Since July 2019, the Cape Parrot Project has been monitoring the presence/absence and behavior of the threatened Cape Parrot in remote Mistbelt forest patches in the Amathole Mountains of South Africa (Figure 1). So far, we have successfully deployed passive acoustic monitors in ten forest patches out of the targeted 17 (Figure 2 and 3), and have collected a total of 3,700 hours of recordings.

Deployment at these remote and beautiful forest patches has allowed for some really interesting findings. We are gaining a much deeper understanding of the population size of Cape Parrots (Figure 4) in the Amathole region and collecting data on new roosting and breeding sites that were previously unknown. The species is down to 1800 individuals, and so the identification of key breeding and feeding habitat sites is crucial.

Possible breeding sites are identified by the presence of territorial "Arch-angel" calls (Figure 5), which can then be ground-truthed by field researchers. Breeding has not yet gotten underway and we are well into the breeding season. Fruit has been scarce due to the drought that the area is experiencing, and with so little food available, it's no wonder the pairs haven’t occupied nests yet.

In addition to potential breeding sites, preliminary analysis of vocalisation data has allowed us to identify new patches that Cape Parrots utilise. Their contact call (Figure 6) and four-note "greeting" call (Figure 7) are easily distinguishable from the other forest bird species. With the knowledge of which patches this species utilises, steps can be taken to increase the levels of protection and conservation for the far-flung forests of this region.