Feeding ecology of Ara ararauna (Aves, Psittacidae) at firebreaks in western Cerrado, Brazil

Blue-and-yellow Macaws (Ara ararauna) in the Cerrado Protected Areas of Brazil, particularly Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks, are highly attracted to firebreaks due to the abundance of fruiting Anacardium humile shrubs. A study observed 76 macaw flocks foraging at these sites between September 2006 and February 2007, revealing that seeds from A. humile were their primary food source. Macaws also consumed young apical parts, leaves, flowers, and branches of other plant species, with a significant preference for shrubs over trees. Their foraging activities often resulted in damage to reproductive and young plant parts, highlighting the ecological impact of macaw behavior on these protected areas.

Tubelis, D. P. (2011). Feeding ecology of Ara ararauna (Aves, Psittacidae) at firebreaks in western Cerrado, Brazil. Biotemas, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2009v22n2p105