10 Meetups On Melody Blue Spix Macaw You Should Attend
10 Meetups On Melody Blue Spix Macaw You Should Attend
Blog Article
Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period filled with worry and speculation Brazilians and German conservationists managed to successfully reintroduce a grouping of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also filled with jealousies and backbiting.
The first obstacle was to find enough birds to be traded. Macaws are monogamous, so it was important to ensure that the pairs were well-matched.
Range
A South African couple is working to save the critically endangered Spix's macaw, which was declared extinct in 2000, following years of poaching and loss of habitat. They have a tiny population of the birds kept in captive, and hope to release them in the wild near Curaca. They call the birds little blue companions, and compare their journey with the journey of Presley, the only known Spix's Macaw found in the wild. They describe him as a true survivor who lost his family and was loyal to his home. They see their lives in the Caatinga as being similar to his, and they feel a deep connection with him.
Researchers were able to research the behavior of the Spix's Macaw in wild, and to better understand how this species has lasted so long. It also allowed them to create a more accurate estimate of the historic population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able to gather important data about the bird's daily movement patterns, seasonal adjustment to drought, and its feeding habits. They even monitored attempts at reproduction with a hybrid Spix's and Illiger's macaw pair which was a significant step in the rehabilitation of this species.
It was a remarkable feat that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has allowed scientists understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to nature. The last bird's survival also encouraged people to take action to save other species of parrots that are endangered. Zoos and other groups to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group serves as an example of how conservation groups and other organizations can work together to protect endangered animals and wildlife. The group is comprised of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps international holders of the Spix’s macaw and ornithologists with one goal in common to save this endangered bird.
The working group has already completed a lot of work, including developing plans for reintroducing the bird back into the wild. The group also raised funds to support community outreach, field research and captive-bred birds for the project. The group has also established a permanent committee to recover the bird.
Habitat
Ten years ago, the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was believed to be extinct. It was threatened by the destruction of habitat and illegal poaching. Aviculturists, ornithologists, and other experts continue to do their best to save this iconic bird from the brink extinction.
A well-known animated film and two sequels have made the Spix's macaw famous to millions of people around the world however this is only the beginning 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 raised in captivity back into the wild.
The Spix's macaw is endemic to a tiny area of northeast Brazil, called the Caatinga, an arid region consisting of savannah scrubland flat that is dotted with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was described in 1819 and is among the least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic glimpses of the wild, few birds in captivity, and a handful of museum specimens.
To save the declining population An international committee was created which brought together aviculturists who had the last remaining birds as well as officials from the government. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to create 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 the most pristine habitat. AWWP also breeds and raises birds that will be released into the wild. This will provide a genetically-pure source of animals for future generations.
In the wild, Spix's Macaws will live in trees and are rarely seen on the ground. They build nests in hollows or holes and forage for fruits, seeds, nuts, and other plants. They can spend as much as 1/3 of their time in the nest.
To aid in tracking the Spix's macaws as well as their movements, a local group was invited to join the field team. The members of the community were provided watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's Macaw was detected and thereby allowing them to keep an eye on the birds and their daily activities in the wild. This method has proven to be extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species of the family Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that it was extinct in the wild on April 1st, 2019. This was in the wake of the last wild parrot vanished in 2000 and no additional birds were found in subsequent surveys. However, a reintroduction plan is in the process of trying to bring back this critically endangered bird back to its natural habitat in the Caatinga.
This dry forest is a part of northeast Brazil, covering approximately 10 percent of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows 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 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 by Blue-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced to the same area, and will help to share information about food sources and nesting and roosting areas.
The reintroduction program has already collected valuable biological data about the behavior of this bird, including information about daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought. It also opened a window on the nature of the Spix's Macaws. This helps to understand the factors that led to their disappearance.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, nuts and seeds of a variety of plants native to the Caatinga Biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and the linhas brasil (Senegalia tenuifolia), along with the joazeiro (Ziziphus Joazeiro) and facheiro Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus). They also eat the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Like all parrots like all parrots Macaws are highly social birds that bond closely with their parents. They are vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating cry known as "whichaka," described as an extremely short and repetitive sound that resembles the note of a flutist. They are often seen flying high and fast when they are in an ecstatic mood.
Breeding
Spix's Macaws are highly intelligent and social birds. They communicate by screeching, squawking, and other sounds. Like many parrots they are able to mimic human speech. They have a very strict routine, which includes routines for bathing and flight. They are also able to recognize other members of their flock. This is what makes them so popular pets, and also a target for the illegal bird trade.
In the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since then all known Spix's macaws have been captive-bred 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 the birds in captivity are kept in the breeding center in Germany however, this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed and causing doubt about future plans to return the birds and reintroduce them back into the wild.
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 buy from a collector three Spix's macaws that weren't part of the breeding program.
In part, due to this and other efforts, the captive-bred bird population is starting to increase, though not at a speedy pace. Reintroducing them to the wild will require that they stay healthy and produce. It is important to choose the right birds prior to releasing them. Macaws should be of reproductive age and paired with siblings or close relatives.
It's not easy to bring the Spix's macaw back into the wild but it's important to try. ABC and its partners have developed a reserve system to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's macaws will soon be joined by blue-winged macaws, that are more common in the Caatinga and live hahns macaw for sale in overlapping areas with Spix's macaws. These intelligent birds will aid the macaws get used to the region, and they will provide the security of a large number.