THE CONTRIBUTION OF CITIZEN SCIENCE TO THE KNOWLEDGE ON THE FEEDING HABITS OF ARA ARARAUNA IN AN URBAN AREA OF CENTRAL WESTERN BRAZIL

Abstract

We aimed to analyze the food resources consumed by Ara ararauna (Linnaeus, 1758) in the urban area of Campo Grande, from the photographic records released on the WikiAves© platform by the professional and amateur photographers. We retrieved 36 records of A. ararauna feeding, while we identified 16 species of plants in the diet of A. ararauna. Fruits and seeds were the most consumed plant parts, and 75% of the species diet was composed of native plants. As there is no prior information available on the diet of this species in the urban area of Campo Grande, the records released on the WikiAves© platform helped us to answer several important questions regarding its feeding habits. We highlight the importance of planting native species in urban afforestation, as well as the maintenance of urban parks and green areas, to maintain the populations of A. ararauna in the city.