Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long time of anxiety and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists succeeded in reinserting a group of couples into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also filled with backbiting and jealousy.

The first obstacle was to get enough birds to trade. These 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 Darling hahns 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 near Curaca. They refer to them as their blue-eyed friends and compare their experience to the journey of Presley, the only known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They describe him as an authentic survivor who lost his family and was loyal to his home. They feel a strong bond to him and perceive their lives as similar to his.

Researchers were able to study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in wild, and better understand how this species has survived for so long. Researchers were able to determine the historical population of this rare bird more precisely. Researchers were able to collect important data about the bird's movements throughout the day and seasonal adaptation to drought, and its feeding habits. They even monitored reproduction attempts using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaw pair which was a crucial step in the rehabilitation of this species.

It was an amazing feat that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has enabled scientists understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to the natural world. The survival of the last bird also encouraged people to take action to save other parrots and endangered species. Zoos have also been enticed to create their own captive breeding program for these exotic species of birds.

This group is a good example of how conservation groups as well as other organizations and individuals can work together to protect endangered species of wildlife and animals. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps, international owners of the Spix's great green macaw and ornithologists, with an aim in common that is the recovery of this unique bird.

The working group has already achieved a lot of work. This includes developing plans to reintroduce the bird to the wild. The group also raised funds for community outreach and field research as well as captive-bred birds for the project. It has also created a permanent committee to recover the bird.

Habitat

Ten years ago the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was believed to be extinct. It was threatened due to the destruction of habitats and illegal poaching. Aviculturists, ornithologists and other experts continue to do their best to save this iconic bird back from the brink extinction.

The Spix's Pixie mini macaw is known to millions around the globe thanks to a well-known animated film and two sequels. But this is only the tip of the iceberg on the long-distance road to bringing these birds back. For a long time, a global team has been working to breed and bring back Spix's macaws that have been raised in captivity into the wild.

The Spix's Macaw is an endemic species that is found in a small area of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This arid region is characterized by flat savannah scrubland, hahns macaw for sale interspersed with galleries and seasonal streams. The first time it was described was in 1819, and is one of the lesser-known Neotropical parrots, with only few glimpses of the wild, a few captive birds and a few museum specimens.

To save the declining population An international committee was formed that gathered aviculturists who held the last remaining birds, as well as government officials. The group forged a partnership with the renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to create an initiative to restore the population of Spix's Macaws back to their natural environment.

AWWP has purchased and is renovating 2,380 hectares in Caatinga close to Curaca (Brazil) of the most pristine habitat. AWWP is also raising and breeding birds to be released into the wild, providing an incredibly pure genetic source of animals for future generations.

In the wild, Spix's Macaws will live in trees and are seldom seen on the ground. They usually nest in hollows or tree holes and forage for fruit seeds, nuts, seeds and other plants. They can spend up to a third of the day in the nest.

A local community was enlisted as part of the field team to assist track Spix's Macaws. The community was given watches that would activate if the Spix's Macaw was recognized. This enabled them to monitor the birds in the wild and their daily movements. This method has proven to be successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw is the only species belonging to the Genus Cyanopsitta. It was listed as extinct in the wild in 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature following the disappearance of the last wild parrot to be identified disappeared in 2000. subsequent surveys failed to locate any additional birds. A reintroduction program is in the process of attempting to restore this critically threatened bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.

The northeast region of Brazil covers approximately 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws were amidst the hollows of old caraibeiras and were also known to eat seeds and nuts.

Reintroduction of the Spix’s Macaw into the wild is 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 a group of Leia blue macaw and red macaw-winged Macaws, which have been released back into the same area and will assist to share knowledge about food sources, nesting and roosting locations.

The reintroduction program has collected valuable data from biology on the behavior of this rare bird, which includes details about daily movements patterns as well as seasonal adjustments to drought. It also has opened a window on the nature of the Macaws of Spix, which aids in understanding the causes that led to their extinction.

Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, seeds and nuts of a variety of plants 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, Spix's Macaws are highly social birds that have a strong bond with their parents. They are vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating call called "whichaka," described as an extremely short and repetitive noise similar to an acoustic note. They are well-known for flying high and fast when they are in an ecstatic mood.

Breeding

Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate through screeching, squawking and other sounds. Like many parrots they can mimic human speech. They also have a strict daily routine, from the flight path to bathing habits and are able to recognize members of their flock. They are very popular as pets and are frequently targeted by the illegal trade in birds because of this.

In the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws survived in the wild, and all of them poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since the time, all Spix's macaws known have been captive-bred – mostly in Brazil.

The Spix's Macaws that are in captivity are a mixture of birds, and are the descendant of only two individuals. This leaves them vulnerable to diseases and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws in captivity live at a breeding centre in Germany. However, this year, an agreement between a German conservation center and the Brazilian government was canceled and future plans for repatriation and their reintroduction into the wild in doubt.

Despite their low numbers, captive-bred Spix's macaws are showing 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 were not part of the breeding program.

In part, due to this and other efforts, the captive-bred bird population is beginning to grow, but not at a speedy pace. Reintroducing the birds to the wild will require that they stay healthy and produce. The selection of the right birds to release is equally important. Macaws must be reproductive and be paired up with close relatives or siblings.

It's not easy to bring the Spix's Macaw back into the wild, however, it is essential to try. ABC and its partners have developed reserves to safeguard the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's macaws that were recently released will be joined by blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are more prevalent in Caatinga, and they live in areas where the Spix's macaws are also. These intelligent birds will aid the macaws become more accustomed to the region and will offer the security of a large number.