Lilian’s Lovebirds die because of poisoned water in Liwonde

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Wild populations of parrots are not theatened just by illegal trade. In state Malawi, eastern Africa, many Peach-faced Lovebirds die because of poisoned water. Researchers from the University of South Africa KwaZulu-Natal have found out that poisoned water comming from watering places threatens more than one third of individuals in the population living in national park Liwonde. We can find approximately 20% of all the birds of this species there. The rest populations are found in Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Mosambique.

„Currently about 32% of the Lilian’s lovebird population is threatened by poisoning,“ warn researchers in African Journal of Ecology. Just between 2000 and 2012, 5-50 lovebirds were poisoned every year. The world populations counts about 20 thousands of individuals. We can find 4 000 Lilian’s Lovebirds in the park Liwonde. Water is poisoned by poachers who hunt big mammals for meat. However, watering places are visited by many other animals which die needlessly.

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Dry seasons are critical

The situation seems now quite promising but researchers still request the government to manage the issue. “We found out that some of poisoned watf Lering places are very close to nesting sites oilian’s Lovebirds”, says one of the authors of the article Tiwonge Mzumara. Dry seasons are most dangerous because large flocks visiting the watering place at this time of the year.

During wet seasons birds use alternative water sources so they don’t visit the poisoned water so frequently. Poachers use cheap pesticides which are easily accessible. Conservationists recommend to put guards at the location and use cameras as well.

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Title photo: (c) Hans Hilewaert. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

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