Curraghs Wildlife Park: Parrots' aviary move sparks breeding hopes

Charity chairwoman Kim Etherton said Lila and Chester were "getting on very well"

An aviary has been built for a pair of endangered parrots in the hope it will help them to breed, a charity has said.

Lilacine Amazon parrots Lila and Chester have taken up residence in the new building at Curraghs Wildlife Park in Ballaugh on the Isle of Man.

It was built by the Supporters of the Curraghs Wildlife Park (SCWP) charity with the help of local businesses.

Park manager Kathleen Graham said it was hoped it would contribute to the site's "conservation aims".

The new aviary is about six times larger than the previous one, giving the birds more space to fly in and more branches to perch on.

It will be also be easier for visitors to view them.

'Threatened'

SCWP chairwoman Kim Etherton said it was hoped having better surroundings would encourage Lila, a 23-year-old female that is a long-term resident of the park, and new arrival Chester, a young male that was moved to the island from Chester Zoo, to mate.

She added that the early signs were encouraging, as the pair had been calling to each other, had not fought and were "getting on very well".

Found in the rainforests of Ecuador, it is thought there are only about 2,500 Lilacine Amazon or Ecuadorian red-lored Amazon parrots left in the wild.

Ms Etherton said the birds were "threatened by all sorts of human activity".

"Zoos work together to help research ways to breed animals like this in the hope that one day, a breeding programme could be set up back in Ecuador," she said.

She added that if Lila and Chester bred successfully, information on the number of eggs and what the young were fed could be shared.