Nine Things That Your Parent Teach You About Melody Blue Spix Macaw

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After a long time of worry and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists were able to reintroduce a group of couples into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also filled with jealousies and backbiting.

The first obstacle was to find enough birds to be traded. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs needed 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 after decades of poaching and loss of habitat. They have a few of the birds in captivity and they hope to release them close to Curaca. They refer to the birds as their blue-eyed friends and compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They call him as a true survivor, who lost his family but was loyal to the region. They believe that their lives in Caatinga as being similar to his, and feel a strong connection to him.

The discovery of the last Spix's macaw offered researchers with an opportunity to study its behavior in the wild and gain a deeper understanding of how the species survived such a long time. This allowed researchers to estimate the population of this rare bird more precisely. Researchers were able to gather important information about the bird's daily movement patterns and seasonal adaptation to drought and its food habits. They even monitored attempts at reproduction with an Illiger's and Spix's hybrid macaws, which was an important step in the recovery of this species.

It was a marvellous feat that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a very small gene pool. This has allowed scientists to understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to the wild. The survival of the bird that was killed inspired people to take action in order to save other parrots as well as threatened species. Zoos have also been enticed to establish their own captive breeding program for these exotic species of birds.

This group is an illustration of how conservation groups, other organizations and individuals can collaborate in order to conserve endangered animals and wildlife. The group is comprised of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps, international owners of the Spix's macaw and ornithologists with an aim in common to save this rare bird.

The group has already accomplished a lot of work. This includes preparing an approach to reintroduce this bird to the wild. The group also raised funds for community outreach, field research and captive-bred birds for the project. The group has also set up an ongoing committee to oversee the rehabilitation of the bird.

Habitat

Ten years ago, the Spix's Darling hahns macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was believed to be extinct. It was endangered by the destruction of habitats and poaching that was illegal. Aviculturists and ornithologists as well as other experts continue to fight to bring this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.

A popular animated movie and two sequels have made Spix's macaw famous to millions of people around the world, but this is just the beginning in the long journey to bring these birds back from the brink. For a long time, a global team has been trying to breed and reintroduce captive-raised Spix's macaws into the wild.

The Spix's Macaw is a native species found in a tiny region of northeast Brazil called the Caatinga. This arid region is characterized by flat savannah scrubland, which is surrounded by seasonal streams and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819, and is one of the smallest known Neotropical parrots, with few glimpses of the wild and a few birds that are kept in captivity and a few museum specimens.

To save the declining population An international committee was created which brought together aviculturists who were the last to hold the birds, as well as government officials. The group formed a collaboration with the renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to develop a comprehensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's Macaws into their native environment in the northeast of Brazil.

AWWP has purchased and is restoring 2,380 hectares in the Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP also breeds and raises birds that will be released in the wild. This will provide a genetically-pure source of animals for the future generations.

In the wild, Spix's macaws reside in trees and are seldom seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and search for fruits, seeds, nuts, and other plants. They can spend as much as one third of the time in the nest.

A local community was enlisted as part of the field team in order to help track Spix's Macaws. The community was given watches that would be activated if a Spix's Macaw is detected. This enabled them to track the birds in the wild as well as their daily movements. This approach has been extremely successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw (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 known wild parrot disappeared in 2000. subsequent surveys did not find any additional birds. A reintroduction programme is currently underway to try to bring back this 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 nestled in the hollows of old caraibeiras and were known to feed on nuts and seeds.

Reintroduction of the Spix's Mindy catalina macaw into the wild is currently underway. 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 in the area by a group Leia blue macaw and red macaw-winged Macaws who were reintroduced. They will share information on food sources, nesting and places to roost.

The reintroduction programme has already gathered valuable biological data on the behavior of this unique bird, including details on daily movement patterns and seasonal adjustments to drought. It has also provided an insight into the nature of the Spix's Macaw, helping to determine the causes that led to its extinction in the wild.

Spix's Macaws eat the seeds, fruits and nuts of many plants that are native to the Caatinga biome. Pinhao-bravo, linhas Brasil and facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all part of this diet. 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 develop close bonds with their parents. They are very vocal and often mimic human speech and other sounds. They make a mating call called the "whichaka," which is described as a brief, repetitive grating sound similar to a flute. When they are in breeding mode, they are known to fly fast and high.

Breeding

Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate with one another by making a variety of squawking and screeching sounds, and like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They also adhere to a strict daily routine, from flights to bathing routines, and they can recognize members of their family. They are popular as pets and are often targeted by illegal trade in birds due to 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 foiled in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since since then, all Spix's Macaws are captive-bred, mostly in Brazil.

The Spix's Macaws in captivity are a mix of birds, and are the descendant of just two individuals. This makes them susceptible to illnesses and other environmental issues. The majority of Spix's macaws captivity reside in an breeding center in Germany. However, this year, an agreement between the German conservation center and Brazilian government was canceled which leaves the future plans for repatriation and their reintroduction into the wild in doubt.

Despite their petty numbers, captive-bred Spix’s macaws show 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 weren't part of the breeding program.

As a result of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are starting to reproduce, but not at a great rate. Maintaining their health and generating will be important to reintroducing the birds back into the wild. The selection of the right birds for release is also crucial. Macaws must be of reproductive age and be paired up with close relatives or siblings.

Bringing the Spix's macaw back to the wild could prove difficult, but it is important to try. To aid, ABC and partners have created a reserve system which aims to protect the last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's Macaws who were released recently will be joined by Lolita blue & gold macaw-winged Macaws. These macaws are more prevalent in Caatinga, and they live in areas where the Spix's macaws are also. These birds will assist the macaws adjust to their new environment and will also offer protection by the sheer numbers.