Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time of uncertainty and worry, Brazilian and German conservationists were able to reintroduce couple couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also rife with backbiting and jealousy.
The first challenge was finding enough birds to exchange. Macaws are monogamous, so it was crucial to match pairs 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 loss of habitat. They have a small population of the birds in captivity, and hope to release them into the wild close to Curaca. They refer to the birds as their blue-eyed friends and compared their experience to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw from the wild. They describe him as an authentic survivor who lost his family but kept his faith in his region. They feel a strong bond to him and perceive their lives as being similar to his.
The discovery of the last Spix's macaw offered a valuable opportunity for researchers to examine its behavior in the wild and gain a deeper understanding of why this species survived this long. This enabled researchers to determine the historical population of this unique bird more accurately. Researchers were able gather important data about the bird's daily movement patterns and its seasonal adaptation to drought, and food habits. Researchers even monitored attempts to reproduce with a hybrid Spix’s and Illiger’s macaw couple, which was a crucial step in the recovery of this species.
It was a marvellous feat that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has allowed scientists understand how these birds can be restored to the natural world. The survival of the last bird inspired people to take action to save other endangered parrots and species. Zoos have also been enticed to develop their own captive breeding programs for these exotic species of birds.
This working group is a good example of how conservation groups as well as other organizations and individuals can collaborate to protect endangered animals and wildlife. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international holders of the Spix’s macaw and ornithologists, with an aim in common that is the recovery of this unique bird.
The working group has already accomplished a lot of work, including preparing plans for reintroducing the bird into the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds to fund field research and community outreach as well as captive-breeding birds to support the reintroduction program. It has also established a permanent committee for the reintroduction of the bird.
Habitat
At risk due to habitat destruction and poaching The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to work tirelessly to save this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is well-known to millions of people all over the globe thanks to a cult animated film and two sequels. But this is only the beginning on the long-distance road to returning these birds. A team of international experts has worked 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 area of northeast Brazil, called the Caatinga, an arid region of flat savannah scrubland that is dotted with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. The first time it was described was in 1819 and is among 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 save the declining population In order to save the declining population, an international group was established. It was comprised of experts in aviculture who had the last remaining bird, 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 habitat.
AWWP has acquired and is restoring 2,380 hectares in the Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP is also raising and breeding birds to be released into the wild, which will provide a genetically pure source of animals for the next generation of.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws reside in trees and are rarely seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and search for fruits, seeds, nuts, and various other plants. glaucous macaw may spend up to one third of the time in the nest.
A local community was selected as part of the field team in order to help to track Spix's macaws. The members of the community were given watches that could be activated if the Spix's Macaw was detected, allowing them to keep track of the birds and their daily activities in the wild. This method has proven to be extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (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 1, 2019. This was following the last wild parrot was lost in 2000, and no more birds were found in subsequent surveys. However, a reintroduction plan is in the process of trying to bring back this critically endangered bird to its natural home in the Caatinga.
The northeast region of Brazil comprises about 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws were amidst the hollows of old caraibeiras and were also known to eat nuts and seeds.
A reintroduction program is now underway to establish a natural population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight captive-raised birds were released into the wild in June, and 12 more are expected to arrive in 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group of Blue-winged macaws that have been reintroduced and will provide information on food sources, nesting and roosting locations.
The reintroduction program has already collected valuable biological data about the behavior of this bird, which includes details of daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought. 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 decline.
Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, nuts, and fruits of a myriad of plants native to the Caatinga Biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and the 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.
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 mimic human speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as an extremely short and repetitive noise similar to the note of a flutist. 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 through screeching, squawking and other sounds. Like many parrots they are able to mimic human speech. They have a very strict routine, including routines for bathing and flight. They also can recognize other members of their family. This is what makes them the most sought-after pets and targets for the illegal bird trade.
In the early 1980s, just three Spix's macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since then the 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 descendants of only two individuals, which makes them at risk of disease and other environmental challenges. The majority of the birds that are in captivity are housed at an breeding center in Germany, but this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed, 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 signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder beat out a sheikh in Qatar to purchase from the 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, though not at a rapid pace. Maintaining their health and generating will be crucial for reintroducing the birds back into the wild. It is important to choose the right birds before release. The macaws need to be at a reproductive age and should be paired with a sibling or a close relatives.
It's not easy to bring the Spix's macaw back into the wild but it's important to try. To help, ABC and partners have started a reserve system that aims to protect the species' last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's Macaws that were released recently will be joined by the blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are common in Caatinga and live in areas where the Spix's macaws also live. These birds will help macaws adjust to their new environment and will also ensure safety through numbers.