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Melody Blue Spix Macaw After a long time of 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 jealousy and backbiting. The first challenge was finding enough birds to exchange. Macaws are monogamous, so the pairs had to be well-matched. Range A South African couple has taken on the task of saving the critically endangered Spix's macaw. This bird was declared extinct by the United Nations in 2000 because of decades of habitat destruction and poaching. They have a few of the birds that are in captivity and are hoping to release them near Curaca. They refer to the birds as their little blue friends and compared their journey to the story of Presley, the last known Spix's macaw from the wild. They call him as a true survivor, who lost his family, but kept his faith in the region. They feel a strong bond to him and see their lives as similar to his. Researchers were able study the behavior of the Spix's Macaw wild, and better understand how this species has survived for so long. This also helped them form a more accurate estimation of the historical population numbers of this unique bird. Researchers were able to collect important details about the bird's daily movement, its seasonal adaptation to drought, and its eating habits. They even monitored reproduction attempts using the hybrid Illiger's and Spix's macaws, which was an important step towards the recovery of this species. It was an amazing feat that this bird lived and thrived in the wild despite having a very small gene pool. This has allowed scientists to understand how these birds can be restored to the natural world. The survival of the last bird motivated people to act to save other parrots as well as endangered species. It has also prompted zoos and other groups to set up their own captive breeding programs for these exotic birds. This working group is an example of how conservation groups and other organizations can work together to protect endangered species of wildlife and animals. The group is comprised of Brazilian government officials, zoo reps, international owners of the Spix's macaw, and ornithologists to achieve an aim in common that is the recovery of this unique bird. The working group has already accomplished a lot of work. This includes preparing a plan to reintroduce the bird in the wild. The group has also worked to raise funds to support field research, community outreach and captive-breeding birds for the reintroduction program. It has also established an ongoing committee to oversee the rehabilitation of the bird. Habitat Endangered by poaching and habitat destruction The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was believed to be extinct in the wild ten years ago. Aviculturists, ornithologists and other experts continue to fight to save this iconic bird from the brink extinction. A popular animated movie and two sequels have made Spix's macaw famous to millions of people around the world however this is only the tip of the iceberg in the long journey to save these birds from the edge. For decades, an international team has been working to breed and reintroduce 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 known as the Caatinga an arid area of savannah scrubland that is flat, that is dotted with seasonal creeks and gallery forests. It was first documented in 1819 and is among the least-known Neotropical Parrots. There are only sporadic sightings in the wild, a few captive birds and a few museum specimens. To save the declining population An international committee was created that gathered aviculturists who had the last remaining birds, as well as government officials. This 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 Macaws Spix's to their natural habitat in northeast Brazil. AWWP has purchased and is recovering 2,380 acres of prime habitat in Caatinga near Curaca, Brazil. AWWP also breeds and raises birds that will be released in the wild. This will provide an animal that is genetically pure for future generations. Spix's Macaws are usually found in trees, and are seldom seen on the ground. They typically build nests in hollows or holes in trees and hunt for fruits, seeds, nuts and other plants. They can spend up to one third of the time in the nest. A local community was selected as part of the field team to assist to track Spix's macaws. The members of the community were given watches which 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 (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only species found in the family Cyanopsitta. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that it was extinct in the wild on April 1, 2019. This was after the last wild parrot vanished in 2000 and no additional birds were discovered in subsequent surveys. However, a reintroduction plan is in the process of trying to return this critically endangered bird to its natural habitat in the Caatinga. This dry forest is a region of northeast Brazil which covers around 10 percent of the country. Spix's Macaws were found in hollows old caraibeiras, and were also known to eat seeds and nuts. A reintroduction program is now in progress to restore a wild population of the Spix's Macaw. Eight birds that were raised in captivity were released into the wild in June and 12 more are expected to follow in 2022. They will be joined in the area by a group Blue-winged Macaws that have been reintroduced and will share information about food sources, nesting sites and areas to roost. The reintroduction program has collected valuable biological data about the behavior of the bird, including information about the patterns of movement and adaptations to drought. Darling hahns macaw provides a window into the natural history of the Spix's Macaw which helps to discover the reasons behind its disappearance in the wild. Spix's Macaws eat the fruits, seeds and nuts of many plants that are 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 acai palms (Acaia oliva) or mofumbo (Combretum leprosum). Spix's Macaws like all parrots and other birds are social birds that have close relationships with their parents. They are extremely vocal and often imitate human speech and other sounds. They have a mating call called “whichaka,” described as an incredibly short and repetitive sound similar to the note of a flutist. When they are in a breeding mode they can fly fast and high. Breeding Spix's Macaws are extremely intelligent and social birds. They communicate by screeching, squawking and other sounds. Like many parrots, they are able to mimic human speech. They also adhere to a strict daily routine, from the flight path to bathing habits, and they can recognize members of their family. This is why they are the most sought-after pets, and also a target for the illegal bird trade. In the early 1980s, just three Spix’s macaws remained in the wild. They were all poached. A plan to pair the male and female defeated in 1995, when poachers killed both birds. Since the time, all Spix's macaws known have been captive-bred – mostly in Brazil. The Spix's Macaws that are in captivity are a mixture that descends of just two individuals. This makes them more vulnerable to illnesses and other environmental issues. The majority of Spix's macaws in captivity reside in an breeding center in Germany. However this year an agreement between the German conservation center and Brazilian government was canceled, leaving the future plans for repatriation and the reintroduction of wild animals in doubt. Despite their shaky numbers, captive-bred Spix's macaws are showing signs of improvement. This was evident when the Swiss breeder beat the sheikh of Qatar to buy three Spix's Macaws from a collector. As a result of this and other efforts, the captive-bred birds are beginning to reproduce, but not at a high rate. Reintroducing the birds to the wild will require that they stay healthy and produce. It is important to choose the right birds before releasing them. Macaws should be reproductively mature and should be in a relationship with one of their siblings or a close relatives. It's not easy to get the Spix's Macaw back to the wild, however, it is essential to try. To help, ABC and partners have started a reserve system that is designed to safeguard the last remaining habitats. The eight Spix's Macaws that were recently released will be joined by the blue-winged Macaws. These macaws are more prevalent in Caatinga, and they live in areas where the Spix's macaws also live. These birds will assist the macaws adapt to their new surroundings. They will also provide safety by numbers.