Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time filled with worry and speculation, Brazilians and German conservationists managed to successfully reintroduce a couple of couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also rife with backbiting and jealousy.
The first challenge was to find enough birds for the trade. Macaws are monogamous, therefore the pairs had to be well-matched.
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 because of decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small population of the birds that are in captivity, and are hoping to release them into the wild near Curaca. They call them their little blue friends and have compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw in the wild. They say he was as a true survivor who lost his family but was loyal to the region. They feel a strong connection to him and perceive their lives as being like his.
The discovery of the last Spix's Macaw offered an excellent opportunity for researchers to examine its behavior in the wild and gain a better understanding of how the species was able to survive for so long. This also helped them make a more precise estimate of the historic population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able gather important information on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adjustment to drought, and eating habits. They also observed reproduction attempts using a hybrid Spix's and Illiger's macaw pair which was a significant step in the recovery of this species.
It was an amazing feat that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a very limited gene pool. This has helped scientists understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to nature. The bird's survival has encouraged people to take action to save other endangered parrots and species. Zoos and other groups to set their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group is a great illustration of how conservation groups, other organizations and individuals can work together to save endangered wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian governmental officials Zoo representatives and international owners of this unique bird and ornithologists with a common goal: the recovery of the Spix's Macaw.
The working group has already completed a lot of work, including the creation of an idea for reintroducing this bird back into the wild. The group has also been working to raise funds to support field research as well as community outreach and captive-breeding birds to support the reintroduction plan. It has also created an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Endangered by habitat destruction and poaching, the Spix's Baby Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild ten years ago. Aviculturists, ornithologists, and other experts continue to work hard to bring this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is recognizable to millions around the globe thanks to a cult animated film and two sequels. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg on the long journey of bringing these birds back. For a long time, a global team has been trying to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws that have been raised in captivity into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is an endemic species that is found in a small area of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This dry area is home to flat savannah scrubland and 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 glimpses of the wild, a few captive birds and a few museum specimens.
To preserve the dwindling population In order to protect the declining population, an international committee was established which brought together aviculturists who had the last remaining birds as well as officials from the government. This group formed a collaboration with the renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to establish an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws in their native habitat.
AWWP has purchased and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP is also raising and breeding birds to be released into the wild, providing an incredibly pure genetic source of the animals for future generations.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws will live in trees, and are not often seen on the ground. They typically nest in tree holes or hollows and hunt for fruits seeds, nuts, seeds and other plants. They typically spend up to a third of the day in the nest.
A local community was enlisted as part of the field team to assist track Spix's Macaws. The members of the community were given watches which could be activated if the Spix's macaw was observed and thereby allowing them to keep an eye on the birds and their daily movements in the wild. This method has proven to be extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species belonging to 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 disappeared in 2000, and subsequent surveys did not find any additional birds. A reintroduction programme is in the process of attempting to bring this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is located in the region of northeast Brazil that covers about 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws were a nesting species in the hollows of old caraibeiras, and they were also known to eat nuts and seeds.
A reintroduction program is now 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 scheduled to follow in 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged macaws who were reintroduced. They will share information about food sources, nesting and places to roost.
The reintroduction programme has already collected vital biological data about the behavior of this bird, which includes details of daily movements and adjustments to drought. It has also provided a window into the natural history of the Spix's Macaw and helped to better discover the reasons behind its extinction in the wild.
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 part of this diet. They also eat the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws as with all parrots as well as other birds, are social birds that have close relationships with their parents. They are extremely vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating sound called the "whichaka," which is described as a brief, repetitive grating sound similar to a flute. When they are in a breeding mode they can fly fast and high.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate with each other through a range of squawking and screeching sounds. Like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They have a very strict routine that includes routines for bathing and flight. They are also able to recognize other members of their family. They are very popular as pets and are often targeted by the illegal trade in birds because of this.
In the early 1980s only three Spix’s macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. A plan to pair the male and female foiled in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since since then, all Spix's Macaws known have been bred in captivity - mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws that are in captivity are a mixture of individuals who are descendants of only two individuals, making them vulnerable to disease and other environmental issues. The majority of Spix's macaws that are in captivity reside in a breeding centre in Germany. However this year an agreement between the German conservation center and Brazilian government ran out which leaves 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 a collector.
In the wake of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are beginning to reproduce, though not at a high rate. Keeping them healthy and producing is crucial to reintroduce the birds into the wild. Selecting the right birds to release is also crucial. Macaws should be in a reproductive stage and be paired with one of their siblings or a close relatives.
Reintroducing the Spix's macaw to the wild may prove difficult, but it is important to try. ABC and its partners have created reserves to safeguard the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's Macaws that 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 live. These intelligent birds will aid the macaws become more familiar with the area and provide security in large numbers.