Abstract Protected areas help endangered species by conserving their natural habitat. The endemic New Caledonian Parakeet ( Cyanoramphus saisseti ) and Horned Parakeet ( Eunymphicus cornutus ) occur in the Parc Provincial des Grandes Fougères, New Caledonia, which was established in 2008 to merge hunting, recreation and conservation aims. Although the parakeets use the entire park, it remains unclear whether the conservation management or the forest cover plays a more important role in shaping parakeet distribution and if the abundance of invasive ungulates affects the parakeets through forest alteration. We used distance sampling to estimate densities of both parakeet species and compared their densities in relation to conservation management, forest cover and ungulate abundance. New Caledonian Parakeets had higher densities in open areas in contrast to Horned Parakeets, which densities were highest in forested areas. The conservation zone was the only zone with a notably higher Horned Parakeet density, likely because the area harboured a nesting colony. We did not find evidence that the conservation management, including invasive species control and visitor access, had an important impact on the density of the two parakeet species. Parakeet density also did not change since the establishment of the park.
Vermeer et al. (Fri,) studied this question.