While I love this blog, I now pretty much only write on my other two blogs: BirdingBlogs.com and 10,000 Birds - I would love to see you there!

Saturday 11 December 2010

the Macaws and I

Parrots are one of my favorite groups of birds. It all started with me getting involved in a research project at university studying the Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) - an incredibly intelligent and beautiful parrot with a huge bill and a unique demeanor. I subsequently got the opportunity to work on a few different parrot species and spent three years studying Scarlet Macaws in Costa Rica: enigmatic, fabulously bright and really big.

And recently I have started to write a little bit about them again...

Scarlet Macaw feeding on a Beach Almond nut. Photo (c) Franck & Christine Dziubak.

In my regular fortnightly blog post on 10,000 Birds, I started with an article that looked at relationships between individuals in a macaw society. Essentially, it seems that while sexually mature macaws form regular male-female pair bonds, there is a tendency for younger macaws to form other types of relationships in that young males often form very strong male-male pairs (think Fred and George Weasley) whilst young females spend much of their time in loose flock associations. This seems to be the logical (well, if you are a macaw, that is) result of how hierarchies and aggression works in macaw societies. See the full 10,000 Birds Scarlet Macaw article here.
The Frat Boys of the Birds World on 10,000 Birds

I then wrote a blog post in my regular Sunday slot at bindingblogs.com about individual personalities of the various macaws I was working with. Not surprisingly, each macaw is different and this is no less noticeable in the wild than in captivity. The longer I spent with the macaws, the quicker I was able to get a feel for who they were, what they were like and all sorts of fascinating "personality" insights. Fascinating creatures. See the full birdingblogs.com macaw personality article here.

Scarlet Macaw Personalities on birdingblogs.com

This last Tuesday I published another article on 10,000 Birds looking at community conservation and how going in to a new area with a self-righteous know-it-all attitude (even if one does know better or thinks one does) is more likely to harm conservation efforts than help them. I reflect on my experiences with the beautiful people of southern Costa Rica and how they opened their hearts to the Scarlet Macaws and conservation. Mind you, not because we tried to "educate them" or show them what was important, but because we interacted with them as equals and friends, and showed our interest in them. This interest, joy and wonder rubbed off and created the space for people to reflect this themselves, in their daily lives. The article was first published in PsittaScene Magazine (of the World Parrot Trust) and you can read the full 10,000 Birds Community Conservation post here.

Community Conservation - Valuing What's Around You on 10,000 Birds

So, it is not that I have not been blogging at all lately, it is just that I have found little time to invest in my Alpine Birds blog and almost no time spent birding or digiscoping lately. Well, except for the Snow Bunting, but that I blogged at birdingblogs.com.

Please visit me every Sunday on birdingblogs.com and every second Tuesday on 10,000 Birds and drop a comment and share with your friends.

Happy birding,
Dale Forbes

46 comments:

corey said...

No matter where you're writing I enjoy it!

Keep it up...the parrot posts have been fascinating.

Anonymous said...

Greetings from rain soaked Southern California.

I added myself to follow your blog. You are more than welcome to visit mine and become a follower if you want to :-)

May God bless you and your family in 2011 ~Ron

And always remember... Smiles don't have to be saved for a rainy day. It's good to waste them :-)

Chris said...

Excellent Dale... I love your way of sharing things with others... Just continue to open our eyes on another world... Thanks and happy new year!

Kah-Wai Lin said...

Great blog with great pictures!

Kah Wai
http://kwbirding.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

I really think you'll enjoy this video of a pissed off snowy owl in Nunavut, Canada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXtzz_M1m0M

Please consider posting a link on your blog to help this unique video receive more exposure!

Thank you!

Barbies4Sale! said...

They are all so beautiful. And your blog post make us wish we could be there. In deed we got so side tracked by reading your other post, that we almost forgot to Congratulate you on being chosen as one of blogger's, "Blogs of Note".

So, before we forget again.

Congratulations on your "Blog of Note" from Barbie and Ken of the Barbies4Sale blog.

Keep Birding and Blogging,

~ Barbie and Ken

commoncents said...

VERY COOL! Congrats on being chosen a Blog of Note. I'm glad I found your site...

Steve
Common Cents
http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com

dinda said...

great picture..

much bird in my country..
visit Indonesia ..
n take the picture in here ..

