Ararinha-azul pode voltar à Caatinga em 2019

Este seria o ano da primeira soltura de animais de cativeiro na região de Curaçá (BA), segundo um plano anunciado ontem pelo MMA para reintroduzir a espécie na natureza, em parceria com criadores estrangeiros.

Ararinhas-azuis no criadouro Al Wabra, no Catar. Foto: Herton Escobar/Estadão ©

O Ministério do Meio Ambiente (MMA) anunciou ontem um plano de cinco anos para reintroduzir a ararinha-azul no seu hábitat original: a caatinga do norte da Bahia. Considerada extinta na natureza há mais de 15 anos, a espécie (Cyanopsitta spixii) que inspirou a história do filme Rio só existe hoje em cativeiro, e a maioria dos exemplares está em criadouros particulares fora do Brasil. Read more.

Pesquisadores trazem ararinha-azul para reproduzir no Brasil

Das 110 ararinhas registradas no mundo, 86 pertecem ao criadouro privado de um sheik no Catar. O pássaro é uma espécie da caatinga brasileira que está extinta na natureza há 15 anos. Read more.

Spix´s Macaw Fact File 2010 – English

Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii

Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation Fact File

Life Span:

Estimated 20-30 years in nature and 20-40 years in captivity.

The last known wild individual was known to be at least 20 years old, at the time of its disappearance. There is one Spix’s Macaws in captivity which hatched in 1976 and is the oldest recorded individual of the species.

Spix’s Macaws in Captivity

Currently there is approximately 93 individual Spix’s Macaw in captivity.  79 of these are participating in an international breeding program managed by the Institute Chico Mendes of Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the natural heritage branch of the Brazilian Government. Most of these are managed at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP), State of Qatar. The population is experiencing very slow growth; primarily due to the low viability (approximately 10%) of eggs laid as a result of extreme close relatedness of all Spix’s Macaws in the world.

In the last 8 years; 33 Spix’s Macaws have been bred at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, 5 in Spain and 5 in Germany. All of these chicks have been hand-reared by experienced staff, since it is considered a safer option than parent-rearing and the priority at the moment is to increase the population. When the captive population is considered more secure, breeding pairs will be given the opportunity to raise some of their own young. Read more.