Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period filled with worry and speculation, Brazilians and German conservationists were able to successfully reintroduce a grouping of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational however, it is also filled with backbiting and jealousies.
The first obstacle was obtaining enough birds to trade. Macaws are 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 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 are hoping to release them near Curaca. They refer to the birds as little blue friends, and compare their lives with the journey of Presley the only known Spix's Macaw found in the wild. They describe Presley as a true survivor, who lost his family but was loyal to his home. They feel a strong bond to him and see their lives as being similar to his.
The discovery of the last Spix's macaw offered researchers with an opportunity to study its behavior in the wild and gain a deeper understanding of how this species has survived for such a long time. It also helped them create a more accurate estimation of the historical population numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able to gather crucial details about the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adjustment to drought, and eating habits. They also observed reproduction attempts using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaw pair which was a crucial step towards the recovery of this species.
It was an amazing feat that this bird was able to endure and thrive in the wild despite an insufficient gene pool and it has helped scientists understand how these birds could be returned to the wild. The survival of the last bird encouraged people to take action to save other species of endangered parrots. Zoos and other organizations to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group is an illustration of how conservation groups and other organizations as well as individuals can work together to save endangered animals and wildlife. It brings Brazilian governmental officials as well as representatives from zoos and international owners of this rare bird, and ornithologists with a common goal: the recovery of the Spix's macaw.
The working group has already accomplished a lot of work, including developing an idea for reintroducing this bird to the wild. The group also raised funds to support community outreach as well as field research and captive-bred birds for the project. It has also created an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago, the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was considered extinct. It was threatened through habitat destruction and illegal poaching. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to tirelessly work to save this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction.
A cult animated film and two sequels have made Spix's macaw famous to millions of people across the globe, but this is just the beginning in the long journey to bring these birds back from the edge. For decades, an international team has been working to breed and bring back Spix's macaws raised in a captive environment back into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is native to a small portion of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga an arid area consisting of savannah scrubland flat that is dotted with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was described in 1819 and is one of least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic glimpses of the wild, with a few captive birds and a few museum specimens.
To protect the declining population To help save the declining population, a global group was created. It brought together Aviculturists who owned the last remaining bird as well as officials from the government. The group formed a partnership with the renowned non-profit organization 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 hectares of prime habitat in the 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 will live in trees, and are not often seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage to find seeds, fruits, nuts, and other plants. They can spend up to a third of the day in the nest.
To help track the Spix's macaws as well as their movements local communities were invited to join the field team. The community was provided with watches that would turn on when the Spix's Macaw was detected. This enabled them to monitor the birds in the wild and their daily movements. This approach has been extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species in the Genus 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 the year 2000. subsequent surveys did not find any additional birds. However, a reintroduction plan is in the process of trying to return this critically endangered bird back to its natural home in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is a part of northeast Brazil which covers around 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nested in the hollows of the old caraibeira trees, and they were also known to eat seeds and nuts.
Reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is in progress. Eight birds that were raised in captivity were released into the wild in June and 12 more are scheduled to arrive in 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 and nesting and roosting areas.
The reintroduction program has already collected valuable biological data about the behavior of the bird, including details about daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought. It also provides an insight into the nature of the Spix's Macaw, helping to discover the reasons behind its disappearance in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, seeds and nuts of a variety 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). The acai palm (Acaia olive) and mofumbo (Combretum léprosum) fruits are also edible.
Like all parrots like all parrots Macaws are highly social birds, and they have a close bond with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic human speech and other sounds. They have a mating call called "whichaka," described as an incredibly short and repetitive sound that resembles the note of a flutist. When they are in breeding mode they can fly high and fast.
Breeding
Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate through screeching, squawking and other sounds. As with many parrots they can mimic human speech. They follow a strict routine that includes the way they fly and their bathing habits. They are also able to recognize other members of their family. They are very popular as pets, and are frequently targeted by the illegal bird trade because of this.
By the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws remained in the wild, with all of them poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was unsuccessful in 1995 when poachers killed both birds. Since then, all Spix's Macaws are captive-bred, mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws that are in captivity are a mix of individuals who are descendants of only two individuals, which makes them vulnerable to disease and other environmental issues. macaw parrot cost of the birds in captivity are housed at the breeding center in Germany, but this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed, casting doubt over future plans to repatriate the birds and reintroduce them into the wild.
Despite their petty numbers, captive-bred Spix’s macaws show some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder beat a sheikh from Qatar to purchase from a collector three Spix's Macaws that were not part of the breeding program.
As a result of this and other efforts, captive-bred birds are beginning reproduce again, although not at a great rate. Reintroducing the birds into the wild will require that they remain healthy and produce. It is important to choose the correct birds before releasing them. The macaws need to be in a reproductive stage and should be in a relationship with an older sibling or close family member.
It's not easy to bring the Spix's Macaw back into the wild, however, it is essential to try. To help, ABC and partners have created a reserve system which is designed to safeguard the species' last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's macaws that were recently released will be joined by blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are more prevalent in Caatinga and live in areas where the Spix’s macaws also reside. These birds will help macaws become accustomed to their new surroundings. They will also offer protection by numbers.