[58] (The female at Loro Parque Foundation cannot be bred due to health reasons). Highlights of the plan are to increase the captive population to 150 specimens (expected by 2020), build a breeding facility in Brazil within the Spix's native habitat, acquire and restore additional portions of its range, and prepare for its release into the wild between 2017 and 2021. Where a Blue-and-Gold Macaw would have yellow feathers, they have white. Naturalists have noted the Spix's similarity to other smaller members of tribe Arini based on general morphology as long ago as Rev. He hatched numerous chicks, some reports say as many as 24, one of which ended up at the Naples Zoo (Italy), where it remained alive until the late 1980s. The count does not include an unverifiable number of birds in private hands.[63]. A female Spix's macaw released from captivity at the site in 1995 was killed by collision with a power line after seven weeks. But the evidence collected in Melância Creek indicated that the Spix's macaw was a specially adapted inhabitant of the disappearing woodland galleries. The species inhabited riparian Caraibeira (Tabebuia aurea) woodland galleries in the drainage basin of the Rio São Francisco within the Caatinga dry forest climate of interior northeastern Brazil. Eighty-three of these are participating in an international breeding program managed by the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio), the Natural Heritage Branch of the Brazilian Government. The majority of the population now resides at ACTP’s state-of-the-art parrot breeding centre. The species also became the star of the animated film ‘Rio’, as main characters ‘Blu’ and ‘Jewel’. Around 100 birds still exist in captivity. Three birds were observed - perhaps the last three of their kind - near Curaça in the north of Bahia state, Brazil. More recent information is available in periodic reports about the parrots at Loro Parque and Al Wabra. This story tells you some fun and interesting facts about the pretty Spix's Macaw. Dog . In the 2011 animated film Rio, Blu, a captive-raised Spix’s Macaw, arrives in Brazil to mate with the last-known wild member of his species a female named Jewel. The IUCN regard the Spix's macaw as extinct in the wild. David Waugh take us on a tour through the Spix's Macaw Breeading Center. The Spix’s macaw program has moved in in leaps and bounds over the last 8 years, where the population has tripled due to a concerted captive breeding effort. The earliest known specimens were three held by the London Zoological Society between 1878 and 1902. It is possible that smaller, fragmented populations occur in other areas of its range. It has always been very rare in captivity, partly due to the remoteness of its natural range. In 1819, Johann Baptist von Spix, a German naturalist, and Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, a botanist, were in Brazil searching for unusual plants and animals, collecting specimens to send back home. A test release of Illiger’s Macaws, another small macaw that inhabits the Caatinga, is planned for 2020; this will allow us to fine tune our release procedure and test all of the related equipment, including telemetry devices, prior to releasing the first Spix’s. In the late 1980s, it was assumed that the beautiful cobalt blue Spix's macaw had become extinct in the wild but an expedition in 1990, to north-east Brazil, reported that one lone male had been spotted! Reproductive research and funds not available in Brazil, were used at top international facilities to bring about this boost in the captive population. Vijith Menon Apr 15, 2020 . As of October 2020, the information on this list is as accurate as possible and will be updated as needed. They have black neck feathers and a black beak and gray feet. Males and females are almost identical in appearance, however the females are slightly smaller. Suitable areas must offer optimal conditions for the birds and be protected against further influences of humans. The return of the Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) to its wild habitat may happen earlier than in 2021. The glaucous macaw is also probably extinct, with only two reliable records of sightings in the 20th century. Artificially created "pairs" may groom and associate with each other as if they were a pair, but in fact are not mates, and it may take several seasons to determine this. [10] It was listed as Cyanopsittacus spixi [sic] by Italian zoologist Tommaso Salvadori in his 1891 Catalog of the Birds in the British Museum.