On a cold February morning, the sky begins to color as dawn breaks over the green mountains of Cabo Corrientes, on the coast of the state of Jalisco, Mexico.
In the distance, deep calls can be heard echoing hundreds of meters away within the forest. The origin of these sounds is unmistakable.
As I look up, a flock of six green macaws (Ara militaris mexicanus) fly by, displaying their green, blue, yellow, and a hint of red plumage.
Although the military green macaw is distributed from Mexico to Argentina, the Mexican subspecies is endemic to the country. It is listed as endangered by Mexican Official Standard 059 due to population declines.
It is estimated that fewer than 3,000 individuals remain in the wild. The causes: habitat decline and illegal trafficking.
A few decades ago, their distribution stretched from Chihuahua to the coast of Chiapas, crossing into the Gulf of Mexico. Today, their presence has been fragmented into small patches within what was once their natural territory.
The loss and fragmentation of pine-oak forests and tropical rainforests is mainly due to deforestation and land use changes in favor of agriculture and livestock farming. These practices have drastically reduced the areas available for feeding and nesting.
One of the biggest problems facing the species is the scarcity of suitable nesting trees. These monogamous birds require large cavities in long-lived trees, which are often the first to be felled for timber.
It would be a tragedy if these skies one day awoke in silence, without the vibrant song of the macaws.
Source: ciencia.unam.mx
