FEATURE
Monitoring the ACOPAC population has been possible because it follows a daily migration, roosting in Guacalillo Mangrove Reserve and flying in early morning along four fly- routes to Carara National Park and surrounding areas.
Returning to the project work the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is the most widely distributed (Mexico to Brazil) of the 17 extant macaw species. Throughout its entire range, it is endangered by habitat destruction and modification as well as poaching for the pet trade. In Costa Rica there are two “viable” Scarlet Macaw populations: approximately 700 to 1,000 individuals in the Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA) on the southern Pacific coast and some 450 individuals in the Central Pacific Conservation Area (ACOPAC). The Central Pacific (ACOPAC) scarlet macaw population has been studied and monitored since 1990, making it
one of the world’s two most studied and monitored. Monitoring the ACOPAC population has been possible because it follows a daily migration, roosting in Guacalillo Mangrove Reserve and flying in early morning along four fly-routes to Carara National Park and surrounding areas. Therefore most ACOPAC scarlet macaws can be counted during July and August when most scarlet macaws follow this migration (Vaughan et al. 2005a). Between1990-95, count data revealed the population was declining; the suspected reason was poaching chicks for the pet trade (Vaughan et al. 2005a). The team then began intensive conservation efforts (nest protection,
BIRD SCENE 31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
