MacawCam - Live Streaming

Watch the first live streaming of wild macaws from an artificial nest inside the Tambopata National Reserve

It's Macaw's breeding Season in the Peruvian Amazon!

MacawCam streams from two artificial nests, allowing you to observe different stages of macaw life. One nest is currently occupied by a bonded pair of macaws in the pre-breeding phase, where you can follow their behavior before egg-laying and incubation. The second nest hosts an active chick, offering a rare glimpse into parental care, feeding, and early development.

To provide the most engaging experience, Rainforest Expeditions prioritizes streaming from the nest with the chick whenever possible. However, Tambopata is an extremely remote rainforest environment, and heavy rains, storms, and connectivity limitations can occasionally interrupt the signal. When this happens, the live feed may switch between nests to ensure continuous access to macaw behavior in the wild.

What you are witnessing, whether a resting pair, a growing chick, or a brief signal interruption, is part of the authentic rhythm of life in the Amazon rainforest. These challenges are also a reminder of how remote and pristine this ecosystem truly is.

This artificial nest was generously donated by Mario Corvetto, directly supporting long-term macaw conservation and research in Tambopata. The chick was named Suyay, which means hope in Quechua.

By watching this live stream, you are observing real science in action and contributing to the protection of one of the Amazon’s most iconic species.

*Due to heavy rains, you may sometimes experience transmission interruptions. The stream will be restored as soon as the weather improves.

What is the MacawCam?

MacawCam is one of the communication components of the collaborative Tambopata Macaw Project, a joint initiative between Rainforest Expeditions and the National University of San Marcos, which shares information with the general public. Macaw Cam shares information with the public about the project “ECOTECH-MACAW: Integrating Ecology, Technology, Museomics, and Population Genetics in the Study of Macaws,” contract No. PE501094867 -2025-PROCIENCIA, executed by the National University of San Marcos (UNMSM) in association with Rainforest Expeditions and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, with funding provided by PROCIENCIA-CONCYTEC for the period 2025-2028. Additionally, in 2024-2025, the project received funding from the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation to expand it in collaboration with strategic partners in Tambopata.

Technology involved in conservation

At the Tambopata Macaw Project, we use new-generation artificial nests designed with large PVC pipes that replicate natural nesting conditions and facilitate monitoring and maintenance without disturbing the birds. These nests incorporate self-cleaning systems and are monitored with continuous observation solar cameras (NETVUE BIRDFY), which allow remote recording of reproductive behavior, interactions, and possible predation events. The nest design was developed by Eduardo Nycander of Rainforest Expeditions, who also led its implementation with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Professors Letty Salinas and César Arana of the National University of San Marcos are in charge of the scientific design of the study and the analysis and publication of the data, strengthening the link between conservation, science, and technology that drives Wired Amazon.

Why we study Macaws?

This species nest in naturally generated cavities in the largest trees of the forest, mainly in Shihuahuacos (Dipterix sp.) in the case of Scarlet and Red, and Green macaws. When a branch of at least two meters in diameter breaks off, a slow natural process of decomposition and healing begins in the trunk of the tree, which generates the cavity that will later be used by a couple of macaws to nest. In other words, for the time it takes a Shihuahuaco to acquire two meters in diameter and for the time it takes for the cavity to form, at least 300 years must pass for a Shihuahuaco tree to have a suitable cavity to be used as a nest. Currently in Madre de Dios, the Shihuahuacos are being felled selectively and rapidly in forests whose purpose is not formal timber production, throughout the Amazon. The logging of Shihuahuacos occurs at a rate much greater than the natural capacity of the species to recover its populations and, therefore, to produce trees suitable for nesting macaws. The scarcity of natural nest sites, coupled with the fact that, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, less than 20% of the macaw population breeds, poses a high level of threat to macaw survival. Given this scenario, the application of innovative scientific approaches and advanced technologies, such as specially designed artificial nests and self-sustaining automated monitoring systems, is key to better understanding macaw populations and comprehensively addressing the threats that endanger their conservation.

About the Macaws

The genus Ara (Psittacidae) comprises eight living species of macaws distributed throughout the Neotropics, originally described in 1799, and characterized by large birds, long tails, colorful plumage, robust beaks, zygodactyl feet, and marked bare facial skin around the eyes, whose colors and patterns are key to their identification. The entire Ara genus is distributed throughout the Neotropics, which includes Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. In the Madre de Dios region, four species are widely distributed (Ara ararauna, Ara severu, Ara macao, and Ara chloropterus), while the other four (A. glaucogularis, A. rubrogenys, A. militaris, and A. ambiguus) have smaller distributions. Macaws are highly social, intelligent birds with complex behavior and vocalizations. They have been studied for their cognitive abilities, their capacity for communication with each other, and their ability to emit and understand human sounds. Have also been comparatively more widely studied than other birds in terms of their complex social behaviors, but there is still much more to learn about them, given the urgency of their conservation in the face of increasing threats. Research around the world addressing wildlife trafficking and other studies examining the ancient breeding of these birds for possibly ritual purposes show macaws to be one of the most charismatic bird species in the world, aprieciated by pre-Hispanic cultures in various parts of their range for the beauty and splendor of their plumage, and highly valued as pets. one of the bird species possibly best known to humans since childhood, present in literature and popular music in the neotropical countries and around the world.

What we want to learn about the Macaw Livecam?

Adult behavior during nest selection, nesting, behavior, chick growth and development, threats to the pair's reproductive success at each stage of their life in the nest, predation of eggs and chicks, parasites and the effect of parasites on adults and chicks. Interactions of macaws with all organisms recorded in the videos. *The visual information shared with the public on MacawCam is obtained legally through licenses granted by Eduardo Nycander's project as well as from Letty Salinas' project.

About the researchers

Letty Salinas and Cesar Arana are CITES experts for birds in Peru and have macaws as one of their main CITES bird groups of study.  

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