Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long period filled with uncertainty and fear Brazilians and German conservationists managed to successfully reintroduce a grouping of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational but also rife with jealousies and backbiting.

The first challenge was to get enough birds to be traded. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs needed to be matched well.

Range

A South African couple is working to save the critically endangered Spix's macaw, which was declared extinct in 2000 following years of poaching and habitat loss. They have a small amount of the birds in captivity and are hoping to release them near Curaca. They refer to the birds as little blue friends, and compare their journey to the story of Presley, the only known Spix's Macaw in wild. They describe him as a true survivor who lost his family, but kept his faith in his region. They consider their lives in the Caatinga as being similar to his, and they feel a strong affinity with him.

Researchers were able to research the behavior of the Spix's macaw shop in wild, and gain a better understanding of how this species has survived so long. This enabled researchers to determine the historical population of this rare bird with greater accuracy. Researchers were able gather important details about the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adjustment to drought, and its eating habits. Researchers also observed attempts to reproduce using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's hyacinth macaw cost couple, which was buying a macaw crucial step towards the recovery of this species.

It was a remarkable accomplishment that this bird was able endure and thrive in the wild despite the smallest gene pool and it has helped scientists understand how these birds can be returned to the wild. The survival of the bird that was killed encouraged people to take action to save other parrots and threatened species. Zoos are also encouraged to develop their own captive breeding program for these exotic bird species.

This group of experts is an example of how conservation groups and other organizations can work together to save endangered species of wildlife and animals. The group is comprised of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international holders of the Spix’s macaw and ornithologists, Macaw Bird Species with one goal in common that is the recovery of this endangered bird.

The group has accomplished a lot of work. This includes developing plans to reintroduce the bird to the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds to support field research, community outreach and captive-breed birds for the reintroduction plan. The group has also set up a permanent committee for the reintroduction of 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 back from the brink of extinction.

A popular animated movie and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw famous to millions of people across the globe However, this is only the beginning of the iceberg in the long-distance journey to save these birds from the brink. A team of international experts has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws raised in captivity into the wild.

The Spix's macaw is native to a small portion of northeast Brazil, called the Caatinga which is an arid region consisting of savannah scrubland Catalina macaw price flat scattered with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819 and is among of the lesser-known Neotropical parrots, with sporadic sightings from the wild, a few captive birds and a few museum specimens.

To preserve the dwindling population, an international committee was formed that brought together aviculturists that held the last remaining birds and government officials. The group formed a partnership with the 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 natural habitat in the northeast of Brazil.

AWWP has acquired and is renovating 2,380 hectares in Caatinga close to Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP also breeds and raises birds to be released in the wild. This will give the genetically pure source of animals for the future generations.

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

A local community was selected as part of the field team to assist identify Spix's Macaws. The community was provided with watches that would be activated if a Spix's catalina macaw purchase price; http://www.Circololavela.org, is detected. This allowed them to track the birds in the wild and their daily activities. This approach has been very successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species found in the family Cyanopsitta. It was listed as extinct in the wild in the year 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature after 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 bring back this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.

This dry forest is located in the region of northeast Brazil, covering approximately 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nested in the hollows of old caraibeira trees and were recognized for their dietary habits of eating seeds and nuts.

A reintroduction program is now in progress to restore a wild population of the Spix's Macaw. 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 that have been reintroduced to the same area and will help to share knowledge of food sources and nesting and roosting locations.

The reintroduction programme has already collected valuable data from biology on the behavior of this rare bird, which includes details about daily movements patterns as well as adjustments to drought during the season. It has also provided an insight into the nature 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, fruits and nuts of numerous plants that are native to the Caatinga biome. Pinhao-bravo, linhas Brasil and facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all included in this diet. They can also eat the fruit of the palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).

Like all parrots, Spix's Macaws are highly social birds that have a strong bond with their parents. They have vocalizations and often mimic sounds and speech. They have a mating call called "whichaka," described as an incredibly short and repetitive sound that resembles an acoustic note. They are well-known for flying fast and high when they are in the mood to breed.

Breeding

Spix's macaws are exceptionally intelligent and social birds. They communicate through screeching, squawking and other sounds. Like many parrots they are able to mimic human speech. They also adhere to a rigid daily routine, ranging 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 only three Spix's macaws survived in the wild, with all of them being 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 just two individuals. This makes them more vulnerable to illnesses and other environmental issues. The majority of Spix's macaws in captivity reside in a breeding centre in Germany. However this year an agreement between a German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired which leaves the future plans for repatriation and reintroduction into the wild in doubt.

Despite their precarious number, captive-bred Spix’s macaws show some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder was able to beat a sheikh from Qatar to purchase from a collector three Spix's Macaws that were not part of the breeding program.

In part because of this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is beginning to increase, though not at a rapid pace. Maintaining their health and generating will be crucial for reintroducing the birds back into the wild. Selecting the right birds for release is also critical. The macaws need to be reproductively mature, and they should be in a relationship with an older sibling or close relative.

It could be difficult to get the Spix's Macaw back to the wild, but it's important 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 the blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are common in Caatinga, and they live in areas where the Spix’s macaws also reside. These savvy birds will help the macaws become more accustomed to the region and provide safety in numbers.