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After a long period of uncertainty and worry, Brazilian and German conservationists have succeeded in reintroducing couple couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational however, it is also filled with backbiting and jealousies.

The first challenge was finding enough birds for the exchange. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs needed to be well-matched.

Range

A South African couple is working to save the critically endangered Spix's macaw which was declared extinct in 2000, following decades of poaching and habitat loss. They have a small number of the birds that are in captive, and are hoping to release them into the wild near Curaca. They refer to the birds as their blue-eyed friends and compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw in the wild. They call 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 like his.

The discovery of the last Spix's glaucous macaw offered researchers with an opportunity to investigate its behavior in wild and gain a better understanding of why this species survived this long. This enabled researchers to estimate the historical population of this rare bird with greater accuracy. Researchers were able to collect important data about the bird's daily movements and its seasonal adaptation to drought, and its feeding habits. Researchers also monitored attempts to reproduce with a hybrid Spix’s and Illiger’s macaw couple, which was a crucial step in the recovery for 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 to understand how these birds can be returned to the natural world. The survival of the last bird motivated people to act to save other species of parrots that are endangered. Zoos have also been enticed to establish their own captive breeding program for these exotic bird species.

This working group is a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can work together to protect endangered wildlife and endangered animals. It brings Brazilian officials from the government Zoo representatives as well as international owners of this unique bird and ornithologists to work together towards a common goal - the reintroduction of the Spix's macaw.

The group has achieved a lot of work. This includes preparing plans to reintroduce the bird in the wild. The group also raised funds to fund community outreach as well as field research and captive-bred birds for the project. It also has established an ongoing committee to oversee the rehabilitation of the bird.

Habitat

Threatened by habitat destruction and poaching, the Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was believed to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to fight tirelessly to bring this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction.

A well-known animated film and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw recognizable to millions of people across the globe, but this is just the beginning in the long road to save these birds from the edge. A team of international experts has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws raised in captivity to the wild.

The Spix's severe macaw is an indigenous species that is found in a small area of northeast Brazil called the Caatinga. This desert area is home to flat savannah scrubland and is interspersed with seasonal streams and gallery forests. It was first described in 1819 and is one of the lesser-known Neotropical parrots, with only sporadic sightings from the wild as well as a few captive birds and some museum specimens.

To save the declining population In order to save the declining population, an international group was established. It brought together aviculturists who held the last remaining bird as well as officials from the government. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization 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 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 give an animal that is genetically pure for the future generations.

In the wild, Spix's macaws are found in trees and are rarely seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage to find seeds, fruits, nuts, and other species. They typically spend up to a third of the day in the nest.

A local community was enlisted as part of the field team in order to help track Spix's Macaws. The members of the community were provided watches that could be activated if the Spix's macaw was observed which allowed them to keep track of the birds and their movements throughout the wild. This approach has been extremely successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) 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 did not find any additional birds. However, a reintroduction project is currently in progress to return this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.

This region in northeast Brazil is home to about 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws were a nesting species in the hollows of old caraibeira trees and were known to feed on 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 into the wild in June. Twelve more birds are scheduled to be released by 2022. They will be joined by Blue-winged Macaws that were reintroduced into the same area, and will help to share knowledge of food sources, nesting and roosting locations.

The reintroduction programme has already obtained valuable biological data on the behavior of this bird, including details about daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought. It has also provided a window into the nature of the Spix's Macaw which helps to understand what led to its disappearance in the wild.

Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits and nuts of many plants native to the Caatinga biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia), along with the joazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro) and facheiro Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They can also eat the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).

Like all parrots like all parrots Macaws are social birds that have a strong bond with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic human speech and other sounds. They make a mating call called the "whichaka," which is described as a brief repeated grating sound that is like a flute note. When they are in breeding mode they can fly high and fast.

Breeding

Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate with one another through a range of screeching and squawking sounds. Like many other parrots, can mimic human speech. They also have a strict daily routine, from the flight path to bathing habits and can identify members of their family. 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 Cleo female macaws for sale unsuccessful in 1995 when poachers killed both birds. Since the time, all known Spix's macaws have been captive-bred, mostly in Brazil.

The few Spix's macaws that are in captivity are made up of individuals who are the descendants of only two individuals, making them at risk of disease and other environmental challenges. The majority of the birds in captivity are kept in the breeding center in Germany however, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired without renewal and causing doubt about future plans to repatriate the birds and return them back into the wild.

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 purchase from a collector three Spix's macaws which were not part of the breeding program.

In the wake of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are beginning to reproduce, but not at a great rate. Reintroducing the birds into the wild will require that they remain healthy and produce. Choosing the right birds to release is also crucial. The macaws need to be at a reproductive age and be joined by one of their siblings or a close relatives.

Reintroducing the Spix's macaw to the wild may prove difficult, but it's crucial to try. ABC and its partners have established reserves to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight recently released Spix's macaws will be joined by blue-winged macaws that are more common in the Caatinga and are found in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These intelligent birds will aid the macaws get accustomed to the region and provide security in large numbers.