Spix’s Macaw

Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), also known as the little blue macaw, is a macaw species that was endemic to Brazil. It is a member of the tribe Arini in the subfamily Arinae (Neotropical parrots), part of the family Psittacidae (the true parrots). The IUCN formally declared this bird extinct in the wild in 2019 after a multi-year assessment found that it had totally vanished from its natural range. It is a medium-sized parrot that weighs about 300 grams, making it lighter than the majority of huge macaws. It has a grey-blue head, light blue underparts, and vibrant blue upper parts, giving it a multi-hued look.

The species lived in riparian Caraibeira (Tabebuia aurea) woodland galleries in the Rio So Francisco drainage basin in interior northeastern Brazil's Caatinga dry forest environment. Due to its reliant nature on the tree for roosting, foraging, and nesting, its natural habitat was quite constrained. It mostly consumes the seeds and nuts of Caraiba and different Euphorbiaceae (spurge) bushes, which make up the majority of Caatinga's vegetation. The bird was rare in the wild for much of the twentieth century because of deforestation in its small range and specialized habitat. It has always been quite uncommon in captivity, in part because of how far away its natural area is.