Honduras
Scarlet Macaw and Yellow-naped Amazon Conservation
Preserving Indigenous
People and Parrots
This is the fifth year that One Earth Conservation has
been working within Honduras. Our primary aim is the restoration of the scarlet
macaw population in the Miskito region, and support of the indigenous
communities there. We do this throughout
the year by providing consultation and funds for food for the confiscated birds
that the government brings to the village for care and liberation. Unable to get to the area during the breeding
seasons of 2012 and 2013, this year we planned to do a thorough survey of nests
while collecting samples as part of the Mesoamerican Wild Psittacine Health
Collaboratory.
Dr. Joyner assembled a full field-ready diagnostic
laboratory and clinic, able to teach the veterinary and biology students that
accompanied her to this region.
Disappointingly the adult population seems to be decreasing, there were
very few active nests, and the poaching is rampant. Given the threats against the macaws, we also
began climbing amazon nests to document their reproductive success. The good news is that after the construction
of the research station with funds from One Earth Conservation and Ministry,
there is more focus on macaw conservation in this area and infrastructure to
support it. A large crew along with Dr. Joyner spent two weeks in the area
surveying nests, filming a documentary, conducting parrot counts, placing
camera traps, and conducting rodent and bat research (One Earth provided
miscellaneous funds and support for all of this). While in the villages we treated a host of
household parrots (all poached locally) and with the villagers, provided
education and awareness raising conversations.
Blood and fecal samples are currently awaiting permits for shipment to
Italy. In October, Dr. Joyner signed the
Scarlet Macaw Alliance on behalf of Lafeber Conservation, a major funder for
One Earth. This is a coalition dedicated to preserving the national bird of
Honduras. Poaching has decimated the population, but the country appears to
have reached a turning point of interest in macaw conservation. We plan to
return in 2015 for chick and nest health evaluation, teaching, and support of the
release efforts of confiscated birds in this area. Reflections on this work can be found here and here.
This project will continue in 2015.
Current Partners:
Hector
Portillo Reyes and Maria Eugenia Mondragon Hung of INCIBIO
ICF (Forestry Service of Honduras), Universidad
Nacional Autónomo de Honduras, Universidad Agricultura de Honduras, villages of
Rus, Rus and Mabita, La Moskitia
