LAUSR

The Military Macaw ( Ara militaris ) is an endangered species with scarce available information on its natural history. One of the main problems regarding its study has been the identification of individuals, which rapidly reach adult size and lack sexual dimorphism. Traditional marking techniques used to identify individuals require their capture; however, there is a high risk of injury. Also, marking can influence behavior, reproduction, and survival, so there is a high probability of disturbing the population. To minimize such disturbances, it is advisable to use natural markings to identify individuals. Photo-identification is one marking technique that can help to identify individuals without disturbing populations. In the case of the Military Macaw, the face lines (feather patterns) present natural marks that can be used for the photo-identification of individuals using specialized software. In this study, we tested the utility (effectiveness) of photo-identification in 24 Military Macaw individuals in captivity. Significant differences were found between the feather patterns on the right and left sides of the face of the same individual and also between the feather patterns on the right and left sides among individuals. We propose here that photo-identification is a reliable technique for distinguishing Military Macaws individuals within a population, opening the door to more specific ecological studies.