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The Tambopata Macaw Project: A new era is coming

Founded and created the same year (1989)  by  Eduardo Nycander and Kurt Holle, the Tambopata Macaw Project, and Rainforest Expeditions were born together in Madre de Dios, PERU.

Under their direction, the project began with the goal of learning about the basic ecology, natural history of macaws, and methodologies for rescuing and rearing macaws in artificial nests so that this information could be used to help their conservation and so that those methodologies could be perfected and put into practice in other places where macaws have disappeared or decreased dramatically. In 1994, an extensive article on the project was published in the famous National Geographic magazine, including a cover that catapulted the fame of the project, Tambopata Research Center, and the macaw clay licks or collpas.

As the project was evolving from 2002 to 2020 a new director assumed the leadership of the project, Dr. Donald Brightsmith, who has contributed important advances in knowledge about wild macaws.

For many years, the project consisted of a long-term multidisciplinary study of the natural history, conservation, and management of macaws and parrots. The main topics of study included monitoring and observation of macaw nests, increasing the survival rates of chicks and juveniles, documenting patterns of clay lick use, and understanding the impact of tourism on the macaw clay lick.

Dr. Donald Brightsmith and his team focused the project on understanding the links between the clay lick, nesting, tree phenology (flowering and fruiting), and movements of parrots in and out of the area. Thousands of mornings of observation of the huge clay wall and literally hundreds of thousands of records may be the largest set of parrot data ever assembled.

Due to their large size and beauty, macaws are excellent flagship species like Harpy Eagles, jaguars, and river wolves, serving as charismatic focal points for ecosystem conservation. Unfortunately, in most tropical America, these umbrella species have suffered large population declines.

In recent years, Dr. Donald Brightsmith has been developing and evaluating techniques to increase the reproductive output of wild macaws, expanding the knowledge of macaw nesting behavior, increasing our understanding of the complexities of collpa use, tracking macaw movements through satellite telemetry, and evaluating tourism as a tool for macaw and forest protection.

Macaw Clay Lick by Carlos Gonzales

Chuncho clay lick by Carlos Gonzales

Some important discoveries developed by his team include:

  1. The climate influences the seasonal behavior of the Collpa Colorado, the number of parrots varies depending on whether it is rainy or sunny days
  2. Seasonal climatic changes generate fluctuations in the annual food supply for Parrots and Macaws (flowers, green fruits and ripe fruits). Food availability is apparently lowest at the end of the wet season and early dry season (March – July) and highest in the early wet season in mid-December and January.
  3.   This fluctuation in the food supply drives two things: the annual movements of Parrots to and from the area around TRC and the timing of breeding.
  4. When there is less food, the birds apparently leave the area around TRC as the number of birds in the forest decreases drastically from April to July.
  5. The timing of breeding is apparently driven by the food supply: the number of breeding Parrot species is closely related to the number of trees in fruit or flowers. However, not all species reproduce simultaneously. Smaller species apparently reproduce before larger ones.
  6.   Parrot movements out of the area during periods of low food abundance reduce the number of birds using the clay lick. When food supplies are high, birds apparently congregate in the vicinity of the clay lick.
  7. The timing of breeding also influences the number of birds in the clay lick, as for most Parrot species, the clay lick uses beaks during the breeding season, specifically when the birds have nestlings. Scarlet Macaws feed their chicks large amounts of clay, especially when the chicks are young. As they grow, the amount of clay they receive decreases and the total use of the Collpa decreases as well. 
  8. Evidence has also been found that the use of clay licks depends on the bird’s need for sodium. Using soil samples analyzed by researchers at Texas A&M University, it was found that birds apparently prefer soils with higher sodium content over soils that are better at neutralizing toxins.

Scarlet Macaws in Tambopata

Scarlett Macaws by Paul Bertner

We at Rainforest Expeditions believe that the key to protecting not only the clay licks and macaws but also the entire forest ecosystem and its umbrella species such as jaguars, otters, and harpy eagles by having more allies for conservation. By giving added value to the forest and producing greater benefits for local communities, these allies form a barrier that protects the forest from illegal activities such as logging, coca leaf cultivation, hunting, and mining.

Integrating the scientific community with visitors and promoting citizen science is also crucial for conservation. We launched Wired Amazon, a conservation program in 2018 that includes citizen science projects like AmazonCam, Aerobotany, and Discovering New Species. The latter project, in collaboration with the San Marcos Natural History Museum and the University of Guelph, has discovered 26 new species in just four years.



