Where to Stay
Within our area, grey parrots stay mainly in Kibale National Park as their sole home. Kibale National Park was gazetted in 1993. It covers an area of approximately 795 km2 and is located 20 km east of Fortportal Town. The park is surrounded by community land, cultivated under subsistence farming, as well as extensive areas of tea estate.
The Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is a widely distributed species in equatorial Africa. Here’s an overview of their population and habitats:
Range and Distribution: Grey Parrots are found in:
1. Central Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo
2. West Africa: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria
3. East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Population Density: High-density populations are found in:
1. Congo Basin
2. Nigerian rainforests
3. Cameroon’s tropical forests
Habitat: Grey Parrots inhabit:
1. Tropical rainforests
2. Moist savannas
3. Woodland edges
4. Gallery forests
Regional Breakdown: Here’s a brief overview of Grey Parrot populations in specific regions:
1. Congo Basin: Largest population, with estimates suggesting 100,000-500,000 individuals.
2. Nigeria: Significant population, with 10,000-50,000 individuals.
3. Cameroon: Estimated 5,000-20,000 individuals.
4. East Africa: Smaller, fragmented populations.
The parrots prefer to roost in open forested patches, both inside and outside the protected areas. There have been no reported cases of habitat loss in our area since we started monitoring grey parrots, because Kibale Forest, their main habitat, is under state protection and the feeding trees in the community are protected by the Parrot Tree Caretakers Association.
