That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

A wide array of habitat types and climatic conditions allow an incredible assortment of creatures to thrive in Columbia.  In fact, this South American country is home to more bird species – 1,750 at last count – than anywhere else on earth.

Wildlife and Birds Galore

Columbian takes up a mere 0.08% of the earth’s surface, but its wildlife accounts for 10-15% of the world’s animal species, and 19% of all known birds live there.

Included in this number are 15% of the world’s parrots – 54 species in all.  The parrot diversity is staggering, and the country’s popularity as a bird-watching destination is growing.  Within this avian paradise one can see 6 types of Macaw, 6 Amazons and such prizes as White-Eyed and Santa Marta Parakeets, Spectacled Parrotlets and Black-Headed Parrots. Read More »

With a mere 500 or so individuals remaining in the wild, and very few in captivity, the Lear’s Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari) is one of the world’s scarcest parrots.  Yet in its tiny home range of northeastern Bahia State, Brazil, this brilliant indigo-blue macaw poses a serious threat to subsistence corn farmers.  Parrots International, in concert with Pro Aves Brazil, the Lymington Foundation and other groups, has devised a most unique initiative that benefits farmers and birds alike.

Endangered but Troublesome

It’s easy for folks living in relative financial security to criticize others for killing macaws, but for indigent subsistence farmers in Bahia State, Brazil, the Lear’s Macaw represents a serious threat to survival.  The birds pillage the fields of people who, working without the benefit of mechanized equipment and fertilizer, raise barely enough corn to feed their families and livestock.  Children are often kept home from school in order to chase the bird, but the enterprising macaws have learned to largely ignore their efforts.  Read More »