[11]. Description• Bird• 55-57 cm. F.G. Dutton, president of the Avicultural Society U.K. in 1900: "I have not yet seen a good-tempered Spix ... My Spix, which is really more a Conure than a Macaw, will not look at sop of any sort, except sponge cake given from one's fingers, only drinks plain water, and lives mainly on sunflower seed. The Hahn's Macaw has a mostly blackish beak, while the Noble and Long-Winged Macaws have horn-colored beaks. [17], The mating call of Spix's macaw can be described as the sound "whichaka". Particularly intensive sensitisation of the local human population continues to be conducted in preparation for the reintroduction and the future coexistence between man and the Spix's Macaw. Efforts to clear the habitat of introduced predators and restore the natural Caraibeira seedlings and important creek systems are ongoing on the land. The little blue macaw. [41] Naturalist Dr. Paul Roth conducted field surveys of the bird in the Curacá region from 1985 to 1988. A single male, paired with a female blue-winged macaw, was discovered at the site in 1990. Due to deforestation in its limited range and specialized habitat, the bird was rare in the wild throughout the twentieth century. Tap to Read Interesting Facts About the Spix's Macaw. The largest species of macaw, the brilliant-blue hyacinth grows to be up to 40 inches (1 m) long. Having 150 Spix’s Macaws in captive population is the basic condition to reintroduce this species back into the wild. Law and Order SVU Episode "Wildlife". In order to achieve this goal the following wildlife protection measures are being pursued: The primary objective of the Spix's Macaw protection measures is to grow the captive population so it is large enough for the reintroduction of the species back into the wild. [19], The Caatinga vegetation of northeastern Bahia (which hosts the Spix habitat) is stunted trees, thorny shrubs and cacti, dominated by plants of the family Euphorbiaceae. However, artificial insemination was not used in this case.[66]. A trickle of Spix's appeared in captivity starting in the late 1800s. The hyacinth macaw survives today in three known distinct population in southern Brazil, eastern Bolivia and northeastern Paraguay. The Spix's at NEST are owned by the Brazilian government and managed by Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation. The goal of the Association is to produce about 20 macaws per year. The project team will learn lessons from a trial release of Blue-winged Macaws Primolius maracana (Near Threatened), before attempting to reintroduce Spix’s, hopefully in 2021. This little blue macaw is a sym...– Ouça o Episode 3 - Spix's Macaw de Endling instantaneamente no seu tablet, telefone ou navegador - sem fazer qualquer download. The bird is a medium-size parrot weighing about 300 grams (11 oz), smaller than most of the large macaws. – by the German naturalist Georg Marcgrave when he worked in Pernambuco in 1638. In adults the bare facial skin is grey, the beak is entirely dark grey, and the irises are yellow. Anyone who remembers the movie Rio, an animated film released in 2011, will also remember the very unique characters in it. The underside of the wings and tail are black. The majority of macaws are now endangered in the wild and a few are extinct.The Spix's macaw is now probably extinct in the wild. They’re a beautiful blue Macaw from the jungles of Brazil. At a meeting in 1987 of conservationist groups including IUCN at Loro Parque (one of the original Spix holders) in Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain), only 17 captive Spix macaws could be located. This macaw lived in the hottest and driest part of the "Caatinga" within Caraiba, or Caribbean trumpet tree (Tabebuia caraiba) woodland galleries. This little blue macaw is a sym... – Lyssna på Episode 3 - Spix's Macaw av Endling direkt i din mobil, surfplatta eller webbläsare - utan app. This process is known to possibly take several seasons in other large parrots, and it may also be the case for the Spix's. [19], Notable among the seasonal waterways are Riacho Melância watershed 30 km south of Curaçá, where the last known wild Spix's macaw nest was located, adjacent Riacho Barra Grande, and Riacho da Vargem ~100 km to the north near Abaré all in the State of Bahia south of Rio São Francisco. [17] Incubation period is 25–28 days and only the female performs incubation duties. Note: table data based on "Al Wabra ICMBio data from June 2013" and Watson, R. (Studbook Keeper) 2011. The main protagonists, two macaws named Blue and Jewel, have to escape captivity of animal smugglers. The Spix's macaw Cyanopsitta spixii is an endemic Brazilian parrot, first discovered and documented by the German naturalist Johann Baptist Ritter von Spix on his Brazil expedition in 1819. The Caraibeira constitutes a microclimate within the Caatinga. Tap to Read Astonishing Facts About Macaw. Most are collected at www.bluemacaws.org. Everwhere else on them is a rich blue. [59][60] Both the AWWP and the ACTP have loaned individuals to Jurong Bird Park in Singapore. It is possible that smaller, fragmented populations occur in other areas of its range. Most other material is derived. Interesting paper on the Spix’s Macaw. [27], The decline of the species in the 1970s and early 80s is attributed to hunting and trapping of the birds, unsustainable harvesting of the Caraíba trees for firewood, the construction of the Sobradinho Dam above Juazeiro starting in 1974 that submerged the basin woodlands under an artificial lake,[27] and the northward migration of the Africanized bee, which competes for nesting sites. The Hahn's Macaw is the smallest of the Red-Shouldered Macaws reaching only about 12 inches in length. Already at that time, this small blue macaw