The conservation of Spix's macaw

Abstract

An expedition recently mounted in north-eastern Brazil gathered evidence strongly indicating that Spix's macaw Cyanopsitta spixii is effectively extinct in the wild. The only hope of saving the species from total extinction now rests with the small captive population. Fieldwork suggested that habitat degradation played a part in the decline of the species and it was concluded that habitat conservation should be a major consideration in future efforts to save it. A fully integrated conservation package is proposed that reflects the multiplicity of conservation needs of Spix's macaw .