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Reduced diet breadth in the Scarlet Macaw Ara macao of the Área de Conservación Osa (ACOSA), Costa Rica: Implications for conservation and ecotourism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2020

JOSEPH O.E. HAMM Open the ORCID record for JOSEPH O.E. HAMM [Opens in a new window] ,
GRACE M. BOND ,
LAURA C. EXLEY  and
EMMA A. KOREIN
JOSEPH O.E. HAMM*
Affiliation:
School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, UK. Society for Environmental Exploration, 50-52 Rivington Street, London, UK.
GRACE M. BOND
Affiliation:
School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK. Society for Environmental Exploration, 50-52 Rivington Street, London, UK.
LAURA C. EXLEY
Affiliation:
Society for Environmental Exploration, 50-52 Rivington Street, London, UK.
EMMA A. KOREIN
Affiliation:
Society for Environmental Exploration, 50-52 Rivington Street, London, UK.
*
*Author for correspondence; email: [email protected]
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Summary

The Área de Conservación Osa (ACOSA) contains the largest population of Scarlet Macaws Ara macao in Costa Rica. Despite their influence on ecosystem dynamics and status as a flagship species, empirical data on the foraging patterns of this population is lacking. This information is crucial in implementing effective conservation strategies, particularly reintroduction attempts. Observations of feeding behaviour were made systematically over a 12-month period to provide the first direct examination of Scarlet Macaw diet within the ACOSA region. Scarlet Macaws feed on various items including seeds, flowers, bark, and leaf-gall larvae. Key findings included a demonstration of a smaller dietary niche breadth than that recorded for other Central American populations, use of button mangrove Conocarpus erectus, a species not previously recognised as a food source for Scarlet Macaws, and a heavy reliance on an exotic non-native species, Terminalia catappa. We argue that whilst human-modified coastal locations may present viable habitat for Scarlet Macaws, anthropogenic influences including the removal of native food sources and proliferation of exotic and cultivated species have left the Scarlet Macaws of the ACOSA particularly dependent on a small number of species.

Resumen

Resumen

El Área de Conservación Osa (ACOSA) contiene la mayor población de Guacamayos Rojos Ara macao de Costa Rica. Pese a su influencia en las dinámicas del ecosistema y su estatus de especie bandera, faltan datos empíricos sobre los patrones de búsqueda de alimento de esta población. Esta información es crucial para implementar estrategias de conservación efectivas y, particularmente, para llevar a cabo intentos de reintroducción. Observaciones del comportamiento alimentario fueron realizadas de manera sistemática durante un período de 12 meses para proporcionar el primer examen directo de la dieta del Guacamayo Rojo dentro de la región de ACOSA. Los guacamayos rojos se alimentan, entre otros, de semillas, flores, de la corteza de los árboles y de larvas en las agallas de las hojas. Los hallazgos clave incluyeron una demostración de que la amplitud del nicho alimentario es menor que la registrada para otras poblaciones centroamericanas, el uso del mangle botón Conocarpus erectus, el cual es una especie previamente no reconocida como fuente de alimento de los guacamayos rojo, y una gran dependencia de una especie exótica no nativa, Terminalia catappa. Nuestro argumento es que, aunque las localizaciones costeras modificadas por el hombre pueden representar un hábitat viable para los guacamayos rojo, ciertas influencias antrópicas entre las que se encuentran la eliminación de fuentes de alimento nativas y la proliferación de especies exóticas y cultivadas han dejado a los guacamayos rojo de ACOSA particularmente dependientes de un pequeño número de especies.

Keywords

Scarlet Macawdietecotourismexoticnon-nativeTerminalia catappaCosta Ricaguacamayo rojodietaecoturismoexóticono nativoTerminalia catappaCosta Rica
Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 30 , Issue 4 , December 2020 , pp. 575 - 585
Copyright
© BirdLife International, 2020

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