Our first 2021 Newsletter is full of amazing news! With a new breeding season giving us hope for future generations of Macaws; field teams leading exciting new research; and our community outreach and habitat programs continuing to grow.
2020 was a tough year for us all, our conservation programs took a big hit, but now our programs have resumed and our commitment remains!
And last but not least, we want to thank You for standing with us in our shared mission of parrot conservation and for being part of our community.
Read all about it in the MACAW News!
Have a great weekend,
Sam.
Dr. Sam Williams
Executive Director
Macaw Recovery Network
P.S. With just $10 a month, you could care for one of the Macaws at our refuge, every day! Would you Become a Beak Buddy?
Macaw NEWS
First chicks of the season!
In THIS VIDEO, you’ll see the season’s first chicks, Cupid and Magda when they just hatched, now see how big they are and the long way they’ve come!
Following a record-breaking year at the Captive Breeding Center, some of the breeding pairs from last year are given a year “off”. Not having bred last year, Moni and Doni last bred in 2019 and were keen to have a family again. Kicking off the season, they surprised us with two chicks over Valentine’s weekend.
Find out how many chicks hatched each year!
What’s threatening wild Macaws?
In the FIELD
New Field Studies
Based on a careful assessment of the previous year’s monitoring results, we have learned that productivity is not the main issue limiting the Great Green Macaw’s recovery. Therefore, two new studies are conducted to better understand their survival after the Macaws disappear from their breeding territory:
1. Where do they go after fledging? Did you know that Macaws can fly over 50 miles a day across dense rainforest? Interesting, right? It is not simple to track them, that’s why we will be using radio-trackers to monitor 10 wild Great Green Macaw chicks after they fledge the nest. These chicks will then be traced by our field team!
2. Why do they go there? It is known that Great Green Macaws feed on approximately 35 different tree species. Through a so-called phenology study, we aim to better understand the trees’ annual fruiting cycles and other important factors that may influence the Macaws’ annual migration patterns.
Curious to find out what such studies look like in the field? In this video, Sami takes you through a day in the life of a field biologist.
Knowing the bird’s distribution over the year, in relation to these trees’ cycles, will increase our understanding of the Macaw’s preferred habitat and potential factors limiting their population growth. These studies will continue over the next seasons.
Titor tree: an unknown food source for Macaws
Network NEWS
Ten Female Rangers joined us!
Our new Female Ranger Program sparked significant interest from local communities. After a selection process, ten ladies who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 joined the three-month pilot program. Following training, these women are now guarding and monitoring Macaw nests!
Nursery for the future
Nursery for the Future!
Planting nearly 200 Mountain Almond trees early this year, kicked 2021 off with hope and green delight! In addition, our native tree nursery currently homes 100 saplings of different tree species, and 1000+ Mountain Almond seeds are germinating. Expect to see more of this in 2021!
~ Thank you for being part of the Macaw Conservation Community! ~
Please consider supporting us monthly:
