A new genetic and chemical study has uncovered a vast live parrot trade that crossed the Andes Mountains about a thousand years ago. Researchers analyzed ancient feathers and human remains from coastal Peru and found that rainforest parrots were transported more than 500 kilometers from the eastern lowlands to the arid Pacific coast. Climate modeling shows the western Andes offered no suitable habitat for these birds, whose normal range is far smaller, confirming that people deliberately moved them across extreme terrain.

Feathers recovered from burials at Pachacamac, a major religious center, came from several tropical species native to forests east of the Andes. The birds were highly valued by the Ichma culture, whose elites used their bright plumage in ceremonial clothing and funerary bundles. Chemical signatures in the feathers reveal the parrots were fed maize and marine resources after arrival, showing they were kept alive for years to provide a steady supply of prized feathers.

Genetic evidence indicates the birds were not bred locally but captured from diverse wild populations, reinforcing the conclusion that they were transported alive. Additional findings from human remains and pottery point to a broad network linking rainforest, highland, and coastal communities. Together, the evidence reveals a sophisticated system of long-distance exchange that predates the rise of the Inca Empire and reshapes understanding of connectivity in ancient South America.