What would you like to know about wild parrots in South America?

[Tiki]

In July, I will be in Peru and Brazil. I plan on making a DVD hopefully that will be marketable about seeing wild parrots in South America. My presenting style is more like Globetrekkers-down to earth and on a budget. I want to make it as complete as possible to cover tourist (ecotourism) information, where to see wild parrots and what kind of parrots are there.

I will have the opportunity to interview top researchers, especially of Hyacinth Macaws in Brazil and Greenwings, Scarlets and BG Macaws in Peru.

What would you like to know about these birds? I am trying to get a list of questions together to ask them. Are there habits of wild parrots that would help you to understand your own parrots?

Besides Macaws, there will be Conures, Quakers, Pionus and Amazons so I hope to cover as many species as possible and get some awesome footage!

[daughterbirdlover]

I would be interested in knowing more about flock instincts and how they influence pet behavior.

[wildirish]

Tiki, that sounds amazing!!!! I agree about the flock dynamics! I think that it would help alot to know more about the wild instincts. It is actually kind of hard to sit here and think of questions LOL! I guess I will have to pm you later LOL!

[ROYJOY]

you might be able to answer this one now. i was wondering if the sun conure exsists in the wild, or is it human creation? and how do they hide, with those bright colors, are they imulating a flower of those colors, and for that matter, how do all those colorful macaws, hide from preditors? is there that much colorful folage to blend in with? the only jungle i've been to is viet nam, and it wasnt all that colorful. mostly green. didnt see any hook bills there either.

[Monica]

Not to take the spotlight away.... but yes sun conures DO exist in the wild... and for years researchers once thought the sulphur breasted parakeet (scientific terms, it's really a conure - Aratinga pintoi) was a sun conure...

The biggest predator (so to speak) to these parrots are probably trappers... however, I would also go as far as saying that chicks are probably in more danger than their parents... but I don't know what predators the parrots do face... as hyacinths easily wonder for forest floor in search of fallen palm nuts or otherwise... thus I don't necessarily think that they hide from predators, thus there may not be such a big issue with them being preyed upon?

So really, besides Spix Macaws, and hybrid parrots, you'll be able to find all captive raised parrots ancestors in their natural habitats (that they originated from). This is because parrots have yet to be domesticated...

May be interested in these links...
YEC Project Home
Donald Brightsmith and the Tambopata Macaw Research Project
Hyacinth Macaw Project



Wouldn't mind seeing flock interactions, as well as conures myself!

[ROYJOY]

thanx again monica, youre always a well of knowlege.

[Tiki]

Suns and Jandays are from northern Brazil so I won't see them on this trip. I will see Nandays, Greencheeks, I think a couple other Conure species and Quakers.

[pinkparrot]

I would like to know more on eating habbits. What they eat and the reason the eat clay.

[ROYJOY]

what do conures eat?

[Buteo]

All would be of great interest to me, but especially new info/pics on any of the Pionus clan.