[1] The main operation of The Macaw Society focuses on a large uninhabited track of primary tropical lowland forest surrounding the Colorado Clay Lick, which is situated in the Tambopata National Reserve on the upper Tambopata River, very near to the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park, in the Madre de Dios Region of Peru.

From 1989 until March 2020 the project was headquartered in the Tambopata Research Center (TRC), a tourist lodge operated by the company Rainforest Expeditions.

[2][3] The Madre de Dios Region hosts a unique forest environment, with the highest concentrations of avian clay licks in the world.

[4][5] The project, which was established by Peruvian Eduardo Nycander, grew out of and was based on previous research by Charles A. Munn III done in the nearby Manu National Park.

[10][11][12][4][13][14] Since 2006, the project's leading patron is the Schubot Center for Avian Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University.

However, in early 2010 the Peruvian government, together with the members of the research project managed the clay lick to help restore the large macaw usage.

As a result, the project works closely with young Peruvian and foreign assistants and helps them gain the skills they need for conducting research.

Since 2009, extensive veterinary research was carried out during the breeding seasons on adult and young macaws under the direction of Sharman Hoppes.

Studies on psittacine diseases were also carried out with avian vets including Ian Tizard, David Phalen, and Jeff Musser.

In 2008, with the support of Janice Boyd, the project started a satellite telemetry study on captured macaws in the wild to investigate their home-range use and seasonal movements.

[3][15] Since its beginning as The Tambopata Macaw Project, it has received substantial magazine and media coverage within Peru and internationally,[19] thanks to its volunteers, the visiting tourists, tour operators, journalists, photographers and filmmakers.