The Jacquot lives in the dense rainforest in the centre of Saint Lucia, particularly in the Edmund Forest Reserve and the Quilesse Forest Reserve. It feeds on fruits, seeds, berries and flowers found in the treetops. You are most likely to hear it before you see it — the Jacquot has a very loud, raucous call that echoes through the forest.
In the past, the parrot became very rare because the forest was being cut down and birds were being captured to keep as pets. In the 1970s there were fewer than 150 of these parrots left. Saint Lucia launched a conservation programme — the government made it illegal to catch or harm the bird, and a campaign called 'Proud to be Native' helped Saint Lucians understand how special their national bird was.
Today the population has recovered to several hundred birds, which is a wonderful conservation success story. The Saint Lucia parrot is now a symbol of what can be achieved when a whole country works together to protect nature. School children learn about the Jacquot from a young age, and the parrot appears on coats of arms, banners and souvenirs across the island.