Looking Into The Future What's The Melody Blue Spix Macaw Industry Look Like In 10 Years?
Looking Into The Future What's The Melody Blue Spix Macaw Industry Look Like In 10 Years?
Blog Article
Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period worry and speculation, Brazilian and German conservationists have succeeded in reintroducing two couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also filled with backbiting and jealousies.
The first obstacle was to find enough birds to be traded. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs had to be matched 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 loss of habitat. They have a small number of the birds that are in captivity and hope to release them near Curaca. They refer to the birds as their little blue companions and compared their experience to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw in the wild. They describe him a true survivor, who lost his family but kept his faith in the region. They see their lives in the Caatinga as akin to his and feel a strong connection to him.
The discovery of the last Spix's Macaw offered an excellent opportunity for researchers to investigate its behavior in wild and gain a deeper understanding of why this species was able to survive for this long. It also allowed them to form a more accurate estimate of the historic population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able to collect important details about the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adaptation to drought, and eating habits. They also observed attempts to reproduce using an Illiger's and Spix's hybrid macaw pair, which was an important step in the recovery of this species.
It was a marvellous feat that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has helped scientists to better understand how these birds can be returned to the wild. The survival of the bird that was killed motivated people to act in order to save other parrots and endangered species. It has also prompted zoos and other groups to set their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group is a great example of how conservation groups as well as other organizations and individuals can collaborate to save endangered animals and wildlife. It brings Brazilian governmental officials, zoo representatives and international owners of this unique bird and ornithologists together with one common goal - the reintroduction of the Spix's macaw.
The group has already completed a great deal of work. This includes the development of plans to reintroduce the bird to the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds to support field research as well as community outreach and captive-breeding birds to support the reintroduction plan. The group has also established an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago, the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was believed to be extinct. It was threatened due to the destruction of habitats and poaching that was illegal. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to fight tirelessly to save this iconic bird back from the edge of extinction.
The Spix's Macaw is known to millions of people around the world due to a cult animated film and two sequels. But this is only the tip of the iceberg on the long journey of bringing these birds back. An international team has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's Macaws that were raised in captivity into the wild.
The Spix's macaw is endemic to a tiny area of northeast Brazil which is known as the Caatinga, an arid region consisting of savannah scrubland flat scattered with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was first described in 1819 and is one of least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic glimpses of the wild, a few captive birds and a handful of museum specimens.
To preserve the dwindling population, an international committee was created which brought together aviculturists who held the last remaining birds, as well as government officials. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to establish a program to reintroduce Spix's Macaws to their natural environment.
AWWP has acquired and is renovating 2,380 hectares in Caatinga close to Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP also breeds and rears birds that will be released into the wild. This will provide a genetically-pure source of animals for the future generations.
Spix's Macaws are usually found in trees, and are rarely seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes, and hunt for fruits, seeds, nuts, and other plants. They typically spend up to a third of the day in the nest.
A local community was recruited as part of the field team to help track Spix's Macaws. The members of the community were given watches that could be activated if the Spix's Macaw was detected and thereby allowing them to keep on top of the birds' movements and their movements throughout the wild. This approach has been extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species 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 was lost in 2000. No additional birds were found in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction program is currently underway to try to bring this critically endangered bird to its native home in the Caatinga.
The northeast region of Brazil covers approximately 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows old caraibeiras, and were also known to eat 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 are expected to be released by 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group Blue-winged Macaws which have been reintroduced. They will share information about food sources, nesting and areas to roost.
The reintroduction program has collected vital biological data about the behavior of this bird, including details about daily movements and adjustments to drought. It has also provided a window into the nature of the Spix's Macaw, helping to understand what led to its disappearance in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of many plants that are 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). They also more info eat the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Like all parrots like all parrots Macaws are highly social birds, and they have a close bond with their parents. They are vocal and frequently mimic other sounds and words. They have a mating cry called "whichaka," described as a short and repetitive grating noise similar to a flutist note. They are well-known for flying fast and high when they are in an ecstatic mood.
Breeding
Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate through screeching, squawking, and other sounds. As with many parrots they are able to mimic human speech. They also adhere to a rigid daily routine, ranging from flights to bathing routines and can identify members of their flock. This is why they are such 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. A plan to pair the male and female foiled in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since since then, all known Spix's macaws have been captive-bred mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws in captivity are a mix of individuals that are the descendants of just two individuals, leaving them vulnerable to disease and other environmental threats. The majority of the birds that are 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 expired without renewal and causing doubt about future plans to return the birds and then reintroduce them back into the wild.
Despite their precarious numbers, captive-bred Spix's Macaws show signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder was able to beat a sheikh from Qatar to purchase from a collector three Spix's macaws which were not part of the breeding program.
As a result of this and other efforts, captive-bred birds are beginning reproduce again, although not at a great rate. In order to keep them healthy and producing, it will be crucial for reintroducing the birds back into the wild. Choosing the right birds to release is also critical. The macaws should be of reproductive age and be paired 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 established a reserve system that is designed to safeguard the last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's Macaws that were released recently will be joined by blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are common in Caatinga and live in areas where the Spix's macaws also reside. These smart birds will help macaws to become used to the region and provide the security of a large number.