Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period of anxiety and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists have succeeded in reintroducing two couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also filled with resentment and jealousy.
The first hurdle was to find enough birds for the trade. The macaws were monogamous so it was essential to match the pairs well.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the mission of saving the critically endangered Spix's Macaw. The bird was declared extinct by United Nations in 2000 because of decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small amount of the birds in captivity and they hope to release them close to Curaca. They refer to the birds as their blue-eyed friends and compared their experience to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They call him as a true survivor, who lost his family, but was loyal to the region. They believe that their lives in Caatinga as similar to his and feel a strong affinity with him.
Researchers were able to study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in the wild, and to better understand how this species has survived for so long. It also helped them make a more precise estimate of the historic numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able gather important information about the bird's movements throughout the day and seasonal adaptation to drought, and food habits. They even monitored attempts to reproduce using an Illiger's and Spix's hybrid macaws which was a significant step towards the recovery of this species.
It was an amazing achievement that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a limited gene pool. This has enabled scientists to better understand how these birds can be restored to the natural world. The survival of the last bird motivated people to act to save other endangered parrots and species. It has also prompted zoos and other organizations to set up up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This working group is a great example of how conservation groups and other organizations as well as individuals can work together in order to conserve endangered wildlife and animals. The group is comprised of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international owners of the Spix's macaw and ornithologists with an aim in common that is the recovery of this unique bird.
The group has completed a lot of work, including developing an idea for reintroducing this bird to the wild. The group also raised funds for community outreach, field research and captive-bred birds for the project. It has also created an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Endangered by poaching and habitat destruction The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Aviculturists, ornithologists and other experts continue to work hard to save this iconic bird back from the brink extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is recognizable to millions of people all over the globe thanks to a cult animated film and two sequels. This is just the beginning on the long-distance road to returning these birds. For a long time, a global team has been working to breed and bring back Spix's macaws that have been raised in captivity into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is an indigenous species to a small region of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This dry region has flat savannah scrubland and is scattered with seasonal streams and gallery forests. It was first described in 1819, and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic glimpses of the wild, with a few birds that are kept in captivity, and a handful of museum specimens.
To protect the population that is declining An international committee was formed that brought together aviculturists that were the last to hold the birds, as well as government officials. The group forged a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to develop a program to reintroduce Spix's Macaws back to their natural habitat.
AWWP has purchased and is renovating 2,380 hectares of prime habitat in the Caatinga area, close to Curaca, Brazil. AWWP also breeds and rears birds that will be released in the wild. This will give an animal that is genetically pure for the future generations.
Spix's Macaws are typically found in trees, and are rarely seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage for fruits, seeds, nuts, and various other plants. They can spend as much as one third of the time in the nest.
To assist in tracking the Spix's macaws and their movements, a local community was invited to join the field team. The community was provided with watches that would activate if Spix's Macaws are detected. This allowed them to track the birds in the wild and their daily activities. This method has proven to be extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species in the genus Cyanopsitta. It was listed as extinct in the wild in 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature after the last wild parrot disappeared in 2000. subsequent surveys failed to find any additional birds. However, a reintroduction plan is currently in progress to return the critically endangered bird to its natural home in the Caatinga.
This region in northeast Brazil is home to about 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nested in the hollows of old caraibeira trees, and they were also recognized for their dietary habits of eating 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 birds are expected to be released in 2022. macaw parrot cost will be joined by a group of Blue-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced and will share information on food sources, nesting and areas to roost.
The reintroduction programme has already gathered valuable biological data on the behavior of this unique bird, including details on daily movement patterns and seasonal adjustments to drought. It has also provided an insight into the nature of the Spix's Macaw, helping to discover the reasons behind its extinction in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of a myriad of plants native to the Caatinga Biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and linhas Brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia) and the joazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro) and facheiro Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They can also eat the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws as with all parrots and other bird species, are social birds that develop close bonds with their parents. They are extremely vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry called "whichaka," described as an extremely short and repetitive sound that resembles the note of a flutist. When they are in breeding mode they can fly fast and high.
Breeding
Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate using screeching, squawking, and other sounds. Like many parrots they are able to mimic human speech. They also adhere to a rigid daily routine, ranging from the flight path to bathing habits and are able to recognize the members of their flock. They are adored as pets, and are frequently targeted by the illegal bird trade because of this.
By the early 1980s, only three Spix's Macaws were left in the wild, all of them poached. In 1995, poachers killed the male and female birds as part of an attempt to pair them. Since since then, all Spix's Macaws known have been bred in captivity - mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws kept in captivity are made up of individuals that are the descendants of just two individuals, making them vulnerable to disease and other environmental threats. The majority of the birds in captivity are housed at the breeding center in Germany however, in the year 2003 an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired without renewal, casting doubt over future plans to repatriate the birds and return them back into the wild.
Despite their precarious numbers, captive-bred Spix's Macaws are showing some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder was able to beat out a sheikh in Qatar to purchase from the collector three Spix's Macaws that were not part of the breeding program.
In part, due to this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is beginning to grow, but not at a speedy pace. Maintaining their health and generating is crucial to reintroduce these birds to the wild. The selection of the right birds to release is also crucial. Macaws must be reproductive and be paired up with siblings or close relatives.
Reintroducing the Spix's macaw to the wild may prove difficult, but it is important to try. To aid, ABC and partners have established a reserve system that aims to protect the species' last remaining habitats. The eight recently released Spix's macaws are going to be joined by blue-winged macaws, that are more common in the Caatinga and share areas with the Spix's macaws. These birds will assist the macaws adjust to their new surroundings. They will also offer protection by numbers.