On Bonaire in the early 1800s European settlers removed virtually all the mature trees. This drastically reduced the number of nest cavities available for parrots and may be why they now nest in cliffs. The use of nest boxes to increase the cavities available for wild parrots is a well known technique around the world. There are many types of nest boxes, with different materials (PVC, wood, metal ...). These are placed in different places depending on the reproductive biology of the species, always trying to imitate places you could see a natural cavity. In Bonaire the parrot team began using plywood nest boxes placed on the rock faces and in trees. These are places the parrots use for nesting but these nest boxes were not successful occupied by parrots only by bees. In conservation we often have to use innovative techniques to help increase populations of threatened species and so we had to get creative again and make nest boxes that would be more attractive to the parrots. What is really nice is the great ideas are not always the most expensive.
Amazona barbadensis close the nest box
In the breeding season of 2010, I arrived in Bonaire to work with Sam and together we came up with a great idea. There are almost no living big trees on the island but there are many that get washed up on the winward side of the island. We would craft nest boxes from these drift wood trees to create cavities that mimic a natural cavity. It was great! We were not going to have wood costs, we simply needed to cut some pieces and to empty the trunk.
Winward side, many trunks and plastics arrive on Bonaire.
It was pretty easy to find good trees on the shore for the boxes, and soon began, with my chainsaw (thanks Bruce and Marlene!) and an axe to make different boxes to be placed in the field. We were going to place nest boxes in different places where there is habitat for the species, but no cavities that can be used by the Amazon. In particular we had several friends of the project who shared a passion for parrots and wanted to be involved in the their conservation. They offered a place on their land to put the boxes, places that offered a peaceful place to be used for wild parrots.
After weeks of work, the boxes were finished and ready to be placed. To place the nest boxes we use posts. These posts we installed with cement floor, and we screwed the nest box to the post. Some boxes were difficult to install, but the result was very good! Holes seemed completely natural, with enough chance of success. All it cost was time, energy and a few materials, but we were happy when comes to fruition, it will be worth the many hours we spent in the sun. We hope recorded wild Amazons breeding in these nest boxes this year. This will help increase the offer of cavities for wild parrots on Bonaire, reducing competition between them to find nesting sites.
Jose with the chainsaw
Sam looking the position of the nest box
There was one box that was special, I always looked at it and thought: If I were a wild bird would not hesitate to nest there. It was a stump with a beautiful natural entrance, perfectly imitating a nest in the wild. Like the others this box was installed at the beginning of the breeding season, though the season had begun. However, wild birds became interested in this box within a week of installation. A pair of Pearly-eyed Thrashers (Margarops fuscatus), Troupials (Icterus icterus) and another pair of Brown-throated Conures (Aratinga pertinax xanthogenia) were most interested. But the breeding season ended and we saw no Amazonas pair breeding in this or any other of the boxes installed. It was quite logical, we expect the results to the next breeding season and we wanted to be patient and trust the natural instincts of wild parrots.
My favorite box
Pair of Yellow-shouldered Amazon checking inside the nest box
Aratinga pertinax checking the nest box
Thrasher and Troupial checking the nest box
The really amazing news I have just heard is that even though the breeding season has not yet begun, wild Amazons have started to look to one of the boxes, my favorite box! This is great! They have been spending many hours around the nest box, looking inside. This was my favorite box, I wanted to nest there! haha. I am sure there will be more stories I'll have to tell about this, it would be so nice if it will succeed!
Thank you very much to everyone who helped to build and install nest boxes, this is all thanks to you!
Eternal life to the wild parrots!
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