Revealing avian behaviour: Human impacts on psittacines (Aves: Psittacidae) during a breeding season in Paraguay's Cerrado.

This article examines the behavioural responses of psittacine bird species (family Psittacidae) to various human activities during the breeding season in the Cerrado region of Concepción, Paraguay. Based on 232 observations of nine psittacine species, the study found that larger species, such as macaws, exhibited greater flight initiation distances (FID), indicating higher sensitivity to human presence, particularly from activities like ecotourism and cavity monitoring, which correlated with birds flying away. In contrast, less invasive activities such as bird counting and remote photography were associated with relaxed behaviours like feeding and perching. The findings emphasize the need for precautionary measures, including limiting human interventions during sensitive reproductive phases, to reduce disturbance and support the conservation of psittacine populations in this endangered biome.