Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period of uncertainty and worry, Brazilian and German conservationists were able to reintroduce a group of couples into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational but also rife with backbiting and jealousies.
The first obstacle was obtaining enough birds to be traded. The macaws are monogamous therefore the pairs had to be matched well.
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 habitat loss. They have a few of the birds that are in captivity and hope to release them near Curaca. They refer to them as their blue-eyed friends and compare their lives with that of Presley the only known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They call him a true survivor, who lost his family but remained loyal to the area. They feel a strong bond to him and view their lives as being like his.
The discovery of the last Spix's macaw offered researchers with an opportunity to investigate its behavior in wild and gain a better understanding of why this species has survived for so long. This also helped them form a more accurate estimate of the historic population numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able to collect crucial information on the bird's daily movements and seasonal adaptation to drought and its food habits. Researchers also observed attempts to reproduce using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaw couple which was a crucial step in the recovery of this species.
It was an amazing feat that this bird managed to endure and thrive in the wild with such an insufficient gene pool and has helped scientists understand how these birds could be returned to the wild. The last bird's survival also inspired people to take action to save other endangered parrots and species. It has also prompted zoos and other groups to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group of experts is an example of how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to conserve endangered species of wildlife and animals. The group is comprised of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international holders of the Spix’s macaw and ornithologists with an aim in common to save this endangered bird.
The working group has already achieved a lot of work. This includes the development of an approach to reintroduce this bird to the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds to support field research as well as community outreach and captive-breeding birds to support the reintroduction project. They have also formed an ongoing committee to help 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. Aviculturists, ornithologists and other experts continue to do their best to save this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is recognizable to millions around the world due to a popular animated film and two sequels. This is just the beginning on the long-distance road to returning these birds. 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 a native species that is found in a small area of northeast Brazil called the Caatinga. This desert region is characterized by flat savannah scrubland and is which is surrounded by galleries and streams that flow through the season. It was first described in 1819 and is among of the smallest known Neotropical parrots, despite only occasional sightings in the wild and a few birds that are kept in captivity and a few museum specimens.
To preserve the dwindling population, an international committee was established which brought together aviculturists who had the last remaining birds and government officials. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organisation Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to create an intensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's Macaws into their native environment in northeast Brazil.
AWWP has bought and is restoring 2,380 acres of prime habitat in the Caatinga area, close to Curaca, Brazil. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds to be released into the wild, which will provide the genetically pure source of animals for the next generation of.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws reside in trees and are rarely seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes, and hunt in search of seeds, fruits, nuts, and various other plants. They may spend up to one third of their day in the best place to buy macaw nest.
A local community was recruited as part of the field team to assist track Spix's Macaws. Members of the community were given watches which could be activated if the Spix's macaw was detected, allowing them to keep an eye on the birds and their movements throughout 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 1st, 2019. This was after the last wild parrot was lost in 2000. No additional birds were discovered in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction programme is in progress to try to bring this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
The northeast region of Brazil covers approximately 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws were found in hollows old caraibeiras and were also known to eat nuts and seeds.
Reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is currently underway. 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. They have been released back into the same area and will help to share information about food sources, nesting and roosting sites.
The reintroduction programme has already collected valuable biological data about the behavior of the bird, which includes details of the patterns of movement and adaptations to drought. It also provided a glimpse into the evolution of Spix's Macaws, which aids in understanding the causes that led to their extinction.
Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits and nuts of numerous 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.
Spix's Macaws like all parrots as well as other birds are social birds and develop close bonds with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic human speech and other sounds. They have a mating call called "whichaka," described as an extremely short and repetitive sound similar to a flutist note. When they are in breeding mode they are known to fly high and fast.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are incredibly intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate with one another with a variety of screeching and squawking sounds, and like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They have a strict routine, including the way they fly and their bathing habits. They also can recognize other members of their flock. They are adored as pets and are often targeted by the illegal bird trade because of this.
In the early 1980s only three Spix's macaws were left in the wild. They were all poached. A plan to pair the male and female defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since the time, all Spix's macaws are captive-bred, mostly in Brazil.
The Spix's Macaws in captivity are a mix that descends of just two individuals. This makes them susceptible to diseases and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws that are in captivity are kept in an breeding center in Germany. However this year an agreement between a German conservation center and Brazilian government ran out, leaving the possibility of repatriation or the reintroduction of wild animals in doubt.
Despite their petty numbers, captive-bred Spix’s macaws show some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder beat out a sheikh in Qatar to buy from a collector three Spix's macaws that weren't part of the breeding program.
As a result of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are beginning reproduce, but not at a great rate. Reintroducing the birds into the wild will require them to remain healthy and produce. Selecting the right birds to release is also critical. Macaws must be in a reproductive stage and should be in a relationship with an older sibling or close family member.
It could be difficult to get the Spix's Macaw back into the wild, but it is vital to try. ABC and its partners have created 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 which are more common in the Caatinga and share areas with Spix's macaws. These smart birds will help the macaws get familiar with the area and will offer the security of a large number.