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After a long time filled with worry and speculation, Brazilians and German conservationists were able to successfully bring a group of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also rife with jealousies and backbiting.
The first hurdle was to get enough birds to trade. The macaws were monogamous so it was important to match the pairs well.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the mission of saving the critically endangered Spix's macaw. The bird was declared extinct by United Nations in 2000 because of decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small number of the birds that are in captivity and hope to release them near Curaca. They call the birds their little blue companions and have compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They describe Presley as a true survivor, who lost his family, but was loyal to his home. They feel a strong bond to him and view their lives as similar to his.
Researchers were able to research the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in the wild, and to better understand the reasons why this species has survived for so long. It also helped them form a more accurate estimate of the historic 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. They also monitored attempts at reproduction with a hybrid Spix's and Illiger's macaw pair which was a significant step in the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable accomplishment that this bird managed to endure and thrive in the wild despite an insufficient gene pool and has helped researchers understand how these birds can be reintroduced to the wild. The survival of the last bird encouraged people to take action to save other species of parrots that are endangered. It also inspired zoos and other groups to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group is a good example of how conservation groups and other organizations as well as individuals can collaborate in order to conserve endangered species of wildlife and animals. This group brings together Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international owners of the Spix's macaw and ornithologists with one goal in common that is the recovery of this rare bird.
The group has accomplished a lot of work. This includes developing an approach to reintroduce this bird in the wild. The group has also been working to raise funds to fund field research as well as community outreach and captive-breeding birds to support the reintroduction project. The group has also established an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago, the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was thought to be extinct. It was endangered through habitat destruction and illegal poaching. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to fight tirelessly to bring this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is known to millions of people around the globe thanks to a well-known animated film and two sequels. This is just the beginning on the long road of returning these birds. For decades, an international team has been trying to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws raised in a captive environment back into the wild.
The Spix's Macaw is native to a small portion of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga which is an arid region of flat savannah scrubland scattered with creeks that flow through the seasons and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819 and is one of the lesser-known Neotropical parrots, with only few glimpses of the wild and a few birds that are kept in captivity and a few museum specimens.
To preserve the declining population In order to save the declining population, an international group was created. It brought together experts in aviculture who had the last remaining bird and government officials. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to create an intensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's Macaws into their native environment in the northeast of Brazil.
AWWP has acquired and is renovating 2,380 hectares in Caatinga close to Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP also breeds and raises birds to be released into the wild. This will give an animal that is genetically pure 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 forage for fruits, seeds, nuts, and other species. They can spend up to one third of their day in the nest.
To assist in tracking the Spix's macaws and their movements, a local group was recruited to become part of the field team. The community was given watches that would be activated if Spix's Macaws are detected. This enabled them to track the birds in the wild and their daily actions. This approach has been very successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species in the Genus Cyanopsitta. It was listed as extinct in the wild in the year 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature following the disappearance of the last wild parrot disappeared in the year 2000. subsequent surveys failed to find any additional birds. However, a reintroduction plan is currently in progress to restore the critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is a region of northeast Brazil which covers around 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows of old caraibeira trees and were known to feed on nuts and seeds.
A reintroduction plan is currently in progress to restore a wild population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight birds raised in captivity were released into the wild in June and 12 more are scheduled to follow in 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group Blue-winged Macaws which have been 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 rare bird, including information on the patterns of movement throughout the day and the seasonal changes to drought. It has also provided a window into the nature of the Spix's Macaw and helped to better understand what led to its extinction in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits, and nuts of a variety of plants native to the Caatinga Biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia) and 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 that have close relationships with their parents. They are vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating sound that resembles 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 highly social birds. They communicate by screeching, squawking and other sounds. Like many parrots, they are able to mimic human speech. They also adhere to a rigid daily routine, ranging from flights to bathing routines and are able to recognize members of their family. This is what makes them such popular pets and targets for illegal trade in birds.
By the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws remained in the wild, all of them poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since then, all Spix's Macaws known have been captive-bred – mostly in Brazil.
The Spix's Macaws in captivity are a mix that descends of only two individuals. This makes them susceptible to diseases and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws in captivity are kept in an breeding center in Germany. However, this year, an agreement between a German conservation center and the Brazilian government ran out, leaving future plans for repatriation and their reintroduction into the wild in doubt.
Despite their precarious number the captive-bred Spix's macaws exhibit some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder was able to beat a sheikh in Qatar to buy from a collector three Spix's macaws which weren't part of the breeding program.
In part, due to this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is beginning to grow, though not at a speedy pace. In order to keep them healthy and producing, it will be important to reintroducing the birds back into the wild. Choosing the right birds to release is also crucial. Macaws must be in a reproductive stage and should be in a relationship with a sibling or a close family member.
It may be difficult to bring the Spix's Macaw back into the wild, but it is vital to try. ABC and its partners have developed reserves to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's macaws that were recently released will be joined by blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are more common in Caatinga, and they live in areas where the Spix’s macaws also live. These birds will help the macaws become accustomed to their new environment and will also provide safety by numbers.