(CNN)The Spix’s macaw achieved onscreen fame in Disney’s “Rio” as a charming parrot named Blu who travels thousands of miles in an attempt to save his species.
But a study released this week found that the Brazilian bird is now extinct in the wild.
The Spix’s macaw is one of eight bird species, half of them in Brazil, confirmed extinct or suspected extinct in the report from BirdLife International. Deforestation is a leading cause of the Spix’s macaw’s disappearance from its natural habitat, according to the report.
