ForumMacaws
PARROT RESEARCH STUDIES - GREAT-GREEN MACAW (Ara ambigua)
Costa Rica Update 1999 - 2000
# Nest sites
Extensive field searching and interviews with local residents revealed 41
confirmed nest sites over the seven years of the study. All confirmed nests
were in natural cavities of large living trees. Of these, nests found in Dipterix
panamensis accounted for 88% of confirmed nest sites. The most recent numbers
provided show that of 29 checked nests, only 13 (45%) were active (Powell
et al. 1999)
# Nest fidelity
Data on nest fidelity is limited to 13 adults marked with radio-transmitters
between 1996 and 1999 (renesting: y= 3, n= 10). Based on that data, it has
been confirmed that breeding pairs do not generally occupy the same nest hole
in consecutive years.
# Nest productivity
Using the Mayfield method (Mayfield, 1961,1975), a statistically accepted
analysis which allows one to calculate the probability of a nesting attempt
succeeding without finding the nest at inception, the team was able to calculate
the probability of nesting success for the great green macaw. With the monitoring
of 18 successful nesting attempts involving 15 nest holes during five years
and a total of 33 young, the productivity per successful nest equal 1.83 young,
with a standard deviation of 0.514.
# First - Year survival of Juveniles
Over the course of the study, the team rigorously monitored first-year survival
of 23 fledglings from 12 nests. Of the 23 juveniles, 15 that fledged successfully
survived until the start of the next breeding season when juveniles separate
from adults. Therefore, 65% of young that survived incubation, brooding and
fledging also survived the first year. An average of 1.25 birds per successful
nest with a standard deviation of 0.754 survived the year.
# Foraging Behavior
The seed of Dipterix panamensis is the one food previously identified as important
in the diet of great green macaws (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Phenology data
collected on Dipterix reveals that the green macaws' consumption of this species
reflects its availability.
No other direct correlation has been drawn between fruiting and consumption;
however, Sacoglottis trichogyna (Titor) emerged as a favored food source when
Dipterix panamensis became scarce or unavailable.
# Current Status
Based on the initial fieldwork, four years ago the remaining population was
estimated of no more than 25 to 35 pairs of breeding birds. After more years
of intensive fieldwork and communication with a Costa Rican populace increasingly
aware of an on the lookout for this species, we have received no reliable
evidence that green macaws are breeding elsewhere in the country. Despite
the extensive data collected in the area, no evidence has been found that
would case the alteration of the earlier conclusion that fewer than 35 pairs
are breeding annually in the northern zone of Costa Rica. The research team
presumes the Costa Rican population to be part of the larger breeding population
inhabiting southeastern Nicaragua.
# Poaching
In Costa Rica, nestlings were reported to be worth about $150 to $300, and
poaching in the relatively accessible breeding range of the Costa Rican population
is widespread (Bjork and Powell 1995). Although, all psittacines in Costa
Rica receive legal protection from being taken from the wild, rarely are the
laws enforced; poachers have little fear of being apprehended.
# Total vs. Breeding Population
The estimated total number of great green macaws in Costa Rica probably averaged
around 200 individuals during the years of the study. This rough estimate
was based on extrapolation from observations of flocks that were encountered
in the breeding area and in adjacent parts of the Atlantic lowlands and foothills.
It was also estimated that during any given year, there were not more than
30 to 35 reproductively active pairs of green macaws in Costa Rica. This conclusion
was based on the fact that despite extensive searches there has not been more
than 19 nests active during a given year.
Conservation goals for the long- term survival of the Great Green Macaw
The presence of a great green macaw population in the neighboring country
of Nicaragua will be critical for the long-term survival of
the Costa Rican population. The Nicaraguan populations of macaws, which is
assumed to be substantially larger than that of Costa Rica, benefits from
the existence of the large Indio-Maiz Reserve. Maintaining this reserve and
its population of macaws in Nicaragua will be imperative to providing Costa
Rican macaws with opportunities for genetic flow and an extended area of high
quality habitat.
If isolated, the current reproductive population in Costa Rica would be unsustainable,
according to population experts. Therefore, it is
strongly recommended continuing the bilateral agreement of the Si a Paz reserve
complex, which will benefit not only Nicaragua but also Costa Rica.
