Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period filled with uncertainty and fear Brazilians and German conservationists were able to successfully bring a group of couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring, but also filled with backbiting and jealousies.
The first hurdle was obtaining enough birds for the exchange. The macaws were monogamous, therefore it was important to match pairs well.
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 loss of habitat. They have a small number of the birds that are in captivity and they hope to release them near Curaca. They call them their little blue friends and have compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw from the wild. They describe him a true survivor, who lost his family but was loyal to the region. They feel a strong connection to him and view their lives as being like his.
Researchers were able to research the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in wild, and gain a better understanding of how this species has survived so long. It also allowed them to form a more accurate estimate of the historic population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able gather crucial information on the bird's daily movement patterns and seasonal adaptation to drought and its food habits. Researchers also monitored attempts to reproduce using an Illiger's and a Spix's hybrid macaw couple which was an important step in the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable feat that this bird managed to survive and thrive in the wild despite a limited gene pool, and has helped scientists to understand how these birds can be reintroduced to the wild. The bird's survival has motivated people to act to save other endangered parrots and species. Zoos are also encouraged to establish 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 work together to conserve endangered wildlife and endangered animals. It brings Brazilian officials from the government, zoo representatives as well as international owners of this rare bird and ornithologists together with one common goal - the recovery of the Spix's Macaw.
The group has completed a lot of work, including developing a plan for reintroducing the bird into the wild. The group also raised funds to support community outreach, field research and captive-bred birds for the project. The group has also established a permanent committee to recover the bird.
Habitat
At risk due to habitat destruction and poaching The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was believed to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to work tirelessly to save this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.
A popular animated movie and two sequels have made Spix's macaw recognizable to millions of people around the world, but this is just the beginning of the iceberg in the long road to save these birds from the brink. 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 native to a tiny area of northeast Brazil which is known as the Caatinga which is an arid region consisting of savannah scrubland flat scattered with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. The first time it was described was in 1819 and is one of the least-known Neotropical parrots, with few glimpses of the wild, a few captive birds and a few museum specimens.
To preserve the dwindling population, an international committee was created which brought together aviculturists who held the last remaining birds and government officials. This group formed a collaboration with the renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to create an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws back to their natural environment.
AWWP has purchased and is recovering 2,380 acres of prime habitat in the Caatinga, near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds to be released into the wild, thereby providing the genetically pure source of animals for the next generation of.
Spix's Macaws can be found in trees, and rarely seen on the ground. They typically build nests in tree holes or hollows and hunt for fruit as well as seeds, nuts, and other plants. They can spend up to one third of their day in the nest.
To assist in tracking the Spix's macaws and their movements, a local group was recruited to become part of the field team. The members of the community were provided watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's macaw was detected, allowing them to keep on top of the birds' movements and their daily activities in the wild. This method has proven to be extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species of the genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that it was extinct in the wild on April 1, 2019. This was following the last wild parrot was lost in 2000, and no more birds were discovered in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction program is in the process of attempting to restore this critically threatened bird back to its home in the Caatinga.
This region in northeast Brazil comprises about 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows old caraibeiras and were also known to eat seeds and nuts.
Reintroduction of the Spix’s Macaw into the wild is currently in progress. Eight birds raised in captivity were released into the wild in June, and 12 more are expected to follow in 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged macaws that have been reintroduced and will provide information on food sources, nesting and places to roost.
The reintroduction program has obtained valuable biological data on the behavior of this bird, including information about daily movements and adjustments to drought. It has also provided a window into the nature of the Spix's Macaw which helps to understand what led to its disappearance in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits and nuts of many plants native to the Caatinga biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and linhas Brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia) as well as the joazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro) and facheiro cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They also eat the fruit of the palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws like all parrots as well as other birds are social birds that develop close bonds with their parents. They have vocalizations and often mimic speech and other sounds. They make a mating call known as the "whichaka," which is described as a brief, repetitive grating sound like a flute note. When they are in a breeding mode, they are known to fly high and fast.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are incredibly intelligent and social birds. They communicate with each other by making a variety of screeching and squawking sounds. They, like other parrots, they can mimic human speech. They also have a rigid daily routine, ranging from the flight path to bathing habits, and they can recognize members of their flock. They are adored as pets and are frequently targeted by the illegal bird trade because of this.
In 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 unsuccessful in 1995 when poachers killed both birds. Since then all known Spix's macaws are captive-bred mostly in Brazil.
The Spix's Macaws in captivity are a mix, which is the descendant of just two individuals. This makes them susceptible to diseases and other environmental challenges. The majority of the birds in captivity are kept in the breeding center in Germany, but this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired without renewal, casting doubt over future plans to repatriate the birds and reintroduce them back into the wild.
Despite their low numbers, captive-bred Spix's Macaws are showing signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder was able to beat a sheikh from Qatar to buy from a collector three Spix's Macaws that weren't part of the breeding program.
In part because of this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is beginning to grow, though not at a rapid pace. Maintaining their health and generating will be important to reintroducing the birds back into the wild. Selecting the right birds to release is equally important. Macaws should be in a reproductive stage, and they should be paired with one of their siblings or a close family member.
It could be difficult to bring the Spix's macaw back to the wild, however, it is essential to try. To help, ABC and partners have created a reserve system which aims to protect the species' last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's macaws are going to be joined by blue-winged macaws which are more prevalent in the Caatinga and share areas with Spix's macaws. These birds will assist the macaws adjust to their new environment and will also offer protection Buy Macaw by the sheer numbers.