The Tambopata Macaw Project 1999-2001

Developing techniques to help large macaw populations Executive Summary By Donald Brightsmith1 July 2000 Large macaws are among the most spectacular and revered birds in the world. Unfortunately, they are disappearing from many areas of the tropics due to habitat loss, hunting and collecting for the pet trade. These threats are compounded by the fact that many populations of large macaws have very low reproductive rates. The low reproductive rates are apparently due to 3 main factors: 1) there are not enough suitable nest sites even in pristine old-growth forest hundreds of years old, 2) only about 60% of nests fledge young as predators and parasites combine to kill many chicks, and 3) successful nests usually fledge only one young even when 3 or 4 eggs are laid because one chick monopolizes the food deliveries and the others die of malnutrition. As a result, a population of 200 macaws may produce as few as 8 young per year (Nycander et al. 1995, Munn et al. 1991). The goals of the current project are to document the state of research conducted from 1989-1993 at Tambopata Research Center in the Peruvian Amazon and use the populations of Blue-and-gold (Ara ararauna), Scarlet (A. macao) and Green-winged Macaws (A. chloroptera) in the Tambopata region as a model system to develop techniques that can be used to help the recovery of threatened macaw populations throughout the New World tropics. Blue-and-gold Macaw nesting in the palm swamp: In the early 1990s when researchers first arrived at Tambopata Research Center, Blue-and-gold Macaws were common but none nested in the immediate vicinity. In other areas the species nests in dead palms, especially in the large palm swamps dominated by the aguaje palm, Mauritia flexuosa. Researchers located a small palm swamp near TRC but there were no suitable dead trees for nesting. From 1992 1999 the researchers have cut the tops off of 42 palm trees to produce nest sites for macaws (see Nycander et al 1995 for additional details). As of November 1999, a total of 11 of the 42 palms remained. The data suggest that the dead palms last for about four years and are useable for only three of these. In 1999-2000 macaws nested in 5 of the 11 palms of these nests 3 failed (at one of these the adults re-laid) and 3 nests fledged one chick each. These data combined with data from previous work suggests that the macaws fledge 0.67 chicks per nest attempt. As a result a total of 2 chicks may be fledged over the 4-year period that the palms remain standing. Scarlet Macaw nesting: Twelve PVC nest boxes and 4 natural tree cavities were monitored during the 1999-2000 season. Of these 2 natural cavities were occupied by Green-winged Macaws and one by Cuviers Toucans but none of these fledged young. Of the 12 nest boxes, Scarlet Macaws occupied 11 and 3 of these nests fledged young. The previous work showed that second chicks normally die of starvation (Nycander et al. 1995) and this trend was repeated this year: 2 younger chicks died of starvation and two more would have without intervention. These two chicks were saved by feeding them and leaving them in the nests. In total each chick needed to be fed only during a single critical period of about 2 days during the first 3 weeks after hatching. With this small intervention both of these chicks were able to fledge and remain with their parents. Survival and reproduction of the hand-raised macaws: During 1999-2000 a total of 11 of the 34 hand-raised macaws were resighted. Of these 2 were Green-winged Macaws and 9 were Scarlets. This indicates that at least 40% of the released Green-wings (2 of 5 released) and at least 40% (9 of 23) of the Scarlets remain alive 5-7 years after release. These survival rates are very encouraging as they are high for this type of reintroduction project. Of the 11 that were resighted 7 were mated with wild birds. Three of these pairs, all Scarlets, nested in artificial nest boxes. One pair defended a nest box but never laid eggs, another laid two eggs that cracked shortly before hatching and one pair laid 2 eggs and fledged one chick. This represents the first documentation of successful breeding by a hand-raised macaw in the wild. The Tambopata Macaw Project 2000-2001: In the coming field season the project will continue with its central goal of developing new ways to help boost the reproductive rates of large macaws. PVC nest boxes are being hung in the palm swamp in an effort to attract the birds to nesting sites that will last for more than just 3-4 nesting seasons. In addition two new types of nest boxes are being designed and hung with the goal of attracting Green-winged Macaws because this species has never nested in any sort of nest box. As additional species begin to use next boxes, it will facilitate the detailed study of chick starvation in these species and allow us to better understand when, how and why these chicks die and how we can save them. The project will also continue to monitor the survival and reproduction of the handraised macaws in order to better document the results of this highly successful project. The results of this
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Scientific Director, Rainforest Expeditions and Research Associate, Duke University, djb4@duke.edu

project are being widely dispersed though popular magazines, e-mail lists, web pages, conferences, personal contacts with macaw researchers and professional journals. These results are being publishing in such a wide variety of areas to ensure that this information arrives in the hands of the people that can use it to help macaws and those that are in a position to support future conservation efforts aimed at helping endangered wildlife.

Literature Cited
Munn, C. A., D. Blanco, et al. (1991). Prospects for sustainable use of large macaws in southeastern Peru. The First Mesoamerican Workshop on the Conservation and Management of Macaws, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Center for the Study of Tropical Birds, Inc. Nycander, E., D. H. Blanco, et al. (1995). Manu and Tambopata: nesting success and techniques for increasing reproduction in wild macaws in southeastern Peru. The Large Macaws: Their Care, Breeding and Conservation. J. Abramson, B. L. Spear and J. B. Thomsen. Ft. Bragg, CA, Raintree Publications: 423-443.