The information collected by the research team indicates that in order to
support a sustainable reproductive population of 50 pairs, there
must be establish:
1. Nuclear areas of absolute protection in the macaws' breeding range.
These core areas should include 52,500 hectares of habitat appropriate to
the needs of nesting pairs.
2. A 143,500-hectare buffer zone surrounding the nuclei. The buffer zone would
consist of sustainably managed natural forests, plantations of native species,
and areas of low- impact land use where almendro and other key food species
are left standing.
3. Contacts:
George V.N. Powell, Ph. D.; Principal Researcher; gpowell@sol.racsa.co.cr
Mario Rivera; Project's Officer, Central American Institute for Biological
Research and Conservation; mrivera@excite.com
Literature Cited:
Powell, G., Wright P., Aleman U., Guindon C., Palminteri S., Bjork R. 1999.
Research Findings and Conservation Recommendations for the Great Green Macaw
in Costa Rica. Tropical Science Center, CR.
Scarlet & Green Wing Macaws in Costa Rico - a reintroduction programme (conservation page)
Ara glaucogularis Conservation Project, Bolivia by Alan Hesse
The Blue-throated macaw, Ara glaucogularis is a globally threatened Bolivian endemic, listed on Appendix I of CITES as endangered (Collar et al. 1992). The remaining wild population of A. glaucogularis has been the subject of an on-going project since 1993, conducted by Asociación Armonía. What began as an intensive population and distribution survey of A. glaucogularis, immediately following the recent scientific re-documentation of a small sub-population in the wild in 1992 (Jordán and Munn, 1993), has developed into a complex conservation programme (Duffield and Hesse 1997). This programme has gradually grown to now include not only routine population surveys and searches for additional Blue-throated macaw sites, but also the introduction of components of awareness-raising with landowners and rural communities, habitat investigation, and networking with local and sub-national role players to establish measures of control against trafficking.
Status of wild population
The current known range of the Blue-throated macaw consists of an area some 18 000 km2, restricted to the eastern half of the Beni department, in northern Bolivia. The currently fragmented nature of the Ara glaucogularis population is believed to be the result of years of unsustainable harvesting for the wild bird trade, banned by the Bolivian government through a supreme decree in 1984.
There is sufficient evidence from direct observations of the existing Ara glaucogularis population to warrant the belief that this species is approaching a critically low level of density, the highest estimation for global population size standing at between 121 and 200 individuals (Hesse, 1998; Yamsahita & Machado de Barros, 1997).
Habitat and land use
The Blue-throated macaw inhabits the lowland plains of the Beni, a mosaic of annually flooded savanna and elevated forest islands largely within the catchment area of the Mamoré River, a sub-tributary to the Amazon. Ara glaucogularis is mainly associated with the locally abundant Attalea phalerata palm (Jordán & Munn, 1993; Brace et al. 1995; Boussekey et al. 1997; Yamashita & Machado de Barros 1997), an important resource for nesting and feeding purposes. The existence of forest islands offering healthy populations of these palms are the single most important ecological requirement for the Blue-throated macaw. More detailed discussions of habitat characteristics and their ecological significance to Ara glaucogularis can be found in Yamashita & Machado de Barros (1997) and Hesse (1998).
Land use is exclusively cattle ranching for the beef industry. As a result, all land within the Ara glaucogularis range is of private ownership.
Conservation issues
Fieldwork to date suggests that the impact of forest-island habitat alteration arising from the presence of cattle, and the associated management practice of annually burning savanna grasses, show little evidence of causing undue pressure on the survival of the current Blue-throated macaw population (Hesse, 1998).
In contrast, the direct threat from macaw trafficking is confirmed to be very much an immediate concern, with the potential of wiping out the last remaining wild population.
International control mechanisms on trade such as CITES export permits, moratoriums and trade bans have not proved sufficient in themselves to significantly reduce trafficking pressure on the wild population Ara glaucogularis.
Where most advancement is required in a situation as serious as that of Ara glaucogularis is clearly in ensuring its protection in the wild, whilst preventing wild-caught birds appearing on international as well as internal markets for the pet trade.
