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Scarlet macaws abandon smaller chicks, scientist finds
Scientist Gabriela Vigo-Trauco has identified a specific breeding behavior in scarlet macaws that contributes to declining populations. After decades of studying the birds in the Peruvian Amazon, Vigo-Trauco, a researcher from Texas A&M University, discovered that parent macaws often intentionally stop feeding their smallest chicks to ensure the survival of older, more developed siblings.
Research conducted using tree-mounted cameras revealed that third and fourth chicks in a clutch almost never survive, and approximately 25% of second-born chicks also perish due to abandonment. While this behavior likely served as an evolutionary survival strategy to concentrate resources on the most viable offspring, it now hinders species recovery as populations struggle against external threats like poaching and habitat loss.
To combat these declines, researchers are developing new strategies to increase chick survival rates and bolster the species' presence in the wild.
Entities
Amazon · Gabriela Vigo-Trauco · Tambopata National Reserve · Texas A&M University
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Scarlet macaws can lay up to four eggs per season. diariodelcauca.com.co · www.diariodelsur.com.co
- [● 2 SOURCES] Scarlet macaw populations are declining due to poaching and habitat loss. diariodelcauca.com.co · www.diariodelsur.com.co
- [● 3 SOURCES] Third and fourth chicks in a clutch almost never survive due to being abandoned by parents. www.bbc.com · diariodelcauca.com.co · www.diariodelsur.com.co
- [● 3 SOURCES] Scientist Gabriela Vigo-Trauco discovered that scarlet macaws intentionally stop feeding their smallest chicks. www.bbc.com · diariodelcauca.com.co · www.diariodelsur.com.co
- [● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 25% of second-born chicks also die from lack of food. www.bbc.com · diariodelcauca.com.co · www.diariodelsur.com.co