Potential diet for the reintroduced Red and Green Macaw (Ara chloropterus) in esteros de Iberá, Corrientes, Argentina

VOLPE, NOELIA L.; DI GIACOMO, ADRIÁN S; BERKUNSKY, IGOR

Puerto Iguazú

Congreso; Ornithological Congress of the Americas; 2017

Association of Field Ornithologists, Aves Argentinas, and Sociedade Brasileira de Ornitologia

The Red-and-green Macaw became extinct in Corrientes more than 150 years ago. The project of an experimental reintroduction of the Red-and-green Macaw in Esteros del Ibera, Corrientes, involves the adaptation to the wildlife of captive individuals. A key component of this adaptation process is for individuals to learn to recognize the ediblefruits of the release zone. To evaluate the potential incorporation of wild fruits into the macaw?s diet, wild fruits were collected and offered ad-libitum according to their seasonal availability to 15 macaws. We recorded the species that were consumed by direct observation during feeding events, and/or the presence of bites on the fruits. In addition, we established the phenological status of the offered plant species for every month through the monitoring of marked trees and literature. Between September 2015 and March 2017, we collected and offered to macaws 56 plant species, belonging to 22 families that were obtained from nearby patches of forest. A total of 49 species showed signs of having been consumed on at least one occasion. The phenology study indicated that during the whole year, an average of 15 edible species can be found with fruits monthly (range: 10-20 species / month). These results indicate that the potential amplitude of the diet and the availability of fruits to feed Red-and-green Macaws in Iberá are high, being higher than that observed for the species at its southern limit ofdistribution (range: 5-13 total species).