was considered particularly rare and prior to the disappearance of the last wild bird in the year 2000, only a few people were ever able to observe the bird in the wild. "Annual Report and Recommendations for 2011: Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii)". The blue-winged macaw (Primolius maracana), in aviculture more commonly known as Illiger's macaw, is a species of small macaw (sometimes called a mini-macaw) found in central and eastern South America. The Spix's macaw is one of the most colorful birds found in Brazil. Since the year 2000, the species has been considered extinct in the wild. [17] It has a wing length of 24.7–30.0 cm (9.7–11.8 in). What kind of Macaw is Blu from Rio? Around 100 birds still exist in captivity. The Spix's macaw, made famous by the movie "Rio," were declared extinct in the wild 2018. But I expect it would not eat any sop, even if I gave it nothing else. When the bird was living in the wild, little research into its behaviour and ecology was performed. By the time scientists became interested in the macaws, their numbers were already very low. Hope is still there for the Spix macaw, although locally in Brazil, it has probably been eroded in the wild as a result of other factors such as deforestation and dam construction and trapping for wild trade. A wide range of awareness-raising activities are being carried out in the vicinity of the planned reintroduction area to teach the local people the importance of this small blue macaw for their region. Fructus amat, Murucuia imprimis. have all come from just two wild nests that existed post 1982:[19] pairs originally owned by Birds International in the Philippines, Dr. Hammerli in Switzerland, and Wolfgang Keissling (Loro Parque), and a male from the São Paulo Zoo. The existing galleries are fringes of unique woodland extending a maximum of 18 m (59 ft) to either side along a series of seasonal waterways at least 8 m wide in the Rio São Francisco drainage basin. The beak is entirely black except for juveniles which have a white stripe down … A test release of Illiger’s Macaws, another small macaw that inhabits the Caatinga, is planned for 2020; this will allow to fine tune the release procedure and test all of the related equipment, including telemetry devices, prior to releasing the first Spix’s. The funding for the reintroduction program and the establishment of the Spix’s Macaw Wildlife Refuge comes from the ACTP. The Spix Macaws who are also known as Blue Macaws have been extinct in the wild for over twenty-one years. [76] Because all known specimens of the Spix's macaw are now in a conservation program run by the Brazilian government, there are now no sources from which the bird may be obtained for the pet trade. The Spix's macaw, made famous by the movie "Rio," were declared extinct in the wild 2018. Their body colors consist of various shades of blue, including a pale blue head, pale blue underparts, and vivid blue upperparts, wings, and tail. [46][47] As of 2019, the IUCN classifies the species as Extinct in the Wild. It is a member of Tribe Arini in the subfamily Arinae (Neotropical parrots), part of the family Psittacidae (the true parrots). The Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the rarest parrot on earth. The exact color of the body varies from the brilliant turquoise blue along its breast and abdomen to the duller bluish gray of the head. [43] [69][70], The project of reintroduction of the Spix's macaw in Brazil included the creation of two protected areas in the state of Bahia: the Wildlife Refuge of Spix's Macaw, in Curaçá, and the Environmental Protection Area of Spix's Macaw, in Juazeiro, with a awareness work done with the local population and the construction of a reproduction and readaptation center. Two Juvenile Spix's Macaw. The price of this macaw will run you about $1200 dollars and could easily creep up to the $1500 dollar mark depending on the breeder of the bird. The morphology-based taxonomy of C. spixii, intermediate between the macaws and the smaller Arini, has been confirmed by recent molecular phylogenetic studies. A paired female born at the Loro Parque Fundación laid eggs at the age of five years, but these were infertile. A comprehensive natural and conservation history through late 2002 is available in Juniper's Spix Macaw book. [29], The next reported sighting of the bird wasn't for 84 years, in 1903 by Othmar Reiser of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 400 kilometres (250 mi) west of Juazeiro at Lagoa de Parnaguá (lake at Parnagua) in the State of Piaui. [23] Other ornithologists reporting the bird in various parts of the state of Piaui further extended the range to a vast area of the dry interior of northeast Brazil. In the middle of the last century the species was already considered extinct, until it was spotted again in 1986. It had a very restricted natural habitat due to its dependence on the tree for nesting, feeding and roosting. The Spix's macaw - also called the Little blue macaw - no longer lives in the wild and is by a long way the world’s rarest macaw. An agreement has been reached to transfer 50 Spix’s from Germany to a purpose-built aviary there during February 2020. [40] As recently as 1980, Robert Ridgely (ornithologist) stated that "there is no available evidence indicating a recent decline in numbers." The Spix’s macaw is also known as the little blue macaw because it is smaller and more vividly colored compared to other species. Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), also known as the little blue macaw, is a macaw native to Brazil. Without the attendance of most of the c… The eldest bird in captivity died at age 34 years. Apparently that’s a Spix’s though. [54], In 2007 and 2008, two farms totalling 2,780 hectares (6,900 acres) in Curaçá, State of Bahia, Brazil were purchased by the Lymington Foundation (with contributions from ACTP and Parrots International) and Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation. Was wissen wir heute über diesen seltenen Vogel", "The Spix's Macaw Conservation Programmme A Non-extinction Story", "Climate Change, Adaptation and Desertification Control", "Spix's Macaw heads list of first bird extinctions confirmed this decade", "Loro Parque Fundación in Brazil to save the world’s rarest parrot", "Sheikh goes from collector to conservationist in effort to save the world's rarest parrot", "Al Wabra ICMBio Spix Presentation January 2012", "Qatari sheik takes endangered bird species under his wing", "Revisiting Rio Star Presley: Is there hope for the Spix's Macaw? It is hard to identify between sexes of these birds as the males and females look alike and are roughly the same size. This little blue macaw is a sym... – Kuuntele Episode 3 - Spix's Macaw -jaksoa podcastista Endling heti … The smallest of the blue macaws, the Spix's Macaw gained international attention in 2011 via the Hollywood animated movie “Rio”, with the supposed last two Spix's Macaws in the lead roles. Claim: The macaw species from the \u201cRio\u201d movies has been declared extinct in the wild. Sick said: "The Indigo Macaw is the only true macaw in that region. The intended audience may not have realized that the crisis depicted in the movie was not fictitious. Purchasing a macaw Parrot is just a click away. According to the association, the Spix's macaw is … a. In the middle 1980s, by the time fieldwork to locate and understand the habitat of the Spix was completed, it was apparent that the Spix must be nearing extinction in the wild. ", "Jurong Bird Park now home to world's rarest blue macaws", "Managing the World's Largest Population of Spix's Macaws", "Developing a New Insemination Technique", "A novel method for semen collection and artificial insemination in large parrots (Psittaciformes)", "Qatar efforts give hope to rare parrot species", "O projeto para salvar a ararinha-azul da extinção", "Dozens of last blue macaws to be reintroduced to Brazil", Birdlife International: Spix's macaw factsheet, Blue-and-yellow macaw (or blue-and-gold macaw), Red-and-green macaw (or green-winged macaw), Golden-collared macaw (or yellow-collared macaw), Red-shouldered macaw (Hahn's macaw or noble macaw), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spix%27s_macaw&oldid=1005642964, IUCN Red List extinct in the wild species, Critically endangered biota of South America, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Adult in Vogelpark Walsrode, Germany in 1980 (approx), Phylogeny and relationships of macaws and allies, Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP), Doha, Qatar, Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP), Berlin, Germany, Loro Parque Foundation (LPF), Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, This page was last edited on 8 February 2021, at 18:56. The Spix's macaw is expected to be then reintroduced to the wild by 2021. [24] Ornithologist Tony Silva mentions that "where Caraibeiras have been felled, as in the Pernambuco side of the São Francisco River, the species has disappeared". [1], In the middle 1980s, by the time fieldwork to locate and understand the habitat of the Spix was completed, it was apparent that the Spix must be nearing extinction in the wild. Unfortunately in real life, the species is already extinct in the wild since the year 2000. This bird is most well known from its portrayal in the movie Rio, but there is much more to it's story than most people know. Of the 17 macaw species found on the planet, 9 are threatened with extinction. The Spix’s macaw was believed to inspire the animated film, Rio, which was released in 2011. It was first described by German naturalist Georg Marcgrave, when he was working in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil in 1638 and it is named for German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix, who collected a specimen in 1819 on the bank of the Rio São Francisco in northeast Bahia in Brazil. However, Birdlife noted it is possible the individual was a released captive bird.