Dear Parrots magazine,
Neiva Guedes not mentioned
I was very disappointed to discover in the article in the March 2015 issue on the Hyacinth Macaw in the Pantanal by Laura Hirst that the long-term sterling work by Neiva Guedes does not get a mention. I first met Neiva 20 years ago when I visited the Pantanal. She had already been active for some five years by that time, and since then she has led the efforts to conserve the Hyacinthine Macaw with dramatic effect. She visited all the ranches in the area and persuaded the local people not just to stop hunting the Macaws, but to help her protect them. Their combined efforts have, in particular, stopped trappers from outside the area from carrying out their nefarious activities there. She introduced a nest-box programme at an early stage where nest-boxes were not only provided, but monitored on a regular basis to check on the young and also take measures to stop the nest-boxes being used and visited by predator species. I went on a nest-box inspection tour in January 1996 and witnessed first-hand how dedicated Neiva and her team are. I wrote several articles on her work, which were published in your magazine.
I would suggest your readers join the "adopt a nest-box" scheme set up by Neiva last year. This would help considerably in her work to conserve the Hyacinthine Macaw in the Pantanal.
Tony Pittman, by email