Blue-fronted Amazon Project

Category: Donation, Field Work, Pantanal, Support | Date: Jul 18 2009 | By: Blue-fronted Amazon

The reproductive season is coming, and that is when we have to double our work load to monitor 200+ tree cavities and check the eggs and nestlings. But it’s not only the work load that increases this time of the year… our costs doubles as well. And I am very worried on how to continue the Project’s activities, particularly this year, due the low financial support and donations. Yes, I do apply for grants, but I get almost always the same answer… “We understand the importance of your Project; however, we need to give priority to endangered species”. Ok, we do need to protect endangered species. But we also need to avoid threatened species to become endangered!! Otherwise, we are always trying to mediate the problem, rather than preventing it from the beginning.

A couple of weeks ago, in our last field trip, our jeep broke again… We had to stop the data collection and go back to the city to have it fixed. It is a 1994 Vitara, Suzuki, which I bought used on 2004. Needless to say that I bought it from my own pocket – I don’t even know how much money I’ve invested on the Project to keep it running. Maybe putting our own money in our project is something that every researcher does at some point – but now I’ll no longer be able to financially support the Project.

I understand that the financial crisis is affecting everyone, but I also believe that actions to preserve the nature are fundamental to maintain our life quality in the present and for the future. Maybe we should realize that each of us can do a little bit, and that all together we can do a lot more.

We are in depth grateful for every single donation. But we need more help and support to continue the Project. I work for the parrots’ conservation with all my heart and I’ll keep doing it until I no longer can. And I won’t allow the negative answers of funding requests to put me down. Give a deep breath, and keep thinking other ways to find funding sources – that’s what I am going to do.

If you can help us, either by donations, of by helping marketing the Project (or in any other way you might think it could help), please do so.

I want to express here my sincere thanks for those who have been heping us during all these years, either by financial and logistic support, partnership, and volunteering. Muito Obrigada! Thank you very much!

Tags: Car, Donantion, Field Work

8 responses so far

Category: Field Work, Pantanal | Date: Jul 17 2009 | By: Blue-fronted Amazon

We have just got back from a field trip to Pantanal. Over there, Vandir and I counted the parrots under a cold 8°C weather, with some showers. For us, this is a very cold winter, and we had to wear many layers to stay warm! The reproductive season starts next month, in August. So in this trip, we fixed some nests that were damaged due wind, rain, or even tree deterioration, making sure that the entrance and bottom of the cavities are fine, so the parrots can use them for nesting in this upcoming season. We also closed some entrances that would allow predation, and added some bedding on the nest. Hopefully next month, these cavities will be used and we will find some eggs, which will develop in wonderful nestlings!

Here I am, trying to keep warm while registering the data!

Vandir checking the cavity.

Here Vandir is closing an entrance that would allow predation.

Bedding in the nest.

Tags: Cavities, Trees, Winter

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Category: Diet, Pantanal | Date: Jul 16 2009 | By: Blue-fronted Amazon

On the first part of my PhD dissertation, I analyzed the feeding behavior of the Blue-fronted Amazon. Once a month, from July 2005 to Dec 2007, my team and I used trails in different environments in Pantanal to observe the parrots.

I registered 1,349 Blue-fronted Amazon eating flowers, fruits, and seeds from 48 different plant species. The high seed consumption indicates that this parrot is mainly a graminivore of canopy trees. In general, the Blue-fronted Amazon is a generalist, with a very diverse diet, in response to the intense variety of resources in a seasonal and heterogeneous environment, such as Pantanal. Our next step will be to evaluate the nutritional composition of the Blue-fronted Amazon diet, with the collaboration of researches from different institutions.

Parrot eating flowers of the Caribbean Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia aurea).

Vandir and I checking the trees.

Tags: Diet, Pantanal, Parrot, PhD

2 responses so far

Category: Award, Pantanal | Date: Jul 06 2009 | By: Blue-fronted Amazon

Hi everyone! I think I need to start apologizing for the lack of posts for the past few months… The Project continues very active, with many field trips. But I have been super busy finalizing my PhD dissertation (on Ecology and Conservation, Mato Grosso do Sul Federal University), and I did not have any time to post some news in the blog…

Well, finally, on June 22nd, I defended my dissertation, on a 12-year long study about the Blue-fronted Amazon, which is divided in three chapters: feeding ecology (3-year observation period), collective roosting sites (4-year observation period), and reproductive success (12-year observation period). Many people directly contributed to data collection, such as our field technician Vandir, several externs, biologists, veterinarians, and zootechnists, and, of course, the essential orientation of Prof. Dr. José Ragusa Netto/UFMS Três Lagoas. The material and financial support of many people and institutions was fundamental for this study. The Project continues, aiming to help the development of conservation plans for this species and its environment.

I would like to thanks everyone who direct or indirectly helped the Project, and to share with you the happiness of having concluded my PhD degree! And I promise new posts soon!!

Tags: Pantanal, Parrot, PhD

2 responses so far