Spix's Macaw by Ken _Gilliland
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
Spix's Macaw is now believed to be extinct in the wild. It was found near the Rio São Francisco in north Bahia, Brazil and named after the German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix, who discovered the species in 1817. It fed upon on Euphorbiaceae plant species in the rain forest canopy.
The reason for it's decline to around 50 remaining birds in captivity is two fold. The primary reason for the decline is poaching for the Pet Trade. While many birds breed well in captivity, Spix's Macaw do not.
The other issue is a breeding problem with macaws in the wild. Macaws are cavity breeders and after the introduction of Africanized "Killer" bees, the bees displaced the Macaw nests, causing the macaw wild population to plummet.
The Spix's Macaw is one of 17 in-trouble bird species in my upcoming "Threatened, Endangered, Extinct 3".
Rendered in Poser 7 Pro without postwork. Models: Enchanted Forest (Stonemason), Spix's Macaw (me)

Comments (17)
so lovely and colorful,nicely done
That looks almost like a photo, fantastic work!
~Very beautiful and photorealistic!~
Klasse Render! Ich dachte doch wirklich zuerst, das es ein Foto ist. 10+
Wonderful render! Those feathers!
Just one word... WOW! Looks so real!!
most excellent Ken well done my friend
Wonderful birds and a great render! So realistic! :o)
Beautiful render and modeling
This is such a beautiful bird! It would be a great tragedy for it to become extinct! Wonderful model!
Wonderful render, it looks like a lot of work and it was worth every minute, great!
So real looking and beautiful.
Another sad story. I can see why it's beauty is causing it to be captured for the pet trade. What an absolute shame.
an extraordinary work and model.
Oh awesome bird!! I love the colors on this species. :)
What incredible realism in this wonderful model! Superb work! I think it is really special that you do your threatened/extinct/endangered series as so many would never know of these beauties.
Wow, such a beautiful render of this amazing Macaw - I never knew about the African bees affecting their nest sites. Seems strange as here in South Africa the parrots (eg Cape and brown-headed) so not seem affected by the bees, but I may not be well informed on this. Man messing with nature takes a huge cost and this Spix's Macaw is a desperately sad loss (to the wild ecosystems).