The Republic of Paraguay is bordered by Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia in South America. It is home to hyacinth and greenwing macaws, the yellow-faced Amazon, the turquoise-fronted Amazon, as well as several other parrot species.  Thanks to support from One Earth Conservation (OEC) and the World Wildlife Fund, parrot conservation efforts are growing through a small but passionate young organization – the Asociación para la Conservación de Psitácidos del Paraguay (Association for the Conservation of the Psittacines of Paraguay or ACPP).  It is these new, smaller organizations that are going to make the difference for parrots in the future, as they focus on their unique regions and the need for parrots to live safely among local populations.

Paraguay’s Parrot Protectors

Since 2023, ACPP has worked in collaboration with the Paraguayan Ministry of the Environment. It receives chicks seized from illegal trafficking, rehabilitates them, and then releases them into their natural ranges. In 2023, ACPP received five green-winged macaw chicks; four were released, and three of those are still being observed successfully in the wild. Success!

ACPP is also monitoring a recently released hyacinth macaw. In January of this year, ACPP organized a national parrot census, with the participation of 102 people from across the country. They identified 19 parrot species and 4,396 individuals. In conjunction with OEC, they have been monitoring the wild parrots of Paraguay for over 10 years and will continue to do so while expanding their range of coverage.

ACPP actively engages in social media to raise awareness about the issues affecting parrots, because, if we want parrots to survive and thrive, we know that local residents need to feel invested and essential to their protection and well-being. Follow ACPP’s Instagram account  and learn more about the OEC.

This month’s Lafeber donation goes to support this smaller organization that is on its way to making a big difference!