Mission Statement

Research

The Mission of the Thick-billed Parrot SSP is to ensure the survival of the thick-billed parrot within its historic range. The SSP maintains a viable captive population, educates the public regarding the conservation of this native endangered species, and acts to protect and bolster wild and captive populations by supporting in situ and ex situ research and conservation projects.

The captive population serves as a refugium for future options, a resource for increasing our knowledge of thick-billed parrot biology, and as ambassadors for our education programs. Education programs will be conducted in the United States and Mexico to foster a strong conservation ethic. We will work to bolster wild thick-billed parrot populations as well as protect native habitat.

The Thick-billed Parrot SSP proposes to address these issues through the implementation of the following Action Plan:

1. Support vital field work and protection of the old growth forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

2. Promote communication between zoo programs, field workers, and government agencies.

3. Using information from field studies, manage captive flocks to maintain natural flocking, foraging, reproductive, and predator avoidance behaviors.

4. Identify and support worthy education programs which further the goals of the SSP.

5. Establish baseline medical and nutritional information for captive and free-living populations.