16 Facebook Pages That You Must Follow For Melody Blue Spix Macaw-Related Businesses
16 Facebook Pages That You Must Follow For Melody Blue Spix Macaw-Related Businesses
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Melody Blue Spix Macaw
After a long period filled with speculation and worry, Brazilians and German conservationists managed to successfully reintroduce a grouping of couples back to their natural habitat. Their story is inspirational, but also rife with resentment and jealousy.
The first obstacle was to get enough birds for the trade. The macaws are monogamous so the pairs had to be matched well.
Range
A South African couple has taken on the task of saving the critically threatened Spix's Macaw. This bird was declared extinct by the United Nations in 2000 owing to decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a small number of the birds in captivity, and they hope to release them into the wild close to 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 from the wild. They describe him a true survivor, who lost his family but remained loyal to the area. They feel a strong connection to him and see their lives as being identical to his.
The discovery of the last Spix's macaw provided an excellent opportunity for researchers to investigate its behavior in wild and gain an understanding of how this species has survived for such a long time. Researchers were able to estimate the historical population of this unique bird with greater accuracy. Researchers were able gather important data on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adaptation to drought, and eating habits. They also monitored reproduction attempts using an Illiger's and Spix's hybrid macaw pair which was a significant step towards the recovery of this species.
It was an amazing feat that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a limited gene pool. This has helped scientists to better understand how these birds can be returned to the wild. The survival of the last bird also motivated people to act to save other parrots and endangered species. Zoos and other groups to set their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds.
This group serves as an example of how conservation groups and other organizations can collaborate to protect endangered species of wildlife and animals. The group is comprised of Brazilian government officials, representatives from zoos, international owners of the Spix's macaw and ornithologists, with an aim in common to save this rare bird.
The group has already completed a great deal of work. This includes preparing an approach to reintroduce this bird back to the wild. The group also raised funds for community outreach as well as field research and captive-bred birds for the project. It has also established a permanent committee for the rehabilitation of the bird.
Habitat
Threatened by 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 fight tirelessly to bring this iconic bird back from the danger of extinction.
A cult animated film and two sequels have made Spix's macaw famous to millions of people across the globe however this is only the tip of the iceberg in the long road to bring these birds back from the brink. An international team has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws born in captivity to the wild.
The Spix's macaw is native to a small portion 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 described in 1819, and is among the smallest known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic appearances in the wild, a few birds in captivity and a few museum specimens.
To save the declining population, an international group was formed. It was comprised of Aviculturists who owned the last remaining bird and officials from the government. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organisation Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) of Qatar to develop a comprehensive program to reintroduce captive-bred Spix's Macaws into their natural habitat in the northeast of Brazil.
AWWP has purchased and is recovering 2,380 acres of prime habitat in Caatinga, near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP also breeds and rears birds that will be released into the wild. This will create a genetically-pure source of animals for future generations.
Spix's Macaws are usually found in trees, and rarely seen on the ground. They usually nest in tree holes or hollows and hunt for fruit, seeds, nuts and other plants. They typically spend up to one third of the day in the nest.
To aid in tracking the Spix's macaws as well as their movements, a local community was recruited to become part of the field team. The members of the community were given watches that could be activated if the Spix's macaw was observed which allowed them to keep an eye on the birds and their movements throughout the wild. This method has proven to be extremely successful.
Diet
The Spix's Macaw is the only species of the genus Cyanopsitta. It was declared extinct in the wild in 2019 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature after the last wild parrot to be identified disappeared in the year 2000. subsequent surveys www.buy-macaw.com failed to find any additional birds. A reintroduction program is in progress to try to bring back this critically endangered bird back to its home in the Caatinga.
The northeast region of Brazil covers approximately 10% of the entire country. Spix's Macaws were found in hollows old caraibeiras and were also known to eat seeds and nuts.
A reintroduction plan is currently in progress to restore a wild population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight captive-raised Spix's Macaws were released into the wild in June. Twelve more birds are scheduled to be released in 2022. They will be joined by Blue-winged Macaws, which have been released back into the same area and will help to share information about food sources and nesting and roosting areas.
The reintroduction programme has already collected vital biological data about the behavior of this unique bird, including details on daily movement patterns and adjustments to drought during the season. It also provided a glimpse into the natural history of Spix's Macaws, which can help to understand the causes that led to their disappearance.
Spix's Macaws consume the fruits, seeds and nuts of numerous 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 also eat the fruit of palms of acai (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum).
Spix's Macaws, like all parrots and other birds are social birds that develop close bonds with their parents. They are very vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They make a mating call known as the "whichaka," which is described as a brief repeated grating sound that is like a flute note. They are known to fly fast and high when they are in an ecstatic mood.
Breeding
Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate with one another through a range of squawking and screeching sounds, and like many other parrots, they can mimic human speech. They follow a strict routine that includes flight patterns and bathing habits. They also can recognize other members of their flock. This is what makes them such popular pets and a target for illegal bird trade.
By the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws remained in the wild, with all of them being poached. A plan to pair the last male and female was unsuccessful in 1995 when poachers killed both birds. Since since then, all Spix's Macaws known have been bred in captivity - mostly in Brazil.
The Spix's Macaws that are in captivity are a mixture of birds, and are the descendant of only two individuals. This makes them more vulnerable to illnesses and other environmental threats. The majority of Spix's macaws that are in captivity reside in a breeding center in Germany. However this year an agreement between a German conservation center and Brazilian government ran out, leaving the possibility of repatriation or their reintroduction into the wild in doubt.
Despite their low numbers, captive-bred Spix's Macaws are showing some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder managed to beat a sheikh from Qatar to buy from a 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 grow, but not at a rapid rate. Maintaining their health and generating is crucial to reintroduce these birds to the wild. Selecting the right birds to release is also crucial. Macaws must be reproductive 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 are going to be joined by blue-winged macaws, that are more common in the Caatinga and share areas with the Spix's macaws. These savvy birds will help the macaws become more familiar with the area and provide safety in numbers.