Blu, the blue bird in the movie Rio, is a Spix’s macaw, also known as the little blue macaw.

Species details

Spix’s macaw is a rare species of blue parrot native to Brazil and is sometimes simply called a blue macaw. In the film, Blu is specifically portrayed as a domesticated male Spix’s macaw taken to Rio de Janeiro to help save his endangered species.

Conservation status

Spix’s macaw was declared extinct in the wild in the early 2000s due mainly to habitat loss and trapping. Conservation programs have since worked on breeding and reintroducing these macaws to their natural habitat in Brazil.