Mammals and Macaws at Refugio Amazonas
Introduction. The results presented here are from field work conducted by the Tambopata Macaw Project at the Amazonian jungle lodge Refugio Amazonas, owned and operated by Rainforest Expeditions SAC (RFE).
Research Reports
Peruvian parrot researchers
The importance of Peruvian researchers to parrot conservation Alan Lee The parrot family is one of the most enigmatic of all the bird families in the world. Yet it is surprising how little is known about them. When I first came to Peru in 2002 I had seen only the parrot that are found in South Africa, which are brown and boring and not used on marketing material in the same way as nearly every travel company and many other companies besides, use parrots or macaws as logos. In southern Africa there are only 4 species of parrot out of a total of 900 species of birds.
Bats at Clay licks
Bats at clay licks.
Alan Lee
Amazingly, having never read about bats at clay licks, within the last 2 months there have been two publications on the topic from South America - one from Ecuador and one from Peru. The latter is by Adriana Bravo, who used to work at TRC as a guide and on the macaw project. She is currently doing her doctorate at Louisiana State University. Interestingly, the findings are very similar, but conclusions a bit different as we shall see.
Macaws and Brazil Nuts
I was happy to read the most recent publication explaining variation in Brazil nut fruit production, which does not blame macaws and parrots for predation. Although a previous publication states that up to 10% of a crop can be lost due to predation by macaws on young fruit, the latest modelling states that production is more influenced by lianas and Phosphorus. Results suggest that fruit productivity at the individual tree level could be increased, possibly through experimental liana cutting and/or P amendments.
Avian diversity in disturbed forests
Each year Rainforest Expedition’s hosts undergraduate students from Stanford University, who are provided with all food and accommodation at the lodges where they are based. Traditionally, the research has been based out of the community lodge Posada Amazonas, where work concentrated on the impacts of the ecotourism enterprise on lifestyles and attitudes.
Macaw Research Publication summaries
A summary of a publication by Donald J. Brightsmith, Director of the Tambopata Macaw Project: Title: Rainforest Expeditions and Earthwatch as funding partners for macaw (Ara spp.) Research in southeastern Peru Ecotourism has been touted as an effective way to conserve natural areas by providing employment for local people and generating income for conservation. However, ecotourism can also effectively support scientific research. In addition, working with paying volunteers can provide funding and manpower for research projects.
Indigenous ecotourism in the Amazon
Ecotourism can capture biodiversity values and provide incentives for conservation, and many integrated conservation and development projects include an ecotourism component. One key assumption behind this strategy is that ecotourism businesses can achieve financial viability. An example of this is ecotourism lodge ‘Casa Matsiguenka’, owned by an indigenous Matsigenka population in Manu National Park.
Foraging parrots of Costa Rica
A recent study of the diet and foraging ecology of a community of six parrots in western Costa Rica has shown that all had a varied diet with clear seasonal changes in preferred food items, mostly due to changes in plant fruiting and flowering patterns. Larger-bodied parrots consumed more seeds and smaller-bodied parakeets consumed more fruit pulp. Leaves, bark, and lichen were also consumed. Most parrots consumed more plant species in the dry season when food availability was at its peak.
Claylicks and tourists
Maaike Rensing and Susan Zwerver of Van Hall Larenstein, the Netherlands, have finished a report on the importance of bird and mammal claylicks in the Madre de Dios region, Peru for the tourism industry of Rainforest Expeditions. In 2004 a bill was signed to create the Interoceanic Highway across the countries of Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. This road will run across the Tambopata reserve in the Peruvian department of Madre de Dios.
Ecotourism for Conservation
The Economic Promise of Ecotourism for Conservation The following is a summary of the results from the following publication, based on work conducted at the Infierno community and their lodge, Posada Amazonas: Stronza, A., 2007. The economic promise of ecotourism for conservation. Journal of Ecotourism 6, 170–190. Many conservationists have promoted ecotourism as a strategy to protect natural resources while also meeting human needs.
