Second Release Scarlet Macaws Copan, Honduras April 5, 2012

Boss became independent within days. After release, he used the feeding station infrequently and looked very healthy. This implies he started foraging in a self-sustainable way from the moment of release. He lost interest in the release site after less than two months. Because he did so well the first weeks after release, we assume he took off and created his own home range, with a new partner from the existing flock.

left Orange & right Moe in a Tropical Almond tree in the release site

We have not seen him recently, but whenever we go on field expeditions away from the release site, we look out for him. We know from experience with previous release birds that it could be years before we see him again.

Orange on the other hand, turned out to be one of those birds (the majority) that include the release site in their new home range for up to a year after release, even though they too have learned to forage in a self-sustainable way.

Most days she still visits the feeding station in the afternoon. While she was inside the pre-release aviary, she was paired-up with Bob (Ross). She still is, although within days after release Scarlett O’ Ara joined the two of them and they are now a little sub-flock of three friends. They all get along, although Bob still seems to prefer Orange over Scarlett.  Just the other day, while Bob was feeding, Orange got a new suitor, Moe (released in 2009) approached her and inspected her with great interest. Orange didn’t really seem to mind, but she wasn’t particularly interested either.

Enjoying Life in the Wild

All in all the 8^th release was very successful! All birds adapted and are doing great. They had a few troublesome months during the rainy season when there was less food and it got very wet, but they managed, like expected, and we did provided them some extra food for some weeks (next rainy season that won’t be necessary anymore). The only one we haven’t seen recently is Boss, but again, we think he is just off having a good time in the jungle.

Alex from Macaw Mountain with the Stars of the Parrot Festival

Huge Colorful Birds on Stilts were part of the Macaw Festival in Copan Ruinas

On March 11, 2012, Copan Association along with Macaw Mountain Bird Sanctuary held the first annual Parrot Festival for their bilateral project “Guaras en Libertad, La Belleza Regresa”.  This Festival was attended by hundreds from the area who participated in dance contests, viewed “Macaw Art”  from 31 area schools who received educational Modules on the Scarlet Macaw during 2011.  The stars of the show, two Scarlet Macaws from Macaw Mountain were the most photographed.  The festival was funded by the Copan Maya Foundation and will become an annual event.

AST High School Environmental Club in Tegucigalpa, Honduras held a  fundraiser on March 17 with proceeds going to support the “Guaras en Libertad La Belleza Regresa” project.   The Club made special “Macaw Cookies” which were the biggest seller and also had other “Macaw Themed” items for sale.  Thank you Pucci for all of your help!!!!!

AST High School Environmental Club's table during Family Day

AST High School Environmental Club's Table

Macaw Cookies! Best Seller!

DONATION RECEIVED FROM HAGEN FOODS

Denis Moulin traveled from Canada to Honduras to present a cash donation along with vitamins and Parrot food to Lloyd Davidson owner of Macaw Mountain Bird Sanctuary for the “Guaras en Libertad, La Belleza Regresa” project

Lloyd Davidson receives a vitamin and food donation from Denis Malouin Hagen Foods

Three young Scarlet Macaws have been separated from their mothers at the Macaw Mountain Bird Sanctuary where they will be in a large holding aviary until being introduced into the release aviary at Copan’s Archaeological Site y funded last year by Hugo Boss, and then released into the general population with the release scheduled for April 5, 2012.

Macaw Mountain has put in new Signage explaining the “Guaras en Libertad, La Belleza Regresa” to the visitors.  They are in Spanish and English

Macaw Mountain Bird Sanctuary has opened its Information Area to include the importance of the Scarlet Macaw and its history with the ancient Maya.

Módulo 1. Hábitat de la guara roja

Módulo 2. Características de la guara roja

Módulo 3. Alimentación de la Guara Roja

Módulo 5. La Guara Roja en la Antigua Cultura Maya

Módulo 6. Amenazas para la Guara Roja

Módulo 7. La Guara Roja dentro del Mundo Maya en Copán

Módulo 8. Conservación de la Guara Roja

Módulo 9. Guaras en LibertadMódulo 9. Guaras en LibertadMódulo 9. Guaras en Libertad

Also, the last visits to the schools with the live parrots were finished as the school year ends in November. Below are some photos of the 2500 children who participated!

