Seasonal variation in occurrence of macaws along a rainforest river

Abstract

Abstract Seasonal variations in occurrence of the Blue-and-yellow (Ara ararauna), Red-and-green (A. chloroptera), and Scarlet (A. macao) Macaw were evaluated in the floodplain rainforest of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, southeast Peru. One-hour surveys of macaws were conducted while traveling along the Rio Manu in a motorized canoe during both the dry and rainy season. There was a significant three-fold decline in the number of macaws encountered during the dry season compared to the rainy season. Encounter rates also varied significantly among macaw species, and may be due to behavioral characteristics or habitat preferences of species. Rapid or short-term surveys used to establish trade quotas and the status of species may be susceptible to biases and inaccuracies resulting from seasonal variations and behavioral characteristics of psittacine species.