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 inspirational but also rife with jealousies and backbiting.
The first obstacle was obtaining enough birds to be traded. These macaws are monogamous, therefore the pairs had to be well-matched.
Range
A South African couple is working to save the critically endangered Spix's macaw which was declared extinct in 2000 following decades of poaching and habitat loss. They have a small number of the birds that are in captivity and they hope to release them close to Curaca. They call the birds little blue friends, and compare their lives to the journey of Presley, the only known Spix's Macaw in wild. They describe him as a true survivor, who lost his family, but was loyal to the region. They consider their lives in the Caatinga as akin to his, and they feel a strong connection to him.
Researchers were able study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in wild, and gain a better understanding of the reasons why this species has survived for so long. It also allowed them to create a more accurate estimation of the historical population numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able to gather crucial details about the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adjustment to drought, as well as 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 survived and thrived in the wild despite having a very small gene pool. This has allowed scientists understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to the wild. The survival of the last bird also motivated people to act to save other parrots and endangered species. It also inspired zoos and other groups to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group is a great illustration of how conservation groups as well as other organizations and individuals can work together in order to conserve endangered species of wildlife and animals. The group is comprised of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international holders of the Spix’s macaw and ornithologists with a common goal to save this endangered bird.
The working group has already completed a lot of work, including preparing a plan for reintroducing the bird back into the wild. The group has also been working to raise funds for field research, community outreach and captive-breeding birds to support the reintroduction plan. The group has also established an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Endangered by habitat destruction and poaching, the Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was believed to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to fight tirelessly to bring this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is well-known to millions around the world thanks to a cult animated film and two sequels. But this is only the beginning on the long journey of bringing these birds back. For decades, an international team has been working to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws raised in a captive environment back into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is an endemic species found in a tiny region of northeast Brazil called the Caatinga. This dry area is home to flat savannah scrubland, scattered with seasonal streams and gallery forests. It was first described in 1819, and is one of least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic sightings in the wild, few captive birds and a handful of museum specimens.
To preserve the dwindling population In order to protect the declining population, an international committee was created that brought together aviculturists that held the last remaining birds and government officials. This group formed a collaboration with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to establish an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws to their natural environment.
AWWP has bought and is renovating 2,380 hectares of prime habitat in the Caatinga near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP also breeds and raises birds to be released into the wild. This will create a genetically-pure source of animals for future generations.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws are found in trees and are seldom seen on the ground. They usually nest in hollows or holes in trees and hunt for fruits as well as seeds, nuts, and other plants. They can spend as much as one third of the time in the nest.
A local community was selected as part of the field team to help to track Spix's macaws. Members of the community were provided watches that could be activated if the Spix's Macaw was detected which allowed them to keep track of the birds and their movements throughout the wild. This approach has been extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species of the Genus Cyanopsitta. It 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, and subsequent surveys failed to find any additional birds. A reintroduction plan is in the process of attempting to bring this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is a region of northeast Brazil which covers around 10 percent of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows old caraibeiras, and were also known to eat nuts and seeds.
A reintroduction program is now underway to re-establish a wild 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 that were reintroduced into the same area and will help to share information about food sources, nesting and roosting areas.
The reintroduction program has gathered valuable biological data on the behavior of this unique bird, including information on the patterns of movement throughout the day and seasonal adjustments to drought. It has also provided a glimpse into the nature of the Macaws of Spix, which helps to understand the factors that led to their extinction.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of many plants that are native to the Caatinga Biome. Pinhao-bravo and linhas Brasil, as well as facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all part of this diet. They also eat the fruit of acai palms (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws as with all parrots and other birds are social birds and have close relationships with their parents. They are very vocal and often mimic human speech and other sounds. They make a mating call known as the "whichaka," which is described as a short repeated grating sound that is similar to a flute. They are often seen flying fast and high when they are in a breeding mood.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate with each other through a range of squawking and screeching sounds, and like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They also have a rigid daily routine, ranging from flight paths to bathing habits and are able to recognize members of their family. They are adored as pets and are frequently targeted by illegal trade in birds because of this.
In the early 1980s only three Spix's macaws were left in the wild. They were all poached. In 1995, poachers killed the male and female birds as part of an attempt to pair them. Since then, all Spix's Macaws known have been captive-bred – mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws kept in captivity are made up of individuals that are the descendants of only two individuals, which makes them susceptible to illness and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws that are in captivity reside in a breeding center in Germany. However this year, an agreement between the German conservation center and Brazilian government ran out, leaving future plans for repatriation and reintroduction into the wild in doubt.
Despite their petty numbers the captive-bred Spix's macaws exhibit some signs of improvement. This was evident when the Swiss breeder beat out the sheikh of Qatar to purchase three Spix's Macaws for the collector.
In part, due to this and other efforts, the captive-bred bird population is starting to grow, but not at a speedy pace. Reintroducing great green macaw to the wild will require that they remain healthy and produce. It is important to choose the right birds before release. The macaws should be reproductive and paired with close relatives or siblings.
Bringing the Spix's macaw back to the wild could be difficult, but it's important to try. To aid, ABC and partners have created a reserve system which aims to protect the species' last remaining habitats. 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 the Spix's macaws. These savvy birds will help the macaws get accustomed to the region, and they will provide security in large numbers.