Scientific expedition in the DR Congo. Challenges to the survival of the African Grey Parrot
Between October and November 2024, a team of researchers from the Doñana Biological Station, led by Pedro Romero Vidal and José Luis Tella Escobedo, travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to carry out a study on the African Grey Parrot, a species in serious danger of extinction. The expedition was carried out with the collaboration of Luis Flores, from the Lwiro Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, and was funded by the Psittacus Foundation, with the support of the Pablo de Olavide University’s Own Cooperation Plan, directed by Martina Carrete.
For five weeks, the team travelled through some of the most remote jungles in central Africa. The expedition began in Rwanda, a country in East Africa. There they visited Nyungwe National Park, which borders Burundi, Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They then crossed into the DRC via Bukavu and continued their journey to the Kahuzi-Biega and Lomami National Parks. During their journey, the researchers travelled by foot, canoe and motorbike, visiting places such as Lokandu, Kisangani and Lwiro, where the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is located.
The researchers’ main task was to study the population density of the African Grey Parrot, a species listed in CITES Appendix I due to the serious threats it faces. As well as investigating the critical status of the species, the researchers also documented the political, social and economic situation in the region, which has a direct impact on wildlife conservation.
In their analysis, the researchers looked at the impact of the illegal animal trade, the link between the DRC’s energy crisis and habitat loss, and the severe threats to local biodiversity, particularly deforestation and poaching.
A preliminary assessment shows that African Grey Parrot populations have declined drastically, and in some protected areas have even disappeared. However, the expedition also revealed that deforestation, mainly driven by the demand for plant fuel and illegal hunting, is affecting not only this species, but also other local species and the ecological balance of the region.
Dr José Luis Tella Escobedo: Research Professor at the Doñana Biological Station. He has extensive experience in conservation biology and has focused his studies on various aspects of avian ecology. In recent years, he has devoted considerable effort to understanding the extent of the illegal parrot trade in the Neotropics and its impact on ecosystems due to the loss of ecological functions of this group of birds.
Dr Pedro Romero Vida: Postdoctoral researcher at the Doñana Biological Station. His research is based on various aspects of the illegal parrot trade in the Neotropics, focusing on the impact of this human activity on one of the world’s most endangered bird groups. His research also covers other ecological aspects, such as the impact that their disappearance can have on ecosystems through the loss of ecological functions, or the effects of their introduction outside their native habitats.