Outstanding in my field
Ruby Burns
Category: Vertebrates
Two scarlet macaws (Ara macao) engage in allopreening on a snag, a social behaviour that reinforces pair bonds among lifelong partners. Macaws nest in tree cavities, often in standing dead palms like the one shown here, highlighting the importance of retaining dead trees in managed landscapes. Such habitat management benefits farmers as well: these large parrots act as effective seed dispersers, spreading forest trees across productive lands. This image links social behaviour, habitat management, and ecosystem service provisioning, highlighting how biodiversity persists within and contributes to productive landscapes.
