Spix’s Macaw Habitat Purchase and Restoration Project

Gangorra Farm, Curaça, Brazil

Cyanopsitta spixii

The Spix's Macaw, Cyanopsitta spixii, has been extinct in the wild since the last solitary male disappeared from the Melancia Creek watershed south of Curaça, Brazil in October 2000. The future of the Spix's is now determined by efforts to reintroduce the Spix’s Macaw into its historical habitat. As of the end of 2016 there are over 125 Spix’s Macaws held within the breeding consortium of the Spix’s Macaw Association. The Spix’s Macaw Association consists of Parrots International, Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (Qatar), The Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP – German), and the Brazilian Government.  

These organizations have unequivocally demonstrated their desire to see the future reintroduction of the Spix's to its historical habitat. Additionally, Parrots International also serves as a member of the Advisory Group for the Recovery of the Spix's Macaw, by appointment by the Ministry of the Environment of Brazil.

In August of 2006 Parrots International volunteers, Mark and Marie Stafford, self-financed a research trip to the historical habitat of the Spix's Macaws near Curaça, Brazil. This Parrots International trip, with the direction and knowledge of Dr. Yara de Melo Barros. Ph.D., led to the identification of an area with the option to purchase, of prime historical Spix's Macaw habitat, known as the Gangorra Farm.

Parrots International introduced the idea of the purchase of Gangorra Farm for a Spix's Macaw Reserve to the Working Group for the Recovery of the Spix's Macaw, held at the Sao Paulo Zoo in November of 2006. Mark and Marie Stafford, had earlier self-financed a research trip to the historical habitat of the Spix's Macaws near Curaça, Brazil. This Parrots International trip, with the direction and knowledge of Dr. Yara de Melo Barros. Ph.D., led to the identification of an area with the option to purchase, of prime historical Spix's Macaw habitat, known as the Gangorra Farm.

The Working Group for the Spix's Macaw, a consultant group to ICMBio, consisted of the foremost parrot conservation experts; the Spix's Macaw holders; and involved conservation organizations. At the meeting of the Working Group, Parrots International proposed the formation of a group of partners to purchase Gangorra Farm. It is this partnership that ultimately united for the negotiations, funding and purchase of the Gangorra farm for the future reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw into the wild.

 On Valentine's Day, 2007, the historical Spix's habitat of Gangorra Farm, totally 400 hectares (1000 acres), was purchased by the partnership of Parrots International, The Association for the Conservation of Endangered Parrots (ACTP Germany) and Lymington Foundation (Brazil). The three partners pledged that the purchase of Gangorra was to be managed for and by the Spix's Macaw Conservation Efforts approved by the Brazilian Government.  Mark and Marie Stafford of Parrots International donated US $10,000 of personal funds through Parrots International, Martin Guth of ACTP (one of the Spix's holders) matched with $10,000. However, people and organizations outside of Brazil can not legally "own" property. Parrots International and ACTP therefore asked Bill and Linda Wittcoff, directors of the Lymington Foundation (Parrots International's partner NGO in Brazil), to have Lymington "hold" the property for the ultimate benefit of the Spix's Macaw conservation effort. Lymington agreed to accepted title with the understanding that the future use and title of the land would be directed by Spix's acaw conservation project members appointed and approved by the Brazilian Government. As their share of the partnership Lymington Foundation (Bill and Linda Wittkoff) agreed to cover the legal and real estate costs to insure that proper legal title would be obtained. The partnership provided that in the future legal title to Gangorra Farm will transfer to the Spix's Macaw Reserve.

In 2009 AWWP negotiated the purchase of the farm adjacent to Gangorra Farm called Concordia Farm. The contiguous Gangorra and Concordia Farms represent 7,000 acres of habitat protected and reserved for the future reintroduction of the Spix’s Macaw. Once legal title is obtained, Gangorra Farm will be incorporated into the Spix's Macaw Reserve at Concordia Farm. The partnership would gladly accept additional partners to move forward with the habitat restoration of Gangorra and additional land purchase for the Spix’s Macaw Reserve.