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Ecology, status and conservation of the Red-fronted Macaw Ara rubrogenys

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2010

Elin Pitter
Affiliation:
Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
Mette Bohn Christiansen
Affiliation:
Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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Summary

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A five-month study of the Red-fronted Macaw Ara rubrogenys, endemic to Bolivia, yielded a population estimate of 2,000–4,000 individuals. The species is resident and locally common in, but restricted to, an area in the drainage systems of the Rio Grande, Rio Mizque and northern Rio Pilcomayo. One-third of the population was composed of juveniles some three months after the end of the breeding season. During the dry season, with food apparently short, more of the day was spent feeding than during the wet season. Semi-deciduous vegetation along the rivers produced fruits and seeds that sustained the macaws during the dry season, but the conversion of such areas to arable land forces the macaw to depend for some months on crops and weeds. Local farmers consider the macaw a serious pest on maize.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Birdlife International 1995

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