Celebrating the 27th anniversary of El Palmar Protected Area, the first Red-fronted Macaw Futsal Championship, “Playing to Support Conservation”, was organized from the 18th to 20th of May 2024. This initiative aimed to contribute to the conservation of the Red-fronted Macaw (Ara rubrogenys), generating awareness to prevent the extinction of this Critically Endangered endemic macaw through sports. The EL Palmar Protected Area is very unique and important to the Red-fronted Macaw , as this is the only place where the macaws breed in the trunks of the Janchicoco palm (Parajubaea torallyi), another Bolivian endemic species, instead of the typical breeding in rock cliffs.
This sport event was organized by the El Palmar National Park, with the financial support from Asociación Armonía through the Play for Nature Foundation. The Play for Nature Fund is dedicated to assisting biodiversity conservation organizations who aim to use sport as an awareness tool.
The sporting event featured the participation of both male and female teams from 10 communities that are found within the El Palmar National Park: Molani, Rodeo El Palmar, Joya Charal, Loman, Aramasi, San Francisco, El Palmar, Chajramayo, Trancas Horno Qasa, and Torco Torco. Each community chose a representative bird species from its area, such as the Andean Flicker (Colaptes rupicola) representing the Aramasi community, the Red-tailed Comet (Sappho sparganurus) for Rodeo El Palma, and the Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) for Torco Torco.
Asociación Armonía provided sports jerseys, balls, inflators and the trophies. Two trophies with each a beautiful Red-fronted Macaw emblem were awarded to the best female team (Torco Torco) and male team (Chajramayu). It is expected that the champions of the two winning teams will keep the trophies until the next championship when they will be celebrating the next anniversary of the protected area.
“Futsal is a sport regularly practiced in this region, but now with this championship, we seek to raise awareness among communities about the conservation of the Red-fronted Macaw and other local birds,” stated Romeo Rojas, co–coordinator of the Red-fronted Macaw Program at Armonía.
For Lisbeth Callejas Vallejos, director of the El Palmar National Park, the championship is an essential tool for raising awareness among communities about the importance of protecting the area’s biodiversity. El Palmar is characterized by its cultural diversity and is home to the Red-fronted Macaw, as well as the Spectacled Bear, known as Jucumari (Tremactos ornatus), and the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus). These species face various levels of threats and inhabit one of the best-preserved Janchicoco palm forests in Bolivia.
Jaime Roca Castro, Mayor of the Presto Municipality, emphasized the importance of sports as a means to raise awareness and foster pride in the species inhabiting the area. “On many occasions, we see the Red-fronted Macaws as enemies simply because they eat our corn, and we don’t tend to appreciate them, and we even perceive them as a nuisance. However, organizing a championship in honor of this species is crucial because it allows people to identify and become fond of the animal, and that is precisely what we aim to achieve,” stated the municipal authority.
Another activity held during the anniversary was a demonstration of rappelling from rock cliffs along one of the area’s tourist trails, led by members of the Toro Toro Guides Association. José Fernández, president of this association, highlighted the sector’s great tourism potential for developing adventure tourism, as well as other branches of tourism, such as promoting birdwatching to directly benefit the communities. “In Toro Toro, we are venturing into birdwatching; although we are still in an early stage and need further training, we are diversifying our sources of income. We want the local population in El Palmar to empower themselves and feel proud of everything they have. It is essential to collaborate with specialized institutions like Armonia, private companies, and the local community, working together to promote this destination with its extraordinary biodiversity,” explained José Fernández.
Photo:Two Red-fronted Macaws on a Janchicoco palm tree. (Parajubaea torallyi). Ernst Udo Drawert, Armonía.
More information about the Red-fronted Macaw:
- In 2021, Asociación Armonía conducted a Red-fronted Macaw population census in which we found approximately 160 nests throughout the species distribution. This Bolivian endemic parrot is only found at four river basins in the inter-Andean Dry Valleys in the heart of Bolivia: Caine, Mizque, Río Grande, and Pilcomayo watersheds. It is estimated that the population consists of approximately 1,200 individuals.
- In 2022, Armonia published the Red-fronted Macaw Action Plan highlighting all the required conservation actions to prevent the extinction of this emblematic macaw.
- Asociación Armonía has been working on Red-fronted Macaw conservation for over 15 years. One of the success stories was the creation of a bird observation lodge located at the Red-fronted Macaw Community Reserve (Cochabamba), where the local communities of San Carlos, Perereta, and Amaya manage tourism. The reserve protects the world’s most important Red-fronted Macaw breeding cliff. The revenue generated from tourism is divided among the three communities and contributes to the sustainability and protection of the area.
- In November 2023, new tourist routes were inaugurated in the communities of Matanseria, and Julo Grande, both within the municipality of Toro Toro (Potosí). The aim is to provide visitors with the opportunity to observe the Red-fronted Macaw (Ara rubrogenys) and other inter-Andean Dry Valley specialized bird species. Local guides and park rangers from Toro Toro underwent training in both theoretical and practical aspects of birdwatching.