The Republic of Sierra Leone, located on the west coast of Africa, encompasses a diverse range of habitats and wildlife. It is home to several parrot species, including Senegal parrots, Red-headed lovebirds, and Timneh parrots. The Timneh parrot (Psittacus timneh) was formerly classified as a subspecies of the grey parrot but is now considered its own distinct species. There is no natural habitat overlap with the Congo African grey (Psittacus erithacus). The Timneh ranges from Guinea-Bissau in the north to the Ivory Coast in the south. Timneh habitat includes dense forest, savanna woodlands, and mangroves.

According to Rowan Martin and Abu Bakarr Konneh, a researcher working with the World Parrot Trust (WPT), Timneh African grey parrot populations have undergone dramatic declines and are threatened by habitat loss and exploitation for the wildlife trade, leading to their classification as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Recent research conducted by a multi-organizational team indicates that the coastal mangroves of Sierra Leone, and especially the Sherbro River Estuary, support globally important populations of Timneh parrots. This includes nesting areas and a communal roost site used by several hundred Timneh parrots. However, these populations and, in particular, key breeding, roosting, and feeding sites, lack adequate protection.

Building A Community of Parrot Champions

The Sherbro Timneh Parrot Project, funded by a grant from BirdLife
International, builds on research and community-engagement initiatives conducted to date by the WPT and its project partner, West Africa Blue. They are training a network of 20 community “parrot champions” to establish a long-term monitoring program for Timneh parrots. This team will identify key parrot sites, including roosting and nesting areas, and secure the protection of these sites through interventions focused on raising awareness and improving livelihoods. Critically, this project supports the establishment of a “blue carbon” initiative to conserve and restore coastal ecosystems, as these are robustly linked to Timneh parrots and their mangrove habitats. This will enable sustainable long-term conservation funding for the protection of mangrove forests, which are essential to the survival of the Timneh parrot in this area of Sierra Leone.

This month’s Lafeber donation goes to support monthly workshops to train twenty Sherbro “community champions”, equip them to gather data, and provide education in neighboring communities.