More Spix’s macaws released into the wild in Brazil

More good news from Brazil. The second soft release of Spix’s macaws into the wild started last Friday, 9th December. This time twelve Spix’s macaws and nine Illiger’s macaws were involved.  The ACTP team in Brazil, the ICMBio team and wildlife biologist Tom White have been preparing for this event for weeks. In the morning a group of interested people gathered in anticipation of Dr. Cromwell Purchase, ACTP Director Brazil and manager of the Spix’s Macaw Release Centre, feeding the parrots in the release aviary and shortly after that opening the aviary doors. After four Illiger’s macaws, which accompany the Spix’s macaws as a teaching species during the release, left the aviary immediately afterwards, the first Spix’s macaw and others followed at intervals of a few minutes at around 7 a.m. 

With this release there are more Spix’s macaws flying in the skies of Brazil than were ever seen in the wild before they became extinct in the wild. The ACTP team is working on the next major step. 40 Spix’s macaws will be moved from Germany to Brazil early next year to increase the population there and be prepared for release iinto their natural habitat.