Spix’s macaw
My favorite bird, the Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), is one of the world’s rarest birds. The Spix's Macaw is a distinctive, small blue macaw that formerly inhabited gallery woodland in northeastern Brazil but now may be extinct in the wild. After a half-century without any field observations, a tiny population of this species was rediscovered in 1985 in Bahia State. Several of these birds were captured, and the last documented sighting of a wild Spix's occurred in this area in 2000. A small number of birds persists in captivity, and it is hoped that someday captive-breeding efforts could eventually sustain a release program. The primary reasons for decline were habitat destruction and capture for the pet trade. This species inhabits gallery woodland with sufficient numbers of caraiba (Tabebuia caraiba) trees, where it feeds on seeds and fruit. It nests in cavities in caraiba and perhaps other trees. Local movements may occur in response to environmental conditions or food availability.
(more info: Birdlife)
