Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period filled with worry and speculation 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 to get enough birds to trade. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs needed 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 habitat loss. They have a small population of the birds that are in captive, and they hope to release them into the wild near Curaca. They refer to the birds as their blue-eyed friends and compare their journey to 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 kept his faith in his region. They consider their lives in the Caatinga as being similar to his and feel a strong affinity with him.
Researchers were able to study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in wild, and better understand the reasons why this species has lasted so long. It also allowed them to create a more accurate estimate of the historic numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able gather important data about the bird's daily movements and seasonal adaptation to drought, and food habits. Researchers even monitored attempts to reproduce with an Illiger's and a Spix's hybrid macaw couple, which was a crucial step in the recovery for this species.
It was a marvellous achievement that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has helped scientists to better understand how these birds can be returned to the natural world. The survival of the bird that was killed motivated people to act to save other parrots as well as endangered species. Zoos and other organizations to set up up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group is a good illustration of how conservation groups, other organizations and individuals can collaborate in order to conserve endangered species of wildlife and animals. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps, international owners of the Spix's macaw and ornithologists, with a common goal to save this unique bird.
The group has completed a great deal of work. This includes preparing an approach to reintroduce this bird in the wild. The group also raised funds to support community outreach as well as field research and captive-bred birds for the project. It has also created a permanent committee to save the bird.
Habitat
Endangered by 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 tirelessly work to bring this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is well-known to millions around the world due to a popular animated film and two sequels. But this is only the tip of the iceberg on the long-distance road to bringing these birds back. An international team has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws raised in captivity back into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is an indigenous species found in a tiny region of northeast Brazil called the Caatinga. This dry area is home to flat savannah scrubland that is interspersed with seasonal streams and gallery forests. It was first described in 1819, and is one of least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic appearances in the wild, few captive birds and a few museum specimens.
To save the declining population, an international committee was established which brought together aviculturists who were the last to hold the birds as well as officials from the government. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to develop a comprehensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's macaws to their natural habitat in northeast Brazil.
AWWP has acquired and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds that will be released into the wild, which will provide a genetically pure source of animals for the next generation of.
Spix's Macaws can be found in trees and rarely seen on the ground. They nest in tree hollows or holes and forage to find seeds, fruits, nuts, and other species. They can spend up to 1/3 of their time in the nest.
To help track the Spix's macaws and their movements, a local community was invited to join the field team. Members of the community were provided watches that could be activated if the Spix's Macaw was detected which allowed them to keep on top of the birds' movements and their movements throughout the wild. This method has proven to be extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species in the family Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in the wild on April 1, 2019. This was following the last wild parrot vanished in 2000 and no additional birds were found in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction programme is in progress to try to bring this critically endangered bird back to its home in the Caatinga.
The northeast region of Brazil covers approximately 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws were amidst the hollows of old caraibeiras and were also known to eat nuts and seeds.
Reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is currently 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 a group of Blue-winged macaws which have been reintroduced. They will share information about food sources, nesting and places to roost.
The reintroduction programme has already collected valuable data from biology on the behavior of this rare bird, including details on daily movements patterns as well as seasonal adjustments to drought. It also has provided a glimpse into the evolution of the Macaws of Spix, which aids in understanding the causes that led to their extinction.
Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits, and nuts of many plants that are native to the Caatinga Biome. Pinhao-bravo and linhas Brasil, as well as facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all included in this diet. 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 that develop close bonds 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 brief, repetitive grating sound similar to a flute. 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 using screeching, squawking and other sounds. Like many parrots they can mimic human speech. They also follow a very strict routine for their day, 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 illegal trade in birds.
In Fiona hyacinth macaw bird for sale buymacaw were left in the wild. They were all poached. In 1995, poachers massacred the male and female birds in the hope of pairing them. Since since then, all known Spix's macaws have been bred in captivity, mostly in Brazil.
The Spix's Macaws that are in captivity are a mix, which is the descendant of just two individuals. This makes them more vulnerable to diseases and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws in captivity live at a breeding centre in Germany. However this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was canceled, leaving future plans for repatriation and the reintroduction of wild animals in doubt.
Despite their low numbers of captive-bred Spix's macaws, captive-bred species show some signs of improvement. This was evident when the Swiss breeder beat the sheikh of Qatar to purchase three Spix's Macaws from the collector.
In part, due to this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is starting to increase, though not at a speedy pace. Maintaining their health and generating will be important to reintroducing the birds back into the wild. It is important to choose the correct birds before release. The macaws need to be reproductively mature and be in a relationship with a sibling or a close relative.
Bringing the Spix's macaw back to the wild could be difficult, but it's important to try. ABC and its partners have created reserves to safeguard the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight recently released Spix's macaws are going to be joined by blue-winged macaws that are more common in the Caatinga and are found in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These birds will help macaws become accustomed to their new surroundings and will also ensure safety through numbers.