These are some of the handmade projects the schools have submitted over the year.

Copan Association and World Parrot Trust visited the facilities in Zacate Grande where conservations efforts of Scarlet Macaws have been taking place for a number of years:

Visit to Macaw Sanctuary in Zacate Grande

Modulo # 6 ” Threats to the Scarlet Macaw ” was presented in the area schools in August with Modulo Number 7 “The Scarlet Macaw in Copan Maya Society” being released today. All seven educational modules are available for free download through this website.

Módulo 6. Amenazas para la Guara Roja

Módulo 7. La Guara Roja dentro del Mundo Maya en Copán

Five macaws which are part of a breeding project at Macaw Mountain were released after having spent 3 weeks in a conditioning aviary located at the site. All were assessed as healthy prior to release and had closed rings with information codes, and microchips in their bodies to assist with long-term identification. Immediately on release they took to the forest at the archaeological site.

Picture courtesy of Eileen Agurcia.

We are working hard in the monitoring process; and have placed six feeding stations all over the site where the other wild macaws visit, ensuring that they find food during their initial adapting time.

The birds have adapted successfully to the aviary, taking constant visits from other wild macaws. Soon to be released and will join members of the macaws that already live in freedom in the Archaeological Park.

5 scarlet Macaws inside the release aviary.

The breeding pairs of Macaw Mountain are in full breeding season; two of them are incubating (3 eggs in each nest) and 3 more couples they are defending the nest box by what we hope will encourage the first egg soon. These chicks will be bred by parents in the facilities of Macaw Mountain and will be released in a future in the Archaeological Park.

Breeding pair with three eggs in Macaw Mountain Bird Park.

In the Archaeological Park 4 chicks have been born this season and currently 3 of them survive. The two largest have already left the nest, with a difference of 6 days between the two. They can be seen in the vicinity of the nesting site, in the company of the couple. The last we hope that it will be flying by the end of August.

We have been working on their diets, trying to get the best food for these birds at the archeological site., and we hope to improve their conditions in the area, also we have been identifying their natural tree fruits around the site so they can look for their own food.

About educational program we have been visiting many schools and many teachers and students are responding very well!!

The childs enjoy the experience.

Following his release Boss would be in the release site only briefly, mostly in the mornings. His then release partner, Rogue, was the only one of the new macaws that disappeared once she was released. We worried she may not have made it, but hoped she would be surviving through her own instinct, and Boss was hanging out with her somewhere else further away from the release site. The second month after release Boss was seen only infrequently at the release site and only in the very early mornings.

Boss flying Wild

Just these last weeks, we found out that his former release partner Rogue is alive and well a few kilometers away from the release site and hanging out with Mulder, a bird released two years ago.

Mulder and Rogue

So Boss adapted well to his new life, although we are still not 100%  sure exactly what is he is up to and with whom during the day.

As for Orange who disappeared briefly for a few days after her release,  since then she has stayed in the release site with her partner from back in the pre-release aviary, Bob Ross, and six of the new release birds. She spends most of her time foraging in the trees right around the pre-release aviary and relaxing in a big Jobo tree with Bob Ross.

After a day of adventures, Orange and Bob Ross chillax on the top of the release aviary.

Now that the biggest hurdles have been overcome, the 10 new macaws can look forward to a “Wild life” in the forests of Tiskita and surrounding areas.  The total number of Scarlet macaws reintroduced to the Tiskita forests is now 70 birds over the past 9 years, following a period of over 35 years of scarlet macaws being extinct in the area due to poaching and deforest station.

May they grace the skys and forests for many future generations to come, and have families of their own, in the effort to stop their species from becoming extinct.

Rogue