RICARDO LEMOS DE FIGUEIREDO *1; SUSANNAH THORPE 1 & JACKIE CHAPPELL 1
1 School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom, B15 2TT
Parrots (Order Psittaciformes) are a highly threatened bird taxon, with 28% of all parrot species threatened with extinction.However, they are common in captivity and kept in zoos all over the world. Captive breeding programmes are an important conservation tool, as captive animals can be part of reintroduction programmes and be used to repopulate the wild. However,captive environments often fail to provide animals with the opportunity to exhibit the range and frequency of behaviours their counterparts exhibit in the wild, which compromises their welfare (by causing boredom and frustration) and their suitability to be part of reintroduction programmes (by causing loss of natural behaviours and changes in body morphology). The Enclosure Design Tool (EDT) is a computer interface that helps captive facilities comparing the behaviour of their animals with their wild conspecifics.The present study aims to assess the effectiveness of specific enclosure modifications in enabling wild-type behaviours in captive parrots, which may improve both their welfare and conservation potential/reintroduction suitability. Baseline behavioural data were collected for two parrot species (scarlet macaw, Ara macao, and African grey parrot, Psittacus erithacus) at two zoos, and compared to available data on wild individuals. Natural behaviours found missing or underrepresented were identified and enclosure and management modifications were proposed to encourage those behaviours. At a later stage, post-modification data will be collected and the effectiveness of the modifications assessed. Ultimately, the outcomes of this study will enable an extension of the EDT to parrot species.