Notes

A Provocative Rant About Melody Blue Spix Macaw
Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long time of uncertainty and worry, Brazilian and German conservationists were able to reintroduce two couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also rife with backbiting and jealousy.

The first challenge was finding enough birds for the exchange. The macaws are monogamous so the pairs had to be matched well.

Range

A South African couple has taken on the task of saving 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 tiny population of the birds kept in captive, and they hope to release them into the wild near Curaca. They call the birds little blue friends, and compare their journey to that of Presley, the only known Spix's Macaw in wild. They say he was a true survivor, who lost his family, but remained loyal to the area. They feel a strong kinship to him and see their lives as similar to his.

Researchers were able to research the behavior of the Spix's Macaw wild, and to better understand how this species has survived so long. This enabled researchers to estimate the historical population of this rare bird with greater accuracy. Researchers were able gather important information on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adaptation to drought, and eating habits. Researchers also observed attempts to reproduce with a hybrid Spix’s and Illiger’s macaw couple which was an important step in the recovery for this species.

It was an amazing feat that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a limited gene pool. This has enabled scientists understand how these birds can be restored to the natural world. The last bird's survival also motivated people to act to save other endangered parrots and species. Zoos have also been enticed to create their own captive breeding program for these exotic species of birds.

This group serves as a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can work together to conserve endangered wildlife and endangered animals. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, representatives from zoos, international owners of the Spix's macaw and ornithologists with one goal in common to save this unique bird.

The group has already accomplished a lot of work. This includes the development of an approach to reintroduce this bird back to the wild. The group also raised funds for community outreach as well as field research and captive-bred birds for the project. It has also created a permanent committee to recover the bird.

Habitat

Threatened by poaching and habitat destruction, the Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild ten years ago. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to tirelessly work to bring this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction.

A cult animated film and two sequels have made the Spix's Macaw known to millions of people worldwide however this is only the beginning in the long journey to save these birds from the edge. For a long time, a global team has been working to breed and bring back Spix's macaws raised in a captive environment back into the wild.

The Spix's Macaw is an indigenous species found in a tiny region of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This dry region is characterized by flat savannah scrubland and is interspersed with galleries and seasonal streams. It was first documented in 1819 and is one of the lesser-known Neotropical parrots, with few glimpses of the wild, a few captive birds and some museum specimens.

To save the declining population, an international committee was created that brought together aviculturists that were the last to hold the birds as well as officials from the government. This group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to establish a rigorous program to reintroduce captive-bred Macaws Spix's into their native environment in northeast Brazil.

AWWP has acquired and is renovating 2,380 acres of prime habitat in Caatinga, near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP is also raising and breeding birds to be released into the wild, thereby providing a genetically pure 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 typically nest in hollows or holes in trees and hunt for fruit as well as seeds, nuts, and other plants. They will typically spend up to one third of the day in the nest.

A local community was enlisted as part of the field team to help to track Spix's macaws. Members of the community were given watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's macaw was observed and thereby allowing them to keep track of the birds and their movements throughout the wild. This method has proven to be successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species of the Genus 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 disappeared in 2000, and no more birds were found in subsequent surveys. However, a reintroduction program currently underway is trying to bring back the critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.

This region in northeast Brazil covers approximately 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws were amidst the hollows of old caraibeiras, and were also known to eat seeds and nuts.

A reintroduction programme is underway to re-establish a wild 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 in the area by a group Blue-winged Macaws who were reintroduced. They will share information about food sources, nesting and areas to roost.

The reintroduction programme has already collected vital biological data about the behavior of this rare bird, including details on daily movement patterns and seasonal adjustments to drought. It has also provided an insight 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, fruits and nuts of numerous plants that are native to the Caatinga biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and the linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia) and the joazeiro (Ziziphus Joazeiro) and facheiro Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They can also eat the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).

Spix's Macaws as with all parrots and other bird species, are social birds that have close relationships with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic sounds and speech. They make a mating call known as the "whichaka," which is described as a brief repeated grating sound that is like a flute note. When they are in breeding mode, they are known to fly fast and high.

Breeding


Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and highly social birds. Continued communicate with each other by making a variety of screeching and squawking sounds. Like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They have a strict routine, which includes flight patterns and bathing habits. They are also able to recognize other members of their family. This is what makes them the most sought-after pets and targets for the illegal bird trade.

In the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws remained in the wild, with all of them poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was foiled in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since the time the Spix's macaws have been bred in captivity mostly in Brazil.

The handful of Spix's macaws kept in captivity are made up of individuals that are the descendants of just two individuals, which makes them susceptible to illness and other environmental issues. The majority of the birds in captivity are kept in the breeding center in Germany however, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed which raises doubt about the future plans to repatriate the birds and then reintroduce them into the wild.

Despite their low numbers, captive-bred Spix's Macaws are showing signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder was able to beat a sheikh from Qatar to purchase from a collector three Spix's Macaws that were not part of the breeding program.

In part, due to this and other efforts, the captive-bred bird population is beginning to increase, though not at a speedy pace. Reintroducing the birds into the wild will require them to remain healthy and produce. It is crucial to select the right birds prior to releasing them. Macaws should be reproductively mature, and they should be in a relationship with a sibling or a close relative.

It's not easy to bring the Spix's Macaw back into the wild but it is vital to try. ABC and its partners have developed reserves to safeguard the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's macaws that were released recently will be joined by blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are common in Caatinga and live in areas where the Spix's macaws also reside. These intelligent birds will aid macaws to become accustomed to the region, and they will provide safety in numbers.

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