World’s rarest parrot, extinct in wild, hatches at zoo

By Dean Murray

The world’s rarest parrot, declared extinct in the wild, has hatched at a zoo.

The Spix’s macaw – famous as the character Blu in the film "Rio" – was born at the Centre for the Conservation of Endangered Bird Species at Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium.

Declared extinct in the wild by the IUCN for over 25 years, the species survives today only thanks to intensive global conservation efforts.

Since Pairi Daiza welcomed Spix’s macaws to its conservation center, 100 eggs had been laid, but none had ever been fertilized.

The zoo said: “This 101st egg is therefore a true miracle of life, the result of years of effort and patience. This exceptional success could be linked to a recent change in the birds’ diet.”

Thomas Biagi, rare bird keeper at Pairi Daiza, explained: “Feeding the chick every two hours is exhausting, but also incredibly motivating, because we know we’re literally holding the future of one of the world’s most endangered species in our hands.”

The zoo said its goal is to build a viable and genetically diverse population, with the long-term aim of supporting the species’ survival.