Caracas' iconic macaws threatened by vanishing palm trees

The Americas Caracas' iconic macaws threatened by vanishing palm trees Updated April 18, 20266:00 AM ET Originally published April 18, 20266:00 AM ET By  Manuel Rueda A pair of blue and gold macaws visit Mabel Carnago's apartment in Caracas. Manuel Rueda/NPR hide caption toggle caption Manuel Rueda/NPR CARACAS, Venezuela - Every day as the sun comes down, about a dozen blue and gold macaws fly up to Karem Guevara's apartment. The comical birds perch on a window sill, squawk loudly, and stretch their necks, as Guevara feeds them sunflower seeds and sliced bananas. "These birds are like part of my family" says Guevara, a small business owner who has been feeding macaws for the past five years from the comfort of her living room. She says that sometimes the macaws bring their chicks over, a sign that they trust their human friend. "It fills my heart with joy" Guevara said. Blue and gold macaws are not native to Caracas. But over the past two decades their numbers in Venezuela's capital have skyrocketed, with hundreds of these birds now flying freely across the city, and dazzling locals with their colorful feathers and peculiar calls. The birds have become a symbol of Caracas and formed a special bond with some people, who leave food for them in their balconies or gardens. Karem Guevara feeds a group of macaws that fly up to her home in Caracas, Venezuela. The macaws visit Guevara every day as the sun sets. Maneul Rueda/NPR hide caption toggle caption Maneul Rueda/NPR But this unique relationship between humans and exotic birds is now under threat as city authorities cut down the palm trees that the macaws depend on to raise their offspring. Maria Lourdes Gonzalez, a biologist who studies the macaws says that in the following years, the city's population of blue and gold macaws could plummet. "If they don't find a place where they can breed, there will be no new generation of macaws" she said at her office in Caracas' Simon Bolivar University. Gonzalez explained th...