Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long time filled with uncertainty and fear, Brazilians and German conservationists were able successfully reintroduce a couple of couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring, but also filled with jealousies and backbiting.

The first challenge was to find enough birds for the trade. The macaws are monogamous therefore the pairs had to be matched properly.

Range

A South African couple is working to save the critically endangered Spix's macaw To Buy, which was declared extinct in 2000 following years of poaching and habitat loss. They have a tiny population of the birds in captivity, and are hoping to release them into the wild near Curaca. They call them their blue-eyed friends and compared their experience to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw in the wild. They describe him as 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 strong affinity with him.

Researchers were able to study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in wild, and better understand the reasons why this species has survived so long. This allowed researchers to determine the historical population of this rare bird with greater accuracy. Researchers were able to collect important information about the bird's daily movement patterns, seasonal adjustment to drought, and food habits. They also observed attempts at reproduction with a hybrid macaws for sale Spix's and Illiger's macaws, which was an important step in the recovery of this species.

It was an amazing feat that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has allowed scientists to better understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to the natural world. The survival of the last bird inspired people to take action to save other endangered parrots and species. Zoos have also been enticed to create their own captive breeding program for these exotic bird species.

This group is a good illustration of how conservation groups and other organizations as well as individuals can work together to save endangered wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian officials from government, zoo representatives and international owners of this rare bird and ornithologists to work together towards a common goal - the reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw.

The group has already completed a great deal of work. This includes the development of a plan to reintroduce the hyacinth bird price in the wild. The group has also been working to raise funds to fund field research and community outreach as well as captive-breeding birds for the reintroduction project. The group has also established a permanent committee to save the bird.

Habitat

Ten years ago the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was believed to be extinct. It was endangered through the destruction of habitats and illegal poaching. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to tirelessly work to save this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.

The Spix's Macaw is well-known to millions around the world due to a well-known 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 trying to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws that have been raised in captivity into the wild.

The Spix's Macaw is native to a tiny area of northeast Brazil, called the Caatinga which is an arid region of savannah scrubland that is flat, interspersed with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. The first time it was described was in 1819 and is among of the lesser-known Neotropical parrots, despite only few glimpses of the wild, a few captive birds and a few museum specimens.

To preserve the dwindling population An international committee was created that brought together aviculturists that held the last remaining birds, as well as government officials. The group formed a collaboration with the world-renowned non-profit organisation Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to develop a comprehensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's Macaws to their natural habitat in the northeast of Brazil.

AWWP has purchased and is renovating 2,380 acres of prime habitat in Caatinga near 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 future generations.

In the wild, Spix's Macaws reside in trees and are rarely seen on the ground. They typically build nests in tree holes or hollows and forage for fruit seeds, nuts, seeds 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 to track 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 approach has been extremely successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw is the only species belonging to the Genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was following the last wild parrot disappeared in 2000, and no more birds were found in subsequent surveys. However, owning a macaw reintroduction program currently underway is trying to return the critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.

This dry forest is a part of northeast Brazil that covers about 10 percent of the 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 in progress. Eight captive-raised Spix's macaws were released in the wild in June. Twelve more are expected to be released by 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged Macaws, which have been released back into the same area, and will help to share knowledge about food sources, nesting and roosting locations.

The reintroduction program has already collected valuable biological data about the behavior of this bird, including information about daily movements and adjustments to drought. It also provided a glimpse into the natural history of the Macaws of Spix, which aids in understanding the causes that led to their disappearance.

Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits and nuts of many plants that are native to the Caatinga biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and the linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia), along with the joazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro) and facheiro Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). The acai palm (Acaia olive) and mofumbo (Combretum léprosum) fruits are also edible.

Like all parrots, Spix's Macaws are social birds that have a strong bond with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic other sounds and words. They have a mating call called "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating noise similar to a flutist note. When they are in a breeding mode they are known to fly high and fast.

Breeding

Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate with each other with a variety of screeching and squawking sounds. They, like other parrots, can mimic human speech. They have a very strict routine that includes flight patterns and bathing habits. They are also able to recognize other members of their flock. They are very popular as pets and are often targeted by illegal trade in birds due to this.

By the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws survived in the wild, and all of them being poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was foiled in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since then the Spix's macaws are captive-bred mostly in Brazil.

The few Spix's macaws that are in captivity are made up of individuals who are descendants of just two individuals, leaving them vulnerable to disease and other environmental issues. The majority of the birds in captivity are kept 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, casting doubt over future plans to return the birds and then reintroduce them into the wild.

Despite their petty numbers, captive-bred Spix’s macaws show some signs of improvement. This was evident when the Swiss breeder beat the sheikh of Qatar to buy three Spix's Macaws from a collector.

In the wake of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are beginning to reproduce, but not at a rapid rate. Maintaining their health and generating will be crucial for reintroducing the birds back into the wild. Selecting the right birds to release is equally important. Macaws must be in a reproductive stage and be joined by a sibling or a close relative.

The return of the Spix's Macaw to the wild could prove difficult, but it's essential 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 that were recently released will be joined by the blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are more prevalent in Caatinga, and they live in areas where the Spix's macaws also live. These intelligent birds will aid the macaws get familiar with the area and will offer safety in numbers.