From 26th-27th September 2019, experts from around the world will come together in Hogsback, Eastern Cape to discuss the future of conservation for Cape parrots (Poicephalus robustus). The workshop, facilitated by CPSG, will bring together government agencies, landowners, forestry companies, conservation organisations, bird guides, students and academics to prioritize threats and to develop a plan which will guide future conservation efforts for the species. The event also provides an opportunity for participants to share the latest scientific findings and draw on international expertise in parrot conservation.

Last year, Cape parrots were placed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and concerns are growing over a number of emerging threats, including infectious diseases, climate change and the arrival in South Africa of an exotic wood-boring beetle. The Cape parrots are restricted to patches of Mistbelt forests in South Africa, which cover less than one percent of the country’s land surface, much of which has no formal protection.

The workshop is being coordinated by a coalition of national and international conservation groups, including the Wild Bird Trust, the World Parrot Trust, the Cape Parrot Working Group and BirdLife South Africa. Funds to support the workshop have been provided by the World Parrot Trust, Wild Bird Trust and BirdLife South Africa.

Further information on Cape parrots and the conservation planning workshop may be obtained from:

Dr. Kate Carstens
Project Manager, Cape Parrot Project
Wild Bird Trust
kate@wildbirdtrust.com

Dr. Rowan Martin
Director, Africa Conservation Programme
World Parrot Trust
rmartin@parrots.org

Photo credit: Peter Tan [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]