Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time filled with worry and speculation, Brazilians and German conservationists were able to successfully reintroduce a couple of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also filled with jealousy and backbiting.
The first obstacle was obtaining enough birds to trade. The macaws were monogamous, therefore it was essential to match pairs well.
Range
A South African couple is working to save the critically endangered Spix's Macaw, which was declared extinct in 2000 after decades of poaching and habitat loss. They have a tiny population of the birds in captivity and they hope to release them into the wild near Curaca. They refer to them as little blue friends, and compare their journey to the journey of Presley, the only known Spix's Macaw in wild. They describe him as an authentic survivor who lost his family and kept his faith in his region. They feel a strong kinship to him and view their lives as like his.
Researchers were able to research the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in the wild, and to better understand the reasons why this species has survived so long. It also helped them form a more accurate estimate of the historic numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able gather important data on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adjustment to drought, and its eating habits. Researchers also monitored attempts to reproduce using a hybrid Spix’s and Illiger’s macaw couple, which was a crucial step in the recovery of this species.
It was a marvellous feat that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a very small gene pool. This has helped scientists understand how these birds can be returned to the natural world. The survival of the last bird also encouraged people to take action to save other parrots and endangered species. Zoos have also been enticed to develop their own captive breeding programs for these exotic bird species.
This working group is a good illustration of how conservation groups and other organizations as well as individuals can work together in order to conserve endangered wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian officials from the government as well as representatives from zoos and international owners of this rare bird, and ornithologists to work together towards a common goal - the recovery of the Spix's macaw.
The working group has already achieved a lot of work. harlequin macaw includes the development of plans to reintroduce the bird to the wild. The group also raised funds to support community outreach, field research and captive-bred birds for the project. They have also formed an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Endangered by habitat destruction and poaching The Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild ten years ago. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to tirelessly work to bring this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.
A popular animated movie and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw recognizable to millions of people around the world However, this is only the beginning in the long journey to bring these birds back from the edge. For a long time, a global team has been working to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws that have been raised in captivity into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is an indigenous species found in a tiny region of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This desert region has flat savannah scrubland and is interspersed with galleries and streams that flow through the season. The first time it was described was in 1819, and is one of the least-known Neotropical parrots, with few glimpses of the wild, a few captive birds and some museum specimens.
To preserve the declining population, an international group was established. It brought together experts in aviculture who had the last remaining bird, as well as government officials. The group forged a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to develop an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws back to their natural environment.
AWWP has acquired and is renovating 2,380 hectares in Caatinga close to Curaca (Brazil) of the most pristine habitat. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds that will be released into the wild, providing an incredibly pure genetic source of animals for the next generation of.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws are found in trees and are rarely seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and search in search of seeds, fruits, nuts, and other species. They can spend up to three-quarters of the time in the nest.
A local community was recruited 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 Spix's Macaws are recognized. This enabled them to track the birds in the wild as well as their daily actions. This approach has been extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species belonging to the Genus Cyanopsitta. harlequin macaw was declared extinct in the wild in 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature following the disappearance of the last wild parrot to be identified disappeared in 2000. subsequent surveys failed to locate any additional birds. A reintroduction plan is in the process of attempting to bring back this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
This region in northeast Brazil comprises about 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nested in the hollows of old caraibeiras, and they were also known to eat nuts and seeds.
A reintroduction plan is currently underway to establish a natural population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight captive-raised Spix's Macaws were released in the wild in June. Twelve more are expected to be released by 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged Macaws. They have been released back into the same area and will assist to share knowledge about food sources, nesting and roosting areas.
The reintroduction programme has already gathered valuable biological data on the behavior of this rare bird, including information on daily movements patterns as well as adjustments to drought during the season. It has also provided a window into the natural history of the Spix's Macaw which helps to determine the causes that led to its disappearance in the wild.
Spix's Macaws eat the seeds, fruits and nuts of many plants that are native to the Caatinga biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and the linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia) as well as the Joazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro) and facheiro cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). The acai palm (Acaia olive) and mofumbo (Combretum léprosum) fruits are also edible.
Spix's Macaws, like all parrots and other bird species are social birds and have close relationships with their parents. They have vocalizations and often mimic other sounds and words. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as an extremely short and repetitive sound that resembles the note of a flutist. They are known to fly high and fast when they are in a breeding mood.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are incredibly intelligent and social birds. They communicate with each other by making a variety of screeching and squawking sounds. They, like other parrots, mimic human speech. They follow a strict routine, including routines for bathing and flight. They also can recognize other members of their flock. This is what makes them so popular pets, and also a target for illegal trade in birds.
In the early 1980s, just three Spix's macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. In 1995, poachers killed the male and female birds in a plan to pair 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 mix of birds, and are the descendant of only two individuals. This makes them more vulnerable to diseases and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws in captivity reside in an breeding center in Germany. However, this year an agreement between a German conservation center and Brazilian government expired, leaving the possibility of repatriation or their reintroduction into the wild in doubt.
Despite their low numbers, captive-bred Spix's Macaws are showing some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder was able to beat a sheikh in Qatar to buy from a collector three Spix's Macaws that weren't part of the breeding program.
In the wake of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are beginning to reproduce, but not at a great rate. In order to keep them healthy and producing, it will be important to reintroducing the birds into the wild. Choosing the right birds for release is equally important. Macaws must be reproductively mature, and they should be paired with an older sibling or close relatives.
Bringing the Spix's macaw back to the wild could be difficult, but it's crucial 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 will soon be joined by blue-winged macaws, which are more common in the Caatinga and live in overlapping areas with Spix's macaws. These savvy birds will help the macaws become more used to the region and provide security in large numbers.