ABSTRACT

The Lear’s Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari Bonaparte, 1856) is a Brazilian parrot globally threatened by extinction. Despite its threatened status (endangered), there is a scarcity of studies on its behavior. Understanding the behavior of this species is crucial to prevent inaccuracies in management and conservation strategies. This study aimed to delineate the behavioral repertoire of Lear’s Macaw individuals residing at the Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo under two distinct conditions: paired and in flocking. From September 2014 to February 2016, we conducted direct observations using all-occurrences sampling. An ethogram was compiled, encompassing 65 behavioral acts categorized into ten groups: maintenance, rest, locomotion, exploration, feeding, vigilance, socio-agonistic, socio-affiliative, reproduction, and stereotypic behaviors. Additionally, six vocalizations were identified based on spectrograms and associated with specific behavioral contexts: alarm, contact, pair cohesion, reproduction, and imitation. These findings provide a comprehensive overview of Lear’s Macaw behavior in captivity. The ethogram and vocalization descriptions serve as a foundational resource for future studies, facilitating the refinement of tools employed in the conservation efforts for this species.

KEYWORDS:
Lear’s Macaw; behavioral repertoire; captivity; social interactions; vocalization