Home For the Holidays
By Abby Urbanek, Golden Eagle Audubon Board Member
I recently returned home after a whirlwind 11-day trip to Peru, a portion of which was spent in a region of the Peruvian Amazon called the Tambopata National Reserve. This area is known for its macaws (thanks to the region’s large clay licks), and the research center we stayed at is known for its conservation efforts to recover macaw populations after decades of decline.
Like Idaho’s birds, macaws face a slew of threats. One of the biggest threats to these brightly-colored, long-tailed birds is to their homes. Home is a subject that is often on our minds during the holiday season.
Scarlet Macaws and Blue-and-Yellow Macaws by Abby Urbanek
Macaw’s Ancient Homes
For me, home means my mom’s house—full of my eclectic antiques, amazing smells from the kitchen, and the giggles of my niece and nephew chasing each other around the house. beaks!).
Macaw on clay lick by Abby Urbanek
For macaws in Tambopata, home means a shihuahuaco tree. These giants of the Amazon are known for their natural deep cavities, which allow macaws to nestle deep in the trunk—protecting their eggs and chicks from the dangers outside (like weather, capuchin monkeys, and toucans…which can’t fit that deep in the cavity with those massive
With trees all around, one might think there are plenty of potential homes for macaws to choose from. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
It takes at least 300 years for a shihuahuaco tree to form a single cavity…300 years of life until it is ready to be home for a pair of macaws. Many of the trees aren’t making it to that age—they are being cut down and made into houses and furniture in the U.S. and China.
Challenging Conservation Work
Thankfully, people are stepping up. Conservationists are working to protect the trees and to build artificial nests that emulate the cavity of the tree. It’s not perfect—they’ve had to work through multiple designs, and it is a challenge to get the nests transported to remote locations—but it is working. Macaw populations are growing.
Protecting Birds at Home in Idaho
Just as people are stepping up in Tambopata, Golden Eagle Audubon is stepping up here at home in Idaho. We’ve made huge strides for birds this year. On the banks of the Boise River, we recently wrapped up a massive restoration project covering 40+ acres of habitat. We are already looking ahead to 2025, and plan to use our knowledge and expertise from this project to help restore and heal the landscape and homes of birds impacted by the Valley Fire.
Abby Urbanek and Ryan Smith
Birds will continue to inspire and amaze us—as long as they have a home. We are working hard to protect their homes by the river, in the foothills and in the desert. But we can’t do it without your help.
Support Bird Conservation
As you gather in your home this holiday season, please consider making a special donation to support the incredible work of Golden Eagle Audubon.
I’ve traded my Amazon views of scarlet macaws for the dark-eyed juncos and sparrows that frequent my backyard. I’m reminded that the birds and I share a home, and it wouldn’t be the same without them. Thank you for your generosity.