Recent fires in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands have burned through nearly 80% of a refuge that serves as critical habitat for the iconic hyacinth macaw, according to media reports.
The striking, cobalt-blue hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is the largest parrot species in the world, reaching up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) in length from tail tip to beak. Found only in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, the macaw is today listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
In Brazil, much of the hyacinth macaw population lives in the Pantanal wetlands in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The Pantanal, extending across Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, is world’s largest tropical wetland. While the ecosystem has always seen fires, usually occurring between July and September, climate warming is bringing earlier, more intense and devastating fires to the region. This year, too, fires in the Pantanal started by late May, following prolonged drought, combined with high temperatures and low rainfall.
In the Brazilian Pantanal, some 1,000 hyacinth macaws live in Caiman Ecological Refuge, established on a former cattle ranch. The refuge hosts the field base of the Arara Azul Institute (Hyacinth Macaw Institute), founded by biologist Neiva Guedes.
Fires that started on Aug. 1 have ravaged the macaw habitat, Guedes told Mongabay in an email. She said the blaze originated from a neighboring property where a truck caught fire, with winds quickly spreading the fires and overwhelming the refuge.
“It came with strong winds and in less than three days swept across almost 80% of the property,” Guedes added. Century-old trees were burned, as were stands of palm trees that are the hyacinth macaw’s main food source.
The fires ended on Aug. 3, but some large trees and the underbrush continued to smolder until Aug. 8, when rains finally arrived, Guedes said. The situation is under control at the moment, but still worrying as the refuge is a critical breeding center for the hyacinth macaw.
In 2019, fires led to the loss of macaw eggs and hatchlings. This year’s fires struck at the beginning of the macaw’s breeding season in the Pantanal, when the parrot couples seek out natural and artificial nests in which to lay their eggs. While some eggs were affected, the chicks had not started hatching yet, Guedes said. Trees with nests also burned and fell.
“In the past, in 2019, we saw that the fire affected almost 50% of the nests, directly and immediately, with the burning of nest trees, artificial nests, eggs, and the death of chicks,” Guedes said. “This time, there were just no chicks. So, we are recovering natural nests where possible. We are reinstalling nest boxes where we find trees near those that fell or were burned. We are placing metal bands for protection and will start supplementing/offering natural foods (bunches of acuri) since most of the fruits were burned.”
Banner image of hyacinth macaw by Nathan Rupert via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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