Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long time of uncertainty and worry, Brazilian and German conservationists succeeded in reinserting a group of couples into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring, but also rife with jealousy and backbiting.

The first obstacle was to get enough birds to trade. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs had to be well-matched.

Range

A South African couple is working to save the critically endangered Spix’s macaw which was declared extinct in 2000 after years of poaching and habitat loss. They have a tiny population of the birds that are in captive, and they hope 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 from the wild. They say he was a true survivor, who lost his family, but kept his faith in the region. They feel a strong kinship to him and view their lives as similar to his.

Researchers were able study the behavior of the Spix’s Macaw in the wild, and gain a better understanding of the reasons why this species has survived so long. It also helped them form a more accurate estimate of the historic numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able to collect important data on the bird’s daily movements, its seasonal adaptation to drought, and eating habits. They also observed reproduction attempts using a hybrid Spix’s and Illiger’s macaw pair which was a significant step in the recovery of this species.

It was a remarkable achievement that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a very limited gene pool. This has enabled scientists understand how these birds can be returned to the natural world. The survival of the last bird also encouraged people to take action to save other parrots as well as endangered species. This has also encouraged zoos to create their own captive breeding programs for these exotic species of birds.

This group serves as a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to conserve endangered species of wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian governmental officials Zoo representatives and international owners of this rare bird and ornithologists with a common goal: the recovery of the Spix’s macaw.

The 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 been working to raise funds for field research and community outreach as well as captive-breed birds for the reintroduction plan. It has also established a permanent committee for the reintroduction of the bird.

Habitat

Ten years ago, the Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was thought to be extinct. It was endangered by the destruction of habitats and poaching that was illegal. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to fight 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 world thanks to a well-known animated film and two sequels. But this is only the tip of the iceberg on the long journey of bringing these birds back. An international team has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix’s Macaws that were raised in captivity to the wild.

The Spix’s macaw is endemic to a tiny area of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga which is an arid region consisting of savannah scrubland flat interspersed with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was described in 1819 and is one of least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic sightings in the wild, a few birds that are kept in captivity and a few museum specimens.

To protect the population that is declining An international committee was created that brought together aviculturists that had the last remaining birds and government officials. The group formed a collaboration with the world-renowned non-profit organisation Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to create an intensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Macaws Spix’s to their natural habitat in northeast Brazil.

AWWP has bought and is Buy Macaw of prime habitat in the Caatinga area, close to Curaca, Brazil. AWWP also breeds and raises birds to be released into the wild. This will give a genetically-pure source of animals for future generations.

In the wild, Spix’s macaws are found in trees and are seldom seen on the ground. They usually nest in hollows or holes in trees and forage for fruit, seeds, nuts and other plants. They will typically spend up to one third of the day in the nest.

To help track 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 enabled them to track the birds in the wild and their daily movements. This approach has been very successful.

Diet

The Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species of the Genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in the wild on April 1, 2019. This was in the wake of the last wild parrot disappeared in 2000, and no more birds were observed in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction plan is in the process of attempting to bring this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.

The northeast region of Brazil is home to about 10% of the entire country. Spix’s Macaws nestled in the hollows 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 captive-raised Spix’s Macaws were released in the wild in June. Twelve more birds are expected to be released by 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group of Blue-winged macaws that have been reintroduced and will share information about food sources, nesting sites and areas to roost.

The reintroduction programme has already gathered valuable biological data on the behavior of this rare bird, which includes details about daily movements patterns as well as adjustments to drought during the season. It also has opened a window on the evolution of the Spix’s Macaws. This helps to understand the factors that led to their extinction.

Spix’s Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of a variety of plants native to the Caatinga Biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and 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.

Spix’s Macaws, like all parrots as well as other birds, are social birds that have close relationships with their parents. They are vocal and frequently mimic speech and other sounds. They have a mating sound called the “whichaka,” which is described as a brief repeated grating sound that is like a flute note. They are known to fly fast and high when they are in an ecstatic mood.

Breeding

Spix’s Macaws are highly intelligent and social birds. They communicate by screeching, squawking, and other sounds. As with many parrots they are able to mimic human speech. They have a strict routine, which includes the way they fly and their bathing habits. They can also recognize other members of their flock. They are popular as pets and are frequently targeted by the illegal trade in birds due to this.

In the early 1980s, only three Spix’s macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. In 1995, poachers killed the male and female birds in an attempt to pair them. Since then, all Spix’s Macaws known have been captive-bred – mostly in Brazil.

The Spix’s Macaws that are in captivity are a mixture that descends of just two individuals. This leaves them vulnerable to illnesses and other environmental issues. The majority of the birds that are in captivity are in a breeding center in Germany, but this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired without renewal which raises doubt about the future plans to return the birds and return them into the wild.

Despite their precarious number, captive-bred Spix’s macaws show some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder beat out a sheikh in 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 beginning to increase, though not at a speedy pace. Reintroducing them to the wild will require that they stay healthy and produce. It is essential to choose the right birds prior to releasing them. Macaws must be reproductive and be paired with siblings or close relatives.

It’s not easy to get the Spix’s Macaw back into the wild, however, it is essential to try. ABC and its partners have established a reserve system to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight recently released Spix’s macaws will soon be joined by blue-winged macaws that are more common in the Caatinga and share areas with the Spix’s macaws. These smart birds will help the macaws become more familiar with the area and will offer the security of a large number.