Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time of anxiety and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists were able to reintroduce couple couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring however, it is also filled with backbiting and jealousies.
The first hurdle was to get enough birds for the trade. Macaws are monogamous, so it was crucial to match the pairs well.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the mission of saving the critically threatened Spix's Macaw. The bird was declared extinct by the United Nations in 2000 because of decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a few of the birds in captivity and they hope to release them close to Curaca. They call the birds their little blue companions and compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw from the wild. They call him as a true survivor, who lost his family, but was loyal to the region. They believe that their lives in Caatinga as being similar to his, and they feel a strong connection to him.
Researchers were able study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in wild, and to better understand the reasons why this species has survived for so long. It also helped them form a more accurate estimate of the historic numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able to gather important information about the bird's daily movement patterns and seasonal adaptation to drought, and food habits. They also monitored attempts at reproduction with an Illiger's and Spix's hybrid macaws which was a significant step in the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable achievement that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a very small gene pool. This has enabled scientists to understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to the wild. The survival of the last bird inspired people to take action to save other parrots as well as endangered species. It also inspired 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 work together in order to conserve endangered wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian governmental officials, zoo representatives and international owners of this rare bird and ornithologists with a common goal - the recovery of the Spix's macaw.
The group has completed a great deal of work. This includes preparing plans to reintroduce the bird to the wild. chestnut fronted macaw has also been working to raise funds to fund field research and community outreach as well as captive-breed birds for the reintroduction program. The group has also set up an ongoing committee to oversee the recovery of the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago, the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was thought to be extinct. It was endangered through the destruction of habitats and illegal poaching. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists 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 famous to millions of people across the globe, but this is just the tip of the iceberg in the long road to save these birds from the edge. For a long time, a global team has been trying to breed and reintroduce captive-raised Spix's macaws into the wild.
The Spix's macaw is native to a small area of northeast Brazil, called the Caatinga an arid area of flat savannah scrubland scattered with creeks that flow through the seasons and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819, and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic sightings in the wild, with a few birds in captivity, and a handful of museum specimens.
To protect the population that is declining In order to protect the declining population, an international committee was formed which brought together aviculturists who had the last remaining birds 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 Macaws Spix's into their natural habitat in northeast Brazil.
AWWP has acquired and is renovating 2,380 hectares of prime habitat in the Caatinga, near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP is also raising and breeding birds to be released into the wild, thereby providing a genetically pure source of animals for the next generation of.
Spix's Macaws are usually found in trees and seldom seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage for fruits, seeds, nuts, and other species. They can spend up to 1/3 of their 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 be activated if the Spix's Macaw was identified. This enabled them to monitor the birds in the wild and their daily activities. This approach has proven very successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species in the genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was after the last wild parrot disappeared in 2000. No additional birds were found in subsequent surveys. However, a reintroduction plan currently underway is trying to return this critically endangered bird back to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is located in the region of northeast Brazil that covers about 10 percent of the country. Spix's Macaws were a nesting species in the hollows of old caraibeira trees and were known to eat seeds and nuts.
Reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is currently underway. Eight birds that were raised in captivity were released into the wild in June, and 12 more are scheduled to arrive in 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group Blue-winged Macaws which have been reintroduced. They will share information on food sources, nesting sites and areas to roost.
The reintroduction programme 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 provides an insight into the natural history of the Spix's Macaw and helped to better understand what led to its extinction in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits, and nuts of a myriad of plants native to the Caatinga Biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and linhas Brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia), along with the joazeiro (Ziziphus Joazeiro) and facheiro Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They may also consume the fruit of the palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Like all parrots like all parrots Macaws are highly social birds that bond closely with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic other sounds and words. They have a mating cry called "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating sound that resembles a flutist note. When they are in a breeding mode they are known to fly fast and high.
Breeding
Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate using screeching, squawking and other sounds. Like many parrots, they can mimic human speech. They have a strict routine, which includes routines for bathing and flight. They are also able to recognize other members of their family. They are adored as pets and are frequently targeted by the illegal trade in birds due to this.
In the early 1980s, just three Spix's macaws were left in the wild. They were all 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 captive-bred – mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws kept in captivity are made up of individuals who are the descendants of only two individuals, which makes them at risk of disease and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws that are in captivity reside in an breeding center in Germany. However, this year an agreement between a German conservation center and the Brazilian government ran out, leaving the possibility of repatriation or reintroduction into the wild in doubt.
Despite their precarious numbers, captive-bred Spix's macaws are showing some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder managed to beat a sheikh from Qatar to purchase from the collector three Spix's macaws which were not part of the breeding program.
In part, due to this and other efforts, the captive-bred bird population is starting to increase, though not at a rapid rate. Reintroducing the birds into the wild will require that they stay healthy and produce. Choosing the right birds for release is also critical. Macaws should be of reproductive age and be paired with siblings or close relatives.
Bringing the Spix's macaw back to the wild could be difficult, but it's essential to try. To help, ABC and partners have established a reserve system that aims to protect the last remaining habitats. The eight recently released Spix's macaws will soon be joined by blue-winged macaws which are more prevalent in the Caatinga and share areas with Spix's macaws. These birds will assist the macaws become accustomed to their new surroundings. They will also offer protection by the sheer numbers.