Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period of worry and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists were able to reintroduce couple couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also rife with backbiting and jealousies.
The first hurdle was obtaining enough birds to exchange. The macaws are monogamous therefore 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 following years of poaching and loss of habitat. They have a small number of the birds in captivity, and hope to release them in the wild near Curaca. They refer to the birds as little blue companions, and compare their experience to the story of Presley, the only known Spix's Macaw in wild. They describe Presley as a true survivor who lost his family but was loyal to his home. They feel a strong kinship to him and see their lives as like his.
The discovery of the last Spix's macaw offered an excellent opportunity for researchers to study its behavior in the wild and gain an understanding of how this species survived this long. Researchers were able to estimate the historical population of this unique bird more accurately. Researchers 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 an Illiger's and a Spix's hybrid macaw couple which was an important step towards the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable feat that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has allowed scientists to understand how these birds can be restored to the natural world. The survival of the bird that was killed encouraged people to take action to save other parrots and threatened species. Zoos have also been enticed to establish their own captive breeding programs for these exotic bird species.
This group is an illustration of how conservation groups and other organizations as well as individuals can collaborate in order to conserve endangered species of wildlife and animals. This group brings together Brazilian government officials, representatives from zoos, international holders of the Spix’s macaw, and ornithologists to achieve one goal in common that is the recovery of this endangered bird.
The group has already achieved a lot of work. This includes preparing a plan to reintroduce the bird to 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 save the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was believed to be extinct. It was endangered through the destruction of habitats and illegal poaching. Aviculturists, ornithologists and other experts continue to work hard to bring this iconic bird back from the brink extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is well-known to millions around the world thanks to a cult animated film and two sequels. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg on the long-distance road to returning these birds. For decades, an international 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 small portion of northeast Brazil which is known as the Caatinga, an arid region consisting of savannah scrubland flat interspersed with creeks that flow through the seasons and gallery forests. The first time it was described was in 1819 and is one of the least-known Neotropical parrots, despite only few glimpses of the wild and a few birds that are kept in captivity and a few museum specimens.
To preserve 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 government officials. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization 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 acquired and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga close to Curaca (Brazil) of the most pristine habitat. AWWP also breeds and rears birds that will be released into the wild. This will create the 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 typically build nests in hollows or tree holes and forage for fruit seeds, nuts, seeds and other plants. They will typically spend up to one third of the day in the nest.
A local community was selected as part of the field team to assist to track Spix's macaws. The community was provided with watches that would turn on when the Spix's Macaw was identified. This enabled them to track the birds in the wild and their daily actions. This method has proven to be 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 following the disappearance of the last wild parrot to be identified disappeared in the year 2000. subsequent surveys did not find any additional birds. A reintroduction program is in progress to try to bring back this critically endangered bird to its native home in the Caatinga.
This region in northeast Brazil comprises about 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws were a nesting species in the hollows of the old caraibeira trees and were recognized for their dietary habits of eating 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 scheduled to be released in 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group of Blue-winged Macaws which have been reintroduced. They will provide information on food sources, nesting and roosting locations.
The reintroduction program has collected vital biological data about the behavior of this rare bird, including details on daily movements patterns as well as the seasonal changes to drought. It also opened a window on the nature of the Macaws of Spix, which helps to understand the factors that led to their extinction.
Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, nuts, and fruits of a myriad 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, Spix's Macaws are highly social birds that have a strong bond with their parents. Orville macaw parrot price are vocal and often mimic other sounds and words. They have a mating call called "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating sound similar to a flutist note. When they are in a breeding mode they can fly fast and high.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are incredibly intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate with one another with a variety of screeching and squawking sounds. Like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They follow a strict routine, including routines for bathing and flight. They also can recognize other members of their flock. They are adored as pets and are often targeted by the illegal trade in birds due to this.
In the early 1980s only three Spix's macaws survived in the wild, and all of them poached. In 1995, poachers killed the male and female birds as part of an attempt to pair them. Since the time all known Spix's macaws are captive-bred mostly in Brazil.
The few Spix's macaws that are in captivity are a mixture of individuals who are the descendants of just two individuals, making them at risk of disease and other environmental issues. The majority of the birds in captivity are in a breeding center in Germany however, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired without renewal, casting doubt over future plans to return the birds and then reintroduce them back into the wild.
Despite their precarious numbers, captive-bred Spix's Macaws are showing some signs of improvement. This was evident when the Swiss breeder beat out the sheikh of Qatar to buy three Spix's Macaws from a collector.
In part, due to this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is starting to grow, but not at a rapid pace. Reintroducing the birds into the wild will require them to remain healthy and produce. It is crucial to select the right birds prior to releasing them. The macaws need to be in a reproductive stage, and they should be in a relationship with an older sibling or close relatives.
The return of the Spix's Macaw to the wild may prove difficult, but it's crucial to try. To aid, ABC and partners have started a reserve system that is designed to safeguard the last remaining habitats. Darling hahns macaw that were released recently will be joined by the blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are common in Caatinga and are found in areas where the Spix’s macaws also live. These smart birds will help the macaws become more accustomed to the region and will offer the security of a large number.