News from ACTP: their Spix's Macaws produced two fertile eggs, which hatched successfully on 18th and 21st January

I have just had news from ACTP in Germany that the Spix's Macaws there produced two fertile eggs, which hatched successfully on 18th and 21st January. The male - Ritchie - was returned to Germany last September year after failing to breed at the Lymington Foundation in Brazil where he had been on breeding loan since early in 2007. Altogether the pair produced four eggs, one of which was infertile. The three fertile eggs were removed and placed in an incubator. As stated above two hatched, but the third apparently had its umbilical cord tightly wound around its head and it could not pick the shell. The two surviving hatchlings are being hand-reared.

The adults have re-commenced breeding behaviour and ACTP expects that they will lay a second clutch soon. The female is incidentally the mother of Frieda, who hatched in December 2008 (see below). I congratulate all at ACTP on this breeding success so soon after Ritchie's return.