Expanding nesting opportunities for hyacinth macaws in the Paraguayan Cerrado

A dark blue macaw in flight
Dark blue macaws perch in hollow tree

The Cerrado is the world’s most biodiverse savanna—home to 5% of the planet’s species—and provides essential connectivity between South American biomes, including the Amazon and Atlantic Forests. Among its inhabitants is the hyacinth macaw, whose populations are under threat from poaching, habitat loss, and increasingly destructive wildfires exacerbated by climate change. These challenges disrupt nesting patterns and the availability of large trees that macaws depend on for breeding, posing serious risks to their long-term survival.

In the Paraguayan region of the Cerrado, the Estancia Arrecife Natural Reserve is a critical site for hyacinth macaw conservation. The reserve, located in a key biodiversity corridor, is the only place in the country where nesting activities of these macaws have been recorded in recent years. Wildfires, particularly in 2020, have devastated large portions of the macaws' habitat, affecting breeding success. With support from the Wildlife Adaptation Innovation Fund, One Earth Conservation and WWF-Paraguay aim to address these issues that are threatening macaw populations.

First, local communities and authorities will engage in environmental education campaigns to raise awareness about poaching and habitat destruction. The project will then focus on restoring and enhancing macaw nesting sites through several key activities, including the repair of structurally weakened nest trees and the installation of 20 nest boxes in areas where natural tree cavities have been lost. Continuous monitoring will take place during nesting seasons, using endoscope cameras to track the health of eggs and chicks. By combining local engagement, education, and hands-on conservation work, the project will support long-term breeding success and help rebuild macaw populations, ultimately working to scale up efforts to safeguard macaws in other key regions of Paraguay.