Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long period filled with worry and speculation, Brazilians and German conservationists were able successfully bring a group of couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring however, it is also filled with backbiting and jealousies.

The first challenge was to find enough birds to trade. Macaws are monogamous, so it was important to match the pairs well.

Range

A South African couple has taken on the mission where to buy a macaw save 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 small amount of the birds in captivity and they hope to release them near Curaca. They refer to the birds as their little blue friends and have compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw from the wild. They say he was a true survivor, who lost his family, but kept his faith in the region. They feel a strong kinship to him and see their lives as similar to his.

Researchers were able to study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw wild, and better understand the reasons why this species has survived so long. It also allowed them to make a more precise estimate of the historic population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able to collect important information on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adaptation to drought, and eating habits. They also monitored attempts at reproduction with 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 was able survive and thrive in the wild despite a limited gene pool, and it has also helped researchers understand how these birds could be reintroduced back to the wild. 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 develop their own captive breeding programs for these exotic species of birds.

This group is a good example of how conservation groups as well as other organizations and individuals can collaborate to save endangered animals and wildlife. It brings Brazilian governmental officials as well as representatives from zoos and international owners of this rare bird, and ornithologists together with one common goal - the recovery of the Spix's Macaw.

The working group has already completed a lot of work, including preparing an idea for reintroducing this bird back into the wild. The group also raised funds to fund community outreach, field research and captive-bred birds for the project. The group has also established a permanent committee to recover the bird.

Habitat

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

The Spix's Macaw is recognizable to millions of people around the globe thanks to a well-known animated film and two sequels. This is just the beginning on the long road of bringing these birds back. An international team has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws that were raised in captivity to the wild.

The Spix's macaw is endemic to buy a macaw small portion of northeast Brazil which is known as the Caatinga which is an arid region consisting of savannah scrubland flat that is dotted with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. The first time it was described was in 1819, and is one of the least-known Neotropical parrots, with only few glimpses of the wild and a few birds that are kept in captivity and a few museum specimens.

To protect the population that is declining An international committee was created which brought together aviculturists who were the last to hold the birds as well as officials from the government. The group formed a collaboration 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 to their natural habitat in the northeast of Brazil.

AWWP has acquired and is restoring 2,380 hectares of prime habitat in the Caatinga, near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP also breeds and rears birds that will be released in the wild. This will create an animal that is genetically pure for future generations.

In the wild, Spix's Macaws are found in trees and are seldom seen on the ground. They nest in tree hollows or holes, and hunt in search of seeds, fruits, nuts, and various other plants. They can spend up to a third of the day in the nest.

To assist in tracking the Spix's macaws as well as their movements local communities were recruited to join the field team. The members of the community were provided watches that could be activated if the Spix's Macaw was detected, allowing them to keep on top of the birds' movements and their daily movements in the wild. This approach has proven very successful.

Diet

The Spix's severe macaw for sale (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species found in the genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that it was extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was following the last wild parrot disappeared in 2000. No additional birds were found in subsequent surveys. However, a reintroduction plan currently underway is trying to restore the critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.

This dry forest is a part of northeast Brazil that covers about 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws were a nesting species in the hollows of old caraibeiras, and they were also known to feed on nuts and seeds.

Reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is currently in progress. Eight Spix's Macaws that were raised in captivity were released in the wild in June. Twelve more are expected to be released by 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced to the same area and will help to share information about food sources and nesting and roosting areas.

The reintroduction programme has already obtained valuable biological data on the behavior of this bird, including details about the patterns of movement and adaptations to drought. It has also provided a window into the natural history of the Spix's Macaw and helped to better discover the reasons behind its disappearance in the wild.

Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of many plants that are 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 social birds that bond closely with their parents. They have vocalizations and often mimic other sounds and words. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as an incredibly short and repetitive sound similar to the note of a flutist. They are known to fly high and fast when they are in an ecstatic mood.

Breeding

Spix's Macaws are highly intelligent and buy Macaw bird social birds. They communicate with one another through a range of squawking and screeching sounds, and like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They have a very strict routine, which includes the way they fly and their bathing habits. They are also able to recognize other members of their flock. This is why they are such popular pets and a target for illegal trade in birds.

In the early 1980s only three Spix’s macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. A plan to pair the male and female unsuccessful in 1995 when poachers killed both birds. Since then, all known Spix's macaws are captive-bred, mostly in Brazil.

The Spix's Macaws in captivity are a mix of birds, and are the descendant of only two individuals. This makes them susceptible to illnesses and other environmental threats. The majority of the birds in captivity are in a breeding center in Germany, but this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired without renewal, casting doubt over future plans to repatriate the birds and reintroduce them back into the wild.

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 out a sheikh in Qatar to buy Macaw bird from a collector three Spix's macaws which were not part of the breeding program.

In part due to this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is starting to grow, but not at a speedy pace. Reintroducing the birds into the wild will require that they remain healthy and produce. Choosing the right birds to release is also critical. Macaws should be reproductive and be paired up with close relatives or siblings.

It could be difficult to bring the Spix's macaw back to the wild, but it's important to try. ABC and its partners have established reserves to safeguard the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight 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 birds will assist the macaws adapt to their new environment and will also ensure safety through numbers.