20 Questions You Should Always ASK ABOUT Melody Blue Spix Macaw Before Buying It
20 Questions You Should Always ASK ABOUT Melody Blue Spix Macaw Before Buying It
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Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long time of uncertainty and worry, Brazilian and German conservationists were able to reintroduce two couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also filled with jealousies and backbiting.
The first obstacle was getting enough birds to exchange. Macaws are monogamous, so it was crucial to match pairs well.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the mission of saving the critically threatened Spix's Macaw. The bird was declared extinct by United Nations in 2000 because of decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a tiny population of the birds in captivity and hope to release them in the wild near Curaca. They refer to the birds as little blue companions, and compare their experience to the journey of Presley the only known Spix's Macaw found in the wild. They describe Presley as a true survivor who lost his family and remained loyal to his area. They feel a strong bond to him and perceive their lives as like his.
The discovery of the last Spix's Macaw offered an excellent opportunity for researchers to investigate its behavior in wild and gain an understanding of how this species has survived for so long. It also helped them make a more precise estimation of the historical population numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able to gather important information about the bird's movements throughout the day, seasonal adjustment to drought, and its feeding habits. They also observed attempts at reproduction with an Illiger's and Spix's hybrid macaws, which was an important step towards the recovery of this species.
It was a remarkable achievement that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a very limited gene pool. This has allowed scientists to understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to the natural world. The survival of the bird that was killed inspired people to take action to save other parrots and endangered species. Zoos are also encouraged to establish their own captive breeding programs for these exotic bird species.
This working group is a model for how conservation groups and other organizations can work together to save endangered animals and wildlife. It brings Brazilian governmental officials Zoo representatives as well as international owners of this unique bird and ornithologists with a common goal: the recovery of the Spix's Macaw.
The working group has already completed a lot of work, including the creation of a plan for reintroducing the bird into the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds for field research as well as community outreach and captive-breeding birds to support the reintroduction plan. They have also formed a permanent committee to recover the bird.
Habitat
Threatened by poaching and habitat destruction, the Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was thought to be extinct in the wild ten years ago. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to work tirelessly to bring this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction.
A popular animated movie and two sequels have made Spix's macaw recognizable to millions of people worldwide however this is only the beginning of the iceberg in the long-distance journey to save these birds from the brink. For a long time, a global team has been working to breed and bring back Spix's macaws raised in a captive environment back into the wild.
The Spix's macaw is native to a small area of northeast Brazil which is known as the Caatinga an arid area of flat savannah scrubland interspersed with creeks that flow through the seasons and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819 and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic sightings in the wild, few captive birds and a few museum specimens.
To save the declining population In order to save the declining population, an international group was formed. It was comprised of experts in aviculture who had the last remaining bird, as well as officials from the government. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to create an intensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's macaws into their natural habitat in northeast Brazil.
AWWP has acquired and is recovering 2,380 hectares of Caatinga close to Curaca (Brazil) of prime habitat. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds to be released into the wild, thereby providing a genetically pure source of animals for future generations.
In the wild, Spix's macaws are found in trees and are seldom seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage to find seeds, fruits, nuts, and various other plants. They can spend up to 1/3 of their time in the nest.
A local community was recruited as part of the field team in order to help identify Spix's Macaws. The community was provided with watches that would be activated if Spix's Macaws are detected. This allowed them to monitor the birds in the wild and their daily actions. This method has proven to be extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species belonging to the Genus Cyanopsitta. It was declared extinct in the wild in 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature after the last known wild parrot disappeared in the year 2000. subsequent surveys did not find any additional birds. A reintroduction plan is currently underway to try to restore this critically threatened bird back to its home in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is located in the region of northeast Brazil which covers around 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows old caraibeiras, and were also known to eat seeds and nuts.
Reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild is currently underway. Eight Spix's Macaws that were raised in captivity were released in the wild in June. Twelve more birds are expected to be released by 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group of Blue-winged Macaws which have been reintroduced. They will provide information on food sources, nesting sites and roosting locations.
The reintroduction programme has already collected vital biological data about the behavior of this unique bird, including information on daily movement patterns and the seasonal changes to drought. It also provides a window into the natural history of the Spix's Macaw and helped to better discover the reasons behind its extinction in the wild.
Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, nuts, and fruits of a myriad of plants 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 can also eat the fruit of the palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws like all parrots as well as other birds are social birds that develop close bonds with their parents. They are extremely vocal and often mimic human speech and other sounds. They have a mating sound called the "whichaka," which is described as a brief repeated grating sound that is like a flute note. When they are in breeding mode they can fly high and fast.
Breeding
Spix's macaws are incredibly intelligent and social birds. They communicate with each other through a range of screeching and squawking sounds. Like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They have a very strict routine that includes the way they fly and their bathing habits. They also can recognize other members of their family. They are popular as pets and are frequently targeted by the illegal bird trade because of this.
In the early 1980s only three Spix's macaws were left in the wild. They were all poached. A plan to pair the male and female defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since then, all Spix's Macaws known have been bred in captivity - mostly in Brazil.
The handful of Spix's macaws that are in captivity are a mixture of individuals that are the descendants of just two individuals, making them vulnerable to disease and other environmental threats. The majority of the birds that are in captivity are kept in a breeding center in Germany, but this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government expired without renewal and causing doubt about future plans to repatriate the birds and return them into the wild.
Despite their precarious numbers, captive-bred Spix's macaws are showing some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder managed to beat out a sheikh in Qatar to purchase from the collector three Spix's macaws which were not part of the breeding program.
In the wake of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are beginning to reproduce, though not at a rapid rate. Maintaining their health and generating is crucial to Darling hahns macaw reintroduce the birds into the wild. The selection of the right birds for release is equally important. Macaws should be of reproductive age and be paired with close relatives or siblings.
Reintroducing the Spix's macaw to the wild may prove difficult, but it is essential to try. To help, ABC and partners have created a reserve system which is designed to safeguard the species' last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's Macaws who were released recently will be joined by blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are common in Caatinga and are found in areas where the Spix's macaws are also. These intelligent birds will aid the macaws become more used to the region, and they will provide safety in numbers.