Fires destroy home of one of the world's rarest birds in Brazil

A Brazilian sanctuary, home to 15% of the world’s population of blue macaws, has been consumed by fires — and there are fears for the well-being of the rare birds.
“It is very sad to see decades of my family work, years taking care and preserving nature, for this to happen,” said Ana Maria Barreto, owner of the São Francisco do Perigara, a cattle ranch and bird sanctuary of more than 61,000 acres in Mato Grosso state.
More than 70% of the farm’s vegetation was destroyed by the blaze, she said. “It is an unprecedented disaster.”
Between 700 and 1,000 blue macaws lived on the ranch, she said. “It is the largest known population of free macaws in the world,” Barreto told CNN.
The total world population of blue macaws is estimated to be about 6,500 birds, according to Arara Azul Institute, which advocates for environmental conservation. The birds are threatened with extinction and live in nature only in Brazil.
Most of the birds may have flown to safer locations, said Neiva Guedes, president of the institute. “They can manage to escape fires because they fly, but soon they will run out of food, and that is what we think will affect them most.” The blue macaws survive on fruits and nuts and “as forests burn, so does their food,” Guedes added.