The Spixs macaw achieved onscreen fame in 20th Century Foxs Rio as a charming parrot named Blu who travels thousands of miles in an attempt to save his species.
But a study released this week found that the Brazilian bird is now extinct in the wild.
The Spixs macaw is one of eight bird species, half of them in Brazil, confirmed extinct or suspected extinct in the report from BirdLife International. Deforestation is a leading cause of the Spixs macaws disappearance from its natural habitat, according to the report.
For the first time, extinctions on the mainland are outpacing those on islands, the study says.
Ninety percent of bird extinctions in recent centuries have been of species on islands, said Stuart Butchart, BirdLifes chief scientist and the papers lead author. However, our results confirm that there is a growing wave of extinctions sweeping across the continents, driven mainly by habitat loss and degradation from unsustainable agriculture and logging.
In the 2011 movie, Blu was raised in captivity and travels from Minnesota to Brazil with his owner to repopulate his species with the last wild female of their kind, Jewel. But the movie was 11 years too late, the study found, as Jewel likely wouldve died in 2000.
That doesnt mean all hope is lost for birds like Blu. The report says that although the species is extinct in the wild, 60 to 80 Spixs macaws still live in captivity.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the production company behind “Rio.” It is 20th Century Fox. Ad Feedback Ad Feedback Ad Feedback Ad Feedback Ad Feedback Ad Feedback
But by combining them with Illiger’s macaws, which were essentially just wild birds temporarily housed in captivity, the Spix gain an intelligent and vigilant native species to help them find food and warn them of any approaching predators. .
Now that each bird has a radio transmitter attached to it, they are being closely watched. “If all goes well, we plan to release an additional 12 Spix’s macaws in December,” stated White.
The outlook for the Spix’s macaw twenty years ago could not have been more dire. There are now only a few dozen of these unique parrots in collectors’ cages around the world after the last member of the species vanished from the wild. To put it mildly, the outlook for Cyanopsitta spixii was not good.
These birds will all be of reproductive age. In order to encourage the birds to start mating the following year and eventually establish breeding territories in the area, we have also made sure that there are multiple nest cavities, both natural and artificial, in the area.
However, Spix’s macaws, which have bright blue plumage and grey heads, have made an incredible resurgence because of an incredible global rescue effort. After being set free in its former homeland of Brazil one month ago, the flock is now flying freely over that country. Conservationists hope to release more parrots later this year and that they will begin breeding in the wild in the spring.
According to the study, extinctions on land are now surpassing those on islands for the first time.
But a study released this week found that the Brazilian bird is now extinct in the wild.
That does not imply that birds like Blu are without hope. Despite being extinct in the wild, 60 to 80 Spix’s macaws are said to still survive in captivity, according to the report.
The 2011 film follows Blu, who was raised in captivity, as he and his owner journey from Minnesota to Brazil in order to repopulate Blu’s species with Jewel, the last wild female of her kind. However, the study concluded that the film was 11 years too late because Jewel would have most likely passed away in 2000.
Correction: The production company behind “Rio” was incorrectly mentioned in an earlier version of this story. ” It is 20th Century Fox. Advertising feedback, advertising feedback, advertising feedback, advertising feedback
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