Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long period uncertainty and worry, Brazilian and German conservationists have succeeded in reintroducing two couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also filled with jealousy and backbiting.

The first obstacle was getting enough birds to exchange. These macaws are monogamous, so the pairs had to be well-matched.

Range

A South African couple has taken on the mission to save 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 number of the birds in captivity and hope to release them close to Curaca. They call the birds little blue friends, and compare their journey to the journey of Presley the only known Spix's Macaw in wild. They describe him as a true survivor, who lost his family, but remained loyal to his area. They consider their lives in the Caatinga as akin to his, and they feel a deep connection with him.

The discovery of the last Spix's macaw offered a valuable opportunity for researchers to examine its behavior in the wild and gain a deeper understanding of why this species survived such a long time. This enabled researchers to estimate the historical population of this unique bird more precisely. Researchers were able to collect important data about the bird's daily movement patterns and its seasonal adaptation to drought, and its feeding habits. Researchers also monitored attempts to reproduce using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaw couple which was an important step in the recovery of this species.

It was a marvellous achievement that this bird lived 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 encouraged people to take action to save other endangered parrots and species. This has also encouraged zoos to establish their own captive breeding programs for these exotic species of birds.

This group is a good example of how conservation groups as well as other organizations and individuals can work together to save endangered species of wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian officials from government as well as representatives from zoos as well as 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 accomplished a lot of work, including preparing an idea for reintroducing this bird to the wild. The group also raised funds to fund community outreach as well as field research and captive-bred birds for the project. The group has also set up an ongoing committee to oversee the reintroduction of the bird.

Habitat

Endangered by poaching and habitat destruction The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild ten years ago. Aviculturists and ornithologists as well as other experts continue to work hard to save this iconic bird from the brink of extinction.

A cult animated film and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw recognizable to millions of people worldwide, but this is just the tip of the iceberg in the long road to bring these birds back from the brink. An international team has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws born 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 consisting of savannah scrubland flat interspersed with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was first described in 1819 and is among the least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic appearances in the wild, a few birds that are kept in captivity, and a handful of museum specimens.

To preserve the declining population To help save the declining population, a global group was established. It was comprised of aviculturists who held the last remaining bird as well as government officials. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to establish an initiative to restore the population of Spix's Macaws in their native habitat.

AWWP has purchased and is restoring 2,380 hectares of prime habitat in the Caatinga, near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP also breeds and raises birds that will be released into the wild. This will provide a genetically-pure source of animals for the 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 macaw purchase search to find seeds, fruits, nuts, and various other plants. They can spend up to one third of the day in the nest.

A local community was selected as part of the field team to assist track Spix's Macaws. The community was provided with watches that would activate if Spix's Macaws are recognized. This allowed them to monitor the birds in the wild and their daily activities. This method has proven to be extremely successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw is the only species in the Genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that it was extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was after the last wild parrot vanished in 2000. No additional birds were found in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction plan is in progress to try to bring this critically endangered bird to its native home in the Caatinga.

This dry forest is a part of northeast Brazil that covers about 10 percent of the country. Spix's Macaws were a nesting species in the hollows of old caraibeira trees, and they were also known to feed on seeds and nuts.

A reintroduction programme is underway to establish a natural population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight Spix's Macaws that were raised in captivity 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 Lolita blue & gold macaw-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced and will share information on food sources, nesting and roosting locations.

The reintroduction programme has already gathered valuable biological data on the behavior of this rare bird, including details on daily movements patterns as well as seasonal adjustments to drought. It also provides an insight into the nature of the Spix's Macaw and helped to better determine the causes that led to its disappearance in the wild.

Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, seeds and nuts of a variety of species native to the Caatinga biome. Pinhao-bravo, linhas Brasil and facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all included in this diet. They may also consume the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).

Like all parrots, Spix's Macaws are social birds that have a strong bond with their parents. They are vocal and frequently mimic other sounds and words. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as an extremely short and repetitive sound that resembles the note of a flutist. When they are in breeding mode, they are known to fly high and fast.

Breeding

Spix's Macaws are highly intelligent and social birds. They communicate with one another through a range of squawking and screeching sounds, and like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They also have a rigid daily routine, ranging from flight paths to bathing habits, and they can recognize members of their family. This is what makes them such popular pets and targets for illegal bird trade.

In the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws survived in the wild, and all of them being poached. A plan to pair the male and Cleo female macaws for sale defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since then the Spix's macaws have been bred in captivity mostly in Brazil.

The few Spix's macaws kept in captivity are a mixture of individuals who are the descendants of only two individuals, leaving them susceptible to illness and other environmental issues. The majority of Spix's macaws captivity reside in a breeding center in Germany. However this year an agreement between the German conservation center and Brazilian government was canceled, leaving the possibility of repatriation or reintroduction into the wild in doubt.

Despite their precarious number of captive-bred Spix's macaws, captive-bred species show some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder was able to beat a sheikh from Qatar to buy macaw from a 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 starting to increase, though not at a rapid pace. Reintroducing the birds into the wild will require that they stay healthy and produce. It is essential to choose the correct birds before releasing them. The macaws should be of reproductive age and paired with close relatives or siblings.

It's not easy to bring the Spix's Macaw back into the wild, but it's important to try. To help, ABC and partners have created a reserve system which will help to protect the last remaining habitats. The eight recently released Spix's macaws will be joined by blue-winged macaws which are more prevalent in the Caatinga and share areas with Spix's macaws. These savvy birds will help macaws to become accustomed to the region, and they will provide the security of a large number.