RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

10 March 2026

Ancient DNA and other clues from feathers found in modern Peru hint that the ancient Ychsma culture imported birds from the distant Amazon.

Feathers from the red-and-green macaw, native to the Amazon rainforest, have been found hundreds of kilometres away at the ancient site of Pachamac. Credit: Balazs Tisza

Feather-fancying ancient Peruvians imported live parrots from the other side of the Andes mountain range, hundreds of kilometres away 1 .

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Nature 651 , 561 (2026)

doi:…