: Young Red-bellied Macaws Join the Flock »
Part 9: A Family Life »
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Providing your companion parrot with the ability to free fly safely can be a rewarding experience for both you and your parrot. Here WPT expert Lee McGuire counsels a parrot caregiver on how to get started in expanding a bird's horizons to include free flight.

Read the answer »

A 6th successful Parrot Lover's Cruise and a 7th year of DJ Feathers' Parrot Pictures with Santa, both raising funds and awareness for the parrots of the world! Many thanks go to Dave Kramer, owner of DJ Feathers, and Carol Cipriano, organizer of the Parrot Lover's Cruise, for their outstanding efforts on behalf of parrots.Each event draws throngs of parrot enthusiasts every year and is enjoyed by all. Dave Kramer notes, "In addition to the myriad of parrots, we also had a dog and a goat come in for photos (a first). One family we've photographed their kid (now kids) from an infant. It's become a tradition for them."

Carol Cipriano's cruise whisks ardent parrot lovers off to spectacular locales in the Caribbean each year, to islands where projects for at-risk parrots are in full swing. The result is an educational and colorful vacation that is as inspiring as it is supportive of parrots. Proceeds from both events go to support WPT's ongoing conservation and research projects. WPT and the parrots thank you!

Read one passenger's account of the 2014 Parrot Lover's Cruise »

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