Tag: spix’s macaw

Archive for spix’s macaw

You are browsing the archives of spix’s macaw.

Spix’s Macaw - an interview with Karen Cheek Justice, Parrot University

By Charlie • January 8, 2009 • No comments yet

In July last year I read an online article (in the July 27th 2008 edition of the Charlotte Observer) which concerned a visit made by Karen Cheek Justice, founder of the Parrot University to the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation in Qatar where she worked with the collection of Spix’s Macaws. I emailed Karen the day [...]

Spix’s Macaw and the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation

By Charlie • January 7, 2009 • 9 comments

When the last Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii disappeared from the wild in October 2000, most observers who knew anything about the species were ready to write it into history. The by now iconic blue macaw was held in captivity in small numbers, but many were illegally obtained birds poached from the last substantial population in [...]

Spix’s Macaw - the world’s rarest parrot

By Charlie • January 6, 2009 • 9 comments

A few days ago I wrote about the Puerto Rican Parrot Amazona vittata, an island endemic which had come perilously close to extinction through a combination of habitat destruction and hunting. Numbers of both wild and aviary birds are now slowly being built up by skilled and dedicated aviculturalists in Puerto Rico and there is [...]

Asides

The Birder’s Report becomes a Species Champion

Excellent news from Larry Jordan, the force behind The Birder’s Report: he’s joined BirdLife’s ‘Preventing Extinctions Programme’ as a Species Champion. The PEP focusses on saving the 192 most threatened birds on the planet, and with supporters with the conservation creds of someone like Larry perhaps it will become far better known in North America than currently. Let’s hope so - and who’ll be next to join I wonder?

First Bird of 2010

What was your first bird of 2010? Let us know in the comments…and, if you wrote a blog post or have a picture of your first bird of the year online somewhere, well, leave a link in the comments too.
Happy New Year from all three of us at 10,000 Birds! And here’s hoping you see many great birds, including lots of lifers, in 2010!

‘Mermaids’ battered by boats

“Each year, about 87 manatees are killed by collisions with boats, the single greatest cause of premature mortalities. This is more than seven times number of manatees that the Fish and Wildlife Service estimates can be killed without impairing the species’ recovery. Meanwhile, boating in Florida is at an all-time high and increasing with more boats in the water…”. Another good example of why the International Year of Biodiversity ought to matter.

Residents Crying Foul…

…over Common Peafowl. Seems that Longboat Key, Florida, has way too many of the gorgeous gregarious birds and has to continually cull the flock. And Longboat Key isn’t the only community in the U.S. with a peafowl problem: apparently California and Texas locations have had issues as well. So introducing non-native birds because they are pretty might not be the best idea? Who would’ve thunk it?