[84]. STATUS The Spix's macaw Cyanopsitta spixii is an endemic Brazilian parrot, first discovered and documented by the German naturalist Johann Baptist Ritter von Spix on his Brazil expedition in 1819. [45], An analysis in 2018 based on threats, time since last known confirmed records, and patterns of bird extinction suggested that the bird was in all probability extinct in the wild. In a 2008 molecular phylogenetic study of 69 parrot genera,[14] the clade diagrams indicate that C. spixii split from the ancestral parakeets before the differentiation of the modern macaws. At first, the two macaws are both very aggressive and fight with each other, but they eventually make up and fall in love. This bird is most well known from its portrayal in the movie Rio, but there is much more to it's story than most people know. [18] The legs and feet are brownish-black. The Little Blue Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), which is another endemic from Northeastern Brazil, is not a real macaw, and is not present in this region." The second name is in honor of the German ornithologist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger. [74], Bates and Busenbark say that the bird was intelligent and affectionate, talked some, and had no worse proclivity for screaming than Amazons. The spix macaw is the smallest of the blue macaws with a body covered with dark blue feathers. These resulted in the world's first egg fertilisation and first chicks of the Spix's macaw as a result of assisted reproduction, performed et al-Wabra Wildlife Preservation. [17], Since 1987, the Loro Parque Foundation financed the field program to protect and study the last wild male, to protect and restore key habitat, and other important actions. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek kuanos meaning "blue" and psittakos meaning "parrot". Sick was explicitly emphasizing, giving the example of the Indigo macaw, a similar blue macaw, that Spix's is not a macaw. Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii is one of eight species primed to have their extinctions either confirmed or deemed highly likely, following a new study by BirdLife International. [82], In a 2008 episode titled "Wildlife" of Law and Order SVU the bird was included in an international animal smuggling ring. [12] Brazilian ornithologist Helmut Sick stated in 1981: "Cyanopsitta spixii...is not a real macaw"[Notes 1]. [48] Conservationists realized that a captive breeding program would be necessary to preserve the species. [19], Its diet also included seeds and nuts from Joazeiro (Ziziphus Joazeiro), Baraúna (Schinopsis brasiliensis), Imburana (Commiphora leptophloeos or Bursera leptophloeos), Facheiro (Pilosocereus piauhyensis), Phoradendron species, Caraibeira (Tabebuia caraiba), Angico (Anadenanthera macrocarpa), Umbu (Spondias tuberosa) and Unha-de-gato (Acacia paniculata). The Spix Macaws who are … [17], In May 2012, Brazil's ICMBio formulated and published a 5-year National Action Plan (PAN) for conservation and reestablishment of the species in the wild. However, wild Spix's macaws may have been sighted in 2016. [64], All or nearly all hatched chicks in the breeding program are hand raised by experienced staff, to reduce the risk of losing a scarce live chick (only about one out of ten viable eggs laid hatch). Fact vs. [17] No chick has been lost through weaning. These seven organisations are, ACTP Germany, Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation in Qatar, the Brazilian breeding centre run by Fasenda Cachoeira, Parrots International, Wildlife Parks Singapore and the Pairi Daiza Foundation. Roth found only 5 birds in 1985, three in 1986, and only two after May 1987. On the brink of extinction is the Spix's macaw. He signed off on a wildlife refuge and environmental protected area that spans 120,000 hectares in the municipality of Curaçá in the state of Bahia, Brazil. It is imperative that we collect as much data as possible from this test release in order to gain further knowledge and give the Spix’s reintroduction the best possible chance of success. [22] Spix's macaw was most recently (1974–1987) known in the Río São Francisco valley, in northeastern Brazil, principally in the basins on the south side of the river in the State of Bahia. Scientists from the University of Giessen of the working group of Prof. Dr. Michael Lierz, Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, developed a novel technique for semen collection and artificial insemination in large parrots. 120 of them came from Qatar, transferred due to the death of the maintainer of the Al Wabra Wildlife Preserve, Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al-Than, in 2014, and the economic embargo imposed to Qatar for Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain, in 2017. The current population is now very close to being large enough and strong enough to allow for a successful and sustainable reintroduction. Parrot Tricks covers: * … Blue-throated macaws live in the groves of motacu palms. Naturalists surveying its known remaining native habitat in the Curaçá region have estimated that it could have supported no more than about 60 birds at any time in the last 100 years. Soft release describes a gradual return to the wild whereby an aviary breed Spix’ Macaw receives support, shelter and food until it is entirely able to fend for itself. [6][7], In 1638 Georg Marcgrave was the first European