Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!intercon!news From: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: INDOOR Re: Pet Macaw Questions / Combatting extinction? Message-ID: <281DB0E4.1A5C@intercon.com> Date: 30 Apr 91 18:01:07 GMT References: Sender: usenet@intercon.com (USENET The Magnificent) Reply-To: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry) Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation, Herndon, VA Lines: 60 In article , pratt@blaze.rutgers.edu (Lorien Y. Pratt) writes: > I am very interested in this idea, because I'm a bird watcher, > intrigued by the idea of owning a bird of my own, but full of guilt at > the thought of contributing to the unhappiness of an animal that is > meant to fly cooped up in my home. Because of this, I've never really > considered birds as pets. But here's what seems like a sound reason > that might offset this issue. My firm belief is that the only unhappy bird is a wild caught bird who had spent time flying free and was captured, stuffed in a crate where half of his cratemates died, then stuffed in a small cage in quarantine, then to a pet shop, then from home to home because people didn't realize what they were getting. > > Say I get a hyacinth Macaw (from a breeder of course) at some point in > my life (it would be at least a year from now). Say I have a house > with a great big cage, like Mikki recommends, and I get a second Macaw > and have a hand at breeding them, and raising their babies. I keep one > baby as a pet (hand feed it and all) and sell off the babies from the > adults. Am I now a captive breeding program for an endangered species, > and am I thereby contributing to the long-term viability of this > magnificent bird? If so, I think that this fact could offset any fears > I have (unfounded?) of the birds being ``unhappy'' outside of their > natural environments. Well, if it were that easy, they wouldn't be endangered. Seriously! Breeding birds is very unlike breeding cats and dogs. It is very very difficult. But, ok, let's suppose you were successful and your birds had young. Here's your dilema. If you take the chicks to hand feed, they will be suitable for the pet trade and will hopefully save a wild bird from being caught and caged. The baby will know you as its parent and will want love and affection. If released, he will eventually fly to a human for food, etc. If you let the parents raise the bird, it could then be used as a breeder later (totally unafraid of humans most likely) or it could possible be released into the wild when the habitat is stabilized. One of my big reasons for breeding birds is that I am keeping wild birds out of the pet trade. I am also trying to perpetuate endangered species. This is very rewarding to me. > Even if all this is possible, I'd still have some questions though: > > o Are there other birds whose extinction might be avoided by people keeping > them as pets? Any North American species? (what about licenses)? North American birds cannot be kept to be bred except under very special circumstances and yes, licenses are usually required. > o Are there any efforts to re-release these kinds of birds back into the wild? A few effort are underway to release parrots. For example, there is a program for the release of Military Macaws. > o How hard is it to breed birds/how much of a commitment am I talking > about? See above. Lots of hard work. Lots of heartbreak. Lots of money to give them what they need. I would not recommend it lightly.