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The Macaw
Project
Tambopata Research Center
Rainforests
Expeditions and the Tambopata Macaw Project were
born on the same year, one's fate intertwined with the
other. At first, the founders of RFE were the directors
of the Tambopata Macaw Project, but as both expanded and
evolved, the Tambopata Macaw Project found an adoptive
father: Dr. Donald Brightsmith. Since Dr. Brighsmith's
incorporation to the project in 1998, the project has
become one of the world’s foremost studies on wild
macaws.
The Tambopata Macaw Project is a
long-term multidisciplinary study of natural history,
conservation and management of large macaws and parrots.
The main topics of study included monitoring and
observation of macaw nests, increasing survival rates of
younger Scarlet Macaw chicks, documenting patterns of
clay lick use by large macaws and other parrots, and
documenting and understanding the impact of tourism on
macaw clay licks.
Rainforest Expeditions has
supported the macaw project since its foundation with
complimentary food and lodging for researchers, with
logistical support and with funds for researcher
salaries. We also are careful to react appropriately to
recommendations on tourism management at the clay lick.
Finally, we have also hosted a
variety of researchers over the years, on an ad-hoc
basis.
CLAY LICKS AND MACAW
CONSERVATION
The Tambopata Macaw project has
been working hard to understand the links between the
clay lick, nesting, tree phenology (flowering and
fruiting) and the movements of parrots in and out of the
area. Over a thousand mornings of clay lick observation
and literally hundreds of thousands of registrations may
be the largest set of parrot data ever assembled. We
have come a long way in understanding these interactions
and now have a much better idea of what drives the
annual life cycles of the macaws and parrots in
Tambopata. A summary of our new findings is presented in
this paper.
The following relationships have
been discovered:
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The daily weather has a strong
influence on the number of parrots that use the
lick: least on rainy days and the most on clear
sunny days.
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The seasonal climate changes
drive the fluctuations in the annual food supply for
parrots and macaws (flowers, unripe fruits and ripe
fruits). Food availability is apparently lowest at
the end of the wet season and early dry season
(March – July) and highest in the early to mid wet
season December and January.
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The annual fluctuations in
food supply drive two things: the annual movements
of parrots to and from the area around Tambopata
Research Center and the time they breed.
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During the seasons of
lowest food availability the birds apparently
leave the area around TRC as the number of birds
in the forest drops dramatically from April –
July.
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The timing of breeding is
apparently driven by the food supply: the number
of parrot species breeding is closely correlated
with the number of trees in fruit or flower.
However, not all species breed simultaneously.
Smaller species apparently breed earlier than
larger ones.
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The movements of parrots out
of the area during periods of low food abundance
reduce the number of birds using the clay lick. In
addition when food supplies are high, the birds
apparently congregate in the vicinity of the lick.
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The timing of breeding also
influences the number of birds at the clay lick,
because for most parrot species, clay lick use peaks
during the breeding season, specifically when the
birds have young chicks in the nest. We have found
that Scarlet Macaws feed their chicks large amounts
of clay, especially when the chicks are young. As
the chicks age, the amount of clay they receive
drops and the total use of the lick by the species
drops as well.
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As a result the number of
birds at the clay lick is the result of the daily
weather, seasonal climate, seasonal fluctuations of
food supply (driven by seasonal climate), nomadic
wanderings of the parrots (driven by changes in food
supply, and the timing of the breeding season (also
driven by changes in food supply).
We are also continually finding
evidence that clay lick use is driven by the bird's need
for sodium.
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Using soil samples analyzed by
researchers at Texas A&M University we have found
that birds apparently prefer soils with higher
sodium content over soils that are best at
neutralizing toxins.
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We have seen parrots engaging
in behavior similar to that seen at clay licks while
visiting the sodium rich mineral springs in
Contamana (central Peru)
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We have documented parrots
behaving as though they were at clay licks, but
eating palm trees in other sections of the Tambopata
National Reserve. We suspect that the palms are rich
in sodium and for this reason the birds are eating
them.
These new results give us a much
more complete understanding of the forces that drive
annual changes in clay lick use and give us insight in
to the forces driving the annual cycle of the macaws and
parrots. The conservation implications of this research
are many:
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It suggests that conserving
the areas near clay licks is very important because
these areas:
o harbor very large concentrations of parrots
o should have high densities of breeding birds that
may serve as a source for individuals that then
disperse throughout the wider landscape
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It also shows that many, if
not all, species of parrots in Tambopata move
throughout the landscape, so just protecting small
areas around clay licks is not enough to support
healthy populations of parrots over the long term.
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As a result, large scale
destruction of the forests adjacent to the Tambopata
National Reserve and an increase in pet trade
resulting from the Trans Oceanic Highway could
significantly impact the populations of parrots that
use the clay licks around Tambopata Research Center
and other licks located deep within the reserve.
MACAW NESTS AND REPRODUCTIVE
RATES
Data from monitoring hundreds of
nests from Blue and Gold, Red and Green, and Scarlet
Macaw nests show that:
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Natural, PVC, and wooden nest
boxes all have vastly different hatching success
rates. Natural nests have a hatching success rate of
65% while the PVC nest boxes commonly used around
TRC have hatching rates of only 41%. The hatching
rates in wooden boxes may be higher (80%) but the
sample sizes are too small to draw any conclusions.
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Twenty four percent of all
Scarlet Macaw chicks monitored (9 of 37) died of
starvation or would have if the researchers had not
intervened. Our findings suggest that sibling
competition and not the overall food supply may be
the determining factor in chick survival, but larger
sample sizes are needed to confirm these preliminary
findings.
