Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long time with uncertainty and fear, Brazilians and German conservationists were able successfully bring a group of couples back to 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. The macaws are monogamous so the pairs had to be matched properly.

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 loss of habitat. They have a few of the birds that are in captivity and they hope to release them near Curaca. They call the birds their blue-eyed friends and compare their experience with the story of Presley the only known Spix's Macaw found in the wild. They call him as a true survivor, who lost his family, but was loyal to the region. They feel a strong bond to him and view their lives as similar to his.

Researchers were able study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw wild, and gain a better understanding of how this species has survived so long. This also helped them form a more accurate estimate of the historic 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 reproduction attempts using a hybrid macaws for sale Spix's and Illiger's macaws which was a significant step towards the recovery of this species.

It was an amazing feat that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a very small gene pool. This has enabled scientists to better understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to the natural world. The bird's survival has motivated people to act to save other species of parrots that are endangered. Zoos have also been enticed to develop their own captive breeding program for these exotic species of birds.

This working group is a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to protect endangered animals and wildlife. It brings Brazilian governmental officials as well as representatives from zoos, international holders of this rare bird and ornithologists with a common goal: the recovery of the Spix's hahns macaw for sale.

The group has accomplished a lot of work. This includes the development of an approach to reintroduce this bird back to the wild. The group has also been working to raise funds to fund field research as well as community outreach and captive-breeding birds for the reintroduction project. The group has also established a permanent committee to save the bird.

Habitat

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

The Spix's Macaw is known to millions of people all over the world due to a well-known animated film and two sequels. This is just the beginning on the long journey of returning these birds. A multi-national team has been working for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws raised in captivity back into the wild.

The Spix's macaw is native to a small portion of northeast Brazil which is known as the Caatinga which is an arid region of savannah scrubland that is flat, that is dotted with creeks that flow through the seasons and gallery forests. It was first described in 1819, and is one of the least-known Neotropical parrots, with few glimpses of the wild, a few captive birds and a few museum specimens.

To preserve the declining population, an international group was created. It brought together experts in aviculture who had the last remaining bird, as well as government officials. This group formed a collaboration with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to develop an initiative to restore the population of Spix's Macaws in their native habitat.

AWWP has acquired and is recovering 2,380 hectares of prime habitat in Caatinga area, close to Curaca, Brazil. AWWP is also raising and breeding birds to be released into the wild, providing a genetically pure source of animals for future generations.

Spix's Macaws are usually found in trees, and are seldom seen on the ground. They usually nest in hollows or tree holes and hunt for fruit, seeds, nuts and other plants. They will typically 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 members of the community were given watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's macaw was observed, allowing them to keep on top of the birds' movements and their daily movements in the wild. This method has proven to be successful.

Diet

The Spix's macaw pet store (dreamcorpsllc.com) (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species found in the genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was following the last wild parrot was lost in 2000, and no more birds were discovered in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction plan is currently underway to try to bring this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.

This region in northeast Brazil covers approximately 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws were found in hollows old caraibeiras, and were also known to eat seeds and nuts.

A reintroduction programme is in progress to restore a wild population of the Spix's hyacinth macaw lifespan. 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, which 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 collected valuable data from biology on the behavior of this rare bird, including information on the patterns of movement throughout the day and adjustments to drought during the season. It also has opened a window on the nature of the Macaws of Spix, which can help to understand the causes that led to their extinction.

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) and the Joazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro) and facheiro Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They may also consume the fruit of the palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).

Spix's Macaws like all parrots as well as other birds are social birds and have close relationships with their parents. They are very vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They make a mating call known as the "whichaka," which is described as a short continuous grating sound like a flute note. They are known to fly high and fast when they are in a breeding mood.

Breeding

Spix's macaws are incredibly intelligent and social birds. They communicate by screeching, squawking and other sounds. As with many parrots they are able to mimic human speech. They also follow a very rigid daily routine, ranging from flights to bathing routines and can identify members of their family. This is why they are such popular pets, and also a target for the illegal bird trade.

In the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws remained in the wild, all of them poached. In 1995, poachers killed both male and female birds in the hope of pairing them. Since the time all known Spix's macaws have been bred in captivity mostly in Brazil.

The handful of Spix's macaws in captivity are made up of individuals who are descendants of just two individuals, making them at risk of disease and other environmental issues. The majority of Spix's macaws in captivity are kept in a breeding centre in Germany. However this year an agreement between a German conservation center and Brazilian government expired and the future plans for repatriation and the reintroduction of wild animals in doubt.

Despite their precarious numbers, captive-bred Spix's macaws show signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder beat a sheikh from Qatar to buy a macaw parrot from a collector three Spix's macaws which were not part of the breeding program.

In the wake of this and other efforts, captive-bred birds are starting to reproduce again, although not at a great rate. Maintaining their health and generating is crucial to reintroduce these birds to the wild. The selection of the right birds to release is also crucial. The macaws should 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 established reserves to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight recently released Spix's macaws are going to be joined by blue-winged macaws which are more prevalent in the Caatinga and live in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These birds will assist the macaws adjust to their new surroundings. They will also ensure safety through numbers.