Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long time with worry and speculation Brazilians and German conservationists managed to 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 to find enough birds for the trade. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs needed to be well-matched.

Range

A South African couple has taken on the mission to save the critically threatened Spix's Macaw. This bird was declared extinct by United Nations in 2000 due to decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small number of the birds that are in captivity and they hope to release them near Curaca. They call the birds little blue friends, and compare their experience to that 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 the area. They feel a strong bond to him and view their lives as being identical to his.

The discovery of the last Spix's Macaw offered researchers with an opportunity to study its behavior in the wild and gain a better understanding of why this species survived such a long time. It also helped them create a more accurate estimate of the historic numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able to gather important information about the bird's daily movements and its seasonal adaptation to drought and its food habits. Researchers also observed attempts to reproduce using an Illiger's and a Spix's hybrid macaw couple, which was a crucial step towards the recovery of this species.

It was a remarkable feat that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has helped scientists to understand how these birds can be restored to the natural world. The survival of the last bird inspired people to take action to save other species of parrots that are endangered. It also inspired zoos and other organizations to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.

This group of experts is a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to conserve endangered wildlife and endangered animals. It brings Brazilian officials from government as well as representatives from zoos, international holders of this rare bird, and ornithologists with a common goal - the recovery of the Spix's macaw.

The working group has already completed a great deal of work. This includes preparing plans to reintroduce the bird in the wild. The group has also been working to raise funds for field research as well as community outreach and captive-breeding birds for the reintroduction program. The group has also established a permanent committee to recover the bird.

Habitat

Ten years ago the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was thought to be extinct. It was endangered by the destruction of habitats and poaching that was illegal. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to fight tirelessly to bring this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.

The Spix's Macaw is recognizable to millions around the world thanks to a popular animated film and two sequels. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg on the long-distance road to returning these birds. A multi-national team has been working for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws raised in captivity back 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 dry region has flat savannah scrubland, interspersed with galleries and streams that flow through the season. It was first documented in 1819, and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic sightings in the wild, few birds that are kept in captivity and a handful of museum specimens.

To save the declining population In order to save the declining population, an international group was created. It brought together Aviculturists who owned the last remaining bird and government officials. The group forged 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 environment.

AWWP has acquired and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP also breeds and raises birds that will be released into the wild. This will provide the genetically pure source of animals for the future generations.

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 search in search of seeds, fruits, nuts, and various other plants. They can spend as much as one third of the time in the nest.

To aid in tracking the Spix's macaws and their movements, a local community was recruited to join the field team. The members of the community were provided watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's Tallula indigo park mollie macaw was detected, allowing them to keep an eye on the birds and their daily activities in the wild. This method has proven to be successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw is the only species belonging to the genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was after the last wild parrot disappeared in 2000 and no additional birds were discovered in subsequent surveys. However, a reintroduction plan currently underway is trying to bring back this critically endangered bird to its natural home in the Caatinga.

The northeast region of Brazil comprises about 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows old caraibeiras and were also known to eat seeds and nuts.

Reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is currently in progress. Eight captive-raised birds were released into the wild in June, and 12 more are scheduled to arrive in 2022. They will be joined by Blue-winged Macaws. They were reintroduced into the same area and will help to share knowledge about food sources and nesting and roosting locations.

The reintroduction program has collected valuable data from biology 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 which helps to determine the causes that led to its disappearance in the wild.

Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits and nuts of many species 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, and they have a close bond with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic other sounds and words. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as an extremely short and repetitive sound similar to the note of a flutist. When they are in a breeding mode they are known to fly fast and high.

Breeding

Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate with each other by making a variety of squawking and screeching sounds, and like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They also follow a very strict routine for their day, from flights to bathing routines and can identify the members of their flock. They are popular as pets, and are frequently targeted by illegal trade in birds due to this.

In the early 1980s, just three Spix's macaws remained in the wild. They were all 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 are captive-bred, mostly in Brazil.

The Spix's Macaws that are in captivity are a mix of birds, and are the descendant of just two individuals. This makes them more vulnerable to illnesses and other environmental threats. The majority of Spix's macaws captivity reside in a breeding centre in Germany. However, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government ran out which leaves the possibility of repatriation or the reintroduction of wild animals in doubt.

Despite their precarious numbers, captive-bred Spix's Macaws are showing some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder was able to beat a sheikh in Qatar to purchase from the collector three Spix's Macaws that weren't part of the breeding program.

In the wake of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are starting to reproduce, but not at a great green macaw rate. Maintaining their health and generating is crucial to reintroduce these birds to the wild. It is important to choose the correct birds before release. Macaws should be reproductive and paired with close relatives or siblings.

It could be difficult to bring the Spix's Macaw back to the wild, however, it is essential to try. ABC and its partners have created a reserve system to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's Macaws that were recently released will be joined by the Lolita blue & gold macaw-winged Macaws. These macaws are more common in Caatinga and are found in areas where the Spix's macaws also live. These birds will help macaws become accustomed to their new surroundings. They will also provide safety by numbers.