Population size and conservation management of the rose-ringed parakeet

The present study was carried out in the town of Maroua, Far North Region of Cameroon with the main objective of contributing to the knowledge of the population status of the Rose-ringed Parakeet (RRP) with a view to its sustainable management. The Rose-ringed Parakeet (RRP) inventory was carried out using the linear strip transect method. The counts were made from 27 July to 20 September 2023 for the rainy season and from 15 November 2023 to 2 February 2024, all between 6 a.m.-9:30 a.m. for the morning and 4 p.m.-6 p.m. for the evening on all sites. The information collected in the field was processed and analysed using Distance 6.0, PAST 4.03 and QGIS.3.22 software. It appears from this analysis that the population of RRP is estimated at 47,391 individuals in the study site with an average density of 20.6 individuals per hectare. In the rainy season, the surface density was estimated at 12,488 individuals/ha for a total of 28,723 individuals while in the dry season, the density was 7.1815 individuals/ha for a total of 16,517 individuals. Depending on the type of habitat, the abundance of parakeets was higher in mixed zones composed of housing and plantations compared to other habitats. RRP are found everywhere in the territory of the city of Maroua. Modelling the spatial distribution using the IDW interpolation method using QGIS software shows that RRP in general and in the rainy season are more abundant in the Maroua 1 subdivision, and this distribution was dependent on the availability of food resources. Les principales activités humaines rencontrés sont le pâturage et l'exploitation forestière. The main human activities encountered were pasture and logging. Although RRPs are still encountered in large numbers in Maroua, conservation should be done as a priority in the districts of Maroua 1 and Maroua 3.