Top 10 Rarest Parrots in the World: Parrots are among the most vibrant, one-of-a-kind, and fascinating birds that can be found anywhere in the world.
In today’s culture, parrots have gained notoriety for their capacity to mimic human voices and speech patterns as well as other sounds.
In addition to that, they can sing and even have the potential to learn how to dance. Parrots are suffering from an overpopulation problem as a direct result of all of these great characteristics. Poaching is an illegal activity that has put some species on the verge of extinction.
The majority of the rare parrots included on this list are in a state of critical endangerment.
This is because wild parrots are captured and kept as pets, and their natural habitats are being destroyed.
Thankfully, there are initiatives currently underway to put a stop to the unlawful trade in wild parrots. Researchers are working to develop techniques that will allow them to determine whether or not a parrot was born in captivity or the wild.
Top 10 Rarest Parrots in the World 2024
1. Puerto Rican Amazon
- Current Estimated Numbers: about 50 – 100 in the wild; about 400 in captivity
- Country of Origin: El Yunque National Forest, Rio Abajo State Forest, Maricao Commonwealth
- Forest in Puerto Rico
- Scientific Name: Amazona vittata
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
The Puerto Rican Amazon is a unique species of parrot that is endemic to Puerto Rico. It is also known as the Puerto Rican parrot and the Iguaca.
The Puerto Rican Amazon, like the majority of the parrots on this list, is considered to be in a state of critical endangerment in its natural habitat; the number of wild Puerto Rican Amazons that still exist ranges anywhere from 50 to 100.
Thankfully, there are a multitude of conservation projects currently underway to safeguard the Amazon rainforest in Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rican Amazon has been successfully returned to the wild by conservationists, who have also effectively established new population sites for the species.
Recent events have resulted in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service reiterating its dedication to the protection of the Puerto Rican Amazon.
This wonderful news comes less than a year after the devastation wreaked by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico, which included the destruction of several breeding facilities.
The roughly 400 Amazon parrots who were kept as pets in Puerto Rico were unhurt, but all of the wild parrots that lived in El Yunque National Forest have vanished.
2. Blue-throated Macaw
- Current Estimated Numbers: 250 – 300
- Country of Origin: Los Llanos de Moxos, Bolivia
- Scientific Name: Ara glaucogularis
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
Rarely seen in Bolivia, the Blue-throated Macaw is a stunning parrot with blue and yellow tones in its plumage.
There are probably between 250 and 300 Blue-throated Macaws still living in the wild today, according to estimates.
The Blue-throated Macaw population has suffered a devastating loss as a direct result of the illegal trade in macaws to keep them as pets. Their native habitat has also been cleaned out so that private cattle ranches can be built there.
The Blue-throated Macaw’s situation appears to be improving, in contrast to that of some of the other endangered parrots on this list.
The Blue-throated Macaw has been able to make a comeback because of vigorous conservation efforts. There were approximately 155 Blue-throated Macaws seen in the Los Llanos de Moxos in April of 2018, according to the reports that were made.
These Blue-throated Macaws can trace their ancestry back to captive-bred parrots that were eventually released back into their natural habitat.
Conservationists hope to increase the amount of land that is set aside as a protected area so that the Blue-throated Macaw can continue to thrive there.
3. Sulu Racquet-tail
- Current Estimated Numbers: 75 – 375
- Country of Origin: Tawi-Tawi Island, Philippines
- Scientific Name: Prioniturus verticalis
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
An extremely uncommon species of parrot, the Sulu Racquet-tail is endemic to the Sulu archipelago in the Philippines.
Recent findings reveal that there may be fewer than 250 mature Sulu Racquet-tail parrots surviving in the wild, which is a significant decrease from the previous estimation that there were approximately 1,000 of these parrots in the wild. According to this information, there are between 75 and 375 individuals in the population of Sulu Racquet-tails.
At the height of its distribution, the Sulu Racquet-tail could be found on six different islands, and it was plentiful in those areas.
However, by the 1970s, a significant portion of the primary forests that once covered the islands of Sulu had been cut down, which led to a precipitous drop in the population of Sulu Racquet-tails.
The small population of Sulu Racquet-tails that still exists is limited to Tawi-Tawi island; however, the island’s last few remaining habitats for the parrot are being cleared for forestry.
4. Orange-bellied Parrot
- Current Estimated Numbers: Fewer than 30 in the wild; 208 – 350 in captivity
- Country of Origin: Melaleuca, Tasmania, Australia
- Scientific Name: Neophema chrysogaster
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
In Melaleuca, Tasmania, Australia, the Orange-bellied Parrot lives in its natural habitat but is considered to be in a state of critical endangerment because of its small population.
There may be less than fifty Orange-bellied Parrots left in the wild, as indicated by the IUCN Red List and the findings of other studies.
There is an extensive breeding program that has a few hundred Orange-bellied Parrots in captivity. This is in contrast to the fact that the population of Orange-bellied Parrots in the wild may be decreasing.
In the most recent report, which was done in 2012, there were approximately 208 Orange-bellied Parrots in captivity, and the target number of 350 will be reached in 2016/2017.
Early on in 2018, environmentalists announced that they had begun the process of rescuing juvenile Orange-bellied Parrots and storing them in a secure location until they were mature enough to be released back into the wild for the breeding season.
5. Indigo-winged Parrot
- Current Estimated Numbers: 160 – 250
- Country of Origin: Central Andes of Colombia
- Scientific Name: Hapalopsittaca fuertesi
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
The Indigo-winged Parrot, also known as the Fuertes’ Parrot, is a bird that is classified as severely endangered, but because of conservation efforts, its population has slightly leveled off.
On the other hand, the IUCN Red List speculates that there may be as few as 160 Indigo-winged Parrots still living in the wild today.
