News: A Milestone for Macaws
For immediate release: Friday, 6 July 2012
Contact: Lee Hall, Friends of Animals
Taylor Jones, WildEarth Guardians
A Milestone for Hyacinth Macaws
Friends of Animals and WildEarth Guardians Confront the International Bird Trade
Washington, DC — Emily Bizwell Weller, in the Branch of Foreign Species for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, today distributed an e-mail, announcing:
“I am writing to inform you that on July 6, 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) published in the Federal Register a 12-month finding on a petition and proposed rule to list the hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This proposal, if made final, would extend the Act’s protection to this species.”
Weller states that this important proposed rule “is in response to a petition received from Friends of Animals, as represented by the Environmental Law Clinic, University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, on January 31, 2008, requesting that we list 14 parrot species under the Act.” *
Thus, in a step towards curtailing the harmful global trade in birds, all members of three macaw species, as well as a subspecies and a distinct population segment (DPS) of scarlet macaw, advanced towards vital protection. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed to list the hyacinth macaw, the military macaw, the great green macaw, the northern subspecies of scarlet macaw (Ara macao cyanoptera), and the northern DPS of the southern subspecies of scarlet macaw (A. m. macao) as “endangered” due to a variety of threats.
All four species of macaw were listed under CITES Appendix I because the pet trade threatened them with extinction. Yet they are still threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, as well as continued illegal trade and hunting.
“Endangered Species Act protection is key for foreign species taken from their homes for the pet trade,” said Taylor Jones, Endangered Species Advocate for WildEarth Guardians.
“Demand for these attractive, intelligent, and vocal birds in countries including the U.S. has driven extensive poaching in their home ranges. ESA protection is a further deterrent to trade and supports conservation efforts in these birds’ home countries.”Friends of Animals and WildEarth Guardians, with the University of Denver Environmental Law Clinic, reached a settlement in a lawsuit with the FWS in July 2010, in which the FWS agreed to provide overdue 12-month listing decisions for twelve parrot species petitioned by Friends of Animals. This finding is the last of those required under the 2010 settlement.
“Every bird cooped up in someone’s house is deprived of a free life with other members of their natural communities,” said Lee Hall, Legal Vice President for Friends of Animals, which filed the initial petition to list these communities of birds. “So we ask advocates in the United States and worldwide to complement our work with awareness campaigns to understand birds - no matter where they were born — as inappropriate pets.”
Hyacinth macaws are the largest birds in the parrot family, measuring around 3 feet in length. Their plumage is a dramatic cobalt blue and black, with yellow accents on the face. The species remains only in three areas, almost entirely within Brazil: Eastern Amazonia in Pará, Brazil; the Gerais region of northeastern Brazil; and the Pantanal of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil and marginally in Bolivia and Paraguay.
Hyacinth macaws nest in tree or cliff cavities. Individuals will take turns serving as a lookout for the group. Their habitat, in particular the large tree cavities they need for nesting, is threatened by agriculture and cattle ranching. In the 1970s and 80s, their population was devastated by illegal capture for the national and international pet trade — a single macaw could earn a bird catcher over $12,000 USD.
Great green macaws and military macaws have dark lime-green feathers mixed with blue flight feathers. Their lower backs are blue, with red and blue tails and red foreheads. The military macaws are slightly smaller and darker, and are found in wet mountain forests of the Andes from northern Mexico southward into Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and the southern tip of Argentina. There are likely only 1,000 to a few thousand individuals remaining, scattered across their remaining habitat in small, isolated populations of less than 100 birds. They nest colonially in tree cavities and cliffs, and, like most parrots, mate for life.
Great green macaws’ humid tropical forests, now severely fragmented, comprise five main areas: the border of Honduras and Nicaragua, the border of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the Darién region of Panama and Colombia, and two very small pockets in Ecuador. The total population is likely between 1,000 and 3,000 individuals. Their habitat of the almendro tree has declined significantly. Great green macaws are still trafficked for the pet trade in Honduras and Nicaragua.
Scarlet macaws, true to their name, are predominantly scarlet red, with bands of red, yellow, blue, and green on the upper side of their wings and blue tail-feathers. Their range extends from Mexico southward to central Bolivia and Brazil. They require large nest cavities, generally in larger, older trees, and the scarcity of these nest sites due to deforestation and forest degradation limits the ability of these large birds to raise families. They are threatened most severely by illegal capture for the domestic pet trade.
The FWS contends that scarlet macaws are secure within the portion of their range in the Amazon, but found that poaching is a substantial threat to the subspecies A. m. cyanoptera throughout its range in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and to the subspecies A. m. macao in Costa Rica and Panama.
- The e-mail goes on to say comments will be accepted until September 4, 2012; see http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/2012/2012-16461.pdf
Post your comment
Comment Guidelines: We welcome your expressions of opinion on this subject. Please avoid false commentary about individuals or groups. Facts must be verified by the person posting. Off-topic comments, and comments inappropriate for a readership of all ages, may be deleted. E-mail addresses will never be published. Only comments with valid e-mail address will be published.
