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Alien invaders are infiltrating our cities. Colourful, noisy and clever, they are multiplying rapidly. The rise of the city parrot seems unstoppable. But why are they doing so well in cities, while their rural cousins are struggling to survive?
Yucatán, Mexico: a small beak tentatively takes some food from its human surrogate mother. Even at this stage, the features are recognisable – this is a baby Scarlet Macaw. A team of parrot experts are trying to rebuild the wild populations of one of the most colourful parrots in the world. Every newly hatched parrot baby is nurtured until it is fit for release. Not only the Scarlet Macaw is struggling to survive in the wild, but many other species of wild parrots are declining in numbers as well.
Several thousand kilometers away, in the city of Stuttgart, Germany: a flock of adult Yellow-headed Amazons are swooping into trees. Snow is falling, and the parrots look out of place against the grey buildings and drab skies. But these parrots live in the wild – and are growing in numbers.
The same trend can be observed across the world. In Sydney, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are a common sight. In Argentina, Burrowing Parrots have established colonies in local towns, and in Phoenix, Arizona, the saguaro cactus provides an ideal home for the charming lovebirds from Africa.
The lives of these different species of parrots tell a fascinating story: in their native habitats, the numbers of parrots are declining. At the same time, over the past few decades, they have slowly been taking over our cities – in places where we would least expect to see them. Feral escapees have flocked together to form thriving populations that are now competing for space with native birds.
A staggering 70,000 parrots already live wild in cities around the world – some of which are considered highly endangered in their native homeland. But why have parrots done so well in human environments? Is it down to their intelligence? Are they ou
The episode "The fragile forest» leads in the Atlantic coastal rain forest, the so-called "Mata Atlantica". Once this forest extended over thousands of kilometers of the Brazilian coast. Today, only about seven percent of them are preserved in pristine form. , the "Mata Atlantica" is a special rainforest and its inhabitants are not commonplace. Some of them are extremely rare and their behavior hardly known. Spider monkeys or Muriqui about South America are most monkeys and find exclusively in the "Mata Atlantica". They live in small groups, preferably in the tree floors just below the crown. There, they find plenty of food and are protected from predators such as the jaguar. Spider monkeys are social animals that refresh their bonds daily with soft touches and firm hugs. The closer the friendship, the more intense the physical contact. The coexistence of spider monkeys runs very peaceful. They know no aggressive rank battles, as they are in other species of monkeys on the agenda. During spider monkeys hardly ever set foot in the rainforest, Koatis or coatis are found everywhere in the forest. They are skillful climbers, but also turned when it comes to find her way through the thicket soil. Looking for food omnivores roam in small groups consisting of females and their offspring, preferably along small streams through the wooded area. With their long noses and their most highly stretched, striped tail coatis act might be a little awkward, but they are extremely efficient hunters and have their environment perfectly adapted. , the "Mata Atlantica" is also home to nearly a thousand species of birds - a variety which is not to be found throughout Europe. One of the most magnificent birds is the Blaubrustpipra whose plumage purple, deep black and light blue. However, the males do not only score with a magnificent plumage, but above all by their acrobatic dance performances with which they impress the females during the mating season. With strong competition have prove
The second episode, "The wild heart" leads in the central grasslands of Brazil, the so-called "Cerrado". This grass world full of termite mounds is ten times as large as the Serengeti of Africa. Huge herds that graze on the pastures, you will not find here. Maned wolf, anteater, Prärieeule and capuchin lead here a rather hidden life, marked by heat, thunderstorms and steppe fires. The long-legged maned wolf has come to terms with the meager food supply in this arid region. Since more than half of the year can be found hardly any insects or small rodents, similar to the predator from the lack of meat food with high-energy food fruits. Also, the Great Anteater has adapted to the climatic conditions. But because the grasslands are covered in many places with Termitenbauen, he has all year round an abundance of food. The specialized insectivore that feeds mainly here termite must, leave only with his strong claws to build to go with his up to sixty centimeters long, thin tongue to the tiny tidbits inside. In the north, the vast grassy plains of the plateau are surmounted. Steep rocky cliffs and canyons dominate the landscape. Whole troops of capuchin monkeys climb here nimbly over steep walls to get into the deeper canyons to food and water. The capuchins have learned to use stones as tools to crack nuts. The older animals are true masters in it. The right stone, the right background, to find the best nut - may succeed even less experienced, but to let fly down the stone with well-measured force to the nut, so that their shell is broken immediately, infinity requires a lot of practice.
Scarcely any other region of Brazil changed as dramatically as the Pantanal by the forces of nature. It is one of the largest inland wetlands in the world, a network of swamps and rivers, tropical forests and savannas, the size of Austria and Switzerland combined. these underwater world of the Pantanal is characterized by particular species diversity and is home to rare giant otters, caimans and countless bird species. But above all you will find here the largest cat in South America -. Jaguar jaguars and also capybaras are used to the annual rainfall in the maze of rivers and islands while the advantage. Then the water level rises up to six meters and transforms the Pantanal in a huge swamp, in the caimans, giant otters, fish and anacondas in their element. Even birds such as Jabiru Stork and the Hyacinth Macaw, the world's largest parrot have learned to adapt to the changing seasonal conditions. The Hyacinth Macaw use tree hollows as nesting sites - but choose only those that are well above the maximum water level, so their young are never in the rainy season in jeopardy. With its large beak they can open the toughest nuts. For the Jabiru storks however begins the best time progresses drought when their preferred prey, fish and frogs, huddled in the few remaining pools and no chance to escape.
The fourth part of the documentary series "Terra Mater - Wild Brazil" portrays the coastal and insular world of Brazil. Humpback whales swim from Antarctica to the coastal waters of Brazil to bring this to their young. While the females care for their calves, courting the Walbullen with ornate jumps to the best mating opportunities. Idyllic beaches, dangerous snake islands, colorful coral reefs - these coastal world has to offer.
The last episode of the series "Wild Brazil" leads to the largest rainforest in the world. The Amazon rainforest covers an area of nearly seven million square kilometers. Ten percent of all species existing in the world come in this tropical forest region before. Biodiversity is already unique, and still new animal and plant species are discovered. The Amazon rainforest of Brazil is a country of water and forest - and these two worlds struggle every year, driven by the seasonal flooding, for supremacy. The canopy is the unlimited realm of the Harpy. This eagle is one of the most powerful birds of prey worldwide. Its favorite prey are sloths and monkeys. Harpies breed only every two to three years. Accordingly caring they care for their young. Is the young once hatched, fresh meat must be flown daily to the nest to satisfy the ever-hungry chicks. Walde Some days go deeper the leaf-cutting ants similar work after. Are you looking for leaves, from which they cut easily portable, bite-sized pieces with their sharp mouthparts. Later, they feed them in their construction of a mushroom. The fungus in turn serves the ants as food. With the rainy season, the swelling floods transform the forests into a topsy-turvy world: once dry lying country is suddenly under water. Now there are the Pirarucu, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, and the Frans turtle become hunters. During the more than two meters long Pirarucu roams in the stagnant waters between the trees that fringed turtle lurks motionless and camouflaged prey.
