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Melody Blue Spix Macaw After a long time with speculation and worry Brazilians and German conservationists were able successfully bring a group of couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also rife with resentment and jealousy. The first hurdle was to find enough birds to be traded. The macaws were monogamous, therefore it was crucial to match pairs well. Range A South African couple has taken on the task of saving the critically endangered Spix's macaw. This bird was declared extinct by United Nations in 2000 because of decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a few of the birds that are in captivity and are hoping to release them near Curaca. They call the birds their blue-eyed friends and compare their lives to the journey of Presley, the only known Spix's Macaw in the wild. They describe Presley as a true survivor, who lost his family and remained loyal to his area. They feel a strong kinship to him and perceive their lives as being like his. Researchers were able to study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in the wild, and to better understand how this species has survived so long. This also helped them form a more accurate estimate of the historic numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able to gather crucial details about the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adjustment to drought, and its eating habits. They also observed attempts to reproduce using an Illiger's and Spix's hybrid macaws which was a significant step in the recovery of this species. It was a remarkable feat that this bird was able to endure and thrive in the wild with such an insufficient gene pool and has helped scientists understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to the wild. The survival of the last bird motivated people to act to save other parrots and threatened species. It has also prompted zoos and other organizations to set up up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds. This group is a great illustration of how conservation groups and other organizations as well as individuals can collaborate to save endangered animals and wildlife. This group consists of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps, international owners 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 lot of work, including developing plans for reintroducing the bird to the wild. The group also raised funds to support community outreach, field research and captive-bred birds for the project. It has also created a permanent committee to save the bird. Habitat Threatened by 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 bring this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction. A cult animated film and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw famous to millions of people across the globe, but this is just the tip of the iceberg in the long-distance journey to save these birds from the brink. 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 endemic to a small portion of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga an arid area of flat savannah scrubland scattered with creeks that flow through the seasons and gallery forests. The first time it was described was in 1819, and is one of the lesser-known Neotropical parrots, with occasional sightings in the wild as well as a few captive birds and some museum specimens. To protect the population that is declining, an international committee was created which brought together aviculturists who had the last remaining birds and government officials. The group forged a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to create an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws back to their natural habitat. AWWP has purchased and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of the most pristine habitat. AWWP also breeds and raises birds that will be released into the wild. This will give an animal that is genetically pure for future generations. Spix's Macaws are typically found in trees and rarely seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage in search of seeds, fruits, nuts, and various other plants. They can spend as much as one third of their day in the nest. A local community was recruited as part of the field team in order to help track Spix's Macaws. The community was given watches that would activate if a Spix's Macaw is identified. This allowed them to track the birds in the wild as well as their daily activities. This approach has proven very successful. Diet The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species of the Genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was in the wake of the last wild parrot vanished in 2000, and no more birds were discovered in subsequent surveys. However, a reintroduction plan is currently in progress to bring back this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga. This region in northeast Brazil is home to about 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws nested 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 birds raised in captivity were released into the wild in June and 12 more are scheduled to arrive in 2022. They will be joined by a group Blue-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced and will share information on food sources, nesting sites and roosting locations. The reintroduction program has already collected valuable data from biology on the behavior of this rare bird, including details on the patterns of movement throughout the day and the seasonal changes to drought. It has also provided an insight into the natural history of the Spix's Macaw and helped to better understand what led to its disappearance in the wild. Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, seeds and nuts of a variety of species native to the Caatinga biome. Pinhao-bravo, linhas Brasil and facheiro (Pilosocereus Pachycladus) are all included in this diet. They can also eat the fruit of acai palms (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum). Spix's Macaws like all parrots and other birds, are social birds that have close relationships with their parents. They are very vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry called “whichaka,” described as an extremely short and repetitive sound that resembles a flutist note. When they are in breeding mode they can fly high and fast. Breeding Spix's macaws are exceptionally intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate through screeching, squawking, and other sounds. Like many parrots they can mimic human speech. link homepage follow a strict routine, which includes flight patterns and bathing habits. They are also able to recognize other members of their flock. They are adored as pets and are frequently targeted by the illegal bird trade because of this. In the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws remained in the wild, all of them being poached. In 1995, poachers massacred the male and female birds as part of an attempt to pair them. Since then the Spix's macaws are captive-bred mostly in Brazil. The Spix's Macaws that are in captivity are a mix, which is the descendant of just two individuals. This leaves them vulnerable to diseases and other environmental challenges. The majority of Spix's macaws captivity reside in an breeding center in Germany. However, this year an agreement between a German conservation center and the Brazilian government ran out which leaves the possibility of repatriation or the reintroduction of wild animals in doubt. Despite their shaky numbers, captive-bred Spix's macaws are showing signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder beat out a sheikh in Qatar to purchase from the collector three Spix's macaws which 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 speedy pace. Reintroducing the birds into the wild will require that they remain healthy and produce. Selecting the right birds for release is also critical. Macaws should be of reproductive age and be paired with siblings or close relatives. The return of the Spix's Macaw to the wild may prove difficult, but it is important to try. ABC and its partners have developed a reserve system to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight recently released Spix's macaws will soon be joined by blue-winged macaws, which are more common in the Caatinga and are found in overlapping areas with the Spix's macaws. These savvy birds will help macaws to become used to the region and provide the security of a large number.