Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time with worry and speculation Brazilians and German conservationists managed to successfully bring a group of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also filled with backbiting and jealousies.
The first hurdle was to find enough birds to be traded. The macaws are monogamous therefore the pairs had to be matched properly.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the mission to save the critically endangered Spix's Macaw. The bird was declared extinct by United Nations in 2000 due to decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small amount of the birds in captivity and are hoping to release them close to Curaca. They refer to the birds as their little blue friends and compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw in the wild. They describe him as an authentic survivor who lost his family, but kept his faith in his region. They feel a strong connection to him and view their lives as similar to his.
The discovery of the last Spix's Macaw offered a valuable opportunity for researchers to investigate its behavior in wild and gain an understanding of how the species has survived for this long. It also allowed them to create a more accurate estimate of the historic population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able to collect crucial information on the bird's daily movements and seasonal adaptation to drought, and its feeding habits. They also observed attempts at reproduction with an Illiger's and Spix's hybrid macaws which was a crucial step in the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable achievement that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has enabled scientists to understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to nature. The last bird's survival also encouraged people to take action to save other endangered parrots and species. It also inspired zoos and other organizations to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This working group is an example of how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to protect endangered animals and wildlife. It brings Brazilian governmental officials, zoo representatives and international owners of this rare bird, and ornithologists together with one common goal - the recovery of the Spix's Macaw.
The working group has already completed a great deal of work. This includes the development of plans to reintroduce the bird to the wild. The group also raised funds for community outreach, field research and captive-bred birds for the project. The group has also established a permanent committee to recover the bird.
Habitat
Endangered by poaching and habitat destruction The Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was believed to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Aviculturists and ornithologists as well as other experts continue to fight to save this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.
A popular animated movie and two sequels have made the Spix's Macaw known to millions of people worldwide, but this is just the beginning of the iceberg in the long-distance journey to bring these birds back from the edge. An international team has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws born in captivity to the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is an indigenous species that is found in a small area of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This dry region has flat savannah scrubland and is interspersed with galleries and seasonal streams. It was first documented in 1819 and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic glimpses of the wild, a few captive birds and a handful of museum specimens.
To save the declining population In order to protect the declining population, an international committee was created that brought together aviculturists that had the last remaining birds as well as officials from the government. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organisation Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to establish a rigorous program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's macaws into their natural habitat in the northeast of Brazil.
AWWP has acquired and is renovating 2,380 hectares in Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP also breeds and rears birds that will be released into the wild. This will create a genetically-pure source of animals for future generations.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws will live in trees, and are not often seen on the ground. They usually nest in hollows or holes in trees and hunt for fruits as well as seeds, nuts, and other plants. They will typically spend up to three-quarters of the time in the nest.
To aid in tracking the Spix's macaws as well as their movements, a local group was recruited to become part of the field team. The members of the community were given watches that could be activated if the Spix's Macaw was detected, allowing them to keep an eye on the birds and their daily movements in the wild. This approach has been extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species found in the genus Cyanopsitta. It was listed as extinct in the wild in 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature after the last wild parrot to be identified disappeared in the year 2000. subsequent surveys failed to locate any additional birds. However, a reintroduction program is in the process of trying to bring back this critically endangered bird back to its natural habitat in Caatinga.
The northeast region of Brazil comprises about 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 birds are expected to be released in 2022. They will be joined by Blue-winged Macaws. They have been released back into the same area and will help to share knowledge about food sources and nesting and roosting locations.
The reintroduction program has already collected valuable data from biology on the behavior of this rare bird, which includes details about daily movements patterns as well as seasonal adjustments to drought. It has also provided a window into the nature of the Spix's Macaw, helping to understand what led to its disappearance in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, seeds and nuts of numerous plants that are native to the Caatinga biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and the linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia), along with the joazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro) and facheiro cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They may also consume the fruit of palms of acai (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 extremely vocal and often mimic human speech and other sounds. They have a mating call called "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 high and fast.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate by screeching, squawking and other sounds. As with many parrots they are able to mimic human speech. They have a very strict routine, including the way they fly and their bathing habits. They can also 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, only three Spix’s macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. In 1995, poachers massacred the male and female birds as part of the hope of pairing them. Since the time, all Spix's macaws known have been captive-bred – mostly in Brazil.
The Spix's Macaws that are in captivity are a mixture of birds, and are the descendant of just two individuals. see page leaves them vulnerable to illnesses and other environmental threats. The majority of the birds that are in captivity are housed at the breeding center in Germany, but this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed and causing doubt about future plans to return the birds and then reintroduce them into the wild.
Despite their precarious number the captive-bred Spix's macaws exhibit some signs of improvement. This was evident when the Swiss breeder beat the sheikh of Qatar to buy three Spix's Macaws from the collector.
In part, due to this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is beginning to grow, though not at a rapid rate. Reintroducing the birds to the wild will require that they stay healthy and produce. It is crucial to select the right birds prior to releasing them. Macaws must be in a reproductive stage, and they should be paired with one of their siblings or a close relative.
Reintroducing the Spix's macaw to the wild could prove difficult, but it's important to try. To help, ABC and partners have created a reserve system which aims to protect the species' last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's Macaws who were recently released will be joined by the blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are common in Caatinga and live in areas where the Spix's macaws also reside. These savvy birds will help the macaws become more used to the region and provide safety in numbers.