Feathering a nest in the windwards.

• Author: Defreitas, Michael
• Position: Saving the Santa Lucian parrot

WE HAD BEEN WAITING near a small clearing in the rain forest of Saint Lucia for about three hours. Twenty meters away stood a large mahogany tree framed by the forested slopes of Mount Grand Magazin one kilometer to the south. The forest guide said they would come any minute and although he had repeated that assurance several times since we had arrived, I never doubted him. Suddenly, he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me lower. He beckoned me to remain still and pointed to the clearing. Scanning the trees on the far side for some kind of movement, I spotted them.

They glided effortlessly across the clearing and fluttered to a stop on an exposed branch of the large mahogany tree. Upon landing, they nuzzled close and started preening one another, oblivious to our presence. With camera poised, I waited for them to settle before rising just enough to get a better shot. But when they sensed an intrusion, they disappeared into the forest in a flurry of feathers.

As we headed back to the jeep the guide, aware of my disappointment, consoled me with the fact that I was fortunate to have seen them at all since there were only about 300 birds remaining in the wild. So although I did not get a picture, my brief encounter with a pair of Saint Lucian parrots (Amazona versicolor) will always be remembered.

It is amazing that the versicolor has managed to survive at all given the fact that the island is frequented by tropical storms that destroy large tracts of rain forest and prime nesting trees. Hurricane Allen in 1980 did extensive damage to the rain forests on Saint Lucia and the other Windward Islands. Illegal trading and hunting have also contributed to a reduction in the bird's population. However, the greatest threat currently facing the bird's future is deforestation. The demand for more living space, agricultural land and lumber has decimated the forests resulting in a dramatic loss of habitat for the birds. Although there is presently no estimate of the deforestation rate on Saint Lucia, studies on other Caribbean islands indicate that it is about one percent per year. At this rate the versicolor will disappear in about 40 years, long before the last tree falls.

It has long been accepted that birds are excellent environmental indicators. In fact many present-day ecological assessments are carried out by surveying the bird fauna, especially in fragile tropical island ecosystems. Extinction is simply nature's warning of impending danger. The versicolor or Jacquot, as it is known locally, shares its island refuge with 140,000 Saint Lucians. It is one of four amazone species remaining in the Lesser Antilles, all of which face extinction. Experts believe that 800 to 1000 birds are required to maintain a viable population on any one of these islands. Although...