Parrot research highlights habitat importance
This Red Grouse was a winning image Rathlin Island is home to famous seabird colonies, including thousands of Guillemots (inset) Habitat loss is one of the major problems facing parrots in the Sangihe and Taaud island groups in Indonesia, according to the Loro Parque Fundacion. A recent survey found that the nominate species of one parrot, the Red-and-blue Lory, had become extinct in Sangihe, leaving the island of Karakelang as the only place where the species could be found in the wild. The major difference between the two islands is that Sangihe, home to one of the most threatened bird populations in the world, has lost most of its original forest, whereas Karakelang still retains a large proportion of its forest. The survey found also that the Red-and-blue Lory was more abundant in areas of original forest than it was in modified habitats, showing the importance of original habitats to endemic species. A unique citizen science project in the south of England is using a novel smartphone app to help count birds. The Solentbirds app, an easy to use ID guide complete with text, pictures and calls, is being used by the army of volunteers of the Solentbirds Project to record the activities of the Solent’s globally important sea and shorebird populations. More than 6,000 records have already been made. If you’d like to get involved, the app can be downloaded for free. Details are available at solentirds.org.uk