• 목록
• 답변
• 글쓰기
• 게시판 리스트 옵션
  • 수정
  • 삭제

Melody Blue Spix Macaw

After a long time with uncertainty and fear, Brazilians and German conservationists were able to successfully reintroduce a couple of couples back into their natural habitat. Their story is inspiring but also filled with jealousy and backbiting.

The first challenge was finding enough birds for the exchange. The macaws are monogamous so the pairs needed 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 years of poaching and loss of habitat. They have a small amount of the birds in captivity and they hope to release them close to Curaca. They call the birds their little Lolita blue & gold macaw friends and have 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 and was loyal to his home. They feel a strong kinship to him and view their lives as like his.

The discovery of the last Spix's Macaw offered a valuable opportunity for researchers to investigate its behavior in wild and gain a better understanding of how this species has survived for this long. It also allowed them to form a more accurate estimate of the historic numbers of this rare bird. Researchers were able to gather crucial information on the bird's daily movements, its seasonal adjustment to drought, and eating habits. Researchers even monitored attempts to reproduce using an Illiger's and a Spix's hybrid macaw couple which was an important step in the recovery of this species.

It was a marvellous achievement that this bird survived and thrived in the wild despite having a small gene pool. This has allowed scientists to understand how these birds can be reintroduced back to the wild. The survival of the last bird inspired people to take action to save other parrots and endangered species. This has also encouraged zoos to create their own captive breeding programs for these exotic bird species.

This working group is a great example of how conservation groups as well as other organizations and individuals can collaborate in order to conserve endangered species of wildlife and animals. It brings Brazilian governmental officials Zoo representatives as well as international owners of this unique bird and ornithologists together with one common goal: the recovery of the Spix's macaw.

The group has accomplished a lot of work. This includes preparing a plan to reintroduce the bird back to the wild. The group also raised funds for community outreach and field research as well as captive-bred birds for the project. The group has also established an ongoing committee to help recover the bird.

Habitat

Ten years ago, the Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta Spixii) was thought to be extinct. It was threatened by the destruction of habitat and poaching that was illegal. Today, aviculturists and ornithologists continue to fight tirelessly to bring this iconic bird back from the brink of extinction.

A well-known animated film and two sequels have made the Spix's Blondie scarlet macaw bird known to millions of people across the globe however this is only the tip of the iceberg in the long road to save these birds from the brink. A team of international experts has worked for decades to breed and reintroduce Spix's macaws born in captivity back into the wild.

The Spix's Macaw is a native species found in a tiny region of northeast Brazil called the Caatinga. This desert region is characterized by flat savannah scrubland and is scattered with seasonal streams and gallery forests. It was first described in 1819, and is among the least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic sightings in the wild, few birds in captivity and a few museum specimens.

To protect the declining population, an international group was established. It brought together Aviculturists who owned the last remaining bird, as well as government officials. The group formed a partnership with the world-renowned non-profit organization Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation of Qatar to develop an initiative to reintroduce the Spix's Macaws back to their natural environment.

AWWP has purchased and is recovering 2,380 acres of prime habitat in the Caatinga, near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP is also breeding and rearing birds to be released into the wild, providing the genetically pure source of the animals for future generations.

In the wild, Spix's Macaws will live in trees, and are not often seen on the ground. They usually nest in tree holes or hollows and forage for fruit seeds, nuts, seeds and other plants. They may spend up to one third of their day in the nest.

To assist in tracking the Spix's macaws and their movements local communities were recruited to become part of the field team. Members of the community were provided watches that could be activated in the event the Spix's macaw was observed and thereby allowing them to keep track of the birds and their movements throughout the wild. This approach has been very successful.

Diet

The Spix's Macaw is the only species in the Genus Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that it was extinct in the wild on April 1, 2019. This was in the wake of the last wild parrot was lost in 2000 and no additional birds were discovered in subsequent surveys. A reintroduction program is in progress to try to bring back this critically endangered bird to its native home in the Caatinga.

This region in northeast Brazil covers approximately 10% of the country. Spix's Macaws nestled in the hollows of old caraibeira trees and were known to feed on nuts and seeds.

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 are expected to be released by 2022. They will be joined by Blue-winged Macaws that were reintroduced into the same area and will assist to share information about food sources and nesting and roosting areas.

The reintroduction program has obtained valuable biological data on the behavior of the bird, including details about daily movements and adjustments to drought. It has also provided an insight into the nature of the Spix's Macaw which helps to determine the causes that led to its extinction in the wild.

Spix's Macaws consume the seeds, fruits, and nuts of a myriad of plants native to the Caatinga Biome. This includes the pinhao-bravo (Jatropha mollissima) and 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).

Spix's Macaws as with all parrots and other birds, are social birds that have close relationships with their parents. They are vocal and frequently mimic sounds and speech. They have a mating cry called "whichaka," described as an incredibly short and repetitive sound similar to an acoustic note. When they are in breeding mode, they are known to fly fast and high.

Breeding

Spix's macaws are incredibly intelligent and highly social birds. They communicate with each other by making a variety of squawking and screeching sounds, and like many other parrots, mimic human speech. They also follow a very rigid daily routine, ranging from flights to bathing routines and can identify members of their family. They are popular as pets and are frequently targeted by the illegal trade in birds due to this.

In the early 1980s, only three Spix's macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. In 1995, poachers killed both male and Cleo female macaws for sale birds as part of the hope of pairing them. Since the time, all Spix's macaws are captive-bred, mostly in Brazil.

The handful of Spix's macaws in captivity are a mix of individuals that are the descendants of only two individuals, which makes them vulnerable to disease and other environmental issues. The majority of the birds that are in captivity are housed at a breeding center in Germany, but this year an agreement between the German conservation center and the Brazilian government was not renewed and causing doubt about future plans to repatriate the birds and reintroduce them back into the wild.

Despite their low numbers, captive-bred Spix’s macaws show some signs of improvement. This was evident when a Swiss breeder beat a sheikh from Qatar to purchase from a collector three Spix's macaws that were not part of the breeding program.

In the wake of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are starting to reproduce, but not at a rapid rate. Maintaining their health and generating is crucial to reintroduce the birds back into the wild. It is essential to choose the correct birds before release. Macaws must be reproductive and be paired up with close relatives or siblings.

Reintroducing the Spix's macaw to the wild could prove difficult, but it is essential to try. ABC and its partners have created a reserve system to protect the last remaining habitats of this species. The eight Spix's macaws will soon be joined by Lolita blue & gold macaw-winged macaws, that are more common in the Caatinga and share areas with Spix's macaws. These birds will help the macaws adjust to their new surroundings and will also provide safety by the sheer numbers.