Her important work revealed much information about the nutrition, behaviour and habits of the Spix's Macaw in the wild

Just two weeks to go until the great event in Tenerife. The 7th International Parrot Convention starts with the evening welcome reception on 22nd September. I have just received some news from Loro Parque. The young female Spix's Macaw hatched earlier this year has been moved into an aviary with her older sister, Turquesa, bred in 2004. She has been named Yara in honour of Yara Barros, the Brazilian biologist, who observed the last surviving wild male until its disappearance in 2000 and then was responsible until recently for the Spix's Macaw project in Bahia. Her important work revealed much information about the nutrition, behaviour and habits of the Spix's Macaw in the wild, which will one day provide the essential basis for the re-introduction of the macaw into its natural habitat. Here you can see Yara with Turquesa in their aviary.  

Loro Parque has enjoyed great success with breeding Lear's Macaws this year - so far five young from two breeding pairs, making a grand total of 15 since 2007. Here you can see three of this year's young with their eyes still unopened.