Data from: The effects of tourist and boat traffic on parrot geophagy in lowland Peru

Ecotourism generates important revenue in many developing economies, but
poorly regulated ecotourism can threaten the long-term viability of key
biological resources. We determined the effects of tourism, boat traffic,
and natural disturbances on parrot geophagy (soil consumption) across
seven riverine claylicks in the lowlands of Madre de Dios, Peru. Claylick
use significantly decreased when visitors did not follow good practice
guidelines and tourist numbers exceeded the capacity of the observation
blinds. Otherwise, tourist presence and natural disturbance did not have a
significant effect. However, large macaws, particularly Red-and-green
Macaws (Ara chloropterus), avoided visiting claylicks during periods of
peak tourist numbers. Where parrots had multiple geophagy sites to choose
from, they preferred sites further from tourist groups. The effect of boat
disturbance was greatest on a narrow river with infrequent boat events. On
a wider river with heavier traffic, boat disturbance had less of an effect
and this effect was inversely proportional to the distance of boats from
the claylick. Where visitors followed good-practice tourism guidelines,
they had a low overall negative effect on parrot geophagy. We recommend
that visitors respect the claylick observation guidelines to minimize
anthropogenic disturbance on parrots and maintain these sites for the
benefit of wildlife and humans alike.