The golden conure, a bright yellow bird in the parrot family found only in Brazil’s south Amazon Basin, is more widespread and abundant than previously thought – with an estimated population up from 2,500 to nearly 11,000 birds. Therefore, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to downlist the golden conure from endangered to the less critical category of threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
When the Service first listed the golden conure in 1976, the species was declining from loss of habitat and overutilization from the pet trade. Today, with protections resulting from the Wild Bird Conservation Act and the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), illegal international trade no longer poses a significant threat to the conure. However, golden conures remain at risk of extinction in the future due to continued deforestation in the Amazon region of Brazil.
Given its improved status, and because illegal international trade is no longer a significant threat to the conure, the Service is simultaneously proposing a rule under section 4(d) of the ESA. The 4(d) rule would allow for the import and export of certain captive-bred golden conures into and out of the United States, and trade of the species within the country across state lines under certain circumstances.
The notice will publish on September 5, 2018, in the Federal Register. Instructions on how to submit written comments and information concerning this proposal will be available online at www.regulations./gov under docket number FWS–HQ–ES–2015–0019.
The Service will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means the agency will post any personal information provided through the process.
