Fewer than 1,800 Cape parrots are left in the wild, making the selection of South Africa’s bird of the year for 2023 an incredibly powerful message to protect the species!
Western Cape, South Africa (05 December 2022) – BirdLife South Africa has announced the Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) has been selected as Bird of the Year for 2023.
The Cape Parrot is South Africa’s only endemic parrot, with only around 1,800 individuals in the wild, making it one of the most endangered in Africa. It is endemic to South Africa, with the most significant proportion of the population found in the Eastern Cape province, KwaZulu-Natal, and a small population in Limpopo.
Dr Steve Boyes formed the Cape Parrot Project (CPP) and Wild Bird Trust in 2009 out of a small village called Hogsback in the Eastern Cape. CPP has recently expanded into Magoesbaskloof in Limpopo. The project aims to conserve the Cape Parrot by using research to fill critical knowledge gaps and partnering with local communities for habitat restoration.
Cape Parrots are the bright green jewels of the forest, attracting birders from around the world and helping to support avitourism in rural areas that rely heavily on ecotourism for sustainability. They symbolise hope and resilience: despite decades of historical, exploitative logging, the species persists.
“We had such a big celebration when we found out! It has made our year as we live and breathe Cape Parrots every day, and thus feel everyone should know about this special species that is only found in South Africa”, said Kirsten Wimberger, Cape Parrot Project Director.
Dr Melissa Whitecross, Landscape Conservation Programme Manager at BirdLife South Africa, said: “The Cape Parrot, as South Africa’s only endemic parrot, is a flagship species for Mistbelt forests which span much of eastern South Africa’s escarpment. As Bird of the Year 2023, the Cape Parrot will bring much-needed awareness to the importance of this ecosystem in providing ecological services to communities and supporting a host of other unique forest biodiversity. Working with our Cape Parrot Species Guardians – the Cape Parrot Project and Cape Parrot Working Group – we look forward to a jam-packed year centred on the incredible Cape Parrot.”
For more information on the Cape Parrot Project, please visit the Wild Bird Trust website for more information.
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