It's The Ugly Facts About Melody Blue Spix Macaw
It's The Ugly Facts About Melody Blue Spix Macaw
Blog Article
Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period of worry and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists were able to reintroduce a group of couples into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring, but also rife with backbiting and jealousy.
The first hurdle was obtaining enough birds to exchange. Macaws are monogamous, so it was crucial 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, following years of poaching and habitat loss. They have a small amount of the birds in captivity and are hoping to release them near Curaca. They call them their little blue 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 kept his faith in the region. They feel a strong bond to him and perceive their lives as being identical to his.
The discovery of the last Spix's macaw offered a valuable opportunity for researchers to study its behavior in the wild and gain an understanding of how the species has survived for such a long time. It also allowed them to create a more accurate estimate of the historic numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able gather important data about the bird's movements throughout the day and seasonal adaptation to drought, and food habits. Researchers also observed attempts to reproduce using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaw couple, which was a crucial step towards the recovery of this species.
It was an amazing achievement that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a very small gene pool. This has helped scientists to better understand how these birds can be restored to the wild. The survival of the last bird inspired people to take action to save other parrots and threatened species. Zoos have also been enticed to establish their own captive breeding program for these exotic species of birds.
This working group is a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to conserve endangered wildlife and endangered animals. The group is comprised of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international owners of the Spix's macaw, and ornithologists to achieve a common goal to save this endangered bird.
The group has already completed a great deal of work. This includes the development of an approach to reintroduce this bird in the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds for field research and community outreach as well as captive-breeding birds for the reintroduction program. It has also created an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was considered extinct. It was endangered through the destruction of habitat and poaching that was illegal. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to tirelessly work to bring this iconic bird back from the edge of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is known to millions of people all over the world thanks to a well-known animated film and two sequels. But this is only the beginning on the long road of bringing these birds back. An international team 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 tiny area of northeast Brazil which is known as the Caatinga, an arid region consisting of savannah scrubland flat that is dotted with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819, and is one of least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic appearances in the wild, few birds in captivity, and a handful of museum specimens.
To protect the declining population In order to save the declining population, an international group was established. It brought together Aviculturists who owned the last remaining bird and officials from the government. This group formed a collaboration with the world-renowned non profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to create an initiative to restore the population of Spix's Macaws back to their natural environment.
AWWP has purchased and is renovating 2,380 hectares in Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP also breeds and rears birds that will be released into the wild. This will give a genetically-pure source of animals for the future generations.
Spix's Macaws can be found in trees, and are rarely seen on the ground. They usually nest in hollows or tree holes and hunt for fruit seeds, nuts, seeds and other plants. They can spend as much as 1/3 of their time in the nest.
A local community was recruited as part of the field team to assist identify Spix's Macaws. Members of the community were given watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's macaw was observed, allowing them to keep an eye on the birds and their movements throughout the wild. This method has proven to be successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species in the family Cyanopsitta. It was declared extinct in the wild in the year 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature after the last wild parrot disappeared in 2000. subsequent surveys did not find any additional birds. A reintroduction program is in progress to try to bring this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is a part of northeast Brazil that covers about 10 percent of the country. Spix's Macaws were a nesting species in the hollows of old caraibeiras and were known to feed on 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 birds are expected to be released in 2022. They will be buy macaw joined by Blue-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced to the same area, and will help to share knowledge of food sources and nesting and roosting sites.
The reintroduction programme has already obtained valuable biological data on the behavior of the bird, which includes details of daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought. It has also provided a glimpse into the evolution of the Macaws of Spix, which helps to understand the factors that led to their extinction.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, seeds and nuts of many species 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). They may also consume the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Like all parrots, Spix's Macaws are social birds, and they have a close bond with their parents. They are vocal and frequently mimic speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating sound similar to an acoustic 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 using screeching, squawking, and other sounds. Like many parrots, they are able to mimic human speech. They also follow a very strict daily routine, from flight paths to bathing habits and are able to recognize members of their family. This is what makes them so popular pets and targets for illegal trade in birds.
In the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. In 1995, poachers killed both male and female birds as part of an attempt to pair them. Since since then all known Spix's macaws have been bred in captivity, mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws kept in captivity are a mix of individuals who are the descendants of only two individuals, making them susceptible to illness and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws in captivity live at a breeding centre in Germany. However this year, an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government ran out, leaving the possibility of repatriation or reintroduction into the wild in doubt.
Despite their low numbers 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 purchase from the 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, but not at a rapid pace. Keeping them healthy and producing will be crucial for reintroducing the birds into the wild. It is crucial to select the right birds prior to release. Macaws must be reproductively mature and should be joined by an older sibling or close family member.
It could be difficult to bring the Spix's macaw back into the wild, but it is vital to try. To help, ABC and partners have created a reserve system which aims to protect the species' last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's macaws are going to be joined by blue-winged macaws which are more prevalent in the Caatinga and share areas with Spix's macaws. These birds will help the macaws become accustomed to their new environment and will also provide safety by large numbers.