Donate to Wired Amazon

In 2020, Dr. Donald Brightsmith and his team left the Tambopata Research Center and formed the Macaw Society to continue their work in macaw conservation. 

Attention all fans of the Wired Amazon Program! Exciting news!

After 20 years, Eduardo Nycander returns to Tambopata, where the whole dream of saving the macaws began, where Rainforest Expeditions was born. This time together with the Museum of Natural History of the National University of San Marcos, they will add innovative technology for the conservation of macaws in the region and Latin America. The new goal will be to contribute to the reduction of threats to macaw conservation in the Madre de Dios Region through the use of the best available technology.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn more about the new season and be a part of the journey. Join us now and let’s save the future of the macaws together!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TAMBOPATA MACAW PROJECT HERE

  • What our guest say

    • Valuation Excellent
    • 5/5

Laura Franklin December 2025

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I can not say enough good things about my time at the Tambopata Research Center. Between the guides, the boat drivers, the chefs, the staff, the bartenders, the researchers, etc. Everyone was absolutely wonderful! If you are interested in viewing wildlife in the Amazon, this is the place for you! A special thank you to the maître d' Carlos who was so incredibly kind and hospitable and our guide Dino who was like a real life Indiana Jones. I can't wait to come back! Read all

An unforgettable, fully immersive jungle experience. Amazing how Tambopata Lodge delivers luxury touches in such a remote and rugged location. The food is fantastic, the staff incredible, and the wildlife sightings non-stop. The personalised itinerary and one-on-one guiding made the trip truly special—huge thanks to our guide Johan for sharing his passion and knowledge. The Macaw Project is inspiring, and it’s clear the lodge fully supports this important conservation work. Manager Brian was always kind, helpful. Well-done all involved. Read all

The most important fact we are grateful for is the true sense of understanding of the ecology of the Amazon the staff at Rainforest Expeditions (RFE) have shown us. RFE stands out for its stand against the pure, profit-motive initiatives many other tour operators do. We are very grateful to have had Carlos as our guide. Carlos is deeply dedicated, and is able to explain the nuances of the flora and fauna. The world today needs to act as one against the impact of climate change. RFE is one, bright shining light in this regard. Read all

We had a fabulous trip! The people were amazing, kind and very professional. The food was exceptionally good! The facilities are beautiful and well kept. We just loved our second time with Rainforest Expeditions and can't wait to go again!! Read all

Fantastic to be deep in the forest surrounded by incredible wildlife with our amazing guide Juan Carlos Yatto, who really knew his stuff! Also his photography skills meant that we could share our experience even better through his telescope using our phone cameras! We learned so much!! He went to extra lengths to find butterflies and moths for us along with so many different birds and monkeys. This was a travel highlight for us as experienced wildlife travellers. We loved our spacious room with no windows and open to more wildlife visitors but after 5 nights the bed could have been a little more comfortable. Luckily we had a second bed to use. Otherwise it was fantastic with hot water showers and fresh drinking water all the time. We were amazed at the variety of food on offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner and couldn’t believe they could have such a wonderful food offering in such a remote location. Even the wine and cocktails were great. I highly recommend spending the extra money and time getting to this location. We stayed at another lodge later which was closer to Puerto Maldonado and there was far less wildlife. Read all

Ederson made the stay at the lodge amazing. I have had many guides around the world and Ederson may be the best I have had across 50 countries. The lodge itself is nice, and has electricity. Food is good, and you really feel immersed in the amazon staying there. Its great that a portion of the money goes back to conservation and research. Noteworthy details: Ederson, the "commander" is the best guide! Read all

Through a travel agency in Lima we booked a 4day/3-night stay at Refugio Amazonas. We were looking for a lodge that was far away from Puerto Maldonado but didn't require almost a day to get there (like TRC), with extensive walking trails and with the principal jungle highlights nearby. We were not disappointed. As we later learned, this is probably the best lodge in the region! Well run, quiet, excellent food, beautifully located in the middle of the forest, everything was "right". Surprisingly there were few mosquitos or bugs. Emperatriz (MP as some call her), our guide, has a keen eye and took us on some unforgettable walks and boat rides, both day and night. The birds at the clay lick were fantastic. The lodge also had evening lectures by young researchers as well as special activities such as collecting night moths and setting a trap camera. We later received videos and photo's of what was found (including a puma!). I can recommend this lodge without reservation. Read all

