Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time with worry and speculation Brazilians and German conservationists were able successfully bring a group of couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also rife with jealousy and backbiting.
The first challenge was to get enough birds for the trade. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs had to be matched properly.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the task of saving the critically endangered Spix's Macaw. This bird was declared extinct by United Nations in 2000 due to decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a tiny population of the birds kept in captivity, and hope to release them into the wild near Curaca. They call the birds their blue-eyed friends and compare their experience 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 believe that their lives in Caatinga as similar to his, and they feel a deep connection with him.
The discovery of the last Spix's Macaw offered researchers with an opportunity to examine its behavior in the wild and gain an understanding of how the species has survived for this long. This also helped them create a more accurate estimation of the historical population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able gather crucial information on the bird's daily movement patterns and seasonal adaptation to drought, and food habits. They even monitored attempts at reproduction with a hybrid Spix's and Illiger's macaws which was a crucial step in the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable feat that this bird was able survive and thrive in the wild despite an insufficient gene pool and has helped researchers understand how these birds could be returned to the wild. The survival of the last bird also inspired people to take action in order to save other parrots and threatened species. It also inspired zoos and other groups 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 work together to save endangered animals and wildlife. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international owners of the Spix's macaw and ornithologists, with one goal in common to save this unique bird.
The group has already achieved a lot of work. This includes the development of a plan to reintroduce the bird back to the wild. The group has also been working to raise funds for field research and community outreach as well as captive-breeding birds for the reintroduction program. It has also created an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago, the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was thought to be extinct. It was endangered due to habitat destruction and illegal poaching. Aviculturists, ornithologists and other experts continue to fight to bring this iconic bird from the brink of extinction.
A well-known animated film and two sequels have made the Spix's Macaw known to millions of people across the globe, but this is just the tip of the iceberg in the long-distance journey to save these birds from the edge. A multi-national team has been working for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws born in captivity back into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is native to a tiny area of northeast Brazil which is known as the Caatinga which is an arid region of savannah scrubland that is flat, scattered with creeks that flow through the seasons and gallery forests. The first time it was described was in 1819 and is among of the least-known Neotropical parrots, despite only sporadic sightings from the wild and a few birds that are kept in captivity and some museum specimens.
To preserve the declining population, an international group was created. It brought together experts in aviculture who had the last remaining bird and government officials. This group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to develop a comprehensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's macaws into their native environment in the northeast of Brazil.
AWWP has purchased and is renovating 2,380 hectares in Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP also breeds and raises birds that will be released in the wild. This will provide the genetically pure source of animals for the future generations.
Spix's Macaws can be found in trees, and are seldom seen on the ground. They nest in tree hollows or holes, and hunt for fruits, seeds, nuts, and other species. They can spend as much as one third of their day in the nest.
A local community was selected as part of the field team in order to help track Spix's Macaws. The community was provided with watches that would activate if the Spix's Macaw was detected. This allowed them to monitor the birds in the wild as well as their daily movements. 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 it extinct in the wild on April 1, 2019. This was after the last wild parrot disappeared in 2000. No additional birds were found in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction plan is currently underway to try to restore this critically threatened bird back to its home in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is located in the region of northeast Brazil, covering approximately 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows of old caraibeira trees, and they were also recognized for their dietary habits of eating seeds and nuts.
A reintroduction programme is underway to establish a natural population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight birds raised in captivity were released into the wild in June, and 12 more are scheduled to arrive in 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group Blue-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced and will share information about food sources, nesting and places to roost.
The reintroduction program has collected valuable biological data about the behavior of the bird, including information about the patterns of movement and adaptations to drought. It has also provided an insight into the natural history 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 seeds, nuts, and fruits of many plants that are native to the Caatinga Biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and the linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia), along with the Joazeiro (Ziziphus Joazeiro) and facheiro cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They may also consume the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws as with all parrots and other birds are social birds that form close bonds with their parents. They are vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as an incredibly short and repetitive sound that resembles an acoustic note. They are well-known for flying high and fast when they are in an ecstatic mood.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are exceptionally intelligent and social birds. They communicate by screeching, squawking, and other sounds. Like many parrots, they are able to mimic human speech. They also follow a very strict routine for their day, from flights to bathing routines and can identify members of their flock. They are adored as pets and are often targeted by illegal trade in birds 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 the male and female birds as part of the hope of pairing them. Since the time all known Spix's macaws are captive-bred mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws kept in captivity are a mixture of individuals who are descendants of only two individuals, leaving them at risk of disease and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws captivity are kept in a breeding centre in Germany. However this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired, leaving future plans for repatriation and reintroduction into the wild in doubt.
Despite their precarious numbers, captive-bred Spix's macaws are showing signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder managed to beat out a sheikh in Qatar to purchase from the collector three Spix's Macaws that were not 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 rapid rate. Reintroducing the birds to the wild will require them to remain healthy and produce. hythian macaw for sale is crucial to select the right birds before release. The macaws need to be in a reproductive stage, and they should be paired with one of their siblings or a close family member.
Bringing the Spix's macaw back to the wild could prove difficult, but it's crucial to try. ABC and its partners have created reserves to safeguard the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's macaws will soon be joined by blue-winged macaws that are more common in the Caatinga and share areas with Spix's macaws. These savvy birds will help the macaws get familiar with the area and provide security in large numbers.