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Status in the Wild

World Population:
<50, all in captivity.

Range: Formerly Rio Sao Franscisco Valley, northern Bahia, Brazil.

Habitat:
Required gallery woodland with Tabebuia caraiba trees along seasonal creeks in the caatinga for nesting; fed on Euphoribacae trees.

Threat Summary:
Trapping for wild bird trade and habitat loss.

IUCN Rating:
Critically endangered (extinct in the wild).

Wild Diet:
Seeds of Cnidoscolus phyllacanthus and Jatropha pohlianna, seeds and fruit of Melanoxylon, fruit of Maytenus rigida and Ziziphus joazeiro and possibly nuts.

CITES Rating:
Appendix I

Ecology:
Formerly used well-used flight paths to and from food sources; until 1980s were strongly gregarious.

Clutch and Egg Size:
2 to 3 eggs, 35.0 x 29.0mm (1.4 x 1.1 in).

Breeding Season:
November-March.

Project Status (WPT):
WPT has helped to fund an expedition to search for remaining Spix's Macaws in the wild and also facilitated the transfer of a pet Spix's to join the captive breeding program in Brazil.
See: http://www.parrots.org/index.php/ourwork/pp_spixmacaw/

More Info Sites:
http://www.bluemacaws.org/spixart.htm

http://www.parrotsociety.org.au/images/magazinelinks/PSOANovDec07-2.pdf

http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1647%2F2007-004R.1,br>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spix%27s_Macaw