PARROTS INTERNATIONAL
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PARROTS INTERNATIONAL
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Military Macaw (Ara militaris)
The Natural History of the Sabino Canyon Military Macaws By Mark L. Stafford Click here to go back to Photos of the Military Macaw Sabino Canyon is home to the world's largest known population of Military Macaws. Presently there are about 100 macaws that reside in the shear canyon cliffs. The shear walls of Sabino Canyon are 800 feet (240 meters) high. The entire canyon is only about one mile (1.4 kilometers) in length from the eastern to the western entrances. The macaws only roost and nest within the short length of the slot canyon, cut by the Sabino River through the solid rock. The canyon floor is narrow at about 50-100 feet wide and rises to about 275 feet (130 meters) apart at the top. It is here, on the edge of the precipitous cliffs, that the macaws can most easily be observed as they fly in and out of the canyon, visit their nest cavities, feed, and rest.
The canyon is reached by car three hours north-east from the International Airport at Oaxaca City, Mexico. The canyon sits in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains at an altitude of about 2500 feet (800 meters).
Each morning just before the sun rises over the Sierra Madre to the east, all 100 resident Military Macaws begin to call, their screams echoing up and down the rock walls of the canyon. Then, as if on cue, all 100 macaws fall into formation and fly in mass, like a huge green magic carpet, down the length of the valley and out the east entrance into the valley beyond. This is how every day starts. Then depending on the season of the year they disperse to other parts of the greater valley, or forage and return to the Sabino Canyon to feed their chicks.
Sabino Canyon was discovered in 2001 by Manuel Salazar during investigation of vegetation characteristics in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains for the Laboratorio de Vertebrados Terrestres Department at CIIDIR-Oaxaca (Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigacion para el Desarrollo Integral Regional), a polytechinical Institute based in Oaxaca City. Since then Carlos Bonillo Ruz, MsC. has devoted the major part of his career to the study and conservation of the Sabino Militaries. In part, Carlos's concern is due to the knowledge that in the late 1980's, 80 individuals (Ara militaris) were decimated in the Sierra Gorda reserve in Queretaro, Mexico. And, in 2002, 50 individuals were killed in Durango, Mexico.
Each nest is within a deep cavity high up on the cliff face. The nests are located on both walls of the canyon at heights of more than 150 meters from the canyon floor. In recent years there have been 10-12 active nests, with about 10 chicks fledging each year. Therefore, the recruitment of fledglings is about 10% per year. The breeding season begins in January, with the courtship and selection of the cavities for nesting. It lasts until September/October when nestlings fledge to make their first flight. The population then prepares for the migration towards their wintering lands in the south of the Oaxacan Canada, about 40 kilometers from their nests in the Sabino.
The Sabino Canyon is located within the Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Bioshpere Reserve. The south wall of the canyon is owned by the Mixtec Indian Community of San Pedro Jocotipac. The north wall of the canyon is owned by the Indian Community of Santa Marķa Tecomavaca.
Dr. Bonillo and Mark and Marie Stafford of Parrots International are working to educate the Community and leaders of San Pedro Jocotipac on conservation options for their Military Macaws. The leaders of San Pedro have been very receptive to conservation strategies and information. Carlos Bonillo is working closely with the community leaders on site at San Pedro. Parrots International is supplying funding and conservation equipment to the Military Macaw Project and conservation/education materials and support to the community of San Pedro. Additionally, Parrots International is donating health/medical supplies to the community. The average daily wage in the Community of San Pedro is about 10 pesos per day. The exchange rate is about 11 pesos per dollar. Therefore the Community of San Pedro is a very poor and impoverished community. The hope is to build a win/win conservation project that is economically advantageous for the community of San Pedro and assured the conservation and protection of the Militaries of Sabino Canyon. The community leaders are very enthusiastic and committed to the Military Macaw Conservation Project proposal. This is a project where a few dollars can make a dramatic impact and help save the largest know population of the spectacular Military Macaw, the Sabino Canyon Militaries. For more information contact: Dr. Mark L. Stafford @ info@parrotsinternational.org Dr. Carlos Bonillo Ruz @ cbonill@hotmail.com
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