Hector observes a pair of blue-and-gold macaws in the wild and explains their mating habits to two visiting students. Similar fictional vignettes combined with factual information focus on the behavior and endangered situation of the macaw.

“The first time we came here I didn’t know what to expect,” she told me as we paddled upstream. “What we found just blew me away. Jaguars, pumas, river otters, howler monkeys. The place was like a Noah’s Ark for all the endangered species driven out of the rest of Central America. There was so much life! That expedition was when I first saw the macaws.” As a young woman, Sharon Matola lived many lives. She was a mushroom expert, an Air Force survival specialist, and an Iowa housewife. She hopped freight trains for fun and starred as a tiger tamer in a traveling Mexican circus. Finally she found her one true calling: caring for orphaned animals at her own zoo in the Central American country of Belize. Beloved as “the Zoo Lady” in her adopted land, Matola became one of Central America’s greatest wildlife defenders. And when powerful outside forces conspired with the local government to build a dam that would flood the nesting ground of the last scarlet macaws in Belize, Sharon Matola was drawn into the fight of her life. In The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw, award-winning author Bruce Barcott chronicles Sharon Matola’s inspiring crusade to stop a multinational corporation in its tracks. Ferocious in her passion, she and her confederates–a ragtag army of courageous locals and eccentric expatriates–endure slander and reprisals and take the fight to the courtroom and the boardroom, from local village streets to protests around the world. As the dramatic story unfolds, Barcott addresses the realities of economic survival in Third World countries, explores the tension between environmental conservation and human development, and puts a human face on the battle over globalization. In this marvelous and spirited book, Barcott shows us how one unwavering woman risked her life to save the most beautiful bird in the world. "Barcott’s compelling narrative is suspenseful right up to the last moment." –Publisher's Weekly "An engrossing but sad account of a brave and quirky champion of nature."–Kirkus “…A riveting account of one woman’s fight to save one of the last bastions of an endangered Species. . . Barcott writes of international politics, ecology and endangered species, and human relations with equal facility. This real page-turner of narrative nonfiction is hard to put down.” –Booklist

"Spix's Macaw tells the story of a unique band of brilliant blue birds - who talk, fall in love, and grieve - struggling against extinction. By the second half of the twentieth century the birds had become more valuable than heroin, worth thousands of dollars on the black market. In 1990, only one was found to be living in the wild and an emergency international rescue operation was launched, calling on private collectors to come forward with their birds to mate with the last wild Spix's." "In a breathtaking display of stoicism and endurance, the loneliest bird in the world had lived without a mate for fourteen years, outwitting predators and poachers. Would he take to a new companion? Like humans, Spix's Macaws can't be forced to love, but the stakes were as high as they could be: the survival of one of the world's most beautiful birds."--BOOK JACKET.

Hector observes a pair of blue-and-gold macaws in the wild and explains their mating habits to two visiting students. Similar fictional vignettes combined with factual information focus on the behavior and endangered situation of the macaw.

Hector observes a pair of blue-and-gold macaws in the wild and explains their mating habits to two visiting students. Similar fictional vignettes combined with factual information focus on the behavior and endangered situation of the macaw.

Recognised internationally as one of the world?s most accomplished and talented aviculturists, published author and speaker, Rick Jordan has produced the perfect companion for anybody interested in macaws, be it as a pet or as breeders.Featuring spectacular full colour photography throughout, this 136 page soft cover title is packed with valuable and highly useable information.Set out in three sections:Section 1: Breeding Macaws (including aviary design and construction, nutrition, breeding, incubation and handrearing, diseases and disorders).Section 2: Macaws as Pets and Companion Birds (including housing, feeding, health aspects, behavioural problems).Section 3: Species: Blue and Gold Macaw, Scarlet Macaw, Buffon=s Macaw, Military Macaw, Green-Winged Macaw, Red-Fronted Macaw, Hyacinth Macaw, Blue-Throated Macaw, Severe Macaw, Red-Bellied Macaw, Illiger=s Macaw, Yellow-Collared Macaw, Blue-Headed Macaw, Red-Shouldered (Hahn=s) Macaw, Red-Shouldered (Noble=s) Macaw. Captive Rarities: Spix=s Macaw, Lear=s Macaw. Gone Forever: Glaucous Macaw, Cuban Macaw.

"Parrots of the Wild is an exhaustive compendium of information about parrots, from their evolutionary history to their behavior to present-day conservation issues. A must-have for anyone interested in these amazing creatures." —Irene M. Pepperberg, Professor at Harvard University and author of Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process "If you like parrots then you'll love this book. From their evolutionary past to their modern-day love lives, Parrots of the Wild presents a suitably captivating read. I thought I knew a lot about parrots--until I delved into these pages." —Tony Juniper, author of What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? and Spix’s Macaw: The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Bird Parrots of the Wild explores recent scientific discoveries and what they reveal about the lives of wild parrots, which are among the most intelligent and rarest of birds. Catherine A. Toft and Tim Wright discuss the evolutionary history of parrots and how this history affects perceptual and cognitive abilities, diet and foraging patterns, and mating and social behavior. The authors also discuss conservation status and the various ways different populations are adapting to a world that is rapidly changing. The book focuses on general patterns across the 350-odd species of parrots, as well as what can be learned from interesting exceptions to these generalities. A synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots, this book distills knowledge from the authors’ own research and from their review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies. The book is enhanced by an array of illustrations, including nearly ninety color photos of wild parrots represented in their natural habitats. Parrots of the Wild melds scientific exploration with features directed at the parrot enthusiast to inform and delight a broad audience.

A combination travelogue and guidebook that tells the humorous tale of the authors' vacation in Costa Rica while also giving valuable travel tips.

Hop aboard Wind Rider, a magical sailboat, with Max and Sofia, two kids trying to save the environment one problem at a time. Their second mission? Protecting majestic scarlet macaw chicks in the most biodiverse place on Earth, the Amazon rain forest. Max and Sofia are ordinary kids whose lives are changed when they discover an abandoned sailboat. They’re given the chance to make a real impact when the boat magically transports them to a different corner of the world to help other kids save their environment. Wind Riders: Search for the Scarlet Macaws is the second book in an illustrated chapter book series about Max and Sofia’s adventures tackling real world problems. Each story visits a new location and introduces a human-made problem endangering animals and the environment. With nature’s highest stakes and environmental activism baked into each book, as well as fun scientific facts included at the end, Wind Riders promises to be the chapter book series for newly independent readers who love nature documentaries and are hungry to learn about the world around them. There is beautiful two-color art throughout and an emphasis on collaborative problem-solving, compassion for the Earth and all its inhabitants, and friendship. Wind Riders is the perfect STEM chapter book series for fans of Magic Tree House, The Magic School Bus, and Zoey and Sassafras.