Tambopata Macaw Project

Since 1998 inside the Tambopata National Reserve

What is the Tambopata Macaw Project?

At Tambopata Macaw Project our objective is to contribute to the reduction of threats to the conservation of macaws (Ara macao, Ara chloropterus and Ara arauna) in the Madre de Dios Region. Macaws are the ambassadors of the Amazon and biodiversity conservation.

Between 1989 and 2000, Eduardo Nycander created and led the Macaws Project in the Tambopata National Reserve and Bahuaja Sonene National Park. Through this project, Nycander was able to better understand the behavior and reproductive needs of macaws, and now, with the new season of the Tambopata Macaw Project, we seek:

1. To improve the design of artificial nests used to reduce the possibility of the proliferation of parasites 2 .Reduce the death of chicks due to the action of predators. 3 .Increase the lifetime of the nests and reduce maintenance costs.

where is the tambopata macaw project

tambopata macaw project map inside the tambopata national reserve

why we do the Tambopata Macaw Project in Tambopata

Macaws are species that nest in naturally generated cavities in the largest trees of the forest, mainly in Shihuahuacos (Dipterix sp.) in the case of Scarlet and Red and Green macaws. When a branch of at least two meters in diameter breaks off, a slow natural process of decomposition and healing begins in the trunk of the tree, which generates the cavity that will later be used by a couple of macaws to nest. In other words, for the time it takes a Shihuahuaco to acquire two meters in diameter and for the time it takes for the cavity to form, 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.

What are the Tambopata Macaw Project's goals

Faced with this situation, based on the knowledge acquired, Eduardo Nycander has been improving the design of artificial nests used during the last 30 years with the tools provided by current technology, with the aim of:
  1. Reduce the possibility of the proliferation of parasites (insects, fungi, and bacteria) that cause the death of the chicks by improving the lighting, temperature, and internal humidity of the nests
  2. Reduce the death of chicks by predators by emulating the depth of natural nests and regulating the opening of access holes
  3. Increase the lifetime of the nests and reduce maintenance costs due to materials and the design itself
  4. Monitor them remotely.
The Tambopata Macaw Project now aims to improve the design of artificial nests for macaws in the Tambopata National Reserve and Bahuaja Sonene National Park. The project will also develop a remote monitoring method for Colorado Claylick and propose management guidelines. The project aligns with the goals of the Natural Heritage Initiative of Peru to strengthen environmental monitoring and contribute to the conservation of priority areas.