City ParrotsUrban Scarlet Macaw & Parrot Conservation

City Parrots is dedicated to the miracle Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao) that have been ranging free in the Netherlands for over 25 years. Toos and Nape, as we have named these parrots, allow us, and you, a closer look into the lives of wild Scarlet Macaws. Both are representatives of the endangered Mezzo-American subspecies of Scarlet macaw (Ara macao cyanoptera). Read on…

These birds are fully wild. They were never caged and were born free. During the last 25 years they must have experienced nights of up to 24 degrees of frost (-24C). When we discovered the birds in March 2005 it was freezing and snow covered the land. I did not bring my camera then but I can assure you that it was a strange sight. Read on…

Authorities have shown little interest in them. They do not do any damage apart from pinching the odd apple or two. Most people are pleasantly surprised to see them.

Some birders (really only one or two) though are not pleased with these potential alien invaders. We have explained them that there really is no threat coming from these birds to the native wildlife. Being depended on human handouts in winter they could never become invasive.

The farm where these birds are fed is just in the rural area. From there they have the choice to fly into an extensive wildlife reserve or to fly into town. Funny enough they are mostly observed flying into town. Even popping up in the down town shopping centre. We suspect this is because most fruit baring trees are situated in urban areas. But they are also observed in the more rural parts of the area and in the wildlife reserve. They range for several miles.
Outside of the breeding season they are very hard to track. Most days they roost close to the nest but beyond that we rely on fluke observations and a network of birders that gracefully report sightings of them.

In The Netherlands only this pair remain. We call them Toos and Nape. There have been as many as 7 Scarlets seen in a flock and several successful nests since the late 70ties. It is unclear what happened to them. (Please let us know if you have information on this). Reports are that a northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) took several as prey and birds electrocuted themselves while playing on train power lines (something we suspect only young birds do). Read on…