The mystery of the Spix’s Macaw
The lost blue macaw of Brazil can’t be added_RETURN to Brazilian savanna region.
Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is hailed as an icon of extinction globally, for all the wrong reasons. This utterly gorgeous, powder blue parrot was officially declared Extinct in the Wild in 2019,
falling prey to continuous trapping and habitat destruction. Today,
the species is found only in captivity — and it is quite possibly the rarest macaw on Earth, the focus of a high-stakes conservation effort across three continents to bring it back from the brink.
Where is it Found?
(Historic and Current Range)
Historic Range: Found in a very restricted area of NE Brazil, The “Caatinga” biome is an exclusive semi-arid tropical region of dry thickets and thorn forests along the Rio São Francisco river in the state of Bahia.
Last Stronghold: It was last known to still exist in the wild in the Curaçá region, Bahia. It was closely associated with the Caraibeira tree (Tabebuia aurea) which grows in seasonal floodplains (“ribereiras”) and that it used for nesting and roosting.
Current “Location”: So far, the Spix’s Macaw does not exist in its natural habitat in any part of the world as a free flying bird. A total of about 200–300 captive individuals forms the only known population to date. Key facilities include:
Cof/A for the Conserv of Threatened Parrots (ACTP) in Germany.
Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation in Qatar.
NEST in Brazil.
Reintroduction Hopes: In June 2022, after years of planning and preparation, the first eight Spix’s Macaws were reintroduced to a protected area on a dedicated reserve in Curaçá, Brazil. That was the start of a long project to reintroduce a wild population to Turkey.
What is its Colour?
(Appearance)
The Spix’s Macaw is famous for its unusual and tintable blue plumage.
General Plumage: The hue a pale, softer greyish-blue or “powder blue” color (paler and duller than the Cobalt Blue of other macaw species such as the Hyacinth Macaw).
Head: It has a distinct bare patch of blue-grey skin surrounding the eyes and base of the beak and a lighter, fine grey-blue crown.
Ventral surface: The yellow in the chest and abdomen fades to very pale (almost greyish-white) blue.
Other Characteristics: It has a long, graceful tail (navy blue on top, grayish beneath) and a powerful black beak. Its eyes are dark. A medium-sized macaw, they measure 55-60 cm (22 ins) in length.
What Does it Like to Eat? (Diet)
Spix’s Macaw was an endemic specialist feeder of its native Caatinga habitat, and well adapted to a challenging semi-arid environment.
Natural Diet: Its natural diet consisted of seeds and nuts from a native Caatinga trees and bushes, especially from the Pinhão-bravo tree and Faveleira bush. It also consumed fruit, flowers and cactus for moisture and nourishment.
Diet: In captivity there are fed well balanced commercial formulated diet, such as high quality parrot pellets, mixed variety of nuts (almonds, walnuts), and fresh fruits and veggies (e.g., apples, pear, sprouts) to maintain proper weight for breeding condition.
Adaptation: Thick, “parrot-like” black beak is well-designed for opening the hard shells of desert seeds.
How Rare is it? (The Epicentre of Rarity)
The narrative of the Spix’s Macaw is a story of rarity. It’s not merely endangered; it was totally obliterated in the wild.
6) Timeline to extinction: The last known male in the wild vanished in 2000. Nevertheless no more wild individuals were positively identified despite searches which culminated in its declaration as “Extinct in the Wild” in 2019.
Causes of Extinction:
Illegal Wildlife Trade: The largest single threat. Millions of the animals were poached because its striking appearance made it highly prized by private collectors. The dear ones that were left were caught until there were no more.
Habitat Loss: Caraibeira woodlands were cleared for farming, cattle ranching and dam building – elimination of its vital feeding and nesting habitat.
The Road to Recovery:
Captivity Population: The fate of the species relies on ~300 birds that remain in captivity. A careful worldwide breeding project controls the genetics to prevent inbreeding.
The Reintroduction Project The Brazilian government, together with its international partners being ACTP have developed:
Habitat Restoration: Reforestation of thousands of Caraibeira as well other native species in the release zone.
Anti-Poaching] Security at Release Site: None available at the release site.
Soft-Release: Birds are pre-conditioned in our large on-site aviaries and slowly released. They are stalked 24/7 by radio transmitters.
Cultural Symbol: It became popular thanks to animated movie Rio (by Pixar), and people around the world knew about existence of endangered parrots.
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Conclusion
The Spix’s Macaw is a poignant example of how human greed can pluck a species from its natural home in the wild in one generation. It is here at all — in cages and managed reserves — due to a second chance created by unique international cooperation.
The sight of these blue fairy ghosts rising once again in the Brazilian Caatinga is a glimmer of hope for conservations everywhere. Its final recovery — the creation of a self-sustaining wild population — is itself a hard-won work in progress, but one that proves what resilience can look like when nature gets even half a fighting chance. The “Little Blue Macaw’s” return is, perhaps, one of our greatest conservation stories of the 21st century— and it’s still being written.
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