A web page appeared around 2002 by a macaw lover who had recently visited the Beni savannah area of Bolivia. In this she described the large parades of indigenous people, dressed in traditional robe each carrying a massive sphere headdress created with up to twenty central macaw feathers. She was aghast at the number of dead macaws this represented, and her attempt to solve the problem was to create a negative web page that would show the world these horrible people and the disgusting custom they upheld. The page went so far as name calling- a clear negative campaign to make a change. And no change occurred.

Mauricio Herrera, then the Armonia/ Loro Parque Fundacion Blue-throated Macaw conservation coordinator had been aware of this third level threat to the Blue-throated Macaw for years (the first has always been illegal trade, and the second habitat destruction- especially removing large trees that offer the best nesting cavities for the macaws)- but he was also aware of the cultural importance of this traditional custom. The Savannas of Beni had one of the most sophisticated indigenous cultures in the new world before the arrival of Europeans. They practised complex fish management, burn managed agriculture, including fertilizers and raised mound farming in a tropical area that is flooded for months of each year. A cultural group of over four million people were destroyed by European diseases in the late 16th century, leaving a group of holocaust survivors searching for a way to survive. The Spanish arrived to this empty savannah claiming large portions of land as cattle ranches, whereby the indigenous people who still remained on land became their “peones”, poorly paid cowboys. And this situation has pretty much remained until this day.

The Moxeños, like many indigenous people in the new world, have an ancient cultural tradition of celebration with the Machetero dance custom- the focal point of which is a massive spherical headdress. These headdresses are truly works of art, with regional variation and individual creativeness. One Beni Moxeño headdress sits in the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. Each headdress represents the death of at least ten adult macaws, mostly Blue-and-yellow, Severe’s, and Red-and-green, but also the Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw. The Machetero costume is a proud element of Moxeño culture that is clearly distinctive. The spherical headdress is often used symbolically to represent the Beni people.

In the beginning, the Blue-throated Macaw conservation program avoided the Machetero headdress impact because of its cultural sensitivity. We knew the answer was not to damn the people for their action- but there was no other tangible solution. The number of headdresses used by cultural groups, clubs and schools was far too high to be supplied by zoo and pet keeper feather donations. In 2007, with the support of Parrots International, Mauricio created a contest with a cash prize for the person who created the best Machetero headdress without using macaw feathers. The first year showed some fantastically creative results, but in 2008, the winning headdress was the answer. A simple solution really; a young man created artificial feathers using a flexible palm spine placed over spray painted thin cloth in the form of a feather. The result was light, flexible and beautiful.

In 2010, Conservation des Espèces et des Population Animales and Parrots International supported the Blue-throated Macaw program to train indigenous groups in the methods to create these artificial feathers to be used in new sustainable Machetero headdresses. We conducted three training workshops in focal areas of San Ignacio de Moxos, Trinidad and Villa Alba. The training workshops were conducted by Jesús Chávez, member of the indigenous city council of the city of Trinidad. One thousand and two hundred indigenous artisans were trained in the creation of the macaw artificial feather. In May the Machetero Kit was released, a portable box with a Blue-throated Macaw conservation message that contains everything to construct a Machetero headdress using 30 artificial feathers. Twenty presentations of the Machetero headdress kit have been received with interest throughout the 4 central cities of Bolivia.

The indigenous peoples of Beni have received this initiative with great enthusiasm. More indigenous groups have asked to receive the artificial feather training, and have also requested that the training could be coupled with an in-depth presentation on Beni’s Bird, the conservation project with the Blue-throated Macaw. A new form of guilt-free pride has emerged with the alternative macaw feathers, including a local interest in utilizing the feathers within the Beni beauty pageant outfits. The substitution real macaw feather with alternative macaw feathers has just begun, but has been readily accepted.

National Geographic has taken interest in the project, supporting some of our actions for 2011, including filming and photographing the events. We also plan to quantify the number of certified real macaw feather headdresses used in only traditional ceremonies to research the possibilities of supplying those limited headdresses with imported macaw feathers from zoos and pet keepers.

These actions have seriously reduced the killing of macaws, including the needless deaths of the remaining four hundred only wild Blue-throated Macaws in the Beni.

