Análise comportamental de arara-canindé (Ara ararauna) em cativeiro: impactos da introdução de coespecíficos

Abstract

The blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) is a social psittacine species that forms pairs or flocks in its natural environment, with social interaction being a key aspect of its behavior. This study aimed to analyze the behavioral spectrum of captive blue-and-yellow macaws and evaluate the influence of the presence or absence of a conspecific in the same enclosure. Observations were carried out from September to December 2023 at the Laboratory for Teaching and Research on Wild Animals at the Federal University of Uberlândia, involving three individuals of this species, with one permanent captive individual (named <Palheiro=) being the main focus of analysis. The focal sampling technique was used, divided into three stages covering both morning and afternoon periods. A total of 216 samples were collected, resulting in 56 hours and 32 minutes of observation, during which eight behavioral categories were identified, comprising 87 distinct actions. In total, 8,639 behavioral events were recorded. The most frequently observed categories were Feeding, followed by Maintenance and Environmental Exploration, which together accounted for over 57% of the recorded actions. The Inactivity category represented 10.34% of the observed behaviors. Analyses performed in R software revealed behavioral differences in the permanent captive macaw between solitary and accompanied conditions (F = 6.33; p = 0.002). The presence of a conspecific significantly influenced certain behaviors of Palheiro, such as vocalization and exploration of the environment. In contrast, behaviors such as <sleeping= and <perching= were more frequent under the solitary condition, indicating inactivity. These findings reinforce that the presence of a conspecific positively influences the behavior of blueand-yellow macaws in captivity, promoting greater behavioral diversity and reducing monotony.