12 Facts About Melody Blue Spix Macaw That Will Inspire You To Look More Discerning Around The Cooler Water Cooler

12 Facts About Melody Blue Spix Macaw That Will Inspire You To Look More Discerning Around The Cooler Water Cooler

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Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long period worry and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists succeeded in reinserting two couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also rife with jealousies and backbiting.

The first challenge was to find enough birds to be traded. The macaws were monogamous so it was important 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 decades of poaching and habitat loss. They have a small amount of the birds in captivity and hope to release them near Curaca. They refer to the birds as little blue companions, and compare their lives with the story of Presley the only known Spix's Macaw found in the wild. They call him as a true survivor, who lost his family but kept his faith in the region. They consider their lives in the Caatinga as being similar to his and feel a strong connection to him.

Researchers were able study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw wild, and to better understand the reasons why this species has survived so long. Researchers were able to determine the historical population of this rare bird more accurately. Researchers were able to gather important information about the bird's movements throughout the day, seasonal adjustment to drought, and its feeding habits. They even monitored reproduction attempts using a hybrid Spix's and Illiger's macaw pair which was a significant step in the rehabilitation of this species.

It was an amazing feat that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has enabled scientists to better understand how these birds can be returned to the wild. The last bird's survival also encouraged people to take action to save other endangered parrots and species. It has also prompted zoos and other groups to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.

This group is an illustration of how conservation groups and other organizations as well as individuals can work together to protect endangered wildlife and animals. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps, international holders of the Spix’s macaw and ornithologists with a common goal that is the recovery of this unique bird.

The working group has already accomplished a great deal of work, including preparing a plan for reintroducing the bird into the wild. The group also raised funds to fund community outreach, field research and captive-bred birds for the project. They have also formed a permanent committee to save the bird.

Habitat

Threatened by habitat destruction and poaching The Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to fight tirelessly to bring this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.

A well-known animated film and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw famous to millions of people across the globe, but this is just the beginning in the long-distance journey to save these birds from the edge. 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 portion of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga which is an arid region of flat savannah scrubland that is dotted with creeks that flow through the seasons and gallery forests. It was described in 1819, and is one of least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic glimpses of the wild, with a few captive birds and a handful of museum specimens.

To preserve the declining population, an international group was established. It brought together Aviculturists who owned the last remaining bird as well as officials from the government. The group formed a partnership with the renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to develop a comprehensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Macaws Spix's into their natural habitat in the northeast of Brazil.

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

In the wild, Spix's Macaws reside in trees and are rarely seen on the ground. They nest in tree hollows or holes and search in search of seeds, fruits, nuts, and other species. They will typically spend up to one third of the day in the nest.

A local community was enlisted as part of the field team in order to help identify Spix's Macaws. The community was given watches that would activate if the Spix's Macaw was recognized. This allowed them to monitor the birds in the wild and their daily actions. This approach has proven very successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species in the Genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that it was extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was after the last wild parrot was lost in 2000. No additional birds were discovered in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction plan is currently underway to try to bring back this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.

The northeast region of Brazil comprises about 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows of old caraibeira trees and were known to eat seeds and nuts.

A reintroduction programme is underway to establish a natural 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 of Blue-winged macaws that have been reintroduced and will provide information on food sources, nesting sites and roosting locations.

The reintroduction programme has already gathered valuable biological data on the behavior of this unique bird, including information on daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought during the season. It also provides an insight into the nature of the Spix's Macaw and helped to better discover the reasons behind its extinction in the wild.

Spix's Macaws eat the seeds, fruits, and nuts of numerous plants native to the Caatinga biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and the linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia) and the joazeiro (Ziziphus Joazeiro) and facheiro Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They may also consume the fruit of acai palms (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).

Spix's Macaws as with all parrots and other birds, are social birds that form close bonds with their parents. They are vocal and often mimic sounds and speech. They have a mating call called "whichaka," described as an incredibly short and repetitive sound that resembles an acoustic note. When they are in a breeding mode, they are known to fly high and fast.

Breeding

Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate by screeching, squawking, and other sounds. Like many parrots, they can mimic human speech. They also have a strict routine for their day, from flights to bathing routines and can identify members of their flock. This is what makes more info them the most sought-after pets, and also a target for illegal bird trade.

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

The few Spix's macaws kept in captivity are made up of individuals who are descendants of just two individuals, which makes them susceptible to illness and other environmental threats. The majority of Spix's macaws that are in captivity reside in a breeding center in Germany. However, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and Brazilian government was canceled and future plans for repatriation and the reintroduction of wild animals in doubt.

Despite their low 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 were not part of the breeding program.

In part, due to this and other efforts, the captive-bred bird population is beginning to increase, though not at a rapid rate. Reintroducing the birds to the wild will require that they remain healthy and produce. It is crucial to select the correct birds before releasing them. Macaws must be of reproductive age and be paired up with close relatives or siblings.

It's not easy to bring the Spix's Macaw back to the wild, but it's important to try. To aid, ABC and partners have started a reserve system that will help to protect the species' last remaining habitats. The eight recently released Spix's macaws will soon be joined by blue-winged macaws which are more prevalent in the Caatinga and are found in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These intelligent birds will aid macaws to become accustomed to the region and will offer safety in numbers.