10 Questions for the Bird Man of Pavones

Macaws disappeared from the Pavones area around 40 years ago. They were captured for the pet business, eaten outright, or have suffered from the loss of habitat.

Today, the scarlett macaws that screech overhead and stun us with their magnificent plumage are here because of the group Hatched to Fly Free, which has reintroduced the “Ara Macao” to Pavones, Costa Rica through the ARA PROJECT. We spoke to Chris Castles about the birds in our midst.


What’s new with the Ara project?
We’ve been very active. Allan [Taylor, head field biologist] has been busy completing the 7th release of macaws. This has added 12 birds to the program. There are now over 50 macaws living in the Pavones area. There is a continual program of monitoring of the birds movements, activities, food sources, social behaviour and breeding attempts.

Do the Scarlett Macaws migrate to other areas?
Macaws can have huge ranges, over 50 square kilometers, depending on food sources. The birds released around Pavones have been seen as far south as Punta Burica and as far north and west as Zancudo and Conte.

How can Pavones residents help?
You can feed the bird indirectly by planting almond trees in your gardens. This way everyone wins. Planting gives you a beautiful tree in your garden, helps the environment and the birds get food to eat whilst bringing them into your gardens.

Don’t feed the birds. They may be a beautiful sight near your house but feeding them can seriously endanger their future. By feeding them, the birds become accustomed to humans, and human’s surroundings -- including cats and dogs. As more babies are born, it becomes increasingly important that these birds will have had NO contact with humans.

Who pays for all this?
Chiquita brands in the past have donated generously money and food to the project, unfortunately this along with many other past supporters has ceased due to the economic crisis.

We are looking for donations to expand the project. If anyone can help out, financially, they can e-mail me at hatchedtoflyfree@gmail.com

What do they eat?
The staple diet of the macaws, their rice and beans if you like, are beach almond and guavas. The erosion along the beach is potentially a problem with a lot of the almond trees washing away. If you find a sapling growing beneath established almond trees, try replanting some these!

Also, if you have any interesting observations or reports on the macaws in your area please do talk with one of the biologists or volunteers, all information on sightings of the birds are helpful.

Is it still true that the only way to tell a female from a male to send a DNA sample to the United States for testing?
Yes this is the only accurate method of sexing macaws. In general males are bigger and more aggressive than females; however a small number of the biggest birds are female.

Do macaws mate for life?
Once bonded as a breeding pair they generally remain monogamous for the rest of their lives, but this is not always the case. Should one bird of a pair die the remaining bird look for another mate.

Some have speculated that one pair, near Anixia’s café Las Brisas del Mar, are lesbian macaws.
We know the pair near Brisas del Mar well and I’m sure the male ‘lesbian’ will be most surprised to hear these views. He is one of the dominant males in the entire number of released birds and if he finds out you are questioning his masculinity, there may be trouble!

Before joining together as breeding birds you will find any combination of sexes with all female, all male and mixed groupings just as with humans. I guess these are the teenage years!

Any plans for a Scarlett Macaw educational and tourism center in Pavones?
Yes part of our long term goal in the area is to enhance and expand our release project, as a crucial factor into the success of any species conservation and reintroduction program is community education, involvement and participation, we are currently looking for donations towards making this possible.

Do macaws taste like chicken?
I have no idea what macaws taste like however I believe that eating them will seriously damage your reproductive organs….. or certainly will if any of us catch someone eating one!

A Non-Profit organization, The Ara Project: Hatched to Fly Free Breeding for Release Program, (formerly Amigos de las Aves), is based in Rio Segundo de Alajuela. Chris Castles, originally from New Zealand, is part of a small dedicated international team of aviculturists, ornithologists, biologists, zoo keepers and volunteers who make up the group responsible for reintroducing the native Scarlet Macaw (ara macao) to Pavones and Punta Banco. This team also includes Allan Taylor, Head field biologist, Co-director Marti Everett based at the breeding center in Alajuela, Fernanda Hong and the Beirute Family, and Ilona Thewisson. This group is assisted by national and international volunteers who devote their time and energy into this unique project.

Photo credits: Frank Dziubak