A Dracula Parrot. Will Naphthalene Save it?

The Pesquet’s parrot in Rákos’ House. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

The Pesquet’s parrot, sometimes also called Dracula parrot is characterized by a truly exceptional appearance and is remarkable also in many other respects. Therefore, I was a bit surprised that it remained at the end of the sale of our Meal Vouchers for Animals, in other words, it didn’t catch people’s attention.

In Prague Zoo you can see the Pesquet’s parrots in the New Guinea exhibit of Rákos’ House. They often sit around on branches under the roof, which, I think, quite corresponds with their behaviour in their homeland in the misty forests of New Guinea. They also like to look for dry branches protruding above the vegetation, from which they have a view of the landscape.

The combination of the Pesquet’s parrots’ appearance, their habit of sitting on high and their Czech name (“eagle’s tricha”, translated literally) – not to mention Dracula – could create an impression that they are predators or at least scavengers. Nothing is further from the truth. Pesquet’s parrots feed on figs and other fruit, flowers, and nectar. In our zoo they get special fruit nectar and fresh fruit, for example papaya, which is necessary for them. A Daily Meal Voucher for 50 Czech crowns (2 EUR).

Their appearance is also related to their food habits. Bald, vulture-like head (which contributed to their other name – vulturine parrot) eliminates a problem of feathers getting dirty from plant juices.

As it is with countless other species, Pesquet’s parrots are also declining in the wild. Their situation is not critical yet – there are still tens of thousands of them living in New Guinea – but this could change due to the destruction of their habitat as well as hunting. As it turns out, the hunting can be very extensive. Some indigenous groups in Papua New Guinea use the red feathers of Pesquet’s parrots (the red lining of their cloak) to make headdresses. Kerowagi District became famous in this regard. According to the research of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), eight percent of the total estimated population of Pesquet’s parrots is killed every year to satisfy the local demand. In the same district there are allegedly so many headdresses among the local inhabitants, that between 160 and 280 thousand (!) Pesquet’s parrots were “used” over time to make them: many times their current number.

How can we help Pesquet’s parrots in this situation? Conservationists from WCS concluded that it is necessary to focus on existing headdresses. If they get preserved, there will be no need to produce new ones again and again and therefore to massively hunt Pesquet’s parrots. So, an idea arose to distribute to the owners of headdresses naphthalene mothballs and other agents, which would protect them from insect, mould, and rodents. Amazing idea! And on top of that – I don’t really know why – it corresponds quite well with Dracula.