Parrot Spix's Macaw was thought to be extinct - German saves bird species

Created: 06/14/2022, 13:54

By: Nina Marie Jarosch

The Spix's Macaw was thought to be extinct, but now, thanks to a German, one of the world's rarest birds is back.

Curaçá (Brazil) – The Spix's Macaw was in very bad shape in the 1990s, as the beautiful blue parrot was thought to be all but extinct in the wild.

But bird conservationists, scientists and last but not least a parrot enthusiast from Germany did not want to accept that.

Now, after 20 years, eight young Spix's Macaws have been released to their homeland of Brazil.

Parrot Spix's Macaw was thought to be extinct - Thanks to Germans, it's back

Thought to be extinct in the wild for over 20 years, the Spix's Macaw has now returned.

(Iconic image) © Patrick Pleul/dpa

It is not only one of the most beautiful but also one of the rarest birds in the whole world.

And that is exactly what has become fatal for the Spix's Macaw.

"The rarer it got, the more it became a kind of status symbol," bird conservationist Nigel Collar told Science magazine.

"The very wealthy, very passionate collectors really wanted one and they would do almost anything to get one."

In the end there was only one male left in the wild until the last of the parrot species disappeared.

His sad story was the inspiration for the Disney film Rio.

In 1996 there were only 39 Spix's Macaws left, all of them living in captivity.

Because most of the remaining animals are closely related and only nine of the birds come from the wild, sustainable breeding is considered impossible.

To make matters worse, none of the collectors want to give away a bird for offspring.

In 2019, the rare blue parrot will be officially declared extinct.

But not everyone wants to accept that.

The population of lion tamarins is also considered endangered, so the offspring in Cologne Zoo is considered a minor sensation.

Parrot Spix's Macaw was considered extinct - German club succeeds in breeding

The German businessman Martin Guth wants to ensure the continued existence of the extraordinary and rare birds.

Together with the species protection association ACTP, he is building up sustainable breeding for Spix's macaws near Berlin.

For this he had to work on parrot collectors for years and convince them of the urgency of the matter.

In the end, he succeeds in the impossible and the breeding turns out to be a success: in 2020, the first 52 Spix's Macaws will be flown to Brazil in a private jet.

Nobody wants the featherless lady parrot Fefe until she finds a loving home.

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Parrot Spix's Macaw was considered extinct - Eight animals released into the wild

Last Saturday the time had finally come.

The first eight captive Spix's Macaws have been released into the wild in northeastern Brazil, in the Caatinga semi-desert, the birds' original home.

More are to follow in the course of the year.

Conservationists now hope that there will soon be a strong base population of free-living Spix's Macaws again.

An important first step in preserving the survival of these fascinating and rare birds.