In the valleys of Potosí, within the community of Cuñurani, bordering Torotoro National Park, a strategic alliance between Quechua communities and the hemispheric initiative Conserva Aves is driving the creation of a 10,000-hectare Community Protected Area. This effort seeks to help safeguard the Red-fronted Macaw (Ara rubrogenys), one of Bolivia’s most iconic and threatened endemic bird species.
At 5:30 a.m., the Caine River Canyon appears as a monumental silhouette of shadows and twilight—a deep gorge cutting through the dry inter-Andean valleys of Potosí. The air is cold and dense, but the silence does not last long. From the canyon’s rocky cliffs and crevices, a sharp metallic chorus breaks the dawn. These are the first calls of the Red-fronted Macaw, a remarkable display of social coordination that marks the beginning of the daily routine of one of Bolivia’s most emblematic and endangered birds.
Before taking flight, the macaws gather along the upper edges of the canyon. They stretch their vivid green wings, accented by the brilliant red feathers on their foreheads and shoulders, welcoming the first rays of sunlight in what resembles a carefully orchestrated assembly.
Endemic to Bolivia’s dry inter-Andean valleys, the Red-fronted Macaw is considered an umbrella species. Protecting it means safeguarding the dry forests and the rich biodiversity they support. In the face of climate change and growing environmental pressures, contributing to its conservation has become an urgent priority.
Unlike other large macaw species, Ara rubrogenys does not form permanent flocks of hundreds of individuals. Instead, it organizes itself into family groups, breeding pairs, and small flocks of between five and thirty birds that gather around specific nesting and feeding sites.
Its native diet reflects a remarkable adaptation to the dry forest ecosystem. The species feeds on seeds and fruits from native trees such as soto (Schinopsis haenkeana), jarca (Acacia visco), columnar cacti, and several species of mesquite (Prosopis spp.). One of its most distinctive behaviors is that, unlike many other macaws, it frequently forages on the ground, skillfully walking to collect fallen seeds.
The macaws are constantly vigilant. While most of the flock feeds, one or two sentinels perch in the highest branches, scanning the sky for hawks and eagles. At the slightest alarm call, the entire group takes off instantly.
Before daylight is fully established, Red-fronted Macaws often gather near agricultural fields or among harvested corn stalks. They land on crop residues or directly on the ground, moving quietly and skillfully as they feed on dry kernels. A similar behavior occurs in peanut fields, where the birds descend and dig into the soil to find oily seeds—one of their preferred food sources.
By midday, as dry and oppressive heat settles over the canyon, activity comes to an abrupt halt. Between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., the macaws enter a period of complete rest, sheltering within the dense vegetation of secondary ravines to avoid dehydration. This is a time of intimacy and social bonding. Lifelong monogamous pairs preen each other, reinforcing bonds so strong that even in flight their wings often seem to brush together. Meanwhile, juveniles play among the branches, practicing bites, climbs, and balancing acts.
Life for the Red-fronted Macaw in the canyon is shaped by extreme temperature fluctuations—cold mornings and nights contrasted with scorching daytime heat—and by a remarkably cohesive social structure.
Today, however, this birdwatching paradise stands at a crossroads. The region faces increasing threats associated with climate change, including rising temperatures, reduced rainfall, and greater climatic unpredictability. In addition, tensions persist between wildlife and local agriculture. During corn and peanut harvest seasons, macaws often abandon their natural feeding routes and visit cultivated fields, causing crop losses and creating conflict with local farmers.
A New Territory of Life
For these reasons, the Cuñurani project carries historic significance. The Caine River Basin supports approximately 15.6% of the global population of Red-fronted Macaws, including birds found within Torotoro National Park and neighboring areas further north.
The proposed protected area is supported by continuous monthly monitoring conducted by the Center for Studies in Theoretical and Applied Biology (BIOTA) since October 2024. This work focuses on identifying and protecting nesting sites while deepening understanding of the species’ ecology and behavior.
Recognizing that conservation requires comprehensive solutions, BIOTA’s efforts extend beyond scientific research. To reduce conflict between farmers and macaws, dedicated plots of corn, peanuts, and native vegetation have been established to provide reliable food resources for the species.
