Comportamentos de papagaios-chauá (Amazona rhodocorytha, Salvadori, 1890) cativos

Abstract

In the present study the behaviors of a “chauá” group (Amazon rhodocorytha), a threatened species of parrot, was described and quantified. The group was constituted by 21 individuals from different origin, with different ages and from both sexes, maintained at an enclosure in the Center of Reintroduction of Wild Animals. The influence of the position in the enclosure and of the period of the day on the pattern of activity of the group were also investigated. The observations happened between July and September of 2008. The scan method was used to quantify the categories locomotion, exploration, maintenance, rest, vocalization in movement, vocalization in rest, agonístics and affiliatives social interactions. Space use was also registered during scans. Among the intervals of the scans social behaviors were registered using the sampling of all of the occurrences. "Rest" was the category more frequently observed and the social interactions were the least frequently observed. However, social affiliative interactions occurred significantly more than agonístic interactions. The animals showed preference for the superior part of the enclosure but activity occurred more frequently in the inferior than in the superior part and in the front than in the bottom part of the enclosure. There was no effect of the period of the day on the activity of the animals. Our results indicate that: 1) the social behavior of the animals may be affected by the captivity presenting a decrease in the frequency of the occurrence of interactions; 2) the social interactions in this species are primarily affiliatives with little occurrence of aggressive interactions; 3) the activity of the animals depends on characteristics of the environment, in more exposed environments the animals tend to be more active; 4) the individuals of this species present a tropism for higher areas and they avoid to rest in the ground. The results are discussed in relation to the available knowledge about the behavior of other parrots species and to the maintenance in captivity.