5 Comments
On July 9, 2012, Rhoda S Smith wrote:
I have a Green-winged macaw for 20 years now, and about 6 years ago acquired a Hyacinth at age 3 l/2. These are both males and love each other. Chrissy the Green-wing is like a big brother or father to Mango. I have a large aviary outside that I place them about every day; we live in [city deleted] Florida. They get the best fresh food; pellets and nuts and much attention and love. They have toys galore and both talk, both were trained by me. There are so many breeders in the US, and this will hurt them…I’ve been reading in Bird Talk of all the breeders there are. Who is behind this: is it THE NATURE CONSERVANCY; NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY OR WORLD WILDLIFE FUND. PLEASE ADVISE AS SOON AS YOU CAN. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE BREEDERS IN THE US AT ALL.. WHY ARE YOU CONTROLLING THE US BREEDERS?
On July 10, 2012, Lee Hall, Friends of Animals wrote:
For Rhoda S Smith: You are not explaining why you think this will `hurt` U.S. breeders. But we can say this: U.S. breeders produce birds, captive birds who who live in life-long confinement, who very often manifest the stress of captivity and whose buyers very often tire of them. This is why so many end up needing care at sanctuaries, such as Primarily Primates in San Antonio. The U.S. trade also offers cover for bird sellers who procure birds from out of the country. And finally, it is the source of much trouble for birds who escape. You are likely aware of at least some of these issues already. The bottom line is that birds don’t exist to belong to us, and it is unfair to develop a practice in which they are forced to depend on us rather than make their own way in the world, in the habitat where they’ve evolved to grow, fly, interact, and raise their own young.
On July 26, 2012, Kate wrote:
While I sympathize the plight of the poor birds captured for the pet trade, I don’t think this should extend to birds that have for several generations been kept as pets. Many breeders depend on the one hyacinth baby a year to keep them open. Personally, I have been waiting for a hyacinth baby for a year. If this law is put into action, I’ll never get one. Yes, it’s a selfish notion but, what, should we just dump all of the hand raised babies into the wild and let them fend? Also, you can’t lump all US breeders into a single box…many breeders obtain their breeding pairs from other breeding pairs within the US. They all aren’t stressed or cruelly confined. What about the breeders who actually care for their pairs? I get that obtaining birds from out of the country is harmful to the already dwindling population but what about the babies produced IN the US? The logic of this is flawed, in my opinion.
On August 13, 2012, KristinaElla wrote:
The exact answer is that there is no exact answer. In captivity it’s possible for these birds to easily live at least 50 years depending on the care they receive. There are reports of birds that may have lived beyond that age but until the past 30 years I would be suspicious re many of the anecdotal stories of these large birds living to 80-90-100 years old. You see, someone could have proved they owned a Hyacinth for 60 years but they usually couldn’t prove if it was a year old or 10 yeas old when they first acquired it.Until the 1970s or ’80s you seldom heard the term avian vet or avian/medicine. Avian medicine, at least when it came to pet birds, was in its embryonic stage. A person who owned a large parrot could assign any age they wanted to their bird, the majority of which were wild-caught imports. They usually came w adult plumage so their age was just a guess. I’m not suggesting owners or breeders (esp zoos) lied it was just too hard to tell a semi-educated guess was the best you could get, even by avian biologists. That’s over now thanks to so much captive breeding success we know the hatch dates of the birds & can accurately track their age. This is due to great strides in the field of avian medicine. Bird nutrition is better understood, owners take sick birds to the vet. That wasn’t so much the case before. If you or someone you know wants one of these birds (or even a smaller parrot) be prepared for it to live 50 years. Very likely longer. At my age (50+) I wouldn’t expect to outlive a newborn macaw of any species LOL.If you just have to have a specific answer it would be 50 years easy, potentially more. Bird longevity is like human longevity. Allot of people live into their 90 s most don’t. A very, very few live to over 100. Same w these macaws, potential exists but is determined by many unknown factors. I’ve had a blue & gold macaw for 30 years but I don’t know if she’s 35, 40 or 32. My trusted vet takes an “educated” guess at closer to 40. My bird was a wild-caught import w adult plumage/eye color. Same w the blue fronted amazon I’ve had for 30 years. Sorry, you prob weren’t exactly looking for this much info but it was the best way I knew to get across why we don’t yet know exactly how long these birds will live but it’s a very long time!! Thanks for reading my answer.References : 30 years w my parrots
On April 5, 2013, Shelley Burger wrote:
“Every bird cooped up in someone’s house is deprived of a free life with other members of their natural communities,” said Lee Hall, Legal Vice President for Friends of Animals, which filed the initial petition to list these communities of birds. “So we ask advocates in the United States and worldwide to complement our work with awareness campaigns to understand birds - no matter where they were born — as inappropriate pets.”
So what does this mean to those of us who are currently owned by a parrot? Do you want to remove them from our homes and do what with them? At this point they will not be able to survive on their own.
FoA comments:
The main point is to end the trade of these birds — for any reason. They are not meant to be pets. For existing birds trapped in a cage, room or house, what would be best for them is to be given refuge in a bird sanctuary. In those cases where refuge in a bird sanctuary is not possible, the responsible thing is to continue with their care.