Through these initiatives, BIOTA and local stakeholders are helping create conditions that support the long-term survival of this iconic bird while promoting more sustainable coexistence between communities and wildlife.
The project has also developed an Inter-Andean Dry Forest Restoration Plan, including more than two kilometers of protective fencing, drip irrigation systems, and a community nursery producing 3,000 native seedlings for reforestation efforts.
Plant species selected for the nursery due to their importance in the Red-fronted Macaw’s diet include soto (Schinopsis haenkeana), tipa (Tipuana tipu), ch’añara (Sarcomphalus mistol), jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), kullki (Prosopis kuntzei), and itapallu (Cnidoscolus tubulosus), among others.
Working closely with local communities and the international Conserva Aves initiative, BIOTA is leading efforts to establish the Cuñurani Community Protected Area. The goal is ambitious yet urgent: to create a 10,000-hectare subnational sanctuary for biodiversity conservation.
The initiative also supports community-based tourism development through training in birdwatching tourism, guiding services, trail improvement, maintenance of natural viewpoints, and interpretive signage.
In coordination with the Qhewayllani rural school, environmental education activities focused on birdwatching are helping children learn to identify local bird species and understand their importance in maintaining ecological balance.
Unforgettable Images and a Meaningful Encounter
After a long and demanding hike beneath the relentless valley sun, the effort was rewarded with an unforgettable sight: a majestic Red-fronted Macaw perched atop a soto tree, calmly surveying the landscape below. Minutes later, its broad, elegant takeoff was captured in flight—a scene that perfectly embodied the spirit of wild nature.
This brief yet powerful encounter with biodiversity serves as a reminder of what is at stake: the fragility and irreplaceable value of this species within its natural habitat. Yet the experience held one final surprise. As the bird passed overhead, it released a single feather that drifted down in front of the camera lens. More than an object, it felt like a symbol—a quiet and deeply personal reminder of why protecting this species and its territory matters.
Subnational protected areas are not merely lines on a map. As the Conserva Aves motto states, they are true “Territories of Life.” The future of the Red-fronted Macaw in the Caine Canyon depends on the continued collaboration between science, international conservation funding, and the wisdom of the Quechua communities who call this landscape home. Protecting its flight today ensures that future generations will also awaken to the wild and free echoes of the Inter-Andean Dry Forest.
Quechua Identity and Conservation
The success of conservation in Cuñurani lies in its foundation of inclusion and community empowerment rather than exclusion. The project encompasses four Quechua communities whose members serve not only as guardians and interpreters of the macaw’s landscape—guiding researchers and visitors through the canyon’s steep trails—but also as active participants in a conservation-based local economy.
Through their artisan center in the municipality of Torotoro, the region’s primary tourism hub, community members showcase and sell textiles and handicrafts inspired by their natural surroundings to visitors from around the world. The protected area proposal seeks to strengthen these opportunities by promoting responsible ecotourism, restoring native forests, and ensuring that conservation benefits directly support local livelihoods.
Conserva Aves: A Hemispheric Strategy with Local Roots
The effort underway in Cuñurani is not an isolated initiative. It is part of an ambitious vision connecting conservation efforts from Mexico to Chile. Conserva Aves is led by a powerful hemispheric coalition that includes American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society, BirdLife International, Birds Canada, and RedLAC.
Inspired by the success of Conserva Colombia—which established 95 protected areas between 2009 and 2017—the initiative was launched through a strategic partnership supported by seed funding from the Bezos Earth Fund.
Conserva Aves aims to create, consolidate, and strengthen more than 100 subnational protected areas—including municipal, community, Indigenous, and private conservation areas—covering over two million hectares across nine Latin American countries.
Birds serve as the cornerstone of this initiative because they are among the planet’s most effective bioindicators. Easy to observe and highly sensitive to environmental change, their health reflects the health of entire ecosystems. By protecting the Red-fronted Macaw, we also protect water sources, dry forests, and the biodiversity that sustains human communities.
At the same time, Conserva Aves contributes directly to the global 30×30 target, the international commitment to conserve 30% of the planet’s most important lands and waters by 2030.
Text: Nelson Fernández, FUNDESNAP
Photos: Nelson Fernández and Tomás Calahuma