Festive boost for Georgetown

This is the first time that the Festive Parrot Amazona festiva has been recorded in Georgetown, Guyana The Guyana Amazon Tropical Birds Society has discovered a breeding pair of Festive Parrots (Amazona festiva) in the capital city of Georgetown, Guyana. Georgetown is well known for its diverse bird life (199 recorded species), but this is the first time that the Festive Parrot has been recorded in the city.

The birds were discovered on 30 September by Andy Narine, the President of the Guyana Amazon Tropical Birds Society, nesting in the city's Botanic Gardens. There is no clear data on the population of these birds in Guyana and the Society is hoping to carry out more detailed study of the species. In the meantime they will continue to monitor the health of the two Festive Parrots in the Botanic Gardens and record their behaviour.

Although not classified by BirdLife as globally threatened, Festive Parrots are listed on Appendix II of CITES. Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilisation incompatible with their survival.

The Guyana Amazon Tropical Birds Society is dedicated to the conservation and protection of Guyana's avifauna and has carried out bird surveys in various regions of Guyana. The Society has produced the first Checklist of the Birds of Georgetown based on years of observing and recording birds in Georgetown, as well as offering birdwatching tours for tourists and educational activities for schools.