Melody blue spix Macaw; muse.union.edu,

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

The first challenge was to find enough birds for the trade. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs needed to be matched 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 owing to decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small number of the birds that are in captivity and are hoping to release them close to Curaca. They refer to the birds as their little blue friends and compared their experience to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw in the wild. They say he was a true survivor, who lost his family but was loyal to the region. They feel a strong kinship to him and perceive their lives as being like his.

Researchers were able study the behavior of the Spix's severe macaw in wild, and to better understand the reasons why are the glaceous macaw and hyancith macaw so alike this species has survived for so long. This allowed researchers to estimate the population of this rare bird more accurately. Researchers were able gather crucial information on the bird's daily movements, seasonal adjustment to drought, and its feeding habits. Researchers even monitored attempts to reproduce with the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaw couple which was an important step in the recovery for this species.

It was an amazing feat that this bird managed to endure and thrive in the wild with such the smallest gene pool and it has also helped scientists to understand how these birds can be returned to the wild. The survival of the bird that was killed encouraged people to take action in order to save other parrots and threatened species. It also inspired zoos and other groups to set their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.

This working group is a good example of how conservation groups, other organizations and individuals can collaborate to save endangered species of wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian governmental officials as well as representatives from zoos, international holders 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 accomplished a great deal of work, including developing plans for reintroducing the bird back into the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds to fund field research and community outreach as well as captive-breed birds for the reintroduction plan. The group has also set up a permanent committee for the reintroduction of 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. Aviculturists, ornithologists and other experts continue to work hard to save this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.

The Spix's Macaw is recognizable to millions of people all over the globe thanks to a cult animated film and two sequels. But this is only the beginning on the long-distance road to returning these birds. A team of international experts has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws that were raised in captivity back into the wild.

The Spix's Macaw is native to a small area of northeast Brazil which is known as the Caatinga, an arid region of flat savannah scrubland scattered with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819, and is one of the least-known Neotropical parrots, with only few glimpses of the wild as well as a few captive birds and some museum specimens.

To protect the population that is declining, an international committee was formed which brought together aviculturists who were the last to hold the birds and government officials. The group forged 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 acquired and is renovating 2,380 hectares in Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of the most pristine habitat. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds that will be released into the wild, providing an incredibly pure genetic source of the animals for future generations.

Spix's Macaws are usually found in trees, and are seldom seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage to find seeds, fruits, nuts, and other species. They can spend as much as one third of their day in the nest.

A local community was selected as part of the field team to help to track Spix's macaws. The community was provided with watches that would turn on when a Spix's Macaw is identified. This enabled them to monitor the birds in the wild and their daily activities. This approach has been extremely successful.

Diet

The Spix's Ziggy hyacinth macaw parrots for sale (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species in the family Cyanopsitta. It was listed as extinct in the wild in 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature following the disappearance of the last wild parrot disappeared in 2000, and subsequent surveys failed to find any additional birds. A reintroduction program is in progress to try to bring this critically endangered bird back to its home in the Caatinga.

This region in northeast Brazil covers approximately 10% of the entire 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 keycaps. Eight captive-raised Spix's macaws were released in the wild in June. Twelve more birds are expected to be released in 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group Leia blue macaw and red macaw-winged Macaws which have been reintroduced. They will share information about food sources, nesting and areas to roost.

The reintroduction program has obtained valuable biological data on the behavior of the bird, including details about daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought. It has also opened a window on the natural history of the Macaws of Spix, which aids in understanding the causes that led to their disappearance.

Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of many plants that are native to the Caatinga Biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and 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.

Spix's Macaws like all parrots as well as other birds are social birds and have close relationships with their parents. They are vocal and frequently mimic speech and other sounds. They make a mating call called the "whichaka," which is described as a short repeated grating sound that is 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 highly social birds. They communicate with each other with a variety of squawking and screeching sounds. Like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They also adhere to a strict daily routine, from flights to bathing routines and are able to recognize members of their family. They are very popular as pets and are often targeted by the illegal trade in birds because of this.

In the early 1980s only three Spix’s macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since since then, all known Spix's macaws have been bred in captivity, mostly in Brazil.

The Spix's Macaws in captivity are a mixture, which is the descendant of only two individuals. This makes them susceptible to illnesses and other environmental threats. The majority of Spix's macaws captivity are kept in a breeding centre in Germany. However, this year, an agreement between the German conservation center and Brazilian government ran out and the future plans for repatriation and the reintroduction of wild animals in doubt.

Despite their low 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 buy from a collector three Spix's macaws that were not part of the breeding program.

In part because of this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is beginning to grow, though not at a rapid pace. Maintaining their health and generating will be important to reintroducing the birds into the wild. It is important to choose the right birds prior to release. Macaws should be of reproductive age and be paired with siblings or close relatives.

It could be difficult to get the Spix's Macaw back into the wild however, it is essential to try. ABC and its partners have established a reserve system to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's macaws will soon be joined by blue-winged macaws, which are more common in the Caatinga and live in overlapping areas with Spix's macaws. These smart birds will help macaws to become accustomed to the region and provide safety in numbers.