Getting ready to leave for my adventures with Bolivia's Blue-throated Macaws
I am now only two days away from my next adventure: Working with the critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw in the remote "llanos de Moxos" savannahs of eastern Bolivia. This long-term conservation effort has been in the works for six years, led by the World Parrot Trust and their associates. Some of you may have followed Toa Kyle's articles and blogs in the past, and I intend to continue his efforts with this 2007 Blue-throat blog.
This year, Igor Berkusnky (with whom I have previously worked on Blue-fronted Amazons in Argentina) is leading the field work with this Bolivian macaw. Igor has been on site in Bolivia since August and has reported to me that the 2007 field season is shaping up to be a huge success. He currently has a crew of 12 biologists from around the world (one Peruvian, one Chilean, one Colombian, three Bolivians, one Argentinean, two Americans, one Canadian, and two New Zealanders). There are two main camps and I will be stationed at the main camp, which has 4 active Blue-throated Macaw nests. Much of our "getting around" will be on horseback, which will be wonderful for me, as I haven't ridden much since my 3-month internship at an estancia in Argentina in 2004. It will be good to get back in the saddle...literally, but also in respect to my work with parrots.
So, I now look forward to the immense chore of last-minute packing, which includes 15 lbs. of baby-parrot food, 3 scales, several cameras, a computer and a "data tank" for the project. I hope that my efforts will be of some help to the 80-100 Blue-throats that survive in the wild. I also hope that Toa's statement that a "Civil war is not out of the realm of possibilities…" (From his most recent Blue-throat article for PsittaScene) does not prove to be an issue.
I will report on my adventures with Bolivia's Blue-throated Macaws as often as internet access allows and I hope that my descriptions and stories will prove interesting, useful and entertaining. I welcome all comments or questions.
Parrot Bloggers
Search by:
