A significant “milestone” for Pairi Daiza animal park, Planckendael’s pilot project to save endangered bird

Following two recent births, Pairi Daiza has become the only nature conservation centre open to the public to have successfully bred all three species of blue macaw: the hyacinth macaw, the Spix’s macaw and the Lear’s macaw.

Two Lear’s macaws (Anodorhynchus leari) were born at the Hainaut animal park’s Centre for the Conservation of Rare Birds at the beginning of July.

For this species, every chick counts: the Lear’s macaw is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and is now only found in the wild in a semi-arid region in north-eastern Brazil.

Only a handful of conservation centres worldwide have succeeded in breeding this species. A delighted Steffen Patzwahl, curator at Pairi Daiza, said, “Our satisfaction stems not only from the birth of these two chicks. It stems above all from the fact that we can learn from them.

“For such a rare species, every observation counts. By gaining a better understanding of their reproduction, development and behaviour, we can enrich the available knowledge and then share it with the international teams who are also committed to the conservation of this species.”

The chicks were the first offspring of a breeding pair consisting of a male, born in June 2014, and a female, born in July 2017. A first attempt at breeding ended in disappointment last year when the pair broke their only egg. This situation is relatively common among young macaw parents and required the zoological teams to revise their strategy.

Pairi Daiza is home to five Lear’s macaws: the breeding pair and three males. In the wild, they breed in colonies. To replicate this social atmosphere while preventing the breeding pair from coming under pressure from the single males, the keepers housed the latter group in adjacent aviaries. Without direct contact, their mere proximity ensured that the species’ natural breeding conditions were successfully replicated.

A few months after this adjustment, two eggs were laid. They were fertilised eggs, which resulted in two hatchlings. The eggs were transferred to the park’s incubation room after the young parents had damaged their nest box. The teams opted for constant monitoring of the parents and eggs to maximise the chances of survival. 

During their first few days of life they had to be fed 12 times a day but now the two chicks are hand-fed five times a day with carers keeping a constant watch over them. Their distinctive blue plumage will only become visible in a few weeks’ time. 

A spokesman for the park said, “There are no definitive victories in the field of conservation. Only milestones which, when taken together, can enable a species to continue its history.”

Planckendael Zoo helps save threatened bird species

Once a familiar sight above Belgian fields, the Northern Lapwing has experienced a significant decline in recent decades.

Between 2007 and 2018, its population dropped by nearly 75% in Flanders alone, with intensive farming said to be a main cause of their disappearance.

However, a pilot project at the nature reserve at Planckendael Zoo, near Mechelen, promises a new future for Northern lapwings. They often nest on agricultural land but when fields are ploughed or sown, eggs and chicks are lost. 

To prevent this, volunteers from De Zegge, the Agency for Nature and Forests (Natuur en Bos), and Natuurpunt’s Meadow and Farmland Bird Working Group are joining forces to locate the nests.

Under the initiative, Lapwing eggs deemed at risk of destruction are transferred to the zoo and placed in an incubator. The young birds are subsequently released back into the wild.

This spring, dozens of eggs have already been secured from an area of approximately 800 hectares in the Kleine Nete valley.

They have hatched at their own pace over recent months and Planckendael hopes to release around 40 young lapwings into De Zegge.

Frédéric Verstappen, curator of birds at Planckendael, said: “Every lapwing that takes flight is important for the preservation of the species. With this project, we aim to buy time for the population while contributing to the restoration of suitable habitat.”

The project goes beyond simply rescuing eggs. In the long term, the three collaborators aim primarily to restore the habitat of the northern lapwing and other farmland and meadow birds.

But Toon Deswert, curator of De Zegge nature reserve, warned this is only achievable through the involvement of farmers, volunteers and nature conservation organisations.

“Farmers play a fundamental role in the survival of ground-nesting birds. By taking nests into account during agricultural activities and investing in nature restoration, we can truly make a difference,” he said.

Griet Nijs of Natuurpunt’s Grassland and Farmland Bird Working Group, added: “Only by providing a varied, species-rich habitat combined with sound water management can we lay the foundations for the sustainable conservation of these grassland birds.”

The De Zegge nature reserve is a fragile haven for rare flora and fauna that is one of the few places in Belgium that still offers a unique marshland habitat featuring a significant peat bog. 

It serves as a refuge for various threatened species, such as the Eurasian bittern, marsh harrier, spotted crake, grass snake, and Eurasian water shrew, among others.

Photos: Pairi Daiza; Planckendael