Project properties
Title Nesting sites for the endemic and endangered Blue-throated Macaw
Group Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group
Project type thesis
Credits 24-36
Supervisor(s) Lourens Poorter
Other organisation: Tjalle Boorsma (Asociación Civil Armonía)
Examiner(s) Prof.Dr. F.J.J.M (Frans) Bongers
Contact info lourens.poorter@wur.nl
http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/Persons/dr.ir.-L-Lourens-Poorter-1.htm
Begin date 2018/03/05
End date
Description The Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) is an endemic and critically endangered parrot species inhabiting palm forest islands, located on elevated soils surrounded by natural grassland in the threatened Beni savanna ecoregion, Bolivia. The Barba Azul Nature Reserve (11.000 ha) is the only protected area where this species is able to forage on Motacu Palm (Attalea phalerata) and hopefully is able to nest in the nearby future.

Due to 150 years of deforestation and extensive cattle ranching, these forests have been altered and are not able to offer safe breeding ground for the Barba Azul. Little is known about the original state of these palm forests and many questions arise. What are favorable trees for nesting? and of what age? Nest-boxes have turned out to be successful for an isolated group of Barba Azul that is not able to intermingle with the reserves population. This proofs the validity of this project and should therefore be executed and monitored in the BA reserve as well. Placing the nest boxes, monitoring adult behavior, improving these artificial nest cavities, studies on competition with their close relative the Blue-and-Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) and research on their habitat (palm forest islands) is necessary for saving this endangered species and understanding their behavior.
Are you interested in an adventurous thesis/internship project in the middle of nowhere where horses are the means of transportation in an amazing ecosystem filled with wildlife, than get in contact with us


Biodiversity and functional diversity/ Plant-animal interactions/ Population and forest dynamics/ Sustainable forest management/ Forest restoration and succession / America's/ Tropical zone
Used skills SPSS or other statistical packages
Requirements FEM-30306 Forest Ecology and Forest Management; REG-31806 Ecological Methods I;