Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time with uncertainty and fear Brazilians and German conservationists managed to successfully reintroduce a couple of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring however, it is also filled with backbiting and jealousies.
The first challenge was finding enough birds to participate in the exchange. Macaws are monogamous, so it was important to match pairs well.
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 that are in captivity and they hope to release them close to Curaca. They call them their little blue companions and compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw in the wild. They describe Presley as a true survivor who lost his family, but kept his faith in his region. They feel a strong kinship to him and see their lives as being like his.
The discovery of the last Spix's macaw offered researchers with an opportunity to study its behavior in the wild and gain a better understanding of why this species survived such a long time. This allowed researchers to estimate the population of this unique bird more precisely. Researchers were able gather important information on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adaptation to drought, as well as its eating habits. Researchers also monitored attempts to reproduce using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaw couple which was a crucial step in the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable feat that this bird was able survive and thrive in the wild with such a limited gene pool, and has helped scientists to understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to the wild. The survival of the bird that was killed motivated people to act in order to save other parrots and threatened species. This has also encouraged zoos to establish their own captive breeding program for these exotic species of birds.
This working group is an example of how conservation groups and other organizations can work together to protect endangered wildlife and endangered animals. It brings Brazilian officials from the government as well as representatives from zoos and international owners of this rare bird, and ornithologists with a common goal: the recovery of the Spix's Macaw.
The working group has already accomplished a lot of work, including developing plans for reintroducing the bird to the wild. The group also raised funds to fund community outreach as well as field research and captive-bred birds for the project. The group has also set up an ongoing committee to oversee the rehabilitation of the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was considered extinct. It was threatened due to habitat destruction and poaching that was illegal. Aviculturists and ornithologists as well as other experts continue to do their best to save this iconic bird back from the brink extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is well-known to millions of people all over the world thanks to a popular animated film and two sequels. This is just the tip of the iceberg on the long journey of returning these birds. An international team has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws born in captivity into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is an endemic species to a small region of northeast Brazil called the Caatinga. This desert region has flat savannah scrubland that is scattered with galleries and streams that flow through the season. It was described in 1819 and is among the least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic sightings in the wild, a few birds in captivity and a few museum specimens.
To save the declining population An international committee was created that brought together aviculturists that held the last remaining birds as well as officials from the government. The group formed a collaboration with the world-renowned non-profit organisation Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to develop a comprehensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's Macaws to their natural habitat in northeast Brazil.
AWWP has bought and is renovating 2,380 hectares of prime habitat in Caatinga area, close to Curaca, Brazil. AWWP also breeds and raises birds that will be released into the wild. This will create a genetically-pure source of animals for the future generations.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws will live in trees and are rarely seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage for fruits, seeds, nuts, and various other plants. They typically spend up to three-quarters of the time in the nest.
A local community was enlisted as part of the field team in order to help track Spix's Macaws. The community was provided with watches that would be activated if a Spix's Macaw is detected. This enabled them to monitor the birds in the wild and their daily movements. This method has proven successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species found in the Genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was following the last wild parrot vanished in 2000 and no additional birds were observed in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction program is currently underway to try to bring this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
This region in northeast Brazil comprises about 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows of old caraibeiras, and they were also recognized for their dietary habits of eating seeds and nuts.
A reintroduction plan is currently underway to establish a natural population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight captive-raised Spix's Macaws were released into the wild in June. Twelve more birds are scheduled to be released in 2022. They will be joined by Blue-winged Macaws. They were reintroduced into the same area and will assist to share knowledge about food sources and nesting and roosting sites.
The reintroduction program has collected vital biological data about the behavior of this rare bird, which includes details about daily movement patterns and seasonal adjustments to drought. It also provides an insight into the nature of the Spix's Macaw, helping to discover the reasons behind its extinction in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of a variety of plants 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). The acai palm (Acaia olive) and mofumbo (Combretum léprosum) fruits are also edible.
Like all parrots like all parrots Macaws are highly social birds, and they have a close bond with their parents. They are extremely vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry called "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating sound that resembles an acoustic note. They are often seen flying fast and high when they are in the mood to breed.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate with one another through a range of screeching and squawking sounds, and like many other parrots, can mimic human speech. They have a very strict routine that includes routines for bathing and flight. They can also recognize other members of their flock. They are very popular as pets and are often targeted by the illegal bird trade because of this.
In the early 1980s, only three Spix’s macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. In 1995, poachers killed the male and female birds in the hope of pairing them. Since since then, all known Spix's macaws are captive-bred, mostly in Brazil.
The few Spix's macaws in captivity are made up of individuals who are the descendants of only two individuals, leaving them vulnerable to disease and other environmental challenges. The majority of the birds in captivity are kept in an breeding center in Germany however, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed, casting doubt over future plans to return the birds and return them back into the wild.
Despite their shaky 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 purchase from the collector three Spix's macaws that weren't part of the breeding program.
In the wake of this and other efforts, captive-bred birds are beginning to reproduce, though not at a rapid rate. Keeping them healthy and producing is crucial to reintroduce the birds back into the wild. Selecting the right birds to release is equally important. Buffy macaw bird for sale should be reproductive and paired with siblings or close relatives.
It may be difficult to bring the Spix's macaw back into the wild but it is vital to try. ABC and its partners have established reserves to protect 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 are found in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These savvy birds will help the macaws become more accustomed to the region and will offer the security of a large number.