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Melody Blue Spix Macaw

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

The first hurdle was obtaining enough birds to participate in the exchange. Macaws are monogamous, so it was essential to match pairs well.

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 loss of habitat. They have a few of the birds that are in captivity and they hope to release them close to Curaca. They call the birds their blue-eyed friends and compare their experience to that of Presley the only known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They describe him a true survivor, who lost his family, but remained loyal to the area. They feel a strong connection to him and view their lives as identical to his.

The discovery of the last Spix's macaw offered an excellent opportunity for researchers to study its behavior in the wild and gain a deeper understanding of why this species has survived for so long. This also helped them create a more accurate estimation of the historical population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able to gather crucial details about the bird's daily movement, its seasonal adaptation to drought, as well as its eating habits. Researchers also monitored attempts to reproduce with a hybrid Spix’s and Illiger’s macaw couple, Melody Blue Spix Macaw which was a crucial step towards the recovery of this species.

It was a remarkable accomplishment that this bird was able to endure and thrive in the wild despite a limited gene pool, and it has helped scientists to understand how these birds can be returned to the wild. The bird's survival has motivated people to act to save other endangered parrots and species. Zoos are also encouraged to create their own captive breeding program for these exotic species of birds.

This group is an example of how conservation groups, other organizations and individuals can collaborate to protect endangered animals and wildlife. It brings Brazilian officials from government Zoo representatives and international owners of this rare bird and ornithologists to work together towards a common goal - the recovery of the Spix's Macaw.

The working group has already achieved a lot of work. This includes developing an approach to reintroduce this bird back to the wild. The group also raised funds for community outreach and field research as well as captive-bred birds for the project. The group has also set up a permanent committee for the reintroduction of the bird.

Habitat

Endangered by poaching and habitat destruction The Spix's macaw parrot cost (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought 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 edge of extinction.

A cult animated film and two sequels have made Spix's macaw famous to millions of people around the world however this is only the beginning in the long road to bring these birds back from the brink. An international team has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws raised in captivity into the wild.

The Spix's Macaw is an indigenous species to a small region of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This desert area is home to flat savannah scrubland, scattered with galleries and seasonal streams. The first time it was described was in 1819 and is among of the lesser-known Neotropical parrots, with only few glimpses of the wild, a few captive birds and some museum specimens.

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

AWWP has purchased and is restoring 2,380 acres of prime habitat in Caatinga near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP also breeds and rears birds that will be released into the wild. This will give an animal that is genetically pure for future generations.

In the wild, Spix's macaws are found in trees and are rarely 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 up to one third of the day in the nest.

A local community was selected as part of the field team to assist identify Spix's Macaws. The members of the community were provided watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's macaw was observed, allowing them to keep track of the birds and their daily movements in the wild. This method has proven to be extremely successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw is the only species belonging to the Genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that it was extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was following the last wild parrot vanished in 2000, and no more birds were found in subsequent surveys. However, a reintroduction program is currently in progress to return this critically endangered bird back to its natural home in the Caatinga.

This region in northeast Brazil is home to about 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws were found in hollows old caraibeiras and were also known to eat nuts and seeds.

Reintroduction of the Spix’s Macaw into the wild is currently underway. Eight captive-raised Spix's macaws were released into the wild in June. Twelve more are expected to be released by 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group Lolita blue & gold macaw-winged Macaws who were reintroduced. They will provide information on food sources, nesting and roosting locations.

The reintroduction program has already collected vital biological data about the behavior of this rare bird, including information on the patterns of movement throughout the day and seasonal adjustments to drought. It also provides a window into the natural history of the Spix's Macaw which helps to discover the reasons behind its extinction in the wild.

Spix's Macaws eat the fruits, seeds and nuts of numerous plants native to the Caatinga biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia) as well as the Joazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro) and facheiro Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They also eat the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).

Like all parrots Like all parrots, Spix's Macaws are highly social birds that bond closely with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry called "whichaka," described as an incredibly short and repetitive noise similar to a flutist note. 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 with one another through a range of squawking and screeching sounds. Like many other parrots, can mimic human speech. They also have a rigid daily routine, ranging from flights to bathing routines and are able to recognize members of their flock. This is why they are so popular pets, and also a target for illegal trade in birds.

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 defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since the time, all Spix's macaws known have been bred in captivity - mostly in Brazil.

The handful of Spix's macaws kept in captivity are a mixture of individuals that are the descendants of just two individuals, which makes them susceptible to illness and other environmental threats. The majority of the birds in captivity are kept in the breeding center in Germany however, in the year 2003 an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed, casting doubt over future plans to repatriate the birds and reintroduce them into the wild.

Despite their low numbers, captive-bred Spix’s macaws show some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder beat a sheikh from Qatar to purchase from the 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 starting to grow, though not at a speedy pace. Keeping them healthy and producing is crucial to reintroduce these birds to the wild. It is crucial to select the right birds before release. Macaws should be of reproductive age and be paired with close relatives or siblings.

It could be difficult to get the Spix's Macaw back to the wild, however, it is essential to try. To help, ABC and partners have created a reserve system which aims to protect the last remaining habitats. The eight recently released Spix's macaws will be joined by blue-winged Sinatra Macaws for Sale that are more common in the Caatinga and live in overlapping areas with Spix's macaws. These intelligent birds will aid macaws to become accustomed to the region and will offer safety in numbers.