The Majestic Macaws of Tambopata

Otherworldly in color and flight, macaws have very much become a symbol of the Amazon basin and the bewildering diversity of species it holds. Yet, even in the remoteness of the Tambopata National Reserve, an area of over 1,000 square miles in southeastern Peru [1], survival of macaws is threatened. Thankfully, the Tambopata Macaw Project is aiming to reverse that trend

Among the many species of birds living in the Reserve are the blue-and-yellow macaw, the scarlet macaw, and the red-and-green macaw [1]. Macaws nest in the cavities of tree trunks formed after large branches with a diameter of at least 6.5 feet break away and the broken areas decompose and heal. Cavities of that size require the largest trees found in the forest, which for the scarlet and the red-and-green macaw are mostly in the giant tree species of Dipteryx commonly known as “Shihuahuaco”. But herein lies a massive problem.

Devoted conservationists leading

the Tambopata Macaw Project explain that “at least 300 years must pass for a Shihuahuaco tree to have a suitable cavity to be used as a nest. Currently, the Shihuahuacos are being felled selectively and rapidly in forests whose purpose is not formal timber production, throughout the Amazon. The logging of Shihuahuacos occurs at a rate much greater than the natural capacity of the species to recover its populations and, therefore, to produce trees suitable for nesting macaws. The scarcity of natural nest sites, coupled with the fact that, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, less than 20% of the macaw population breeds, poses a high level of threat to macaw survival” [2].

The Tambopata Macaw Project has urgent goals

To reduce the number of macaw chicks killed by predators, the plan is to improve the design and increase the duration of artificial bird nests deployed to decrease the proliferation of parasites (bacteria, fungi, and insects) that lead to the death of baby macaws. The lifespan of the artificial nests and their maintenance could be improved by changing the design and materials of the nests, while the burden of parasites could be reduced by better lighting and control of internal humidity and temperature of the nests.

There are also plans to reduce predators by regulating

access to the nest openings and to emulate natural macaw nests in accordance with their depth. A further goal of the Tambopata Macaw Project is to monitor the nests remotely, thereby aligning with the Natural Heritage Initiative of Peru which aims to “strengthen environmental monitoring and contribute to the conservation of priority areas” [2].

By simply making even a small donation to the Project, you can help the macaw survive:

Click here to donate

Thanks to Wired Amazon, the more adventurous can volunteer for conservation projects on the ground in the Peruvian Amazon where they can acquire a number of science skills:

More information here

References:

Tambopata National Reserve. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tambopata_National_Reserve
Tambopata Macaw Project. https://www.wiredamazon.com/projects/tambopata-macaw-project/

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