A Look At The Future What Will The Melody Blue Spix Macaw Industry Look Like In 10 Years?
A Look At The Future What Will The Melody Blue Spix Macaw Industry Look Like In 10 Years?
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Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time filled with uncertainty and fear, Brazilians and German conservationists managed to successfully bring a group of couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational however, it is also filled with jealousies and backbiting.
The first hurdle was to find enough birds for the trade. Macaws are monogamous, so it was important to match pairs well.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the mission of saving the critically endangered Spix's Macaw. This bird was declared extinct by the United Nations in 2000 because of decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small number of the birds that are in captive, and are hoping to release them into the wild close to Curaca. They call them their blue-eyed friends and compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw from the wild. They describe him as a true survivor who lost his family, but remained loyal to the area. They feel a strong bond to him and perceive their lives as like his.
The discovery of the last Spix's macaw provided an excellent opportunity for researchers to study its behavior in the wild and gain an understanding of how the species was able to survive for such a long time. This enabled researchers to estimate the population of this unique bird more precisely. Researchers were able gather important information on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adaptation to drought, and its eating habits. Researchers also observed attempts to reproduce with an Illiger's and a Spix's hybrid macaw couple which was an important step towards the recovery of this species.
It was an amazing achievement that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a very limited gene pool. This has enabled scientists to better understand how these birds can be returned to the natural world. The survival of the last bird inspired people to take action in order to save other parrots and endangered species. Zoos are also encouraged to establish their own captive breeding programs for these exotic bird species.
This group serves as an example of how conservation groups and other organizations can work together to protect endangered wildlife and endangered animals. It brings Brazilian officials from the government Zoo representatives and international owners of this rare bird and ornithologists to work together towards a common goal - the recovery of the Spix's macaw.
The group has completed a great deal of work. This includes developing an approach to reintroduce this bird in the wild. The group also raised funds to support community outreach, field research and captive-bred birds for the project. The group has also set up an ongoing committee to oversee the recovery of the bird.
Habitat
At risk due to habitat destruction and poaching The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was believed to be extinct in the wild ten years ago. Today, ornithologists and aviculturists continue to tirelessly work to bring this iconic bird back from the edge of extinction.
A popular animated movie and two sequels have made Spix's macaw recognizable to millions of people across the globe however this is only the beginning of the iceberg in the long-distance journey to bring these birds back from the edge. 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 an indigenous species that is found in a small area of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This desert region is characterized by flat savannah scrubland, scattered with galleries and seasonal streams. It was first documented in 1819, and is among the least-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 created. It brought together Aviculturists who owned the last remaining bird as well as government officials. This group formed a collaboration with the renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to create an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws to their natural environment.
AWWP has acquired and is renovating 2,380 hectares in Caatinga near Curaca (Brazil) of the most pristine habitat. AWWP also breeds and rears birds that will be released in the wild. This will provide an animal that is genetically pure for future generations.
Spix's Macaws are typically found in trees, and rarely seen on the ground. They usually nest in tree holes or hollows and forage for fruit, seeds, nuts and other plants. They can spend up to one third of the time in the nest.
To assist in tracking the Spix's macaws and their movements, a local community was invited to join the field team. Members of the community were given watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's macaw was observed and thereby allowing them to keep on top of the birds' movements and their daily movements in the wild. This approach has been very successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species found in the genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was after the last wild parrot vanished in 2000. No additional birds were discovered in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction plan is in progress to try to bring this critically endangered bird to its native home in the Caatinga.
The northeast region of Brazil is home to about 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws were amidst the hollows of old caraibeiras, and were also known to eat nuts and seeds.
A reintroduction plan is currently underway to re-establish 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 arrive in 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, nesting and roosting sites.
The reintroduction program has already collected valuable data from biology on the behavior of this unique bird, including information on daily movement patterns and seasonal adjustments to drought. It also has opened a window on the evolution of Spix's Macaws, macaw cage which can help to understand the causes that led to their disappearance.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of a myriad of plants 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 like all parrots Macaws are highly social birds that bond closely with their parents. They have vocalizations and often mimic other sounds and words. They have a mating cry called "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating sound similar to an acoustic note. They are often seen flying high and fast when they are in a breeding mood.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are extremely intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate with one another by making a variety of squawking and screeching sounds. They, like other parrots, can mimic human speech. They have a very strict routine that includes routines for bathing and flight. They also can recognize other members of their family. They are adored as pets and are frequently targeted by illegal trade in birds because of this.
In the early 1980s only three Spix's Macaws were left in the wild, all of them being poached. In 1995, poachers massacred the male and female birds as part of the hope of pairing them. Since since then all known Spix's macaws are captive-bred mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws that are in captivity are made up of individuals that are the descendants of just two individuals, which makes them at risk of disease and other environmental challenges. The majority of the birds in captivity are kept in an breeding center in Germany however, in the year 2003 an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed which raises doubt about the future plans to return the birds and then reintroduce them back 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 the Swiss breeder beat out the sheikh of Qatar to buy three Spix's Macaws from the collector.
In part because of this and other efforts the captive-bred bird population is starting to grow, though not at a rapid rate. Keeping them healthy and producing will be important to reintroducing these birds to the wild. The selection of the right birds for release is also critical. Macaws must be of reproductive age and paired with siblings or close relatives.
It could be difficult to bring the Spix's Macaw back into the wild, but it is vital to try. To aid, ABC and partners have started a reserve system that aims to protect the last remaining habitats. The eight recently released Spix's macaws will be joined by blue-winged macaws, that are more common in the Caatinga and are found in overlapping areas with Spix's macaws. These birds will help the macaws become accustomed to their new surroundings and will also offer protection by large numbers.