Written By Sophia Millinghausen and Teddy Bahnck (6th Grade)
What is the Spix’s Macaw?
The Spix’s macaw is a severely endangered species of bird. It once inhabited the jungles of Brazil. Known for its vibrant and distinct feathers, the Spix’s macaw is a truly beautiful creature. However, the population of these magnificent blue birds are dwindling quickly. If we don't take action soon, we may lose these resplendent birds of the Brazilian jungles
History & Behavior
Commonly, Spix’s macaws’ stay in small family groups or pairs of two. They are also quite smart, following a careful routine even in the wild; from flight paths to bathing times. Spix’s macaws are also known to mimic other animals. They were usually reported in northeastern Brazil. This admirable bird’s diet consisted mainly of ordinary nuts and seeds in their area, such as species of mistletoe and flowering plants.
Most recently, they were seen in the movie Rio. Although referred to as simply blue birds, it is heavily implied that these birds are indeed Spix’s macaws due to their color and low population in the movie, similar to the real world.
Due to them disappearing from the wild before we could take action, there was not a ton of information and studies about them before they were on the brink of extinction. To put it bluntly, a majority of scientists in the late 1800s simply did not care enough about endangered animals to worry about the Spix’s macaw and report the misfortune. Additionally, most Spix’s were traded as rare parrots, and wealthy collectors would buy them.
By the time scientists and biologists started to worry about the ecosystem and study animals, the Spix Macaw was already on the brink of extinction. There was only a single male Spix Macaw in captivity, thought to be the only one in the world. The last bird found companionship with a similar macaw, the blue-winged macaw.
Soon the population grew, and is still slowly reviving. The exact number of the Spix's macaw is currently a bit of a mystery, since most of the people who have the birds are private owners, or are owned by Brazilian companies. However, it is implied the biggest flock is kept in Germany, owned by the ACTP.¹
What happened to them?
Although it seems like the Spix’s macaw may seem like it has no effect on us as humans, the reason why the Spix’s macaw died out is just one of the many signs that we are destroying our planet.
There are many reasons why the Spix’s macaw might’ve died out, however the biggest reason is deforestation. You might’ve heard about this about a million times in your life and think that you don’t have to worry about it, but deforestation is leaving the birds with no homes and are killing them. Without trees, they are unable to nest and reproduce, or hide from predators.
Another thing that caused their numbers to dwindle is invasive species. Feral cats, marmosets, and mongooses steal their eggs as food, or hunt the birds themselves.
What can I do?
There's plenty of stuff you can do to prevent the extinction of the Spix’s macaw. First you can donate to organizations advocating against deforestation. Even just a penny can help any organizations go against the cutting of trees.
Additionally, keep your cats or other creatures on your property if possible. Most cats hunt when they’re outside, and can resort to native wildlife, even if its not the Spix’s macaw.
Glossary
¹ATCP: Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots
You can learn more about the conservation of these macaws here: https://spixsmacaw.org/index.php/2017/03/02/actp/
