Archive for the ‘Pantanal’ Category
We are glad to inform that our proposal submitted to Idea Wild (http://www.ideawild.org/) was approved! Soon we will receive the donation of the following equipments: a digital scale to weight the nestlings (to replace the one we lost last year), a binocular 10×42 (to replace our old one!) and a equipment to measure the temperature and humidity in the nest cavities (will allow us to collect data from the nests). These equipments are important to the Project and the collaboration of Idea Wild is essential for the conservation of the blue-fronted amazon parrot and other psittacine species in Pantanal, Brazil. Our field team and the parrots deeply appreciate it!!! Thank you very much IDEA WILD!!!
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!
The Black-hooded Parakeet (Nandayus nenday) is native to South America, more specifically, from Pantanal. In Portuguese it is known as “Príncipe Negro”, what means “Black Prince”, due the black facial mask, its main characteristic. They live in small bands, but can be seen in hundreds in some regions. Little is known about this species and we are intensifying the studies about them in Pantanal, Brazil. During the reproductive season (from October to February), we have seen several birds investigating a tree hole, where they establish their nests.
We still do not know if other birds from the band collaborate with the care of the nestlings. Besides the aspects regarding their feeding and behavior, we are monitoring the nestlings and collecting material to study sanitary issues. During January, Vandir and the externs Veronica and Diana monitored several nestlings of the “Prince” of Pantanal!
Vandir and Jackson are currently on a field expedition investigating the available cavities in trees, at different environments. These environments include the ciliary forest, dry forest, floodplain and man-made pasture. On each environment, the trees that have more than 20 cm of DBH (diameter at breast height) are closely analyzed.
Jackson is marking a tree. Those that have cavities are marked; later Vandir and Jackson climb them to measure the cavity and verify if the blue fronted parrot or another bird species previously used it. We have a total of 160 marked trees, which are checked on each field trip.
Sometimes is not so simple to reach the cavity. Often rapel is necessary.
Vandir measuring a cavity. During these check ups, new residents are found and the most frequent this year was the toco toucan (Ramphastos toco). So far, we have found 6 nests of toco toucan, which use the same cavities of the blue fronted parrot to reproduce.
Nestlings of toco toucan (Ramphastos toco). The toco toucan occurs at Pantanal, Savannah and Amazon. It is also the biggest toucan species and its reproductive season begin in late October, a little bit before the end of the blue fronted parrot’s reproductive season, at the same area. Often the toco toucan dislodges the blue fronted parrot from to start the posture on its nest cavity.
Can you see the adult on the top of the tree?!
The nests that we have found have between 2 and 4 nestlings, and the parents are always around while we investigate the cavities. This is the law of nature!
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.
The Pantanal Matogrossense is one of the biggest continuous wetland of the world and is localized at the center of South America, at the Alto Paraguay hydrographic basin. Its area is 138.183 km2 (53,352 miles2) with 65% of its territory at Mato Grosso do Sul State and 30% at Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The area is an alluvial flat land influenced by rivers which drain the Alto Paraguay basin, where a rare fauna and flora abundance can be found on four big biomes: Amazon, Cerrado, Chaco and Atlantic Forest. Due its characteristics and importance, and being one of the most exuberant and diverse natural reserve of the Earth, UNESCO recognized this area as a Biosphere Reserve, in 2000.
Aerial view of Pantanal. Several species of animals that are endangered at other areas in Brazil still have vigorous population at Pantanal, as the marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus), capibara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), jabiru (Mycteria americana), and the spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus).
Jabiru (Mycteria americana) - the bird symbol of Pantanal.
Marsh Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus).
Spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) .
Armadillo.
The footprint of a jaguar.
Anaconda. The person who was born and lives at Pantanal is known as “pantaneiro” for their unique characteristics and skills. We can say that the “pantaneiro man” is by essence a conservationist and is hard to imagine the history of this region, with such a complicated and complex ecosystem, without their concern. They occupied the flat land, seduced by the huge area that allow the cattle production and believe that this is a commercial activity balanced with nature. Simple and hard worker men, the pantaneiros spend the day working with the cattle, with some breaks for the “tereré” (tipical cold drink made with mate). Well knower of fauna and flora, they are always helping the Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot team on its field activities to find new parrot’s nests or identifying trees.
Cattle raised at Pantanal.
A tipical family in Pantanal.
A cold terere is the best drink during such hot days. Tereré and stories of jaguar are always present during our monthly stay with the pantaneiros. Since the beginning of our work, they are fundamental characters for our success. Their simplicity and hospitality cheer our long days of work, which end with a wonderful sunset at Pantanal.
For our pantaneiros and pantaneiras friends, my sincere thanks! ☺
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.
This Project started in 1997 and the first results, referring to the survival rates of the rehabilitated and restocked young that were monitored by radio telemetry and direct observation, were published in 2000 at the Brazilian Ornithology Society Journal.
The increase in body weight and of the length of the wings of 86 wild nestlings and 123 captivity nestlings from the Wild Animals Rehabilitation Center (CRAS) were registered from 1997 to 1999. These results were published in 2003 at the Ornitologia Neotropical (14:295-305). The general objective of this study is to obtain, register and make available information about the Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot environmental requirements at Pantanal, Brazil, to propose conservation action for this specie. For that, the specific objectives are: CONSERVATION OUTCOMES EXPECTED FROM THIS PROJECT |
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