For polly's sake

ALL-OUT efforts have been launched
to safeguard the maroon-fronted
parrot, a rare species of parrot which
has its home in the towering limestone cliffs of El Taray in northern
Mexico.

The parrot, distinguished by a
maroon forehead and yellow eye rings,
is the size of a pigeon and is found only
in this remote high altitude region
while other species of parrots mostly
live in warm and tropical climates. The
Mexican and US governments and several environment groups have now
joined together in the bid to preserve
the only habitat of these parrots.

Living in crevices of the cliff, the
parrots are increasingly under attack as
their home is being grabbed up by
real estate developers and the trees,
especially the pinon pine tree cone
which is their source of food, are
being cleared to develop vacation
resorts. The saviours of the parrot hope
that it will soon become a symbol, like
the panda, with which the people
will identify and care about.
Researchers believe that the entire
species number to no more than 3,500
birds and hence warrant immediate
conservation measures.