Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time of anxiety and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists were able to reintroduce a group of couples into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also filled with backbiting and jealousy.
The first obstacle was to find enough birds to be traded. The macaws are monogamous so the pairs needed to be matched properly.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the mission of saving the critically endangered Spix's macaw. This bird was declared extinct by the United Nations in 2000 owing to decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small amount of the birds that are in captivity and they hope to release them near Curaca. They call the birds their little blue companions and compared their experience to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They say he was a true survivor, who lost his family but remained loyal to the area. They consider their lives in the Caatinga as being similar to his and feel a deep connection with him.
The discovery of the last Spix's Macaw offered an excellent opportunity for researchers to examine its behavior in the wild and gain a better understanding of how this species was able to survive for this long. It also allowed them to create a more accurate estimation of the historical population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able to gather important information about the bird's movements throughout the day and seasonal adaptation to drought, and food habits. They also observed attempts to reproduce using an Illiger's and Spix's hybrid macaws which was a crucial step in the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable achievement that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a very small gene pool. This has allowed scientists understand how these birds can be restored to the natural world. The survival of the last bird also encouraged people to take action to save other parrots and endangered species. It has also prompted zoos and other groups to set up up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This working group is an illustration of how conservation groups, other organizations and individuals can work together to save endangered species of wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian governmental officials Zoo representatives as well as international owners of this rare bird and ornithologists to work together towards a common goal - the recovery of the Spix's macaw.
The working group has already accomplished a lot of work, including developing plans for reintroducing the bird to the wild. The group has also been working to raise funds to fund field research as well as community outreach and captive-breeding birds to support the reintroduction project. The group has also established a permanent committee to recover the bird.
Habitat
At risk due to poaching and habitat destruction, the Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was believed to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to work tirelessly to save this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction.
A well-known animated film and two sequels have made Spix's Macaw known to millions of people across the globe However, this is only the tip of the iceberg in the long-distance journey to save these birds from the edge. A multi-national team has been working for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws raised in captivity into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is an endemic species that is found in a small area of northeast Brazil called the Caatinga. This arid region is characterized by flat savannah scrubland that is scattered with seasonal streams and gallery forests. It was described in 1819 and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic glimpses of the wild, few birds that are kept in captivity, and a handful of museum specimens.
To preserve the dwindling population An international committee was formed that brought together aviculturists that were the last to hold the birds as well as officials from the government. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to establish an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws back to their natural environment.
AWWP has purchased and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of the most pristine habitat. AWWP also breeds and rears birds that will be released into the wild. This will give a genetically-pure source of animals for the future generations.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws are found in trees and are seldom seen on the ground. They usually nest in tree holes or hollows and hunt for fruit, seeds, nuts and other plants. They may spend up to 1/3 of their time in the nest.
A local community was selected as part of the field team to help identify Spix's Macaws. Members of the community were given watches that could be activated if the Spix's Macaw was detected, allowing them to keep an eye on the birds and their movements throughout the wild. This approach has proven very successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species found in the family Cyanopsitta. It was listed as extinct in the wild in the year 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature after the last wild parrot disappeared in 2000, and subsequent surveys failed to locate any additional birds. However, a reintroduction project is currently in progress to return this critically endangered bird back to its natural habitat in Caatinga.
This dry forest is a region of northeast Brazil which covers around 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows old caraibeiras and were also known to eat seeds and nuts.
Reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is in progress. Eight captive-raised Spix's Macaws were released in the wild in June. Twelve more are expected to be released in 2022. They will be joined by Blue-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced to the same area, and will help to share knowledge about food sources, nesting and roosting locations.
The reintroduction programme has already collected valuable data from biology on the behavior of this unique bird, including information on daily movements patterns as well as seasonal adjustments to drought. It has also provided a window into the natural history of the Spix's Macaw which helps to understand what led to its extinction in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, seeds and nuts of many species native to the Caatinga biome. Pinhao-bravo, linhas Brazil and facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all part of this diet. They can also eat the fruit of acai palms (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws like all parrots and other bird species, are social birds that develop close bonds with their parents. They have vocalizations and often mimic other sounds and words. They make a mating call known as the "whichaka," which is check here described as a brief continuous grating sound like a flute note. When they are in a breeding mode they are known to fly high and fast.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are incredibly intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate with each other through a range of screeching and squawking sounds. Like many other parrots, can mimic human speech. They have a strict routine, which includes routines for bathing and flight. They are also able to recognize other members of their family. They are adored as pets and are frequently targeted by illegal trade in birds due to this.
In the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws were left in the wild. They were all poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since the time, all Spix's macaws known have been bred in captivity - mostly in Brazil.
The few Spix's macaws that are in captivity are made up of individuals that are the descendants of just two individuals, making them vulnerable to disease and other environmental challenges. The majority of the birds in captivity are in the breeding center in Germany however, in the year 2003 an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed and causing doubt about future plans to repatriate the birds and reintroduce them into the wild.
Despite their precarious number the captive-bred Spix's macaws exhibit some signs of improvement. This was evident when the Swiss breeder beat out the sheikh of Qatar to buy three Spix's Macaws for the collector.
As a result of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are beginning to reproduce, though not at a rapid rate. In order to keep them healthy and producing, it will be important to reintroducing the birds into the wild. Selecting the right birds to release is also critical. Macaws should be reproductive and paired with siblings or close relatives.
It's not easy to bring the Spix's macaw back to the wild, but it's important to try. ABC and its partners have created a reserve system to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's macaws will be joined by blue-winged macaws which are more prevalent in the Caatinga and share areas with the Spix's macaws. These birds will help macaws adjust to their new surroundings and will also provide safety by the sheer numbers.