naturalist to observe and describe the species; however, it is named for Johann Baptist von Spix, who collected the type specimen in April 1819 in Brazil, but gave it the misnomer Arara hyacinthinus not realizing till later that the name collided with Psittacus hyacinthinus, the name assigned to the hyacinth macaw described by John Lathan in 1790. In 1990, only one Spix's Macaw could be found in the wild, living together with an Illiger’s Macaw Primolius maracana. The breeding season is November to March, with most eggs hatching in January to coincide with the start of the Caatinga January to April rainy season. Because the Spix’s macaws went extinct in 2000, the blue-throated macaws are currently believed to be the rarest species of macaw in the entire world. Around the eyes there is an area of dark grey featherless skin. )[57], As of June 2013 there are approximately 96 Spix's macaws in captivity. A note on the references. In this episode, I cover the Spix's Macaw. Its appearance is various shades of blue, with a grey-blue head, light blue underparts, and vivid blue upperparts. Climate change resulting in desertification of significant parts of the Caatinga has permanently reduced the potential reclaimable habitat. The Noble Macaw is a bit larger at about 13 inches and the Long-Winged Macaw is the largest at about 14 inches in length. [80], In the 2011 animated movie Rio, the main characters Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne Hathaway) are the supposed last pair of Spix's macaws in the world (although they are referred to as blue macaws). Beginning around 1980, at the very height of the illegal bird trade, traders and trappers removed dozens of Spix's from the wild, and by the early 80s, it was generally believed to be extinct in the wild. Spix's Macaw. [69], One of the earliest records (and one of very few at all) of a Spix's macaw in a public zoo was a dramatic display of "the four blues" including Spix's, glaucous, hyacinth, and Lear's macaws in 1900 at the Berlin Zoo. [56], For unknown reasons, originally suspected to be bloodline related, captive specimens seemed to have delayed sexual maturity. Captive mutant Macaw adult. The Spix's macaw is one of the most colorful birds found in Brazil. [71], The bird was exceedingly rare in aviculture, the few being held by wealthy collectors rather than privately as pets. [16] Juveniles are similar to adults, but they have pale grey bare facial skin, brown irises, and a white stripe along the top-center of their beaks (along the culmen). [17], Captive bred Spix's macaws reach sexual maturity at seven years of age. (Translation: "Brazilian parrot, bird very similar to Psittacus [ grey parrot ] but larger, the entire plumage is ashy-bluish, calls like a parrot. Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is a branch of the Loudoun County, Virginia, United States government, and administers public schools in the county. [26], Caraiba grows very slowly; most of the trees are 200–300 years old, and there has not been any regenerative growth for the last 50 years. Large mature trees of this species (and apparently no other) provided the nesting hollows of Spix's macaws, as well as shelter and their seedpods, food for the species. A group of Spix's Macaws. [50], In 1990, the Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis (IBAMA, Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) established the Permanent Committee for the Recovery of Spix's Macaw, called CPRAA, and its Ararinha Azul project (Little Blue Macaw project) in order to conserve the species. [67] The research team used artificial insemination for the first time ever in the Spix's macaw at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation in 2012. Blue Mutation Macaws are mutations of Blue-and-Gold-Macaws. Claim: The macaw species from the \u201cRio\u201d movies has been declared extinct in the wild. [15], Spix's macaw is easy to identify being the only small blue macaw and also by the bare grey facial skin of its lores and eyerings. Around the eyes there is an area of dark grey featherless skin. Early 1990 was the low point for conservation of the Spix. Under the Sheikh were instituted standards of animal keeping, veterinary care, animal husbandry and stud book records for the conservation of the Spix's. A Spix's Macaw. Original air date 18 November 2008, Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, "pix's Macaw, Star of "Rio," Spotted in the Wild for the First Time in 15 Years", "Phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography of neotropical parrots (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae: Arini) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences", "A revised nomenclature and classification for family-group taxa of parrots (Psittaciformes)", "A Multilocus Molecular Phylogeny of the Parrots (Psittaciformes): Support for a Gondwanan Origin during the Cretaceous", "News from the Loro Parque Fundación Parrot collection", "Spix's Macaws: Physical Description, Behavior and Calls / Vocalizations | Beauty of Birds", "Executive Summary of the National Action Plan for the Spix's Macaw Conservation", "Spix-Ara.