In the forests of Puerto Rico, a story of survival is unfolding. The Puerto Rican Amazon, one of the world’s most critically endangered parrot species, has just seen another successful breeding season.
Through a careful blend of wild and captive breeding programs, our dedicated partners at Proyecto Conservación Cotorra Puertorriqueña de Rio Abajo have helped bring 67 chicks into the world in captivity and another 42 in the wild. In a strategic move to boost wild populations in the Rio Abajo State Forest, 30 of these captive chicks have been fostered into wild nests, where they’ll help reinforce the fragile wild population. Meanwhile, two wild chicks were brought into captivity for close monitoring.
In a landscape that has seen devastating habitat loss, increasingly severe hurricanes, and historical illegal trapping, this vital conservation work is breathing life back into the species. The Puerto Rican Amazon once occupied a vast range across the island but now only survives in a fraction—just 0.2% of its former territory.
As we witness these fledglings take their first flights, it’s a powerful reminder of the resilience of nature and the critical role we all play in safeguarding it.