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Dipteryx micrantha and
Mauritia flexuosa are keystone tree species
for parrot nesting in southeastern Peru. Clearing
for agriculture, targeted destruction of parrot
nests by collectors and selective felling of key
species will reduce the density of suitable nest
cavities.
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Across three studies (two in
Costa Rica and the one in Peru) a total of 71
Scarlet Macaws have been released. The combined
first-year survival post release was 74% and the
post first-year survival was 96%. Breeding attempts
have been recorded at all three sites and
hand-raised birds with wild mates have successfully
fledged young in Peru. Supplemental feeding post
release played an important role in establishing a
core flock at all three release sites.
TOURISM IMPACTS ON THE MACAW
CLAY LICK
The number of birds at the lick is
not correlated with the number of people observing the
lick. This means that approximately the same number of
birds go to the clay lick regardless of the number of
people watching the birds. The tourists are kept
together and relatively quiet at a distance of 150 m or
more from the lick. These results suggest that the
protocol in use by Rainforest Expeditions is not causing
major reductions in the number of birds using the lick,
but additional analyses are needed to determine if there
are more subtle impacts on the birds.
To visit Colpa Colorado - Macaw
Clay Lick
Tambopata Research Center is located in a half
hectare clearing in the middle of the uninhabited
portion of the Tambopata National Reserve, adjacent to
the Bahuaja National Park and 500 meters from the
world's largest macaw clay lick.
To get to Tambopata Research Center you must fly to
Puerto Maldonado from
Lima or
Cuzco on daily commercial
flights lasting 30 or 90 minutes respectively. From the
airport you are transported by truck to the Infierno
River Port where you board our boats for the two and
half hour trip to
Refugio Amazonas. From Refugio
Amazonas, the Tambopata Research Center is four hours
upriver, and a few minutes walking from the river.
Suggested program to
visit
Tambopata
Research Center, 5 days / 4
nights.
Source: Rainforest Expeditions
Birds
sighted in our trip - September 2007 - Photo Gallery:
MACAW PROJECT PUBLICATIONS
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Bravo, Adriana, and Donald
Brightsmith. 2003. Disponibilidad y seleccion de
palmeras muertas de aguaje como nido de guacamayo
azul y amarillo al sureste peruano.
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Brightsmith, Donald 2003. The
Clay Licks of Tambopata and Beyond: the whos, whats
and whys of geophagy.
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Brightsmith, Donald, Jennifer
Hilburn, Alvaro del Campo, Janice Boyd, Margot
Frisius, Richard Frisius, Dennis Janik, Federico
Guillén. 2004. The use of hand- raised psittascines
for reintroduction: a case study of scarlet macaws (Ara
macao) in Peru and Costa Rica.
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Brightsmith, Donald, 2004.
Effects of Diet, Migration and Breeding on Clay Lick
Use by Parrots in SE Peru.
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Brightsmith, Donald, 2004.
Avian Geophagy and Soil Characteristics in SE Peru.
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Brightsmith, Donald. 2005.
Effect of Weather on Parrot Geophagy in Tambopata,
Peru.
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Brightsmith, Donald. 2002.
Macaw Reproduction and Management in SE Peru I: Blue
and Gold Macaws.
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Brightsmith, Donald. 2002.
Macaw Reproduction and Management in SE Peru II:
Nest Box Design and Use.
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Brighsmith, Donald. 2002.
Macaw Reproduction and Management in SE Peru III:
Developing techniques to increase macaw reproductive
rates.
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Brightsmith, Donald. 2002.
Macaw Reproduction and Management in SE Peru IV:
Work with the Native Community of Infierno.
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Brightsmith, Donald. 2002.
Scarlet Macaw Nest Box and Design.
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Brightsmith, Donald 2006. The
Psittascinie Year: What drives Annual Parrot Cycles
OTHER RESEARCH
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Aibar, Paola. 2003. Variacion
horizontal, vertical y temporal en la diversidad y
composicion de la comunidad de mariposas del
Tambopata Research Center.
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Ascorra, Cesar. 1998. Mammal
survey at the Tambopata Research Center.
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Csakany, Jolene. 2002. Study
on the chemical communication between the microhylid
frog, Chiasmocles Ventriculata, and theraphosid
spider involved in a commensal relationship.
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Dauphine, David. 2001. The
Giant River Otter: Ecotourism, biodiversity and
wildlife ecology in the Amazon rain forest.
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Dauphine, David. 2002. The
Tres Chimbadas Otter Project.
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Dehnert, Karen. 2003. Human
Impact on Giant Otters in Lake Tres Chimbadas.
Doan, Tiffany and Wilfredo Aristizabal. 2003.
Microgeographic variation in species composition of
the herpetofaunal communities in the Tambopata
Region, Peru.
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Frankfurt Zoological Society.
2003. Manejo voluntario de la actividad turistica en
las cochas de Tres Chimbadas y Cocococha en la
Reserva Nacional Tambopata y su area de influencia,
utilizando al lobo de rio como especie indicadora.
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Napravnik, Mario. 1999.
Ecologia de los cuerpos de agua en los alrededores
del Centro de Investigaciones Tambopata.
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Phillips, Kimberly, Meghan
Haas, Brian Grafton, and Mirtha Irrivaren. 2005.
Survey of the gastrointestinal parasites of the
primate community at the Tambopata National Reserve,
Peru.
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Piana, Renzo. 1999. El aguila
arpia en el Parque Nacional Bahuaja, la Reserva
Nacional Tambopata y la Comunidad Nativa de
Infierno.
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Piana, Renzo. 1999. The Harpy
Eagle in the Infierno Native Community.
Valdez, Armando. 1997. Terra Firme Forest – a Brief
Avian Analysis.
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