Laney Rickman Blue-throated Macaw Reserve
A former cattle ranch, the land for the Laney Rickman Blue-throated Macaw Reserve was purchased in 2018 by Asociación Armonía with support from American Bird Conservancy, the International Conservation Fund of Canada, IUCN Netherlands, and the World Land Trust. ABC’s President Michael Parr attributes this new Reserve as one of the biggest conservation wins for birds in 2018.
The Laney Rickman Blue-throated Macaw Reserve was named after Bird Endowment’s founder when the property was acquired, recognizing Laney for her dedicated efforts toward saving this beautiful bird from extinction. This reserve is conserving a vitally important piece of land and breeding grounds for the Blue-throated Macaw and securing the long-term potential of the nest box program.
Laney Rickman developed the Nido Adoptivo™ nest box campaign in 2007 in partnership with Asociación Armonía to raise funds to build nest boxes for the critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw in their endemic range in Bolivia. Laney passionately spearheaded the project (even dying her hair blue!) until her untimely death in 2017.
To-date over 100 Blue-throated Macaw chicks have fledged from the nest boxes, a truly significant number. As a result, the IUCN listing for the Blue-throated Macaw has changed from “Critically Endangered - declining” to “Critically Endangered - stable.” The success of this program is further demonstrated by the five breeding adults from the 2018-2019 breeding season confirmed to be ringed individuals, having fledged from the nest boxes in previous years, returning to breed. This is an important indicator of increasing population recruitment where fledged birds survive and reproduce, showing the success and positive impact of this program.
“We are very pleased Esperancita ranch is bought … and will be called the ‘Laney Rickman Blue-throated Macaw Reserve,’ named after our dearest friend and conservationist Laney Rickman.
The most important breeding site for the southern subpopulation is now protected forever, and we can freely continue the nest box work that was started with the amazing help from Laney.”
~ Asociación Armonía
For an overview of both Barba Azul and the Laney Rickman Reserve including a location map, please click here
In charge of managing and protecting the Laney Rickman Reserve and the nest box program is Armonía’s employee Park Ranger César Flores, once a cattle rancher, today a conservationist and protector of the Blue-throated Macaws. César and his family live on the Reserve.
