Can we bring back the Spix macaw?

How many Spix’s macaws have been released from the refuge?

On March 3rd, 2020, 52 captive Spix’s macaws (or 50 according to some reports) arrived at the Brazilian refuge. Most of them will be released. I’ve read that some of the birds may be kept in captivity for breeding.

What is the best way to care for a Spix’s Macaw?

Spix’s macaws are active and energetic birds. In captivity, they are best kept in a large aviary with a long flight path and lots of perches. The video below shows a breeding facility run by the ACTP, or the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots.

Are Spix macaws extinct?

But a study released this week found that the Brazilian bird is now extinct in the wild. The Spix’s macaw is one of eight bird species, half of them in Brazil, confirmed extinct or suspected extinct in the report from BirdLife International. Can you adopt Spix macaws?

How did the Spix’s Macaw Recovery Committee help?

At the December 1994 CITES meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., the Spix’s Macaw Recovery Committee decided to transfer a male and female macaw from São Paulo Zoo to Loro Parque Foundation to pair with their single adult male and his three-year old female offspring.

Why choose Spix’s Macaw breeding?

The Spix’s macaw captive breeding program is one of the few species that is managed as a single global population. In the last decade, the captive breeding and management program has made tremendous progress in increasing the population and ensuring the best possible genetic and demographic profile.

Is the Spix’s Macaw on the road to recovery?

Although this species is still a long way from eventual recovery, it is the first time that the captive population is stable enough for an active reintroduction program of Spix’s macaws.

What is the ACTP paying for the Spix’s macaw reintroduction program?

The ACTP is footing the bill for the Spix’s macaw reintroduction program, including building a $1.4 million facility in Bahia, but it’s not clear where the money is coming from.

How many macaws are in Spix’s captivity?

Due to efforts of the Spix’s Macaw Recovery Committee, the captive population has increased to 30 birds and a special effort is being made by the committee to encourage the entrance of possible additional specimens into the recovery program.

Are There Spix’s macaws in Brazil?

Twenty years after the species was officially declared extinct in nature, 52 Spix’s macaws (Cyanopsitta spixii) arrived in Brazil’s Bahia state for eventual reintroduction back into their native habitat.

Why should we save the Spix’s Macaw?

This would allow the regeneration of araibeira trees and other vegetation utilized by the Spix’s macaw. In the last decade, the small blue macaw has become one of the symbols of the international conservation movement. It has probably attracted more attention than any other endangered species in recent history.

Are Spix’s macaws compatible with Illiger’s macaw?

Fortunately the Illiger’s macaw has not harmed the female Spix’s macaw, and it appears that the male and female Spix’s are compatible. One aspect of the Spix’s Macaw Recovery Program was the involvement of the local population in the conservation effort.

What is the Spix’s Macaw re-introduction project?

The Spix’s Macaw Re-Introduction Project is tasked with reintroducing the “extinct in the wild” Spix’s Macaw, the rarest parrot in the world. It is the only re-introduction of a bird species considered extinct in the wild by ICUN.

How many Spix’s macaws are there in captivity?

Today only around 160 Spix’s Macaws exist in captivity worldwide. The long-term goal of the Brazilian Government, ACTP and our other partners in the Spix’s Macaw Program, is the reintroduction of the species back into the wild by the year 2021. In order to achieve this goal the following wildlife protection measures are being pursued:

What is the long-term goal of Spix’s Macaw program?

The long-term goal of the Brazilian Government, ACTP and our other partners in the Spix’s Macaw Program, is the reintroduction of the species back into the wild by the year 2021. In order to achieve this goal the following wildlife protection measures are being pursued:

What is the Spix’s macaw wildlife refuge?

When this happens, it will be in the two conservation reserves created by the federal government in 2018 exclusively for the reintroduction and protection of the species: the Spix’s Macaw Wildlife Refuge (which spans 29,200 hectares, or 72,200 acres), and the Spix’s Macaw Environmental Protection Area (90,600 hectares, or 223,800 acres).

How many Spix’s macaws are left in the world?

How many Spix’s macaws are there left? Due to the number of private collectors, it is difficult to estimate exactly how many birds are left in the world, but there are perhaps 160 known individuals in captivity. Most of these are held by wildlife preservation programs throughout the world.

What is the behavior of Spix’s macaw?

Due to its remarkable intelligence, Spix’s macaw has a fascinating behavioral quirk: it follows a daily routine with a degree of precision that seems almost human. Flight paths, hunting strategies, and bathing all seem to be planned out according to a daily schedule.

What is Spix’s Macaw re-introcution project?

The Spix’s Macaw Re-Introcution Project is being initiated to save the rarest parrot in the world … reintroducing the extinct Spix’s Macaw back into the wild of Brazil. Carlos Saldahna’s two Rio movies are loosely based on the story of the Spix’s Macaw. Both protagonist birds in the movie (Blu and Jewel) are Spix’s Macaws.

Can the Spix’s macaw survive in Brazil?

Captured in a backlit cellphone video, the sighting gives conservationists hope for the survival of Brazil’s little blue birds In 2000, researchers thought they’d had their last glimpse of a wild Spix’s Macaw, Cyanopsitta spixii, a critically endangered bird formerly found in a small section of forest in Brazil’s Bahia state.

Is Blu the macaw in Rio a real bird?

The 2011 animated movie Rio featured a storyline with a pair of Spix’s macaw called Blu and Jewel. The male character was likely based on a real bird named Presley, who lived in Colorado for years and later repatriated to Brazil. The species is named after German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix, who collected the first specimens in 1819.

How old was the Spix’s Macaw in the cage?

In August 1994, after the construction of a huge cage in the region of the remaining wild specimen, a captive Spix’s macaw was placed in the cage. It was believed that the wild macaw was a male at least eight years old.

Can a macaw survive in captivity?

Survival Only in Captivity. In September 2018, researchers declared that the Spix’s macaw was extinct in the wild. Some members of the species survive in captivity and some of the captive birds have shown that they can breed. The fate of the species depends on their success and on human assistance and determination.

What is the difference between Illiger’s and severe’s macaws?

Illiger’s macaws are small green birds (about 15 inches long) similar in appearance to severe’s macaws except for a small spot of red on the forehead. The birds – also called blue-winged macaws – have red belly patches and long, tapered maroon-and-blue tails.