Blue-throated macaw (Photo by Joe Tobias courtesy Armonia)WASHINGTON, DC, - Only 300 blue-throated macaws still survive in the wild, but this critically endangered parrot species is getting a new lease on life in its native Bolivian grassland habitat.
The Bolivian bird conservation organization Asociacion Armonia, with the support of American Bird Conservancy and World Land Trust-US, has created the world's first protected area for the large blue birds, prized in the pet trade.
Asociacion Armonia has purchased an 8,785 acre ranch in the grasslands of eastern Bolivia, a site frequented by 20 blue-throated macaws during the breeding season. The ranch has been renamed the Barba Azul Nature Reserve and will be managed to promote breeding and recovery of the rare birds.
Bennett Hennessey, executive director of Armonia, said, "Raising public awareness to build local support for the macaw is our most potent tool to halt the illegal taking of these rare birds for the pet trade."
Easy to breed in captivity, the captive population of these large, brilliantly colored parrots is many times larger than the wild population.
"This is a huge conservation achievement," said George Fenwick, president of American Bird Conservancy. "The main threats to the blue-throated macaw are capture for the pet trade and habitat destruction for cattle ranching, and, until now, the species' habitat was completely unprotected."
The blue-throated macaw, Ara glaucogularis, is native to savannas in the Beni province of Bolivia, and depends on motucu palms for nesting. These palms occur in groups called islands that are embedded in the seasonally flooded grasslands.
Blue-throated macaws (Photo by Roland Seitre courtesy ABC) Research in the area of the new reserve found the highest known density of blue-throated macaws in the wild. One roosting site in the dry season holds 70 birds and 20 remain during the rainy season.
The birds inhabit a remote area with poor access, and the large group roosts in the palm islands.
The entire known wild population of this species exists on private ranches which undergo yearly burning and heavy grazing by cattle. The number of suitable nest trees has been reduced by land clearing.
"In the face of this development pressure, there is an urgent need to expand the new reserve to conserve a viable population of this spectacular macaw and the many other vulnerable species within it," said Byron Swift, executive director of World Land Trust-US.
Armonia is planning the development of a research station and ecotourism facility with access by airplane at the site to help support the project.
Armonia also has been experimenting with nest boxes for the birds, with support from Bird Endowment and Loro Parque Fundacion, a Spanish foundation based in the Canary Islands that promotes the conservation of parrots and their habitats worldwide.
Hennessey says the macaws are taking to the nest boxes and this provides an exciting opportunity to boost macaw breeding success while habitat restoration is underway at Barba Azul Nature Reserve.
Armonia intends to control the annual fires, which is expected to enhance habitat for all grassland species and prevent degradation of the palm tree islands.
It should also be possible to expand macaw habitat by creating new tree islands, said Hennessey.
Removing grazing pressure will improve habitat within existing tree islands and improve conditions for other savanna species.
The Barba Azul Nature Reserve also protects Beni savanna habitat with good populations of other vulnerable bird species, such as the sharp-tailed tyrant, cock-tailed tyrant, and black-masked finch.
Healthy populations of the greater rhea and Orinoco goose are common in the area although both of these species are also at some risk of extinction.
Armonia and Loro Parque Fundacion have identified another five ranches for sale that are at risk of being developed and that are essential for the expansion of the new private reserve to protect 41 percent of the of the known blue-throated macaw population.
Hennessey said, "This work builds on the Armonia/Loro Parque Fundacion Blue-throated Macaw Conservation Program which has supported both research on the macaw and public outreach, including a pride campaign to build awareness of the macaw and support its conservation."