Recovering the last wild Blue-throated Macaws

BERKUNSKY, IGOR; KACOLIRIS, FEDERICO PABLO; DANIELE, GONZALO; ARAMBURÚ, ROSANA M

Montpellier

Congreso; 27th International Congress for Conservation Biology; 2015

SCB

The Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) is a rare, critically endangered and endemic macaw of savannahs in northern Bolivia. The species was discovered in the wild in 1992, and during the last decade intensive conservation work was carried out in order to identify and solve the critical parameters delaying the population?s recovery. Field conservation actions were aimed at increasing nest site availability, protecting active nests against predators, increasing nestling?s survival and establishing protected areas. We evaluated the performance, limitations and costs of these field conservation actions; and we analyzed the information documented by this long-term study related to occupancy, density, and breeding success of Blue throated Macaws in northern Bolivia. The application of these actions resulted in higher nest success and higher nestling survival. Despite this reproductive improvement, the breeding population is not yet recovering. The number of macaws at each breeding site has been stable or decreased; and at a few sites, local extinction has taken place. As the Blue throated Macaw is currently a conservation dependent species, we consider the value of increasing the wild population through the release of confiscated and captive-bred individuals.