31/05/2026
Today is World Parrot Day, and we're celebrating South Africa's only endemic parrot.
Protecting the Cape Parrot means much more than protecting a single species. The Cape Parrot is a flagship for South Africa's indigenous forests, and the work to conserve it benefits forests, water resources, biodiversity, and the people who live alongside these ecosystems.
That work includes:
🦜 Monitoring Cape Parrot populations across the Eastern Cape and Limpopo to track numbers, breeding, disease, and habitat use.
🎙️ Processing acoustic monitoring data to better understand how Cape Parrots use forests and identify important habitat.
🌿 Restoring degraded forest habitat through indigenous tree planting, invasive species management, and supporting natural forest regeneration.
🌱 Growing and planting indigenous trees sourced from community nurseries.
📏 Monitoring tree survival and growth to understand how forests recover over time and improve restoration efforts.
🥾 Conducting regular eco-ranger patrols to monitor forest condition, identify threats, and collect long-term habitat data.
🤝 Supporting community nurseries and local growers who supply indigenous seedlings for restoration projects.
🗺️ Working alongside forest-edge communities through environmental education, outreach, employment, and collaborative conservation initiatives.
🌍 Collaborating with parrot specialists around the world through the IUCN Species Survival Commission Wild Parrot Sub-group.
Over the past 16 years, we have restored and maintained 303 hectares of habitat and planted 84,925 indigenous trees.
Thank you to everyone who supports this work. Every tree planted, patrol completed, nest monitored, and partnership formed contributes to a future for the Cape Parrot and South Africa's indigenous forests.
