Spix's Macaw - Conservation and Threats

Conservation and Threats

In the middle 1980's, by the time fieldwork to locate and understand the habitat of the Spix was completed, it was apparent that the situation of the species in the wild was dire. Conservationists realized that a captive breeding program would be necessary to preserve the species. At a meeting in 1987 of captive Spix holders and conservationist groups including IUCN at Loro Parque (one of the original Spix holder's) in Tenerife, Canary Islands, only 17 captive Spix macaws could be located. Without the involvement of the Brazilian government, little was accomplished.

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. At that time, the known captive population of Spix's stood at 15, and one in the wild. Two birds had died since the time of the Tenerife accord. Early 1990 was the low point for conservation of the Spix. Several exchanges of birds based on DNA sexing were made between institutions and individuals to create new breeding pairs. In 1991, another holder, Dr. Hamnerli of Switzerland came forward holding three birds,and brought the captive total to 18.

By late 1999, the captive population of Spix's stood at 60, including large collections at Birds International in the Philippines and the Swiss aviaries of Dr. Hammerli.

In Oct. 2002, a Spix named Presley was discovered in Colorado, and repatriated to Brazil. It was the last Spix ever to be discovered, which had not been among those known in 1987.

The Permanent Committee was dissolved in 2002 due to irreconcilable differences between the parties involved. In 2004 a committee was re-formed and re-structured under the title of “The Working Group for the Recovery of the Spix’s Macaw”.

Between 2001 and 2004, most of the de Dios and Hammerli collections were purchased by His Excellency Sheikh Saoud bin Muhammed bin Ali Al-Thani of Qatar and became Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation. Under the Sheikh were instituted exemplary standards of animal keeping, veterinary care, animal husbandry and stud book records for the conservation of the Spix's.

In the early 2000s, two other oganizations, Association for Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP) in Berlin, Germany and Lymington Foundation in state of Sao Pauo, Brazil, each holding a pair of Spix's, joined the ICMBio breeding program.

In 2007 and 2008, two farms totalling 2780 hectares (6870 acres) in Curaçá, State of Bahia, Brazil were purchased by the Lymington Foundation (with contributions from ACTP and Parrots International) and Al Wabra. These compose a small but important part of the natural habitat of the Spix, in the vicinity where the last known wild Spix nest existed. Efforts to clear the habitat of introduced predators and restore the natural Caraibeira seedlings are ongoing.

A research collaboration between the Loro Parque Fundación of Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain) and the University of Giessen in Germany is using a new artificial insemination technique to help the recovery of the Spix’s Macaw. It was first attempted in the 2009-2010 breeding season and was unsuccessful. The procedure involves electro-ejaculation for collection of sperm, cryopreservation of the sperm, and artificial insemination of the hen, or possibly in-vitro fertilization of an otherwise infertile egg. The technique would be useful not only to increase the number of potential hatchings, but also to create genetic crosses that can't be done "naturally" because of the choosiness of parrots. It can also preserve the genetic heritage of elderly or unpaired cocks among the original wild caught birds (for example Presley at The Lymington Foundation).

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. Highlights of the plan are to increase the captive population to 150 specimens, 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 2013 and 2030.