Reintroduction of the Golden Conure (Guaruba guarouba) in Northern Brazil: Establishing a Population in a Protected Area

Brazil has the highest number of parrots in the world and the greatest number of threatened species. The Golden Conure is endemic to the Brazilian Amazon forest and it is currently considered as threatened by extinction, although it is fairly common in captivity. Here we report the first reintroduct...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diversity (Basel) 2021-05, Vol.13 (5), p.198
Main Authors: Vilarta, Marcelo Rodrigues, Wittkoff, William, Lobato, Crisomar, Oliveira, Rubens de Aquino, Pereira, Nívia Gláucia Pinto, Silveira, Luís Fábio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acclimatization
Amazon
Animal behavior
Birds
Captivity
Dietary supplements
dispersion
Endangered & extinct species
Endemic species
Environmental protection
Extinct species
Extinction
Females
Food
Monitoring
Nest boxes
Parks & recreation areas
Parrots
Population
Power lines
Predation
Predators
Protected areas
Reintroduction
soft-release
Species extinction
Threatened species
Wildlife conservation
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Summary:Brazil has the highest number of parrots in the world and the greatest number of threatened species. The Golden Conure is endemic to the Brazilian Amazon forest and it is currently considered as threatened by extinction, although it is fairly common in captivity. Here we report the first reintroduction of this species. The birds were released in an urban park in Belem, capital of Para State, where the species was extinct more than a century ago. Birds were trained to recognize and consume local food and to avoid predators. After the soft-release, with food supplementation and using nest boxes, we recorded breeding activity in the wild. The main challenges before the release were the territorial disputes within the aviary and the predation by boa snakes. During the post-release monitoring the difficulties were the fast dispersion of some individuals and the dangers posed by anthropic elements such as power lines that caused some fatalities. Released birds were very successful at finding and consuming native foods, evading predators, and one pair reproduced successfully. Monitoring continues and further releases are programmed to establish an ecologically viable population.
ISSN:1424-2818
1424-2818
DOI:10.3390/d13050198