The Thanksgiving Gift .

We do not normally celebrate Thanksgiving in Peru. For the macaw assistants, it is just another normal day in the rainforest: wake up early. Climb trees to check on macaw chicks. Lunch. Walk in the forest and check more macaw nests. More tree climbing. Dinner.  However, this year, it seems like mother nature had a different type of celebration for us.

We went to check on Mandy Lu nest by mid-morning. There was a bit of nervousness in the air because the day before, we found many botflies (skin parasites) in both of the chicks. We were worried about their health. Besides, it was a crappy morning. Rain was on and off and it was windy. Horrible conditions for tree climbing. Truly, not the type of day you would be grateful for.

Rain cleared up for a bit and the team went to check on Mandy Lu’s chicks.  Liz, our field leader and expert extracting botflies from chicks was all ready to receive the chicks on the ground when Shannan, who was up in the nest, happily exclaimed: “THREE (CHICKS)”!!! ... And THAT was our Thanksgiving gift.

 

Our first "third chick" of the season: third chick from Mandy Lu nest. Here, inside the bucket before it was taken to our nursery.

Mandy Lu's third chick hatched probably overnight. By the time we found it, it was completely dry and even with some food in its crop. According to our 15 years of investigations in macaw chick death by starvation, chances for a third chick to fledge are pretty much zero. Wild macaws in Tambopata had never raised a third member of a brood in our 20 years working on the area. So, not much more to do than take this third chick to our nursery and take care of it until we find a foster nest to place it in.

At the house, the chick was weighted and placed in the brooder. It weighted 22 grams, which is an incredibly good first weight for a third chick. It had a very good body condition and excellent color. Great signs. If you asked the experts, nobody could tell that it was actually a third chick. That is why we named, “Indy”. Because it was the coolest and prettiest third chick we have seen. The perfect Thanksgiving gift.

 

"Indy" looking all content after its midnight feeding on its first night in our nursery.

So far, Indy is doing well. It has a good feeding response and is getting used to being syringe fed. Feeding makes it feel exhausted and it usually falls asleep right away. Even before we place it back in the brooder!. We will keep you updated on how it goes with Indy and with the rest of our macaw chicks here in Tambopata.

Please, help us spread the word about our chick fostering project fundraising campaign.

Indy will be greatly grateful for it!!