Chauncey Parkin

Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long period of anxiety and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists succeeded in reinserting a group of couples into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also rife with backbiting and jealousy.

The first challenge was finding enough birds to exchange. The 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 the United Nations in 2000 due to decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small population of the birds that are in captive, and are hoping to release them in the wild near Curaca. They refer to the birds as their blue-eyed friends and compare their experience to the story of Presley, the only known Spix's hyacinth macaw parrots for sale in wild. They describe Presley as an authentic survivor who lost his family, but remained loyal to his area. They feel a strong connection to him and see their lives as similar to his.

Researchers were able study the behavior of the Spix's macaw keycaps in the wild, and gain a better understanding of the reasons why this species has survived so long. This also helped them make a more precise estimate of the historic population numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able gather important details about the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adjustment to drought, and eating habits. Researchers also monitored attempts to reproduce using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaw couple which was an important step towards the recovery of this species.

It was a remarkable accomplishment that this bird was able to endure and thrive in the wild with such the smallest gene pool and has helped scientists understand how these birds could be reintroduced to the wild. The survival of the last bird motivated people to act to save other endangered parrots and species. It also inspired zoos and other organizations to set up up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.

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 animals and wildlife. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international owners of the Spix's Darling hahns macaw, and ornithologists to achieve an aim in common to save this rare bird.

The group has already completed a great deal of work. This includes developing an approach to reintroduce this bird back to the wild. The group also raised funds to fund community outreach and field research as well as captive-bred birds for chestnut fronted Macaw the project. It has also established a permanent committee for the rehabilitation of the bird.

Habitat

Ten years ago the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was thought to be extinct. It was endangered by the destruction of habitats and illegal poaching. Aviculturists, ornithologists, and other experts continue to work hard to bring this iconic bird from the brink extinction.

A well-known animated film and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw recognizable to millions of people across the globe however this is only the tip of the iceberg in the long journey to bring these birds back from the brink. 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 native to a small portion of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga which is an arid region consisting of savannah scrubland flat interspersed with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. The first time it was described was in 1819 and is one of the lesser-known Neotropical parrots, with sporadic sightings from the wild and a few birds that are kept in captivity and some museum specimens.

To save the declining population, an international committee was established that brought together aviculturists that were the last to hold the birds as well as officials from the government. The group formed a partnership with the renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to develop an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws back to their natural habitat.

AWWP has purchased and is recovering 2,380 hectares of prime habitat in the Caatinga area, close to Curaca, Brazil. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds to be released into the wild, providing an incredibly pure genetic source of animals for the next generation of.

Spix's Macaws can be found in trees, and rarely seen on the ground. They typically nest in tree holes or hollows and hunt for fruit seeds, nuts, seeds and other plants. They can spend up to one third of their day in the nest.

A local community was recruited as part of the field team to assist track Spix's Macaws. The community was provided with watches that would activate if the Spix's Macaw was detected. This enabled them to monitor the birds in the wild and their daily movements. This approach has proven very successful.

Diet

The Spix's Blondie scarlet macaw bird (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species of the family Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that it was extinct in the wild on April 1, 2019. This was following the last wild parrot was lost in 2000. No additional birds were found in subsequent surveys. However, a reintroduction program is currently in progress to return the critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in Caatinga.

This dry forest is a region of northeast Brazil that covers about 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows of old caraibeiras, and they were also known to feed on seeds and nuts.

Reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is in progress. Eight birds raised in captivity were released into the wild in June, and 12 more are expected to arrive in 2022. They will be joined by a group Blue-winged Macaws who were reintroduced. They will share information on food sources, nesting and roosting locations.

The reintroduction program 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 has provided a glimpse into the natural history of the Macaws of Spix, which can help to understand the causes that led to their extinction.

Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of a myriad of plants native to the Caatinga Biome. Pinhao-bravo, linhas Brasil and facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all part of this diet. They may also consume the fruit of the palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).

Spix's Macaws, like all parrots and other birds are social birds and have close relationships with their parents. They are very vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They make a mating call called the "whichaka," which is described as a short continuous grating sound similar to a flute. When they are in breeding mode, they are known to fly high and fast.

Breeding

Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate using screeching, squawking, and other sounds. As with many parrots they can mimic human speech. They have a very strict routine, including flight patterns and bathing habits. They also can recognize other members of their flock. They are adored as pets and are often targeted by 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 are captive-bred, mostly in Brazil.

The handful of Spix's macaws in captivity are a mix of individuals who are the descendants of just two individuals, leaving them at risk of disease and other environmental threats. The majority of Spix's macaws that are in captivity live at a breeding center in Germany. However, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and Brazilian government ran out which leaves the possibility of repatriation or the reintroduction of wild animals in doubt.

Despite their low numbers 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 starting to grow, but not at a rapid pace. Keeping them healthy and producing is crucial to reintroduce the birds back into the wild. It is crucial to select the right birds prior to releasing them. Macaws should be of reproductive age and be paired with siblings or close relatives.

It's not easy to bring the Spix's macaw back into the wild, however, it is essential to try. To aid, ABC and partners have started a reserve system that is designed to safeguard 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 help macaws adapt to their new surroundings and will also provide safety by large numbers.