Endangered birdspecies in Suriname, South America Dutch text English text Vogels in Suriname/Birds in Suriname




A number of the birdspecies in Suriname are on the list of worldwide threatened animals. These birds should be protected and trade in these birds is restricted. Trade restrictions are regulated in the CITES-convention (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild flora and fauna). There is a long list of animals that are protected by this agreement, divided in three categories. The list can be found at the site of the WCMC.

The most threatened birds from Suriname according to CITES make up category I

Jabiru stork:
Jabiru Mycteria (I)
Harpy eagle:
Harpia harpya (I)
Peregrine falcon:
Falco peregrinus (I)
Scarlet macaw:
Ara macao (I/II)
Piping-guan:
Pipile cumanensis

- The number of Jabiru storks seems to decrease. Thrity years ago there were regularly dozens of birds in Suriname and a few (less then 10) breeding pairs (Waterfowl and Wetlands in Suriname: de Jong en Spaans), a hundred years ago the Penard brothers indicated an even higher number of birds and breeding pairs, but on an inventarisation tour by Stinasu no Jabiru storks were seen in march 2000 (Ottema, Stinasu). An old hunter told Arie Spaans in may 2000 that the Jabiru is 'gone'. The bird is protected in Suriname, but this did not seem to prevent hunting.

- The actual number of harpy eagles is difficult to count or estimate. Each bird needs a large area to find its food (large mammals like apes) and it is seldom seen. Its numbers probably decrease in Suriname, because a growing area of forest gets disturbed. But in the pristine forests that cover a large part of Suriname it is still regularly seen (in Palumeu half of the birding groups encounter the bird).

- The number of visits of the Peregrine falcon seem to increase the last years. At least the number of reported observations of this bird in my database has a low between 1965 and 1995. The increase since 1995 (and even more after 2000) probably is caused by the recovery in North america because of the protection measures taken there.

- The scarlet macaw seems to decrease in numbers. It is not seen coming to the coast in the dry season like it used to. It is sharply reduced in numbers in the east of Suriname along the river Marowijne and also along the river Suriname, because of hunting presssure. Farther in the interior, as in the nature reserve of Raleigh Falls/ Voltzberg, they are regularly seen, but numbers decrease. Capture for trading and hunting will be the reason.

Some other species have recently seen their numbers greatly reduced:
A clear reduction for some birds because of hunting is noted by Otte Ottema, working with STINASU (nature conservation) to study and protect the birds. They give an alert for the Spoonbill, the Woodstork, the Muscovy duck, the Black curassow and the two other large macaws; the Blue-and yellow macaw and the Red-and-green macaw.
Also the numbers of many cage birds have dwindled in recent years, birds like the Large-billed seedfinch, the Lesser seedfinch, the Slate-colored seedeater or the Ruddy-breasted seedeater.

Spoonbill Woodstork Black curassow Blue-and-yellow macaw Red-and-green macaw Large-billed seedfinch

Onder categorie II van de CITES-lijsten met bedreigde soorten staan veel vogels uit Suriname opgenoemd, onder andere de roofvogels, papegaaien en kolibries. Enkele andere soorten uit categorie II staan hieronder.Van veel vogels is natuurlijk niet goed bekend hoeveel exemplaren er van zijn en ook niet of dat aantal hard achteruit gaat. Andere vogels in Suriname, die niet op de lijst van bedreigde soorten voorkomen, kunnen dus ook bescherming nodig hebben.

-Van de rode ibis werden er in maart 2000 maar 1000 exemplaren gezien, terwijl de normale bevolking van Suriname tienduizenden vogels is. Het wijst op een achteruitgang, zelfs als je rekening houdt met de normale toppen en dalen in de aantallen. Arie Spaans schatte het aantal in mei 2000 toch nog op 10-30.000 vogels.

Hiernaast staat een foto uit Frans Guiana, gemaakt door Johan Ingels. Op de muur staat een tekst die oproept om de rode ibissen te beschermen: "NOUS AIMONS LES IBIS, PROTEGEONS-LES." Ofwel: Wij houden van de ibissen, laten we ze beschermen.



Scarlet Ibis:
Eudocimus ruber (II)
American Flamingo:
Phoenicopterus ruber (II)
Black-necked Aracari:
Pteroglossus aracari (II)
Green Aracari:
Pteroglossus viridis (II)
Toco Toucan:
Ramphastos toco (II)
White-throated Toucan:
Ramphastos tucanus (II)
       
Channel-billed Toucan:
Ramphastos vitellinus (II)
Guianan Cock-of-the-rock:
Rupicola rupicola (II)
       

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