08/02/2025
CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY OF THE NORTHERN SCARLET MACAW
Mexico’s Long Road to a Northern Scarlet Macaw Revival
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If you are seriously interested in the only subspecies of the Scarlet Macaw, the Northern Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao cyanopterus), this new short film is an absolute "must" to watch. This award-winning - and in every way immensely impressive - film about the conservation of the last approximately 1,000 specimens of the Northern Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao cyanopterus) on Mexican soil shows some stunning, sharp film footage, including unique close-up footage and some completely amazing footage of the birds in flight and of their natural habitat, including nesting sites. Here, you are presented with the life of the birds in the wild, and you get a touching insight into the tireless nature conservation work that dedicated and inspiring scientists in interaction with the local population carry out.
The Northern Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao cyanopterus) in Mexico faces two major threats in the wild, namely deforestation and poaching. Unfortunately, it has been shown that poaching (removal of young birds from the wild for the illegal pet trade, including export to Asian countries) is an even greater threat to the bird's existence than deforestation.
Recent American scientific studies have shown that the Northern Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao cyanopterus) has a very fragmented natural distribution, which makes it extremely vulnerable, as the different populations are estimated to be too small to survive in the long term. However, the population in the Lacandon rainforest in Mexico's southernmost state, Chiapas, appears to have the prerequisites to become viable in the long term, if the conservation efforts that have lasted for two decades are allowed to continue. This effort is led by an environmental politician, a small Mexican nonprofit, Natura y Ecosistemas Mexicanos, and a network of local guardians in Chiapas, helping Mexico’s last Northern Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao cyanopterus) survive despite the twin threats of deforestation and poaching. This project has already proven essential in preventing this subspecies from becoming extinct in its northernmost range, namely Mexico. Historically, this subspecies in Mexico ranged from the state of Tamaulipas in the north to the Lacandon rainforest in southern Mexico, but today there are an estimated population of only 1,000 of this Macaw subspecies left in Mexico alone, almost all of them living in the Lacandon rainforest in southern Chiapas.
More than 80 % of Mexico’s original tropical rainforest has disappeared, much of it in the last 40 years. The Lacandon rainforest covers less than 1 % of Mexico's total land area, yet it contains an invaluable biodiversity, which includes both many bird species and mammals.
Watch this amazing, breathtaking film, enjoy it and learn from its messages about nature conservation, it lasts approximately 15 minutes and is in Spanish, but has English subtitles.
The film is made by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Center in partnership with Natura y Ecosistemas Mexicanos and the acclaimed wildlife photographer Tim Laman, and here is the link to the film: (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/conservation-and-recovery-of-the-scarlet-macaw-in-mexico-video/).
If you furthermore are interested in knowing more about the Northern Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao cyanopterus) - the only scientifically recognized subspecies of the (Southern) Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao macao) - you can click on my website and read my article about the scientific evidence for the existence of this unique subspecies, see https://www.birdkeeper.dk/artikler-om-papeg-jearter/arakanga.
Have a nice weekend!
Best regards,
Jorgen Petersen
www.birdkeeper.dk
“Natural breeding, natural behaviour”
DENMARK
Veterinario de aves silvestres con Proyección enfocada en la conservación de psitacidos. Atención personal por el Dr. Carlos F. Aguilar González
