By Alejandro Rigatuso, Fundador y Director de Fundación Loros·Reviewed by Alejandro Rigatuso
It was Maicol who found them that January, near the ridge of El Peligro, camera at the ready and eyes wide open. In the crown of a papayote in full bloom — that tree of yellow flowers that lights up the forest like a burst of flame — a flock of Amazona parrots moved through the branches, pulling at petals and nectar with the ease of those who know their pantry well. The cloudless blue sky made the green of their plumage and the yellow of the blossoms look almost unreal.
Among all the individuals, one stood out with unmistakable clarity: the parrot banded B67 on its leg, part of the Fundación's monitoring program, right there in the middle of the feast like any other member of the flock. The photos Maicol captured don't just document the moment — they capture something the team had long suspected and that now exists on record: the Amazona parrots of Los Loros have a passion for the papayote, and they know exactly when and where to find it.
About the author
Alejandro Rigatuso · Fundador y Director de Fundación Loros
Alejandro Rigatuso arrived at Fundación Loros after years as Vice President of Growth Marketing at Toptal, bringing with him an unconventional perspective: he knows an animal is well by its eyes, "bright, wide open." Lorenzo, the first parrot released, recaptured several times and always set free to fly again, marked him forever. At dusk, around five-thirty, you'll find him at the Mirador de las Ciénagas or wandering around Cerro El Peligro, envisioning observation towers and hundreds of native parrots soaring over a reserve that an entire community calls their own.