Local support for the alternative macaw feather program is clearly apparent, and now the Blue-throated Macaw program needs to only assist in more training events, packaging, and marketing of this sustainable, locally proud indigenous product that can transmit the Blue-throated Macaw conservation message along with offering an economic addition for Beni Indigenous groups.

Bennett Hennessey

IMPORTANCE OF THE TUCUMAN PARROT RESERVE

Cloud forests extend along the eastern slope of the mountain ranges of the Andes — the Southern Yungas — between Bolivia and Argentina. The Southern Yungas ecosystem is characterized by great biological diversity (as diverse, perhaps, as the tropical rain forest) and is considered one of the most threatened ecosystems in Bolivia. The Southern Yungas have been poorly studied botanically. It is estimated that the Southern Yungas have lost more than 60% of their original area.

The Tucuman Parrot is endemic to the Southern Yungas and it is estimated that the global population of this species has declined by 75% in the last three decades, due primarily to habitat loss and the pet trade. Currently, illegal trade of the Tucuman Parrot remains a major threat. Making things even worse is that the methods used to capture them, such as when the chicks are removed from the nest, often result in the destruction of the tree nest for future generations.

The Tucuman Parrot Reserve is situated in the Municipality of Quirusillas in the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, an area that represents the extreme northern end of the Southern Yungas. It is here that the lowest population levels of this species have been recorded. In this area during the eighties, captures of the species for the pet trade were the highest. Implementing strategies to restore the population of this species in this region is urgently needed in order to prevent the local extinction of this species.

THREATS TO THE TUCUMAN PARROT RESERVE

The Tucuman Parrot has highly specific nesting habitat requirements. As in all of its range, adequate nesting sites are scarce and surrounding areas are under pressure due to logging. The diet of the nestlings is composed almost entirely of the flowers and seeds of a local tree, the named “Pino de Cerro” (Podocarpus parlatorei), which is becoming scarce at a global level because of logging. Currently, a local sawmill is attempting to gain logging rights to areas in the vicinity of the Tucuman Parrot Reserve. If so, this reserve will be the last nesting location of this threatened bird at the northern end of the Southern Yungas.

Deforestation, which is advancing towards the forest that protects the Tucuman Parrot Reserve, can be seen at the top of the photograph.

ARMONÍA AND ITS WORK AT THE TUCUMAN PARROT RESERVE

Armonía is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitat in Bolivia. Conservation actions by Armonía are prioritized based on scientific studies that are carried out in collaboration with, and respecting the cultural values of local communities. Armonía has worked in Bolivia since 1994 and currently runs eighteen conservation programs and projects with the participation of more than 35 people. Armonía is a partner of the American Bird Conservancy, BirdLife International and the World Land Trust, three international organizations committed to biodiversity conservation.

Armonía has identified the Quirusillas Township as a key site for the conservation of the Tucuman Parrot, since it is located at the northern end of the Southern Yungas, holds well-preserved patches of forest, and is a confirmed nesting site for this endangered species. Since 2007, Armonía has carried out environmental education and awareness activities in the region. Thanks to these efforts, in 2009 Quirusillas promulgated a law placing the Tucuman Parrot on the municipal coat of arms, declared the town’s opposition to the capture and sale of the Tucuman Parrot, and named the species a Natural Heritage.

The Tucuman Parrot Reserve is found within the northern breeding grounds of this endangered bird, and will allow us to conserve and protect this area permanently, preventing burning for cattle pasture and the logging of tree species that are critical breeding and dietary resources for the Tucuman Parrot.

PLANS FOR ESTABLISHING THE RESERVE

The Tucuman Parrot Reserve covers an area of 40 acres of mature forest. It is important we understand what and how to best protect this area. Experts suggest this rare habitat could contain endemic and rare orchid species.

Jointly with the Municipality of Quirusillas, Armonía’s Tucuman Parrot Conservation Project is preparing the Tucuman Parrot Reserve Management Plan, which will be an essential tool for managing this area. Essential for informing this plan is an inventory of the biodiversity present in the reserve. Thus, one of the research priorities is the inventory of important plant species, among which stands out the orchid family.