Nine Things That Your Parent Taught You About Melody Blue Spix Macaw
Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time of anxiety and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists have succeeded in reintroducing two couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also rife with jealousy and backbiting.
The first obstacle was to find enough birds to trade. Macaws are monogamous, therefore the pairs had to be matched properly.
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 small population of the birds that are in captivity and they hope to release them in the wild near Curaca. They call the birds little blue friends, and compare their journey to that of Presley, the only known Spix's Mindy catalina macaw in wild. They say he was as a true survivor, who lost his family, but kept his faith in the region. They feel a strong kinship to him and see their lives as being like his.
The discovery of the last Spix's macaw provided researchers with an opportunity to investigate its behavior in wild and gain a deeper understanding of how the species survived this long. This also helped them form a more accurate estimate of the historic numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able to gather important information about the bird's daily movement patterns and seasonal adaptation to drought, and food habits. They also observed attempts at reproduction with the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaws which was a crucial step in the recovery of this species.
It was an amazing feat that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a very small gene pool. This has allowed scientists understand how these birds can be returned to the natural world. The survival of the last bird also encouraged people to take action in order to save other parrots as well as threatened species. Zoos and other groups to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group of experts is a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to conserve endangered species of wildlife and animals. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, representatives from zoos, international holders of the Spix’s Ziggy Our Scarlet Macaw and ornithologists with an aim in common: the recovery of this unique bird.
The group has achieved a lot of work. This includes preparing an approach to reintroduce this bird in the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds for field research as well as community outreach and captive-breed birds for the reintroduction program. It also has established a permanent committee for the reintroduction of the bird.
Habitat
At risk due to poaching and habitat destruction, the Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to work tirelessly to save this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is well-known to millions of people around the world thanks to a popular animated film and two sequels. But this is only the beginning on the long-distance road to returning these birds. A multi-national team has been working for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws raised in captivity to the wild.
The Spix's macaw is endemic to a tiny area of northeast Brazil, called the Caatinga an arid area of savannah scrubland that is flat, interspersed with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819, and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic glimpses of the wild, few birds in captivity and a few museum specimens.
To save the declining population To help save the declining population, a global group was formed. It brought together aviculturists who held the last remaining bird, as well as officials from the government. The group formed a collaboration with the world-renowned non-profit organisation Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to create an intensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's Macaws into their natural habitat in the northeast of Brazil.
AWWP has purchased and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga close to Curaca (Brazil) of the most pristine habitat. AWWP also breeds and raises birds that will be released into the wild. This will give a genetically-pure source of animals for future generations.
Spix's Macaws can be found in trees, and are rarely seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage for fruits, seeds, nuts, and various other plants. They can spend as much as one third of the time in the nest.
To help track the Spix's macaws as well as their movements, a local community was invited to join the field team. The community was provided with watches that would turn on when a Spix's Macaw is recognized. This allowed them to track the birds in the wild and their daily activities. This approach has been extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species in 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 known wild parrot disappeared in 2000. subsequent surveys failed to locate any additional birds. A reintroduction programme is currently underway to try to bring this critically endangered bird to its native home in the Caatinga.
The northeast region of Brazil comprises about 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws were found in hollows old caraibeiras, and were also known to eat seeds and nuts.
Reintroduction of the Spix’s Bonnie scarlet macaw for sale into the wild is in progress. Eight captive-raised Spix's macaws were released in the wild in June. Twelve more birds are scheduled to be released by 2022. They will be joined by a group of Blue-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced to the same area and will assist to share information about food sources and nesting and roosting sites.
The reintroduction program has already obtained valuable biological data on the behavior of the bird, which includes details of daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought. It also has opened a window on the nature of the Spix's Macaws. This aids in understanding the causes that led to their extinction.
Spix's Macaws consume 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.
Like all parrots, Spix's Macaws are social birds that have a strong bond with their parents. They are vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They make a mating call known as the "whichaka," which is described as a short, repetitive grating sound similar to a flute. When they are in a breeding mode they can fly fast and high.
Breeding
Spix's Macaws are highly intelligent and social birds. They communicate with one another with a variety of screeching and squawking sounds, and like many other parrots, can mimic human speech. They also follow a very strict daily routine, from flight paths to bathing habits and are able to recognize the members of their flock. They are popular as pets, and are frequently targeted by illegal trade in birds because of this.
In the early 1980s, just three Spix's macaws were left in the wild. They were all poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was unsuccessful in 1995 when poachers killed both birds. Since since then all known Spix's macaws have been bred in captivity, mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws in captivity are made up of individuals that are the descendants of only two individuals, making them vulnerable to disease and other environmental challenges. The majority of the birds that are in captivity are housed at the breeding center in Germany however, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired without renewal and causing doubt about future plans to return the birds and return them into the wild.
Despite their low numbers of captive-bred Spix's macaws, captive-bred species show some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder managed to beat a sheikh in Qatar to buy from a collector three Spix's macaws that were not part of the breeding program.
As a result of this and other efforts, captive-bred birds are beginning to reproduce again, although not at a great rate. Reintroducing them to the wild will require that they remain healthy and produce. It is important to choose the correct birds before release. Macaws should be reproductive and paired with siblings or close relatives.
It could be difficult to bring the Spix's Macaw back into the wild, but it's important to try. To help, ABC and partners have established a reserve system that is designed to safeguard the last remaining habitats. 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 are also. These birds will assist the macaws become accustomed to their new environment and will also provide safety by large numbers.