Archive for the ‘Nestlings’ Category
We have just gotten back from the Pantanal, after a field trip full of exciting findings and setbacks to our research. The exciting findings from this trip were mostly related to the rainy season in Pantanal, which is when farms become flooded and the wild life rejuvenates with the return of the rains. Also, the beautiful nestlings of black-hooded parakeet (Nandayus nenday), sharp-tailed conure (Aratinga acuticaudata), and white-eyed conure (Aratinga leucophthalma) that were monitored were beneficial to our research as well.
However, during this trip (and the past two), we experienced several setbacks to our research…The worst of all was the loss of ALL our biometry and banding materials and equipment. This equipment and materials are valued at US$600 all together. The scale (worth US$200), leg bands and pliers (worth US$300), and caliper (worth US$100) were all lost. The loss of this equipment was due to another problem with our car – a broken trunk door, which opened during the trip, allowing the bag with the equipment to fall off!!! We only realized that this equipment had been lost during our travels the following day, when we were about to start measuring the nestlings! We retraced our route along the road in an attempt to find our equipment, but we were unsuccessful…:-( Besides all the equipment that was lost, we are in desperate need of a new vehicle that costs about UD$50,000, because our current vehicle is too old (too old means 14 years old) to perform field work, and is in need of being replaced. We are spending lots of money on maintaining this car, and it is cheaper to buy a new one than to keep paying to maintain the old one…and buy new equipment that falls out of the back door!
Since 2005 the Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot Project is also monitoring other Psittacine species at South of Pantanal – Brazil. Our studies are generating data about their diary activity, grouping pattern and habitat use for reproduction, feeding and rest.
Veronica holds 3 nestlings of peach-fronted conure (Aratinga aurea).
Nestlings of black-hooded parakeet (Nandayus nenday).
Nestlings of yellow-faced parrot (Alipiopsitta xanthops).
Glaucia and nestlings of maximillian pionus (Pionus maximiliani).
Six nestlings of yellow-chevroned parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri).
With the end of the reproductive season of the blue fronted parrot, our research focuses on these species. Several of those start their reproductive season in November and for the next three months we are going to localize nests and start monitoring eggs and nestlings. Little is known about the ecologic aspects of these Psittacine species at Pantanal and we are willing to contribute for their conservation. ?
The end of the reproductive season of the Blue Fronted Parrot is approaching at Pantanal, MS – Brazil. Many nestlings have already done their first flight, while others are still in the nests and should be flying on the next couple of weeks. We (Glaucia, Vandir and the extern Jackson) are still in Pantanal. We have started filming the behavior of the nestlings, besides doing the biometry to verify their development.
Vandir and a nestling almost ready to do its first flight.
Glaucia is filming the behavior of the nestlings.
Glaucia doing biometry in a nestling.
These three guys are getting ready for their first flight. We have also installed a radio transmitter in some nestlings to accompany their dislodgement and survival after the flight.
Glaucia and a parrot with radio transmitter.
Nestling with radio transmitter.
This one had already done its first flight and has a radio transmitter.
Glaucia doing census of parrot population. Soon it will be completely flood! This is also the month when start raining, and Pantanal begins to flood. It is also the period when our field work starts to get harder, because we can only travel with a 4×4 car. But it is also a wonderful period for Pantanal and the animals that live here, because the drought of the last months also brought the wildfires.
Until October 19th, Glaucia, Vandir and the externs Veronica and Andrea, will be monitoring the growth of Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot nestlings using biometry and checking the development stage. All the eggs have already hatched out and the litters vary from 1 to 3 baby parrots. Most of them have started the feathering. The adults’ behavior taking care of the nestlings is monitored by camera trap installed by Vandir at the nest entrance. Besides that, the nestlings are marked with a ring and samples for research are collected.
This is Vandir installing the camera trap.
Two nestlings
Two nestlings from the same nest.
Here Glaucia and Vandir are collecting samples for a research.
Monitoring a nest.
Glaucia and Veronica are doing the biometry in the nestling.
The nestling receives an identification ring.
Take a look at the feathering baby!
This one has 3 baby parrots!
This is a couple checking its nest. The researches that are going on are: genetic study - Dr. Renato Caparroz/UCB; entomofauna study - Dr. Gustavo Graciolli/UFMS; Chlamydophila research - Dr. Tania Raso/USP; herpesvirus research of - Mariangela da Costa Allgayer/ULBRA; Escherichia coli research - Master student Andre B. S. Saindenberg/USP; and the intestinal microbiota research - Master student Luciana Allegretti.
Glaucia and Vandir are in the south of Pantanal, investigating a little more about the reproductive biology of the Blue Fronted Parrot. The reproductive season initiates in July, when the couples begin to look for cavities that work as nests; the posture and egg incubation starts in August; the hatching occurs in September, and the nestlings leave their nests in November. We will come back soon from this field trip with more new and pictures!!
Nest of Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot.
These are cute baby parrots!
This is the extern Veronica, monitoring a nest with a video camera.
Here Glaucia is doing biometry in one nestling.
Glaucia and Vandir monitoring a nest.
Glaucia is monitoring a nest where and adult Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot was predated.
An adult Parrot checking if this cavity would be a good nest!
This couple have found a cavity to initiate their posture.
These are some of the 186 nestlings arrested by the environmental inspection, in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. They were caught from their nests just after hatching by illegal animal dealers, without any criteria. After that, they would be illegally sold for other countries. Here in Brazil, is crime to capture a wild animal from its natural environment. Now these nestlings are at the Wild Animals Rehabilitation Center (CRAS – Centro de Reabilitacao de Animais Silvestres), linked with the State Government. Captured nestlings with less than a week old.
Here the captured nestlings are 2 weeks old. They receive all the necessary care from specialists, until they became fully feathered and eat by themselves. Their final destination depends on which condition they will reach the adulthood, and will be defined by the CRAS staff. Usually they do not come back to the nature after being hand-raising and hand-feeding, and we almost never discover from where they were caught. The nestlings receive an identification ring.
The nestlings receiving the ring.
The keeper Genivaldo is responsible for preparing food for the nestlings. The Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot Project is very worried, because this illegal capture occurs every single year. In our region more then 4500 nestlings have been captured from their natural environment, and we know that the real number is twice to three times higher. Many nestlings do not resist and die and others are not arrested. We estimate that for each 10 parrots caught from the wild, only one arrives to its final buyer. This capture without criteria can bring the specie to risk of extinction. For this reason the Project intends to intensify the environmental education activities for the next year, and try to aware people of the environmental damage due the illegal capture of the parrots. Here Glaucia is giving a lecture about the Project. |
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