International experts say the Cayman parrot could be extinct within 40 years if action is not taken to preserve the habitat the parrots need.

At a press conference at the Department of Environment Wednesday, experts weighed in on the threats facing the birds. They say the parrots are struggling, especially the population in Cayman Brac.

Right now there are an estimated 465 parrots left on the Island, but only 66 breeding pairs.

Frank Rivera-Milán from the US Fish and Wildlife Service has been counting parrots in the Cayman Islands since Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

During a presentation of his work here over the last eight years, Rivera-Milán issued a stark warning about the national birds and the threats they face which could in the face of another catastrophic event see them disappear.

He pointed to the population on Cayman Brac, which is a sub species and on its evolutionary way to becoming a species of its own, but is at particular risk because of the rapid development of roads and subdivisions on the Brac that are destroying its already very limited habitat.

The Cayman Islands’ parrots are two subspecies of the Cuban Parrot. The islands’ parrots have iridescent green feathers with darker edges over the body, a white eye ring, red cheeks, black ear patches and brilliant blue wing feathers (which are only obvious when the bird is in flight). The tail has blue outer edges, with some red and yellowish green underneath.

The Grand Cayman Parrot (Amazona leucocephala caymanensis) also has a pink flush to its whitish forehead. The male is slightly larger and more brightly coloured than the female. Juvenile birds have yellowish foreheads, becoming more pink as they mature.

The Cayman Brac Parrot (Amazona leucocephala hesterna) is slightly smaller and smaller, with more black trim on its green feathers, the crown is pure white, and there is a large maroon area on the abdomen. It is now only found on Cayman Brac, having been wiped out from Little Cayman in the hurricane of 1932.

The Cayman Islands National Trust says parrots face many hazards in the wild. Development is destroying many ancient trees, which provide nesting sites and food. Nest robbers see a market in young parrots and still sometimes chop down nesting trees to reach the young birds, many of which die within days of capture. Over the years, this destruction of nesting sites leaves the parrots with fewer and fewer suitable places to breed. It is now illegal to take a parrot from the wild and keep it as a pet. In practice, those that were taken before this law was introduced are allowed to remain in captivity, and owners are advised to consult with local experts to ensure that their bird is kept in the best conditions.

Many farmers consider the parrot a pest, feeding from their valuable fruit trees. It is very frustrating for them to see their crop attacked, although some farmers have realized that the reduction in mature crop yield is often smaller than it appears. For example, many of the immature mangoes whose kernels are devoured by parrots, would be shed by the tree before maturity in any case. One farmer, Mr. Otto Watler, has said that he is happy to “give that little bit back to nature, so that my children and grandchildren will have the parrot in their skies”.

The National Trust for the Cayman Islands’ Salina Reserve and Mastic Reserve on Grand Cayman, and the Brac Parrot Reserve on Cayman Brac, all provide some protected habitat for parrots. The Central Mangrove Wetland’s fringe of Black Mangrove woodland is the single most important breeding habitat for the Grand Cayman Parrot.

Hawks and owls are natural predators, but now the parrot has additional ones to contend with – the rats and cats that have been introduced here by man. An additional peril is the storms that destroy their food and nesting sites. The Trust has been conducting triennial censuses of the parrots on both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, with the help of the Cayman Islands Bird Club. Both populations appear to be stable for the time being, but vigilance and protective measures will be required if the parrots are to survive the increasing pressures on our natural environment. As Mr. Otto Watler has said: “The parrot is just as Caymanian as the Caymanian himself, and as long as time exists, should be allowed to grace our skies”.