The Punta Leona Macaw Conservation Program had a very successful breeding season during 2022, as we had the opportunity to monitor a total of 34 eggs, 20 chicks and 12 hatchlings in our artificial nests, which today are flying high in the skies of Punta Leona and Garabito.

The last of the chicks, which hatched on June 29th, was 84 days old, and as described by the scientist Gabriela Vigo, from the international organization The Macaw Society, “had a very playful personality, he loved to play with a piece of a way, a feather and especially with his mother”.

Among the new actions that were practiced this year by The Macaw Society and that allowed a greater rigor when investigating the behavior of the macaws, their reproduction cycle and growth are:

Daily controls until the youngest chick is 15 days old, then every 3 days.
Measuring weight and length of beak, leg, wing and tail.
Stunting data to check body condition
Check for parasites: mites, lice, horseflies, horseflies
Photos to document development and differences between chicks.
We share with you in pictures the growth process of our macaws, from day zero until they leave the nest:

Day 1: Hatching

Day 2: First feathers appear

Day 4: Egg tooth

Day 14: Ears open

Day 19: Eyes open

Day 26: Secondary feathers begin to form

Day 35: Crown feathers begin to form

Day 47: Crown feathers complete

Day 56 and 70: Getting ready and gaining size

Day 83: Ready to take off, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.