Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 3:07 
Perched high up on a fruit tree, the 'white' Black Parrot has caught the attention of residents on the Seychelles second most populated island of Praslin. - Could there really be such a thing as a ‘white’ Black Parrot? That is the question that people on Praslin, the second most populated island of the Seychelles, are asking.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 11:26 
Black Parrot Vallee de Mai World Heritage Site, Seychelles. Image by Stewart Morris
Victoria — The Seychelles Black Parrot is one of the Indian Ocean archipelago's thirteen endemic bird species, a status it achieved early last year after being recognised as a distinct species, Coracopsis barklyi, by taxonomic experts.
The recognition, which came after some five years of intensive research confirmed that the Seychelles bird is different from other parrot species found in neighbouring Indian Ocean islands thus needing greater conservation.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 at 3:29 
A succesful breeding season for a vulnerable species? The Seychelles Island Foundation says they have to wait until the season ends in March. Until now, 12 of 39 black parrot eggs have hatched in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vallee de Mai on Praslin but already, two of the chicks have died. SIF is now waiting for the 17 remaining eggs to hatch. Image by Seychelles Island Foundation
“It is too early to say how successful this breeding season will be,” Walton told SNA. “At the end of the last breeding season, the team recorded 12 fledglings out of 32 eggs that were laid. However, this is not an indication of a successful season as other factors such as survival rate and mortality needs to be taken into consideration.”
It is no wonder therefore that in spite of being somewhat erroneously named the black parrot, the tiny population of dark brownish-grey birds are fiercely protected by SIF.
Protection at all costs
Slowly, the chicks’ dark brown plumage will grow in, and after 45 days, they will make their first heart-stopping attempts at flight. Approximately two years later, they will reach reproductive maturity to begin the breeding cycle all over again.
Throughout their lives, the species is faced with several threats, mainly from the human development issues posed by the 6,000 inhabitants of Praslin.
“Invasive alien species such as rats and cats predate on the eggs and chicks and... have the potential to transfer diseases and are in direct competition with the parrots for nesting sites,” stated Walton, adding that forest fires, loss of habitat due to development and agriculture also destroys important feeding and breeding habitat for the parrots.
Among the introduced species on the islands, the Indian Mynah bird, an invasive and aggressive species, poses a real threat to conservation of the endemic birds and several countries have had to introduce eradication measures to control the bird.
- See more at: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/2134/Count+your+chicks+Endemic+Seychelles+Black+Parrot+hatchlings+bring+hope+for+vulnerable+species#sthash.3Udh3ztB.dpufAs the northwest monsoon in the Indian Ocean Island of the Seychelles enters its third month, a handful of fluffy white-feathered chicks will start their ever-continuing battle for survival in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Vallée de Mai, located on the second most populated island, Praslin.
Conservationists hope that these little white balls of fluff with bulging eyes will one day soon mature into a rare endemic bird: the Seychelles Black Parrot (Coracopsis barklyi), which lives in the similarly vulnerable endemic coco-de-mer palm forest of the Vallée de Mai,home to the largest nut in the plant kingdom.
Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 14:06 
Ring-necked parakeet confirmed at Praslin. The worst fears of the Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF) have been confirmed: an invasive species known as the green ring-necked parakeet has spread from the Seychelles’ main island of Mahé to the second most populated island of Praslin.
Thursday, May 1, 2014 at 13:44 
The Seychelles Black Parrot (Seychelles Islands Foundation)The Seychelles islands' list of endemic bird species stands at thirteen, now that the national bird of the Indian Ocean island nation, the Black Parrot, has been officially recognised as a distinct species, Coracopsis barklyi, by taxonomic experts at Birdlife International, the world's largest nature conservation partnership.
