Experts are celebrating a massive conservation win after a bird no longer found in the wild managed to reproduce in captivity.
A pair of Spix's macaws at the Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium have added a new member to their small population. According to IFL Science, a healthy chick was born due to the efforts of the zoo's breeding program.
The birds had hatched 100 unsuccessful eggs before this one.
The Spix's macaw, with its vibrant blue feathers and grey head, faced the wrath of habitat destruction and illegal poaching until the species was wiped out.
The last wild Spix's macaw was seen in 2000. The American Bird Conservancy says that in 2019, the species was officially deemed extinct. While some Spix's macaws remained in captivity, they had been entirely wiped out of their habitat in Brazil.
On the bright side, the Spix's macaw has long been taken care of in zoos and conservation centers. There are about 180 birds surviving in captivity.
Breeding programs have proven semi-successful for the Spix's macaw, though efforts are ongoing. They have been reintroduced in the wild in some areas, like in Curaçá in the Brazilian state of Bahia, according to Mongabay.
While the newborn Spix's macaw will not be released into the wild, the birth of the bird is exciting for conservation efforts. It will be used in the breeding program from which it was born to support the growth of the species' population.
Macaws have an important ecological role in Brazil. They are responsible for seed dispersal, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine Journal.
As members of the species continue to be reintroduced into their habitat, the Spix's macaw can rejoin fellow macaws in moving seeds across the landscape. Before they can be reintroduced, though, the birds have to be raised and bred.
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Definitely 👍 The descendants of Pairi Daiza zoo's newborn Spix's macaw could likely find themselves back in their native habitat. There, they will add beauty to the shrublands with their vibrant coloring and the plants they help disperse.
Rare bird keeper at the Pairi Daiza zoo, Thomas Biagi, has been tirelessly taking care of the new Spix's macaw.
In a statement on the zoo's website, he said, "Feeding the chick every two hours is exhausting, but also incredibly motivating, because we know we're literally holding the future of one of the world's most endangered species in our hands."
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