The Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), also referred as Little Blue Macaw, is the world’s most endangered parrot with the last known individual in the wild having been last seen in October 2000. The species is categorized as Critically Endangered (possibly extinct in the wild) on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) red list of threatened species. Spix’s Macaws were endemic to Brazil in the Curaca region of the State of Bahia. In March 2007, the total number of publicly declared Spix’s Macaws in captivity was 75, and 69 of these were captive bred. As of July 2007, a population of 51 birds is in the care of Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP), representing approximately 65% of the extant Spix’s Macaw population in captivity.AWWP has achieved success in breeding these highly endangered birds in captivity, with 2 chicks in 2004, 3 in 2005, 7 in 2006, and 3 in 2007 being hatched and reared at AWWP. Since 2004, AWWP has worked closely with other organisations breeding Spix’s Macaws in captivity, under the coordination of umbrella organisation IBAMA, representing the Brazilian government, as part of the “Working Group for the Recovery of the Spix’s Macaw”. The ultimate objective of this collaborative effort is the re-establishment of a self-sustaining population of Spix’s Macaws in its native Caatinga habitat.

In parallel to its captive breeding effort, AWWP is also keen to contribute to in-situ conservation efforts for the Spix’s Macaw in Brazil. Towards this end, AWWP has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to fund captive breeding activities of the Lymington Foundation in Brazil, as well as provide financial support towards an adult education program at the Little Blue School (Spix Macaw school) in Curaca, an institution built to provide primary and secondary education to the people of the region. The latter initiative has been quite successful in not only raising public awareness about the Spix’s recovery program, but also in bolstering public opinion in the region for the conservation and future re-establishment of the species.