Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time of anxiety and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists have succeeded in reintroducing a group of couples into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational but also rife with jealousies and backbiting.
The first obstacle was getting enough birds for the exchange. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs had to be well-matched.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the task of saving the critically threatened Spix's Macaw. The bird was declared extinct by the United Nations in 2000 owing to decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a tiny population of the birds that are in captive, and they hope to release them into the wild close to Curaca. They call them their little blue friends and compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw from the wild. They describe him as an authentic survivor who lost his family, but kept his faith in his region. They consider their lives in the Caatinga as similar to his, and they feel a strong affinity with him.
The discovery of the last Spix's macaw offered researchers with an opportunity to examine its behavior in the wild and gain an understanding of how the species has survived for so long. It also allowed them to make a more precise estimation of the historical population numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able gather important information on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adaptation to drought, as well as its eating habits. They also observed reproduction attempts using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaws, which was an important step in the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable feat that this bird was able to survive and thrive in the wild with such an insufficient gene pool and has helped researchers understand how these birds can be reintroduced to the wild. The survival of the last bird motivated people to act to save other endangered parrots and species. Zoos have also been enticed to create their own captive breeding programs for these exotic bird species.
This working group is a good example of how conservation groups and other organizations as well as individuals can collaborate to protect endangered animals and wildlife. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, representatives from zoos, international owners of the Spix's macaw, and ornithologists to achieve a common goal to save this endangered bird.
The group has achieved a lot of work. This includes the development of a plan to reintroduce the bird to the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds to support field research and community outreach as well as captive-breed birds for the reintroduction plan. It also has established a permanent committee for the reintroduction of the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago, the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was considered extinct. It was endangered by the destruction of habitat and poaching that was illegal. Aviculturists, ornithologists and other experts continue to work hard to bring this iconic bird from the brink of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is recognizable to millions of people all over the globe thanks to a popular animated film and two sequels. However, this is only the beginning on the long-distance road to bringing these birds back. A multi-national team has been working for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws born in captivity back into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is native to a small portion of northeast Brazil, called the Caatinga, an arid region of flat savannah scrubland scattered with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was first described in 1819, and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic sightings in the wild, a few birds in captivity, and a handful of museum specimens.
To preserve the dwindling population In order to protect the declining population, an international committee was established which brought together aviculturists who held the last remaining birds and government officials. This group formed a collaboration with the world-renowned non profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to develop an initiative to restore the population of Spix's Macaws back to their natural habitat.
AWWP has purchased and is restoring 2,380 hectares in the Caatinga close to Curaca (Brazil) of the most pristine habitat. AWWP is also raising and breeding birds to be released into the wild, which will provide the genetically pure source of animals for future generations.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws are found in trees and are rarely seen on the ground. They nest in tree hollows or holes and search to find seeds, fruits, nuts, and other species. They typically spend up to one third of the day in the nest.
To help track the Spix's macaws and their movements, a local group was recruited to become part of the field team. The community was given watches that would turn on when a Spix's Macaw is detected. This enabled them to track the birds in the wild as well as their daily activities. This approach has been extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species belonging to the genus Cyanopsitta. Paisley hyacinth macaw for sale for Conservation of Nature declared that it was extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was in the wake of the last wild parrot vanished in 2000. No additional birds were discovered in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction plan is in progress to try to restore this critically threatened bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
The northeast region of Brazil comprises about 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws were found in hollows old caraibeiras and were also known to eat seeds and nuts.
A reintroduction program is now underway to re-establish a wild population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight birds that were raised in captivity were released into the wild in June and 12 more are expected to arrive in 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged Macaws. They were reintroduced into the same area and will assist to share knowledge of food sources, nesting and roosting areas.
The reintroduction program has already obtained valuable biological data on the behavior of this bird, including information about daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought. It also has provided a glimpse into the evolution of the Spix's Macaws. This aids in understanding the causes that led to their extinction.
Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits, and nuts of a myriad of plants native to the Caatinga Biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and the linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia) as well as the joazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro) and facheiro Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They may also consume the fruit of acai palms (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Like all parrots, Spix's Macaws are highly social birds that bond closely with their parents. They are extremely vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating noise similar to an acoustic note. They are known to fly high and fast when they are in the mood to breed.
Breeding
Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate with each other through a range of squawking and screeching sounds. They, like other parrots, can mimic human speech. They also adhere to a strict routine for their day, from flights to bathing routines, and they can recognize members of their family. They are popular as pets and are frequently targeted by the illegal trade in birds because of this.
In the early 1980s, just three Spix’s macaws remained 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 captive-bred – mostly in Brazil.
The Spix's Macaws in captivity are a mixture, which is the descendant of just two individuals. This makes them more vulnerable to diseases and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws captivity live at a breeding centre in Germany. However, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and Brazilian government ran out which leaves future plans for repatriation and their reintroduction into the wild in doubt.
Despite their precarious numbers, captive-bred Spix's Macaws are showing some signs of improvement. This was evident when the Swiss breeder beat 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 reproduce, but not at a great rate. Maintaining their health and generating will be important to reintroducing the birds back into the wild. It is essential to choose the correct birds before releasing them. Macaws should be reproductive and be paired with close relatives or siblings.
Bringing the Spix's macaw back to the wild could prove difficult, but it is important to try. To aid, ABC and partners have started a reserve system that is designed to safeguard the species' last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's macaws that were recently released will be joined by the blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are more prevalent in Caatinga and are found in areas where the Spix’s macaws also reside. These birds will assist the macaws adapt to their new surroundings and will also offer protection by numbers.