Conservation action
Against the background of events and conditions described above, the Ara glaucogularis conservation strategy currently being implemented by Asociación Armonía consists broadly of the following steps:
1. Local protection through the gradual recruitment of landowners:
Aiming to set up a network of sympathetic individuals, proud of their ownership of lands upon which lives a spectacular and unique macaw, the conservation project has formally recruited the support of the landowners of the Beni department through an agreement with the main cattle ranching authority signed on the 24th October 1997. The major benefits so far from this agreement have been enhanced awareness of the Blue-throated macaw by the landowners, a heightened local profile of the conservation project, and in a couple of cases self-initiated involvement of individual landowners in the interests of the preservation of the Blue-throated macaw and its habitat.
There is no doubt that the landowner agreement is a fundamental component of any long term, ultimately self-sustaining conservation strategy for Ara glaucogularis.
2. Environmental education and contact with local people
Informal awareness-raising among landowners, the sector of society in Bolivia with most power to take direct and immediate action in favour of Ara glaucogularis, is a fundamental part of the conservation process.
Apart from direct conversations with landowners, educational outreach always includes informal contact with local people (ranch employees) and the use of simple awareness-raising materials for children. A locally based, informal approach to environmental education has so far proved more applicable in the context of rural Beni than hoping to include this field of education in the formal curriculum.
3. Anti-trafficking activities
- Reinforcement of local protective measures by progressively implicating the owners of the lands supporting wild Blue-throated macaws.
- A major outlet for Blue-throated macaws and other CITES-listed psittacines from Bolivia continues to be by way of laundering wild-caught birds through certain recreational and tourist institutions of that country. In response to this, urgent steps have been initiated by Armonía offering technical support to the Bolivian Directorate of Bio-diversity to establish legal norms enforcing the marking and monitoring of captive psittacines in Bolivia. This strategy, believed to be key for enhancing control over captive individuals of endangered parrots, is gradually being developed at time of writing.
- Gradual and opportunistic collection of information on macaw trafficking in Bolivia to build up data on the internal movements of the illegal parrot trade and market forces, for timely disclosure to appropriate enforcing bodies and so as to prioritize eventual methods of intervention and control.
Conclusion
Implementing these local, sub-national, and national strategies identified by the Armonía conservation programme to immediately control illegal extraction of wild Blue-throated macaws and curb the trafficking threat in Bolivia, is the most pressing priority for the survival of wild Ara glaucogularis.
References
Boussekey M., Morvan O., and Saint-Pie J. (1997) Preliminary observation of the Blue-throated macaw (Ara glaucogularis) in the department of Beni (Bolivia). Papageienkunde (1):S. 151-156.
Brace R.C., Hesse A.J. and White A.G. (1995) The endemic macaws of Bolivia. Cotinga 3: 27-30.
Collar N.J., Gonzaga L.P., Krabbe N., Madrono Nieto A., Naranjo L.G., Parker III T.A., Wege D.C. (1992). Threatened Birds of the Americas. The ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book, 3rd Ed., Part 2. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, U.K.
Duffield G.E. and Hesse A.J. (1997) Ecology and conservation of the Blue-throated Macaw. Psittascene 9: 10-11.
Jordán, O.C. and Munn, C.A. (1993) First observations of the Blue-throated macaw in Bolivia. Wilson Bulletin 105: 694-695.
Hesse A.J. (1998) Ara glaucogularis Conservation Project 1997 - 1998: Unpublished report for Loro Parque Fundación, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and BirdLife International.
Yamashita C. & Machado de Barros Y. (1997) The Blue-throated macaw Ara glaucogularis: characterisation of its distinctive habitats in savannahs of the Beni, Bolivia. Ararajuba 5: 141-150.
[Extract from Hesse and Duffield, in prep.]
Asociación Armonía
Armonía was founded in 1992 and since 1994 is the BirdLife International Partner for Bolivia. In this capacity, the association has grown to become recognised as the leading authority for ornithology and bird conservation in Bolivia. Activities include such investigation and conservation projects as the Blue-throated macaw programme, the development of Bolivia's largest ornithological library and database, annual bird conservation symposiums, and regular publications. Armonía is partially supported by some 140 members world-wide. Armonía can be contacted at any time through the channels below.
For further information, please contact:
Alan Hesse, Project Co-ordinator, Asociación Armonía, Casilla
3081, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Tel/Fax: +591-3-371005 Emails: Armonia@scbbs-bo.com
Alan_Hesse@hotmail.com
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