Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time with uncertainty and fear, Brazilians and German conservationists managed to successfully reintroduce a couple of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring, but also filled with jealousies and backbiting.
The first obstacle was to find enough birds to be traded. The macaws were monogamous, therefore it was crucial to match pairs well.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the task of saving the critically endangered Spix's macaw. This bird was declared extinct by the United Nations in 2000 owing to decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a few of the birds that are in captivity and hope to release them near Curaca. They call them their blue-eyed friends and have compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw in the wild. They call him as a true survivor who lost his family but kept his faith in the region. They consider their lives in the Caatinga as being similar to his and feel a strong affinity 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 a better understanding of how the species was able to survive for so long. This enabled researchers to estimate the historical population of this rare bird more precisely. Researchers were able to gather important data about the bird's daily movement patterns, seasonal adjustment to drought and its food habits. They also monitored attempts at reproduction with a hybrid Spix's and Illiger's macaw pair, which was an important step towards the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable feat that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a very limited gene pool. This has allowed scientists understand how these birds can be restored to the wild. The survival of the last bird encouraged people to take action to save other parrots as well as endangered species. This has also encouraged zoos to create their own captive breeding program for these exotic bird species.
knowing it working group is a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to protect endangered species of wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian governmental officials Zoo representatives as well as international owners of this unique bird and ornithologists with a common goal - the reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw.
The group has accomplished a lot of work. This includes developing a plan to reintroduce the bird to the wild. The group also raised funds for community outreach and field research as well as captive-bred birds for the project. It has also created a permanent committee to recover the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was thought to be extinct. It was threatened due to the destruction of habitat and illegal poaching. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to fight tirelessly to save this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is known to millions of people around the world due to a well-known animated film and two sequels. But this is only the beginning on the long-distance road to returning these birds. For decades, an international team has been trying to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws raised in a captive environment back into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is a native species to a small region of northeast Brazil called the Caatinga. This desert region has flat savannah scrubland, which is surrounded by seasonal streams and gallery forests. It was described in 1819, and is one of least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic sightings in the wild, a few captive birds, and a handful of museum specimens.
To save the declining population To help save the declining population, a global group was created. It brought together Aviculturists who owned the last remaining bird and government officials. This group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to create an intensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's Macaws into their native environment in the northeast of Brazil.
AWWP has acquired and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP also breeds and raises birds to be released into the wild. This will create a genetically-pure source of animals for the future generations.
Spix's Macaws are typically found in trees, and seldom seen on the ground. They nest in tree hollows or holes and search in search of seeds, fruits, nuts, and other plants. They will typically spend up to three-quarters of the time in the nest.
A local community was selected as part of the field team to help identify Spix's Macaws. The members of the community were given watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's macaw was detected, allowing them to keep track of the birds and their daily movements in the wild. This approach has been extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species in the genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in the wild on April 1, 2019. This was after the last wild parrot vanished in 2000, and no more birds were found in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction programme is in progress to try to bring this critically endangered bird to its native home in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is located in the 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.
Reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is in progress. Eight captive-raised Spix's Macaws were released into the wild in June. Twelve more are expected to be released in 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced and will share information about food sources, nesting and places to roost.
The reintroduction programme has already gathered valuable biological data on the behavior of this rare bird, including details on the patterns of movement throughout the day and adjustments to drought during the season. It also provides a window into the nature of the Spix's Macaw and helped to better determine the causes that led to its extinction in the wild.
Spix's Macaws eat the seeds, fruits, and nuts of a variety of plants that are native to the Caatinga biome. Pinhao-bravo and linhas Brasil, as well as facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all part of this diet. The acai palm (Acaia olive) and mofumbo (Combretum léprosum) fruits are also edible.
Spix's Macaws like all parrots and other birds, are social birds that have close relationships with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic other sounds and words. They have a mating cry called "whichaka," described as an incredibly short and repetitive sound that resembles a flutist note. They are well-known for flying high and fast when they are in an ecstatic mood.
Breeding
Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate through screeching, squawking, and other sounds. Like many parrots, they are able to mimic human speech. They also have a strict routine for their day, from the flight path to bathing habits and can identify members of their family. They are adored as pets and are frequently targeted by illegal trade in birds due to this.
By the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws survived in the wild, and all of them poached. A plan to pair the male and female defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since the time, all Spix's macaws known have been bred in captivity - mostly in Brazil.
The few Spix's macaws in captivity are a mix of individuals that are the descendants of just two individuals, leaving them vulnerable to disease and other environmental threats. The majority of the birds that are in captivity are kept in the breeding center in Germany however, in the year 2003 an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired without renewal, casting doubt over future plans to repatriate the birds and then reintroduce them back into the wild.
Despite their petty numbers, captive-bred Spix’s macaws show some signs of improvement. This was evident when the Swiss breeder beat out the sheikh of Qatar to buy three Spix's Macaws from a collector.
In part due to this and other efforts, the captive-bred bird population is beginning to increase, though not at a speedy pace. Reintroducing the birds to the wild will require them to remain healthy and produce. The selection of the right birds to release is also crucial. Macaws must be of reproductive age and be paired with siblings or close relatives.
The return of the Spix's Macaw to the wild could prove difficult, but it is important to try. great green macaw and its partners have established reserves to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's Macaws who were recently released will be joined by blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are more prevalent in Caatinga and are found in areas where the Spix's macaws are also. knowing it will assist the macaws become accustomed to their new surroundings. They will also ensure safety through the sheer numbers.