From the makers of Ica Age The Movie comes new release 'Rio'. This
fun packed family animation features a rare blue macaw parrot called
Blu. He thinks he is the last parrot of his breed, so when he hears that
there is one surviving female, he heads down to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
to hook up with the feisty Jewel. The movie features Ann Hathaway as
Jewel and Jesse Eisenberg as Blu. Itwas premiered in Rio on March 25.
Blu is based on a real blue Brazilian parrot, The Spix's Macaw.
What kind of parrot is Blu? 'Blu' is based on Spix's Macaw; an almost
extinct blue macaw parrot from Brazil. Like Blu and Jewel, the real
Spix's Macaws are bright blue with a slightly lighter blue on their head
and under parts. The underside of the wings and tail are black. Adults
have black beak and feet but young Spix's Macaws often have a white
stripe down the center. These Brazilian parrots are 55-57 cm long and
live for 20-30 years in the wild. When mating they make a noise like
"whichaka" by creating a low rumble in the abdomen bringing the sound up
to a high pitched end of the vocal cords. These bright and noisy birds
are unfortunately easy to spot by smugglers.
The Loneliest Bird in the World The story of the last Spix's parrot
is a sad and poignant story. In the 1980s, naturalists thought the Macaw
had disappeared. Then, in 1985, 5 birds were found in Bahia, Brazil.
Unfortunately, by 1990, four had either died or been caught by trappers.
This left only one 10-year-old male living along in the semi-arid
Caatinga area. For 10 years, conservationists and naturalists observed
this lonely bird, keeping close tabs on its movements in order to record
how this almost extinct bird lived. In 2000 the Brazilian Institute for
the Environment and Natural Renewable Resources (IBAMA) sadly announced
that the last Spix's Macaw had disappeared. After two months of
searching, the Institute concluded that the last Little Blue Macaw had
probably died.
Why did Spix's Parrot become extinct? Spix's Macaw comes from just
one area of Brazil: the dry Caatinga area of north Bahia state, Brazil.
It is there that the Caraibiera riparian woodland, and favourite nesting
place of the birds, grows along the river banks. When much of the land
was cleared for cattle raising, the birds' natural habitat was greatly
reduced. Poaching was probably what wiped out the Spinx's Macaw in the
wild, though. Despite being highly illegal, poachers would capture these
beautiful birds to sell overseas as pets for as much as $40, 000.
Is this the end of the story for Spix's Macaw? The future for Blu's
breed is happily, not so bleak. Conservation efforts are focused on
buying farms in the Caatinga area and allowing the land to revert to its
natural state; providing a habitat for Spix's Macaw and other
endangered birds.
The biggest focus is on an international breeding program. There are
currently 85 parrots in captivity inlcuing 4 in Sao Paolo Zoo and 56 at
the Al-Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP), Quatar. Thanks to the last
lonely Spix's Macaw, breeders have lots of information on how the bird
behaved in the wild and the hope is that in the future, the Little Blue
Macaw will again fly freely in the Carabibeira ribarian woodlands of
Bahia.
Bahia, Brazil Spix's Macaws come from one of the most beautiful and
fascinating parts of South America; Bahia,Brazil. Bahia's main city,
Salvador is a vibrant city with a historical center, beautiful beaches
and a lively tradition of street music and dance. There are crystal
clear waters in the diving and snorkeling center of Parque Nacional
Marinho de Abrolhos and the stunning interior in Parque Nacional da
Chapada Diamantina is a trekkers paradise.
