Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long period filled with uncertainty and fear Brazilians and German conservationists were able successfully bring a group of couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational but also rife with jealousies and backbiting.

The first challenge was obtaining enough birds for the trade. 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 years of poaching and loss of habitat. They have a small number of the birds kept in captive, and hope to release them in the wild near Curaca. They call the birds their blue-eyed friends and compare their journey with the story of Presley the only known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They describe Presley as a true survivor who lost his family and was loyal to his home. They consider their lives in the Caatinga as being similar to his and feel a deep connection with him.

The discovery of the last Spix's macaw provided an excellent opportunity for researchers to study its behavior in the wild and gain an understanding of how this species has survived for this long. This allowed researchers to estimate the population of this unique bird more precisely. Researchers were able to gather crucial details about the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adjustment to drought, and eating habits. Researchers also monitored attempts to reproduce using a hybrid Spix’s and Illiger’s macaw couple which was a crucial step in the recovery of this species.

It was an amazing feat that this bird was able endure and thrive in the wild with such an insufficient gene pool and it has also helped scientists to understand how these birds could be reintroduced to the wild. The survival of the last bird encouraged people to take action in order to save other parrots and threatened species. This has also encouraged zoos to develop their own captive breeding program for these exotic bird species.

This working group is a great illustration of how conservation groups as well as other organizations and individuals can collaborate in order to conserve endangered wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian officials from the government Zoo representatives and international owners of this unique bird and ornithologists with a common goal - the recovery of the Spix's macaw.

The group has already completed a great deal of work. This includes preparing an approach to reintroduce this bird back to the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds for field research and community outreach as well as captive-breed birds for the reintroduction plan. They have also formed an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.

Habitat

Ten years ago, the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was considered extinct. It was endangered due to the destruction of habitats and illegal poaching. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to fight tirelessly to bring this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction.

A popular animated movie and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw recognizable to millions of people across the globe, but this is just the beginning in the long-distance journey to save these birds from the brink. For a long time, a global team has been working to breed and bring back Spix's macaws raised in a captive environment back into the wild.

The Spix's Macaw is a native species that is found in a small area of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This arid area is home to flat savannah scrubland and is scattered with galleries and seasonal streams. It was first described in 1819, and is one of the smallest known Neotropical parrots, with sporadic sightings from the wild, a few captive birds and some museum specimens.

To preserve the dwindling population An international committee was established that brought together aviculturists that held the last remaining birds as well as officials from the government. The group forged a partnership with the renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to create an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws in their native environment.

AWWP has bought and is restoring 2,380 acres of prime habitat in Caatinga, near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP is also raising and breeding birds to be released into the wild, thereby providing an incredibly pure genetic source of animals for future generations.

In the wild, Spix's macaws are found in trees and are seldom seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage to find seeds, fruits, nuts, and other plants. They typically spend up to three-quarters 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 provided with watches that would be activated if Spix's Macaws are identified. This allowed them to track the birds in the wild and their daily activities. This approach has proven very successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw is the only species belonging to the Genus Darling hahns macaw 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 failed to find any additional birds. However, a reintroduction program is in the process of trying to return this critically endangered bird to its natural home in the Caatinga.

This dry forest is a region of northeast Brazil which covers around 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws were amidst the hollows of old caraibeiras and were also known to eat nuts and seeds.

A reintroduction plan is currently underway to re-establish a wild population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight birds raised in captivity were released into the wild in June, and 12 more are expected to arrive in 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged Macaws. They have been released back into the same area and will assist to share knowledge about food sources and nesting and roosting sites.

The reintroduction programme has already gathered valuable biological data on the behavior of this unique bird, including details on the patterns of movement throughout the day and seasonal adjustments to drought. It has also provided a glimpse into the nature of Spix's Macaws, which aids in understanding the causes that led to their extinction.

Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits, and nuts of numerous plants native to the Caatinga biome. Pinhao-bravo, linhas Brasil and facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all part of this diet. They also eat the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).

Spix's Macaws like all parrots and other bird species are social birds that have close relationships with their parents. They are very vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as an extremely short and repetitive noise similar to an acoustic note. When they are in a breeding mode they are known to fly fast and high.

Breeding

Spix's Macaws are highly intelligent and social birds. They communicate through screeching, squawking and other sounds. Like many parrots they can mimic human speech. They have a strict routine, including routines for bathing and flight. They also can recognize other members of their family. They are adored 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, and all of them poached. In 1995, poachers killed both male and female birds in the hope of pairing them. Since then the Spix's macaws have been bred in captivity mostly in Brazil.

The few Spix's macaws kept in captivity are a mix of individuals who are the descendants of only two individuals, which makes them susceptible to illness and other environmental threats. The majority of Spix's macaws that are in captivity reside in a breeding center in Germany. However, this year, an agreement between the German conservation center and Brazilian government ran out, leaving the future plans for repatriation and reintroduction into the wild in doubt.

Despite their low numbers, captive-bred Spix's macaws are showing signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder managed to beat out a sheikh in Qatar to purchase from the collector three Spix's macaws that weren't 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 is crucial to reintroduce the birds into the wild. Choosing the right birds to release is also crucial. Macaws should be reproductive and paired with siblings or close relatives.

It may be difficult to bring the Spix's Macaw back into 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 recently released Spix's macaws will soon be joined by blue-winged macaws, which are more common in the Caatinga and live in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These savvy birds will help the macaws become more accustomed to the region and provide the security of a large number.