Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time with speculation and worry, Brazilians and German conservationists managed to successfully bring a group of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring, but also filled with resentment and jealousy.
The first challenge was finding enough birds for the exchange. The macaws are monogamous so the pairs needed to be matched well.
Range
A South African couple is working to save the critically endangered Spix's Macaw, which was declared extinct in 2000 after decades of poaching and habitat loss. They have a tiny population of the birds kept in captivity, and they hope to release them into the wild close to Curaca. They call them their little blue companions and compared their experience to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They describe Presley as an authentic survivor who lost his family, but kept his faith in his region. They feel a strong connection to him and perceive their lives as being similar to his.
Researchers were able to study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw wild, and gain a better understanding of the reasons why this species has survived for so long. Researchers were able to estimate the population of this rare bird with greater accuracy. Researchers were able gather important information on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adaptation to drought, and its eating habits. They also observed attempts at reproduction with a hybrid Spix's and Illiger's macaw pair which was a crucial step in the rehabilitation of this species.
It was an amazing feat that this bird was able to survive and thrive in the wild with such the smallest gene pool and it has helped scientists to understand how these birds can be reintroduced to the wild. The survival of the last bird encouraged people to take action in order to save other parrots as well as endangered species. Zoos have also been enticed to develop their own captive breeding program for these exotic species of birds.
This group is a great illustration of how conservation groups as well as other organizations and individuals can collaborate to save endangered animals and wildlife. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international holders of the Spix’s macaw, and ornithologists to achieve one goal in common: the recovery of this unique bird.
The working group has already completed a great deal of work. This includes preparing a plan to reintroduce the bird in the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds to fund field research, community outreach and captive-breeding birds for the reintroduction program. It has also created an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Threatened by habitat destruction and poaching The Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild ten years ago. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to work tirelessly to save this iconic bird back from the edge of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is well-known to millions of people around the globe thanks to a popular animated film and two sequels. This is just the tip of the iceberg on the long road of bringing these birds back. For a long time, a global team has been working to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws raised in a captive environment back into the wild.
The Spix's macaw is endemic to a small portion of northeast Brazil, called the Caatinga, an arid region of flat savannah scrubland that is dotted with creeks that flow through the seasons and gallery forests. The first time it was described was in 1819, and is one of the lesser-known Neotropical parrots, despite only few glimpses of the wild and a few birds that are kept in captivity and a few museum specimens.
To preserve the declining population To help save the declining population, a global group was established. It was comprised of Aviculturists who owned the last remaining bird and government officials. This group formed a collaboration with the renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to establish an initiative to restore the population of Spix's Macaws to their natural environment.
AWWP has purchased and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of the most pristine habitat. AWWP is also raising and breeding birds to be released into the wild, which will provide a genetically pure source of animals for the next generation of.
In the wild, Spix's macaws will live in trees, and are not often seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and search for fruits, seeds, nuts, and various other plants. They can spend as much as 1/3 of their time in the nest.
A local community was recruited as part of the field team in order to help identify Spix's Macaws. The community was given watches that would turn on when Spix's Macaws are detected. This allowed them to track the birds in the wild and their daily movements. This method has proven successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species found in the genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union 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 disappeared in 2000 and no additional birds were observed in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction plan is currently underway to try to bring back this critically endangered bird back to its home in the Caatinga.
This region in northeast Brazil covers approximately 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws were amidst the hollows of old caraibeiras and were also known to eat nuts and seeds.
Reintroduction of the Spix’s Macaw into the wild is currently in progress. Eight birds that were raised in captivity were released into the wild in June and 12 more are scheduled to follow in 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group of Blue-winged macaws that have been reintroduced and will provide information on food sources, nesting and areas to roost.
The reintroduction program has already collected valuable biological data about the behavior of the bird, including details about the patterns of movement and adaptations to drought. It has also opened a window on the natural history of the Macaws of Spix, which can help to understand the causes that led to their extinction.
Spix's Macaws eat the seeds, fruits, and nuts of many plants that are 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 may also consume the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws as with all parrots as well as other birds are social birds and have close relationships with their parents. They are very vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating call called "whichaka," described as an incredibly short and repetitive sound that resembles an acoustic note. They are well-known for flying fast and high when they are in the mood to breed.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate by screeching, squawking and other sounds. As with many parrots they can mimic human speech. They have a strict routine, which includes the way they fly and their bathing habits. They are also able to recognize other members of their flock. They are popular as pets and are often 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 foiled in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since then, all Spix's Macaws known have been bred in captivity - mostly in Brazil.
The few Spix's macaws kept in captivity are a mixture of individuals who are the descendants of only two individuals, which makes them susceptible to illness and other environmental threats. The majority of the birds in captivity are housed at an breeding center in Germany however, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed, casting doubt over future plans to return the birds and return them back into the wild.
Despite their low numbers, captive-bred Spix’s macaws show some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder managed to beat a sheikh from Qatar to purchase from the collector three Spix's Macaws that weren't part of the breeding program.
In part due to this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is starting to grow, but not at a rapid pace. Reintroducing Leia blue macaw and red macaw to the wild will require them to remain healthy and produce. The selection of the right birds to release is also crucial. Macaws should be at a reproductive age, and they should be paired with a sibling or a close relatives.
The return of the Spix's Macaw to the wild may prove difficult, but it's important to try. To help, ABC and partners have established a reserve system that aims to protect the species' last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's macaws will be joined by blue-winged macaws, that are more common in the Caatinga and are found in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These birds will help the macaws become accustomed to their new environment and will also provide safety by large numbers.