Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period filled with speculation and worry, Brazilians and German conservationists managed to successfully reintroduce a couple of couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring, but also filled with jealousy and backbiting.
The first hurdle was obtaining enough birds for the trade. These macaws are monogamous, so the pairs needed to be matched properly.
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 are hoping to release them near Curaca. They refer to the birds as their blue-eyed friends and compare their journey to the journey of Presley the only known Spix's Macaw found in the wild. They describe him as a true survivor, who lost his family but was loyal to the region. They believe that their lives in Caatinga as being similar to his and feel a deep connection with him.
Researchers were able to study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in wild, and gain a better understanding of how this species has survived so long. It also helped them form a more accurate estimation of the historical population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able gather important information about the bird's movements throughout the day and its seasonal adaptation to drought, and food habits. They even monitored reproduction attempts using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaw pair which was a crucial step towards the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable accomplishment that this bird was able survive and thrive in the wild with such an insufficient gene pool and it has also helped scientists understand how these birds could be reintroduced back to the wild. The survival of the last bird encouraged people to take action to save other parrots as well as endangered species. Zoos are also encouraged to create their own captive breeding programs for these exotic species of birds.
This group of experts is an example of how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to conserve endangered animals and wildlife. It brings Brazilian officials from the government, zoo representatives and international owners of this unique bird and ornithologists to work together towards a common goal: the recovery of the Spix's macaw.
The group has achieved a lot of work. This includes preparing a plan to reintroduce the bird to the wild. The group has also been working to raise funds to support field research and community outreach as well as captive-breeding birds for the reintroduction plan. It has also created an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Endangered by poaching and habitat destruction The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to tirelessly work to bring this iconic bird back from the edge of extinction.
A popular animated movie and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw famous to millions of people worldwide however this is only the beginning of the iceberg in the long-distance journey to bring these birds back from the edge. For a long time, a global team has been working to breed and bring back captive-raised Spix's macaws into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is native to a small portion of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga which is an arid region consisting of savannah scrubland flat that is dotted with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was described in 1819 and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic glimpses of the wild, a few birds that are kept in captivity and a few museum specimens.
To preserve the dwindling population, an international committee was created that brought together aviculturists that were the last to hold the birds and government officials. The group forged a partnership with the world-renowned non profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to create an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws in their native environment.
AWWP has acquired and is renovating 2,380 hectares of prime habitat in Caatinga near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds that will be released into the wild, thereby providing the genetically pure source of the animals for the next generation of.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws are found in trees, and are not often seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes, and hunt for fruits, seeds, nuts, and other plants. They can spend as much as one third of their day in the nest.
A local community was recruited as part of the field team to assist track Spix's Macaws. The community was provided with watches that would be activated if a Spix's Macaw is identified. This allowed them to monitor the birds in the wild as well as their daily actions. This method has proven to be successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species of 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 disappeared in 2000, and subsequent surveys failed to locate any additional birds. A reintroduction program is in progress to try to bring back this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
The northeast region of Brazil covers approximately 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws were a nesting species in the hollows of the old caraibeira trees, and they were also recognized for their dietary habits of eating seeds and nuts.
A reintroduction program is now 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 scheduled to be released by 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged Macaws. They were reintroduced into the same area and will assist to share information about food sources, nesting and roosting locations.
The reintroduction program has collected valuable data from biology on the behavior of this rare bird, including details on daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought during the season. It also has opened a window on the nature of Spix's Macaws, which can help to understand the causes that led to their extinction.
Spix's Macaws eat the seeds, fruits and nuts of many plants that are native to the Caatinga biome. Pinhao-bravo, linhas Brasil and facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all part of this diet. They can also eat the fruit of the palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Like macaw cage like all parrots Macaws are social birds that bond closely with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic other sounds and words. They make a mating call known as the "whichaka," which is described as a brief repeated grating sound that is like a flute note. When they are in breeding mode they are known to fly fast and high.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate through screeching, squawking, and other sounds. As with many parrots they can mimic human speech. They also adhere to a strict daily routine, from flights to bathing routines and can identify the members of their flock. They are adored as pets and are frequently targeted by the illegal bird trade because of this.
By the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws remained in the wild, all of them being poached. In 1995, poachers killed both 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 that are in captivity are a mix of individuals that are the descendants of only two individuals, making them vulnerable to disease and other environmental issues. The majority of Spix's macaws in captivity reside in a breeding center in Germany. However, this year, an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired which leaves 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 a Swiss breeder managed to beat a sheikh from Qatar to buy from a collector three Spix's Macaws that were not 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 rate. Reintroducing them to the wild will require that they remain healthy and produce. It is essential to choose the right birds before release. The macaws should be reproductive and be paired with close relatives or siblings.
Bringing the Spix's macaw back to the wild may prove difficult, but it's crucial to try. ABC and its partners have developed a reserve system to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight recently released Spix's macaws will be joined by blue-winged macaws, which are more common in the Caatinga and live in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These intelligent birds will aid the macaws become more used to the region and will offer security in large numbers.