Ben Stuffing said...

This blog is great! I love all your posts because I love nature and wildlife. :)

jayant rijhwani said...

it is a beautifully written blog keep it up.

can you please help me by reading my blog and giving your comment about it.the link is

www.memorablethrill.blogspot.com

زفات said...

Great blog with great pictures!

Cookoo-Crazy said...

1. That first picture is so cute!
2. Congrats on being a blog of note
3. Click this to share said success?
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Unknown said...

Lovely boids my friend!

Armand Cordero said...

"Let me take you to Rio Rio"

Jet said...

Great post . Keep posting :-). And Congrats Blog Of Note ^^~

xoxoxo
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vananhshop.com said...

Great blog with great pictures!

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Jessica said...

Congrats on blog of note!

Magento said...

The pictures are really amazing.I just love this type of natural photograph.They are really wonderful.


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Anonymous said...

Fred and George?
I always feel happy when people reference Harry Potter out of the blue.

Unknown said...

Wow love your blog! i too love birds being the proud owner of 2 rainbow lorikeets they all have such amazingly personalities, here in new zealand we have alpine parrots, they are apparntly the smartest animals in the world... in all my dealings with them they are the cleverest cheekiest creatures i have come across

love your blog!!

check out my wild horses & me wwww.wildhorseproject.blogspot.com

Landsay said...

New,,,,
Again!

Web Hosting said...

amazing pics on blog and also design with nice layout...

Unknown said...

Birds are everywhere blackbirds sparrows parrots live in North America.I saw a hoot owl a while back and a eagle in Colorado.

Happy bird hunting Dale

Mendidik Buah Hati Kita said...

I lovely bird too ....

Mendidik Buah Hati Kita said...

I lovely birds too

Unknown said...

Parrots are pretty awesome. Very colorful, but I love tucans myself.

Dale Forbes said...

Hi All,

thank you for all your wonderful comments! I really appreciate them - it is always nice to get positive feedback when one puts so much time and love in to a project.

Happy birding,
Dale

Nicole said...

The parrot is so majestic looking! I wish more birds sported such bright colours.

Unknown said...

The parrot has nice colors and i could hear the bird talk it would talk to me

Sy said...

really cool blog, I recently got a job at the london wetlands center and am slowing getting into birding. love the pics on your site

Rosemildo Sales Furtado said...

Olá Dale! Estive passando, quando avistei o teu espaço, daí, invadi, gostei, e não resisti em dizer que o mesmo é muito bonito e bastante interessante. Com certeza, vou sair daqui com belas informações sobre às araras. Lindo!

Abraços e espero uma visita tua.

Furtado.

Webcam Males said...

cute parrot

Anonymous said...

Love this blog! It has amazing pics!!!!!

www.only1kind.blogspot.com

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

Beautiful blog - I love birds! Will be checking back here often.

Duncan In Kuantan

Ryan Dutka said...

Just found your blog, you have stunning photos!
I take some photos but they do not measure up to the photos you display here.
Keep up the great work !
From: Edmonton Real Estate

flalish12 said...

Cool Pictures

jaisdiary said...

quite comprehensive work. seem to be passionate about wild life keep it up. by the way did you come to india for Great Indian Bustards ?

paul garnett said...

Excellent photography..Really like this blog of yours.

Nicole Bunny said...

Beautiful birdies!
Parrots are my favorite :)
Great blog, keep it up!

Love,

KissyNicole
kissynicole.blogspot.com

daneastside said...

Hey, really nice article. Loved your insights and research.

Kyla said...

I love your blog, even if you haven't updated it in a while. I wanted to pop over and tell you that as well as informing you that I did a post on blogs I love today and this blog made the list! I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to share your interesting facts with all my friends.

If you'd like to check it out, you can find under the post Blogs, Blogs, Blogs at:

http://kylasnotnormal.blogspot.com/

Have a great day! I'll definitely look into your other blogs.

cory meli said...

i like animals very much,but sometime i am afraid when i look at their eyes or their mounth,their life is so different~

David Russo said...

Nice Parrot.

www.comicdaverusso.blogspot.com

Ulan News said...

nice post

Shiva rei said...

very good picture

Senja Berita said...

very useful article