Abbiamo scelto il Tambopata Research Center perché il nostro obbiettivo era di poter vedere le are da vicino. Ci siamo stati ad inizio dicembre scorso, l'inizio della stagione delle piogge, perciò abbiamo scelto di restare 5 notti/6 giorni, abbiamo messo in conto di perdere delle giornate a causa della pioggia e per la lontananza da Puerto Maldonado, per nostra fortuna durante il nostro soggiorno ha piovuto solo il giorno di partenza proprio quando arrivavamo in aeroporto. Non c'é stato un giorno che non ne abbiamo visto: are di diverse specie e colori e molti altri uccelli e primati, spettacolare l'incontro a pochi centimetri con un formichiere bianco, ma non il giaguaro. Consigliamo di pernottatre almeno 3 notti, il viaggio é molto lungo. Noi eravamo all'aeroporto di Lima già alle 8:00 di mattina e tra un volo in ritardo, uno spostamento in bus di ca. 45 minuti per arrivare al fiume, ed un trasferimento in barca veloce, siamo arrivati al lodge verso le 16:30. All'aeroporto ci ha accolto la nostra guida privata Alfred, che ci ha seguito per tutto il soggiorno, di giorno in giorno abbiamo deciso le escursioni da fare, ed Alfred si é rivelato essere una super guida, un occhio di falco per scoprire anche il più piccolo uccellino, con pazienza é riuscito a farci camminare chilometri nella giungla, ci ha spiegato molto sulla flora e fauna. Bravissimo a far video e foto con i nostri telefoni col suo binocolo e cavalletto che si portava sempre appresso, queste foto sono dei magnifici ricordi. TRC non é un hotel, é un centro di ricerca per le are, in mezzo ad una foresta ed a ore dal primo centro abitato, perciò non avevamo delle grandi aspettative ne sul cibo ne sull'alloggio Read all

This place is a treat!! Incredible flora & fauna, food and service - the staff is quite attentive. Interesting research, with lots of potential. Visiting the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest is a must do! Read all

We had the most amazing time EVER at Refugio Amazonas, and I am so very glad I booked our stay here. Honestly, this is to date probably the best travel experience we have ever had and I will never forget our time in the Amazon here. First of all, the lodge is beautiful. Our room was lovely. The beds were comfy. The bathrooms are large. It is incredible waking up to the sounds of the jungle and falling asleep to the insects at night. We did have some insects in our room, and a rodent, and even a tarantula (non poisonous)! But it was part of the experience. The food was great and they prioritize native and local ingredients. My partner and I are both vegan and they took SUCH good care of us. The food was delicious, and we had ample vegan options every meal. Everything from the first email contacts with Katia to the transfers to the first night info session to the activities-- which I will get to in a second-- was incredible. It is a bit pricey, but everything is included and there is nothing you need to worry about, and it was so worth it. OK now for the best part-- the activities. Holy wow. First of all, we had the best guide EVER-- Juan Carlos. He was amazing. He is a bird expert, knows so much about the animals who live in the rainforest, the insects, the trees, the plant life, it was incredible. He also so clearly cared that everyone in our group had an amazing time. He took so many pictures for us, pointed out so many animals for us, and made sure we all enjoyed every moment. I can’t thank him enough because it made our time here so very special. We went on many activities that were amazing, and we saw so many animals— capybaras, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, so many incredible insects, frogs, tarantulas, so many many birds and butterflies. Every activity was amazing but the highlights were the macaw clay lick and the canopy tower. And we were super impressed and happy to hear about their commitment to conservation, protecting the animals, and supporting the native community nearby. There is so much I could say about our stay here but I would recommend a 3 night stay over 2 nights (so you can do more activities), and make sure you read the guides they send via email before you come so you pack correctly and know what to expect and bring--the guide includes everything so that there are no surprises, and we knew exactly what to expect, although our stay exceeded our expectations! I highly, highly recommend staying here, it was magical, it was a once in a life time adventure, and I will never forget it. I also want to shout out the manager of the lodge, I forgot her name, but she was incredible, as well as the service staff at meal times, who were so kind and helpful to point out what was vegan all of the time. I truly hope we can come back some day!! Read all

The lodge was kept very clean, and the staff paid close att to people's needs. It was very easy find activities and the guides were excellent with a genuine intended approach towards sustainability and environment longevity. Read all

A superb stay in a top class Lodge which gave a wonderful insight into the Amazon wildlife. Our guide was Juan Carlos who has incredible knowledge and a lovely sense of humour. The staff in the lodge were so friendly and the meals provided were something to look forward to. A wonderful experience! Read all

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