Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time with worry and speculation, Brazilians and German conservationists were able successfully reintroduce a couple of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational but also rife with jealousies and backbiting.
The first challenge was finding enough birds to exchange. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs had to be matched well.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the mission of saving the critically endangered Spix's Macaw. This bird was declared extinct by the United Nations in 2000 owing to decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small number of the birds that are in captive, and hope to release them in 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 describe him as a true survivor, who lost his family, but was loyal to his home. They see their lives in the Caatinga as 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 gain a better understanding of the reasons why this species has survived so long. This also helped them create a more accurate estimate of the historic population numbers of this unique bird. macaw parrot cost were able to gather crucial information on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adaptation to drought, and eating habits. Researchers even monitored attempts to reproduce with a hybrid Spix’s and Illiger’s macaw couple which was an important step in the recovery of this species.
It was an amazing feat that this bird was able endure and thrive in the wild with such a limited gene pool, and has helped scientists to understand how these birds could be reintroduced back to the wild. The survival of the last bird also motivated people to act to save other parrots as well as threatened species. It also inspired zoos and other organizations to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This working group is a good example of how conservation groups, other organizations and individuals can work together in order to conserve endangered animals and wildlife. The group is comprised of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps, international owners of the Spix's macaw and ornithologists with one goal in common to save this endangered bird.
The group has already completed a great deal of work. This includes the development of an approach to reintroduce this bird in the wild. The group also raised funds for 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 believed to be extinct. It was threatened by habitat destruction and illegal poaching. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists 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 all over the globe thanks to a cult animated film and two sequels. However, this is only the beginning on the long-distance road to bringing these birds back. A team of international experts has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws raised in captivity into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is an endemic species that is found in a small area of northeast Brazil called the Caatinga. This arid region has flat savannah scrubland that is which is surrounded by seasonal streams and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819 and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic appearances in the wild, with a few birds in captivity and a handful of museum specimens.
To preserve the declining population, an international group was formed. It brought together experts in aviculture who had the last remaining bird, as well as officials from the government. This group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to develop a comprehensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Macaws Spix's to their natural habitat in the northeast of Brazil.
AWWP has acquired and is restoring 2,380 hectares of prime habitat in Caatinga, near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP also breeds and raises birds to be released into the wild. This will provide the genetically pure source of animals for the future generations.
In the wild, Spix's macaws reside in trees, and are not often seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes, and hunt in search of seeds, fruits, nuts, and other species. They will typically spend up to three-quarters of the time in the nest.
A local community was enlisted as part of the field team in order to help identify Spix's Macaws. The community was given watches that would turn on when the Spix's Macaw was detected. This allowed 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 found in the Genus Cyanopsitta. It was declared extinct in the wild in 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature following the disappearance of the last wild parrot to be identified disappeared in the year 2000. subsequent surveys failed to locate any additional birds. However, a reintroduction program is in the process of trying to restore this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is a part of northeast Brazil which covers around 10 percent of the country. Spix's Macaws were amidst the hollows of old caraibeiras and were also known to eat nuts and seeds.
A reintroduction plan is currently in progress to restore a wild population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight captive-raised Spix's macaws were released in the wild in June. Twelve more birds are scheduled to be released in 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged macaws who were reintroduced. They will provide information on food sources, nesting sites and roosting locations.
The reintroduction program has already obtained valuable biological data on the behavior of this bird, including details about the patterns of movement and adaptations to drought. It has also provided a window into the nature of the Spix's Macaw and helped to better understand what led to its extinction in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of many plants that are 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). The acai palm (Acaia olive) and mofumbo (Combretum léprosum) fruits are also edible.
Like all parrots Like all parrots, Spix's Macaws are highly social birds that bond closely with their parents. They are very vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating call called "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating sound similar to the note of a flutist. They are well-known for flying high and fast when they are in a breeding mood.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are incredibly intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate using screeching, squawking, and other sounds. As with many parrots they can mimic human speech. They also follow a very strict routine for their day, from flight paths to bathing habits and are able to recognize the members of their flock. They are very popular as pets and are often targeted by illegal bird trade because of this.
In the early 1980s only three Spix's macaws were left in the wild. They were all poached. In 1995, poachers killed the male and female birds as part of an attempt to pair them. Since the time, all Spix's macaws known have been captive-bred – mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws in captivity are a mixture of individuals who are descendants of only two individuals, which makes them susceptible to illness and other environmental threats. The majority of Spix's macaws captivity are kept in a breeding centre in Germany. However, this year, an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was canceled and future plans for repatriation and their reintroduction into the wild in doubt.
Despite their low numbers, captive-bred Spix's macaws are showing signs of improvement. This was evident when the Swiss breeder beat out the sheikh of Qatar to buy three Spix's Macaws from the collector.
As a result of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are beginning to reproduce, though not at a rapid rate. Keeping them healthy and producing will be crucial for reintroducing the birds back into the wild. It is crucial to select the right birds before releasing them. Macaws should be reproductive and be paired with siblings or close relatives.
Reintroducing the Spix's macaw to the wild could be difficult, but it's important to try. To help, ABC and partners have started a reserve system that will help to protect the last remaining habitats. The eight recently released Spix's macaws will soon be joined by blue-winged macaws which are more common in the Caatinga and are found in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These birds will assist the macaws become accustomed to their new surroundings. They will also provide safety by large numbers.