Abstract
The Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) is a Critically Endangered species endemic to the Llanos de Moxos ecosystem of Beni, Bolivia. To aid conservation of the northwestern population that utilizes the Barba Azul Nature Reserve during the non-breeding season, we set out to learn the sites where these birds breed using satellite telemetry. We describe preliminary tests conducted on captive birds (at Loro Parque Foundation, Tenerife, Spain) that resulted in choosing Geotrak Parrot Collars, a metal, battery-operated unit that provides data through the Argos satellite system. In September 2019, we tagged three birds in Barba Azul with Geotrak collars, and received migration data for two birds, until battery depletion in November and December 2019. Our two migrant birds were tracked leaving Barba Azul on the same date (27 September), but departed in divergent directions (approximately 90 degrees in separation). They settled in two sites approximately 50–100 km from Barba Azul. Some details of the work are restricted out of conservation concern as the species still faces poaching pressures. Knowing their likely breeding grounds, reserve managers conducted site visits to where the birds were tracked, resulting in the discovery of breeding birds, although no birds still carrying a transmitter were seen then. A single individual still carrying its collar was spotted 13 August 2021 at Barba Azul. The work suggests that the Blue-throated Macaws of Barba Azul use breeding sites that are scattered across the Llanos de Moxos region, although within the recognized boundaries of the northwestern subpopulation. We conclude that the use of satellite collars is a feasible option for research with the species and could provide further conservation insights.
Highlights
The technology used to track animal movements with miniaturized, animal-borne devices is advancing rapidly and opening up many new avenues of animal research [1,2,3,4,5]
Prior to this study, nesting sites of the vitally important sub-population of Bluethroated macaws from Barba Azul were unknown. Tracking birds to their breeding areas is a far less common practice than tracking from their breeding sites, in part because it offers fewer opportunities to trap in sites that are visited regularly
We believe that follow-up efforts can be more focused and effective, and lead to improved chances of our ultimate goal of better protecting the birds of Barba Azul throughout the year, monitoring their reproductive success, and improving the chances for the species’ long-term conservation at Barba Azul and more widely in the northern Llanos de Moxos
Summary
The technology used to track animal movements with miniaturized, animal-borne devices is advancing rapidly and opening up many new avenues of animal research [1,2,3,4,5]. Examples hail from around the world and for a wide range of taxa including Magellanic Penguins [6], raptors in the Americas [7,8], Black Skimmers migrating over the Andes [9], waterfowl in Africa [10], upland sandpipers in Western Hemisphere [11], and nomadic Banded Stilts of Australia [12] These and other studies provide valuable information for better understanding birds’ lives and conservation needs, as well as providing scientific insight into important questions about birds’ sensory abilities, and their behavior in changing environments [3]. For long-lived birds such as parrots, one of the most critical determinants of a species’ demography is breeding success; conservationists often need information on rare parrots’ reproductive seasons, behaviors, and success Such is the case for the northern population of the Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis— “BTM”) in Beni, Bolivia, for which knowledge of breeding ground locations, and some basic reproductive strategies and parameters are largely unknown. Such information can be aided by telemetry studies, yet these are difficult to implement for most parrot species
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