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Entry 722Filed under Breeding

Building the Skills to Protect Great Green Macaws

In April 2026, conservation teams trained in Panama to access Great Green Macaw nests, monitor breeding, check chick health, and maintain nest boxes.
3-minute read By Animalso Team
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Conservationists need specialized climbing and nest-management skills to monitor Great Green Macaw nests safely and care for nest sites high in the forest canopy. In April 2026, teams from across the Neotropics gathered in Panama for a World Parrot Trust workshop that paired canopy-access training with hands-on work at active nests. The report documents what participants learned and practiced—not a measured change in macaw numbers or breeding success.

Why Great Green Macaw nests need active conservation

Great Green Macaws rely on large natural cavities in mature trees. Deforestation and habitat loss have reduced suitable nesting sites across much of the species’ range, while remaining hollows face competition. The World Parrot Trust (WPT) report says many suitable nest trees rise more than 30 metres above the forest floor; it does not provide a survey method for that descriptive figure.

Artificial nest boxes can supplement scarce natural cavities, but they are not a stand-alone solution. They must be installed in suitable locations and trees, then maintained and monitored. Nest work is one part of broader conservation efforts, rather than a guarantee that macaws will breed successfully.

What the Panama workshop taught

WPT’s Neotropics Regional Director, Jack Haines, and Yellow-naped Amazon Coordinator Dr Noelia Volpe led the April 2026 workshop with Panama Wildlife Conservation. Its two phases moved from foundational canopy training to field application.

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Canopy-access training at Parque Nacional Camino de Cruces

Over several days at Parque Nacional Camino de Cruces in Panama City, participants learned the foundations of safe canopy access. Training covered climbing systems, rope techniques, rescue procedures, and proper use and maintenance of specialist equipment.

Field practice in Cambutal

In Cambutal, participants applied those techniques at active Great Green Macaw nests. They accessed natural cavities, assessed nest conditions, monitored breeding activity, and carefully handled chicks during health checks. They also installed and maintained artificial nest boxes.

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This work demands more than reaching a nest: teams need to manage access, assess the cavity and its condition, and carry out monitoring and chick checks carefully. The workshop report describes those activities, but does not give an attendance count, a nest-success rate, or a quantified conservation outcome.

How participants described the training

Participants also emphasized learning from one another and building professional connections. Isabelle Beuret of Summit said: “It has been an extremely enriching experience, both professionally and personally. The workshop not only allowed me to acquire new technical knowledge and practical skills in climbing, installing, and monitoring artificial nests—essential for the development of psittacine conservation and reintroduction projects—but it also strengthened the exchange of experiences among professionals in the region. Furthermore, I especially value the opportunity to have created and consolidated relationships with highly committed and passionate individuals dedicated to conservation, which opens the door to future collaborations and the strengthening of working networks in Latin America.”

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Monica Franco Gutierrez, Director of Horizon Conservation, said: “Thanks to the tree climbing and nest management course provided by WPT, we will be able to continue strengthening our work and advance in the conservation of the Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) in the Colombian Chocó.” These are participant reflections, not independent evaluations of the workshop’s results.

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Who took part—and where the skills may apply

WPT identifies Green Island Challenge, Horizon Conservation, Summit, Fundación ProAves de Colombia, and Ministerio de Ambiente de Panamá among the participating organisations and partners. The report presents the workshop as practical training for people already engaged in conservation work. It says the techniques may also transfer to other parrot conservation and cavity-nesting bird projects in Latin America and beyond; that is a potential application, not a measured regional impact.

What the report does—and does not—establish

The World Parrot Trust report by Megan Haines, published May 11, 2026, records the workshop’s training and field activities. It does not quantify long-term changes in Great Green Macaw populations, nest availability, breeding success, or chick survival. It also provides no population estimate, workshop attendance total, or success rate. Readers should understand the report as an account of capacity-building work, not evidence that these outcomes have already changed.

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