Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period filled with speculation and worry, Brazilians and German conservationists were able successfully bring a group of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also filled with backbiting and jealousy.
The first hurdle was obtaining enough birds for the exchange. The macaws were monogamous so it was essential to ensure that the pairs were well-matched.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the mission of saving the critically endangered Spix's Macaw. This bird was declared extinct by the United Nations in 2000 because of decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a tiny population of the birds kept in captive, and are hoping to release them into the wild close to Curaca. They refer to the birds as little blue friends, and compare their journey with that of Presley the only known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They call him as a true survivor who lost his family, but was loyal to the region. They consider their lives in the Caatinga as akin to his, and feel a deep connection with him.
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 has survived for such a long time. Researchers were able to estimate the population of this unique bird with greater accuracy. Researchers were able gather important data about the bird's daily movements, seasonal adjustment to drought and its food habits. They also monitored reproduction attempts using an Illiger's and Spix's hybrid macaw pair which was a crucial step in the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable accomplishment that this bird managed to survive and thrive in the wild despite an insufficient gene pool and it has helped scientists to understand how these birds can be reintroduced to the wild. The survival of the last bird motivated people to act in order to save other parrots and endangered species. It also inspired zoos and other organizations to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group of experts is a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can work together to conserve endangered wildlife and endangered animals. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps, international holders of the Spix’s macaw and ornithologists, with an aim in common to save this rare bird.
The group has already achieved a lot of work. This includes preparing an approach to reintroduce this bird back to the wild. The group has also been working to raise funds to support field research and community outreach as well as captive-breed birds for the reintroduction plan. It has also established a permanent committee for the recovery of the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago, the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was thought to be extinct. It was threatened through habitat destruction and illegal poaching. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to tirelessly work to save this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction.
A well-known animated film and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw famous to millions of people across the globe however this is only the beginning in the long road to save these birds from the brink. An international team has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws that were 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 consisting of savannah scrubland flat interspersed with creeks that flow through the seasons 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, a few captive birds and a few museum specimens.
To preserve the declining population, an international group was formed. It brought together aviculturists who held the last remaining bird as well as officials from the government. The group formed a collaboration with the world-renowned non-profit organisation Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to create an intensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's macaws into their natural habitat in northeast Brazil.
AWWP has acquired and is renovating 2,380 acres of prime habitat in Caatinga area, close to Curaca, Brazil. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds that will be released into the wild, which will provide the genetically pure source of animals for future generations.
Spix's Macaws can be found in trees, and seldom seen on the ground. They nest in tree hollows or holes, and hunt for fruits, seeds, nuts, and various other plants. Paisley hyacinth macaw for sale can spend up to one third of the time in the nest.
A local community was enlisted as part of the field team in order to help to track Spix's macaws. The community was given watches that would turn on when the Spix's Macaw was identified. This allowed them to monitor the birds in the wild as well as their daily actions. This method has proven to be successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species of the family Cyanopsitta. It was listed as extinct in the wild in 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature after the last known wild parrot disappeared in the year 2000. subsequent surveys did not find any additional birds. However, a reintroduction project currently underway is trying to return this critically endangered bird to its natural home in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is a region of northeast Brazil that covers about 10 percent of the country. Spix's Macaws nested in the hollows of old caraibeira trees, and they were also known to eat seeds and nuts.
Blondie scarlet macaw bird of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is in progress. Eight Spix's Macaws that were raised in captivity were released into the wild in June. Twelve more birds are scheduled to be released in 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 and nesting and roosting locations.
The reintroduction programme has already collected valuable biological data about the behavior of the bird, which includes details of daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought. It also has provided a glimpse into the nature of the Spix's Macaws. This can help to understand the causes that led to their extinction.
Spix's Macaws eat the seeds, fruits, and nuts of numerous plants native to the Caatinga biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and linhas Brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia) and the Joazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro) and facheiro cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They also eat the fruit of acai palms (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws like all parrots as well as other birds, are social birds that develop close bonds with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic sounds and speech. They have a mating call called "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating noise similar to an acoustic note. When they are in breeding mode, they are known to fly fast and high.
Breeding
Spix's Macaws are highly intelligent and social birds. They communicate using screeching, squawking and other sounds. Like many parrots they can mimic human speech. They also follow a very strict daily routine, from flights to bathing routines and can identify the members of their flock. This is what makes them such popular pets and a target for illegal bird trade.
In the early 1980s only three Spix's Macaws were left in the wild, with all of them poached. In 1995, poachers killed both male and female birds in a plan to pair them. Since since then the Spix's macaws have been captive-bred, mostly in Brazil.
The Spix's Macaws in captivity are a mixture, which is the descendant of just two individuals. This makes them susceptible to illnesses and other environmental issues. 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, casting doubt over future plans to return the birds and reintroduce 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 managed to beat a sheikh in Qatar to purchase from a 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 increase, though not at a rapid pace. Reintroducing the birds into the wild will require that they remain healthy and produce. Selecting the right birds to release is equally important. Macaws should be in a reproductive stage and be joined by one of their siblings or a close relatives.
Reintroducing the Spix's macaw to the wild could prove difficult, but it is important to try. ABC and its partners have created reserves to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's macaws that were released recently will be joined by the blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are more common in Caatinga, and they live in areas where the Spix's macaws are also. Tallula indigo park mollie macaw will help macaws adjust to their new environment and will also provide safety by numbers.