Hyacinth macaw black
The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), or hyacinthine macaw, is a parrot native to central and eastern South America. With a length (from the top of its head to the tip of its long pointed tail) of about 100 cm (3.3 ft) it is longer than any other species of parrot. It is the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot species, though the flightless kakapo of New Zealand can outweigh it at up to 3.5 kg. While generally easily recognized, it can be confused with the far rarer and smaller Lear's macaw. Habitat loss and trapping wild birds for the pet trade has taken a heavy toll on their population in the wild, so the species is classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List,[1] and it is protected by its listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Causes of
endangermentedit
Parrots as a whole, being of the family Psittacidae, are some of the most threatened
birds in the world. This family has the most endangered species of all bird
families, especially in the neotropics, the natural home of the hyacinth macaw,
where 46 of 145 species are at a serious risk of global extinction.23 This species qualifies as endangered on the IUCN Red List because the population has suffered
rapid reductions with the remaining threats of illegal trapping for the cage
bird trade and habitat loss 24 A few serious threats to the survival of
the species in the Pantanal include human activities, mainly those resulting in
habitat loss, the burning of land for pasture maintenance, and illegal trapping 25 The exceptionally noisy, fearless, curious,
sedentary, and predictable nature of this species, along with its
specialization to only one or two species of palm in each part of its range,
makes them especially vulnerable to capture, shooting, and habitat destruction.26 Eggs are also regularly preyed on by corvids, opossums, and coatis.27 Adults have no known natural predators.4The young are parasitized by
larvae of flies of the genus Philornis.28
Although the species has a low genetic variability, it does not
necessarily pose a threat to their survival. This genetic structure accentuates
the need for protection of hyacinth macaws from different regions to maintain
their genetic diversity. Nevertheless, the most important factors negatively
affecting the wild population prove to be habitat destruction and nest poaching.29
In the Pantanal, habitat loss is largely contributed to the
creations of pastures for cattle, while in many other regions, it is the result
of clearing land for colonization.30 Similarly, large areas of habitat in
Amazonia have been lost for cattle ranching and hydroelectric power schemes on
the Tocantins and Xingu Rivers. Many young manduvi trees are then being grazed
on by cattle or burnt by fire, and the Gerias is speedily being converted to
land for mechanized agriculture, cattle ranching, and exotic tree plantations.1 Annual grass fires set by farmers destroy a
number of nest trees, and the rise of agriculture and plantations has made
habitats formerly populated by the macaws unsuitable to maintain their
livelihoods.24 Moreover, increase in commercial demand for
feather art by the Kayapo Indians threatens the species, as up to 10 macaws are
needed to make a single headdress.26
In the event of the macaws being taken from their natural
environment, a variety of factors alter their health such as inadequate hygiene
conditions, feeding, and overpopulation during the illegal practice of pet
trade. Once birds are captured and brought into captivity, their mortality
rates can become very high.30 Records reveal a Paraguayan dealer
receiving 300 unfeathered young in 1972, with all but three not surviving. Due
to the poor survival rates of the young, poachers concentrate more heavily on
adult birds, which depletes the population at a rapid pace.26
According to Article 111 of Bolivian Environmental Law #1333,
all persons involved in the trade, capture, and transportation without
authorization of wild animals will suffer a two-year prison sentence, along
with a fine equivalent to 100% of the value of the animal.31 While many trackers have been arrested, the
illegal pet trade still largely continues in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Unfortunately, animal trafficking is not necessarily viewed as a priority in
the city, leaving national departmental and municipal governments unwilling to
halt the trade in city centers, and local police reluctant to get involved.
This ideology has in turn resulted in a lack of enforcement regarding trade in
both CITES-restricted species and threatened species, with little to no
restrictions regarding humane treatment of the animals, disease control, or
proper hygiene. In the trade centers, the hyacinth macaw demanded the highest
price of US$1,000, proving it to be a very desirable and valued bird in the pet
trade industry.32
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