Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period of worry and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists were able to reintroduce a group of couples into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring, but also filled with backbiting and jealousies.
The first challenge was obtaining enough birds to trade. These macaws are monogamous, therefore the pairs had to be matched properly.
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 that are in captive, and hope to release them into the wild near Curaca. They call the birds their little blue friends and have 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 bond to him and view their lives as similar to his.
Researchers were able to study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in the wild, and gain a better understanding of how this species has lasted so long. It also helped them make a more precise estimate of the historic population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able to gather crucial details about the bird's daily movement, its seasonal adaptation to drought, and its eating habits. Researchers even monitored attempts to reproduce with the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaw couple which was an important step towards the recovery of this species.
It was a marvellous achievement 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 reintroduced back to the natural world. The last bird's survival also inspired people to take action to save other species of endangered parrots. Zoos have also been enticed to develop their own captive breeding program for these exotic bird species.
This group serves as a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to conserve endangered species of wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian officials from the government Zoo representatives and international owners of this unique bird and ornithologists together with one common goal - the reintroduction of the Spix's macaw.
The group has already accomplished a lot of work. This includes the development of an approach to reintroduce this bird in the wild. The group also raised funds for community outreach as well as field research and captive-bred birds for the project. It also has established an ongoing committee to oversee the reintroduction of 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 fight tirelessly to bring this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is well-known to millions around the world due to a well-known animated film and two sequels. However, this is only the beginning on the long journey of returning these birds. For a long time, a global team has been working to breed and bring back captive-raised Spix's macaws into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is native to a small area of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga an arid area of savannah scrubland that is flat, interspersed with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819, and is one of the least-known Neotropical parrots, with few glimpses of the wild as well as a few captive birds and some museum specimens.
To preserve the dwindling population, an international committee was established that brought together aviculturists that were the last to hold the birds as affordable macaw well as officials from the government. This group formed a partnership 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 acquired and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga close to Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds that will be released into the wild, thereby providing a genetically pure source of animals for future generations.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws reside in trees, and are not often seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes, and hunt in search of seeds, fruits, nuts, and other species. They can spend as much as 1/3 of their time 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 provided watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's macaw was observed which allowed them to keep track of the birds and their movements throughout the wild. This method has proven successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species of the Genus Cyanopsitta. It was declared extinct in the wild in the year 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature after the last known wild parrot disappeared in 2000, and subsequent surveys failed to locate any additional birds. However, a reintroduction program is currently in progress to restore this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in Caatinga.
This dry forest is located in the region of northeast Brazil, covering approximately 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws were a nesting species in the hollows of the old caraibeira trees and were recognized for their dietary habits of eating nuts and seeds.
A reintroduction programme is 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 birds are scheduled to be released by 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged Macaws that have been released back into the same area and will assist to share knowledge about food sources, nesting and roosting locations.
The reintroduction program has already collected vital biological data about the behavior of the bird, which includes details of daily movements and adjustments to drought. It also provides a window into the natural history of the Spix's Macaw, helping to understand what led to its extinction in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, nuts, and fruits of a variety of plants native to the Caatinga Biome. Pinhao-bravo, linhas Brazil and facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all part of this diet. They can also eat the fruit of acai palms (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws like all parrots and other bird species are social birds and develop close bonds with their parents. They are vocal and frequently mimic sounds and speech. They make a mating call known as the "whichaka," which is described as a short, repetitive grating sound similar to a flute. 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 with one another by making a variety of squawking and screeching sounds. They, like other parrots, can mimic human speech. They also adhere to a rigid daily routine, ranging from flights to bathing routines and are able to recognize members of their family. They are very popular as pets, and are frequently targeted by illegal bird trade because of this.
By the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws survived in the wild, with all of them being poached. In 1995, poachers massacred the male and female birds as part of an attempt to pair them. Since since then, all known Spix's macaws have been bred in captivity, mostly in Brazil.
The Spix's Macaws that are in captivity are a mix that descends of only two individuals. This makes them susceptible to diseases and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws captivity are kept in an breeding center in Germany. However, this year an agreement between a German conservation center and Brazilian government was canceled and future plans for repatriation and reintroduction into the wild in doubt.
Despite their precarious numbers, captive-bred Spix's macaws are showing some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder was able to beat out a sheikh in Qatar to purchase from a collector three Spix's Macaws that weren't part of the breeding program.
In part due to this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is beginning to grow, but not at a rapid rate. Keeping them healthy and producing is crucial to reintroduce the birds into the wild. It is crucial to select the right birds prior to releasing them. Macaws should be of reproductive age and paired with close relatives or siblings.
Bringing the Spix's macaw back to the wild could prove difficult, but it's important to try. ABC and its partners have established reserves to safeguard the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's macaws will be joined by blue-winged macaws, that are more common in the Caatinga and live in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These smart birds will help the macaws get accustomed to the region, and they will provide security in large numbers.