Military Macaws (Ara militaris)  have disappeared from many areas, particularly in Mexico where habitat loss is over 30%. In Argentina, the only sightings since 1991 are of approximately 50 individuals and in Bolivia a total of 37 individuals in 8 of 21 known locations. Populations in Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia face continuing threats from domestic trade, destruction of nest cavities by poachers and forest destruction.

The WPT has funded several projects throughout the macaws’ range, including population surveys along the Jalisco coast of Mexico, breeding ecology and food use studies, surveys that identified priority breeding areas and availability of nest cavities, and educational programs for landowners in areas where birds are known to nest and roost.

In Cabo Corrientes Mexico, a population of Military Macaws faces multiple threats such as heavy trapping. As a result of unchecked harvesting of the birds, the Ibarra family has created a refuge for species on one of their properties. The Macaw Sanctuary (Santuario de la Guacamayas) was born of a discovery that a tree had been felled to illegally extract a macaw chick for trade. Nearly a decade later, the Macaw Sanctuary became a registered Management Unit for the Conservation of Wildlife (UMA). The Ibarra family builds, installs and maintains artificial nests for the Military Macaws living in the area. To date, 30 nest boxes have been installed and 70 chicks have hatched and successfully fledged. The team has also provided a lookout tower and blinds for visitors to view the macaws, tours and educational talks. Native tree planting across the site is helping to replace trees lost to deforestation. By the end of 2025, the team has planted several thousand pine trees of different species on the property.