This endangered parrot is only found on the western slope of Colombia’s Central Andes, where its range is extremely limited.
with about nine decades, researchers feared that the Indigo-winged Parrot had been extinct; however, in 2002, approximately a dozen birds were discovered by biologists working with ProAves.
The place where the parrots were discovered has since been designated as the Giles–Fuertesi Nature Reserve.
In 2012, the population of Indigo-winged Parrots reached a record high of 250 individuals as a direct result of conservation efforts.
Even though it is protected, the Indigo-winged Parrot is still considered to be in danger since its natural habitat is in danger of being destroyed due to adjacent deforestation and the possibility of gold mining.
6. Kākāpō
- Current Estimated Numbers: about 148
- Country of Origin: North, South, and Stewart Islands of New Zealand
- Scientific Name: Strigops halophila
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
The Kiwi, another flightless bird native to New Zealand, is far more well-known than the Kkp, which is also a flightless bird but is less well-known.
There are a lot of individuals who aren’t familiar with this parrot because of its low population numbers and the fact that it is listed as highly endangered. The New Zealand Department of Conservation estimates that there are just 148 kokopis left in the wild at this time.
The Department of Conservation has been putting in a lot of effort recently to ensure that the Kkp species would not become extinct.
The most well-known Kokopelli, which goes by the name Sirocco, has been adopted as the mascot of the fight to preserve Kokopelli. On the website of the Department of Conservation, individuals also have the opportunity to adopt a Kkp in a figurative sense.
The funds from the adoption fees are used to manage the Kkp’s health, provide supplemental food, and make annual transmitter changes.
7. Spix’s Macaw
- Current Estimated Numbers: Extinct in the wild; 60 to 80 in captivity
- Country of Origin: North, North Bahia, Brazil (near the São Francisco River)
- Scientific Name: Cyanopsitta spixii
- Conservation Status: Extinct in the Wild (EW)
One of the eight bird species that were recently declared extinct in the wild in September 2018, the Spix’s Macaw was one of the birds that famously served as the inspiration for the animated film Rio. The encouraging news is that between sixty and eighty of these birds are currently being bred in captivity as part of various breeding programs.
It has been reported over the years that residents have seen the Spix’s Macaw in the wild; however, it is thought that these birds escaped from captivity and are now living in the wild.
According to research conducted by biologists, Brazil was home to fifty percent of all bird species that have since become extinct in the wild.
Deforestation is a primary contributor to the decline in the population of Spix’s Macaws. Researchers are concerned since this is the first time that the rate of extinctions on Brazil’s mainland has surpassed the rate at which extinctions generally take place on the islands of the country.
8. Red-throated Lorikeet
- Current Estimated Numbers: Possibly extinct in the wild; estimated to be fewer than 50
- Country of Origin: Islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni, and Ovalau, Fiji
- Scientific Name: Charmosyna amabilis
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered (CR)
Another species of parrot whose natural history is a mystery is the Red-throated Lorikeet, sometimes known as the Rainbow Lorikeet.
The IUCN Red List now classifies the Red-throated Lorikeet as being in a critically endangered status; nevertheless, it is not yet considered to be extinct because there have been occasional reports of sightings of the species by locals. There are several islands in Fiji that are home to the Red-throated Lorikeet.
There have been several different survey teams that have been dispatched in an attempt to locate the Red-throated Lorikeet, but none of them have been successful.
Because of the destruction of its natural habitat brought on by activities such as logging and the construction of roads, the Red-throated Lorikeet is even more elusive than it was before.
9. New Caledonian Lorikeet
- Current Estimated Numbers: Possibly extinct in the wild; estimated to be fewer than 50
- Country of Origin: Island of Malesia, New Caledonia
- Scientific Name: Charmosyna diadema
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
The current status of the New Caledonian Lorikeet is completely unknown, the same as that of the Glacier-crested Macaw.
Despite the many efforts that have been made over the years to look for the parrot, the New Caledonian Lorikeet has not been spotted since the year 1976.
Unfortunately, the elusive New Caledonian Lorikeet has not been located despite the efforts of research teams that were dispatched in 2002 and 2011 to look for the parrot in New Caledonia.
Researchers recommend that the status of the New Caledonian Lorikeet be changed to Critically Endangered – Possibly Extinct because there have been no sightings of the bird in its natural habitat in quite some time.
Because the species is only known from a small number of specimens taken in 1859 and another from 1913, the New Caledonian Lorikeet has long been thought to be extremely rare.
As a consequence of this, the New Caledonian Lorikeet is equally as uncommon as the Glaucous Macaw, which holds the title of the world’s rarest parrot.
10. Glaucous Macaw
- Current Estimated Numbers: Possibly extinct in the wild; estimated to be fewer than 50
- Country of Origin: North Argentina; South Paraguay; Northeast Uruguay; and Brazil
- Scientific Name: Anodorhynchus glaucus
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered (CR)
There is not a lot of information available regarding the current situation of the Glaucous Macaw population that lives in the wild.
There have been no documented sightings of Glaucous Macaws in the wild since the 1960s, according to the IUCN Red List, which predicts that there are fewer than 50 of them left in the wild.
In addition, a report that was published not too long ago argues that the Glaucous Macaw should be categorized as Critically Endangered – Possibly Extinct because there has been no sighting of the bird in recent years.
It is unknown how many Glaucous Macaws are still alive, and according to the findings of our investigation, it does not appear that any Glaucous Macaws are held in captivity.
There is no information available regarding any breeding programs for the Glaucous Macaw, in contrast to some of the other species of parrots on this list.
Because of all of these factors, the Glaucous Macaw is the most endangered species of parrot in the world.
Top 10 Rarest Parrots in the World 2024- Newshub360.net
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