Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!cognos!stewartw From: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: INDOOR Re: Pet Macaw Questions / Combatting extinction? Message-ID: <9593@cognos.UUCP> Date: 1 May 91 22:07:09 GMT References: <1970001@hpgrla.gr.hp.com> <281C417E.44E@intercon.com> Reply-To: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada Lines: 74 In article pratt@blaze.rutgers.edu (Lorien Y. Pratt) writes: >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. Basically, you would indeed be contributing in a very positive way. If you consider that the habitat destruction (as well as poaching pressures) is going to see these birds disappear from the wild, then until we can re-establish their environment, captive programmes are the only solution. Given that these animals are desired by people as pets (and do make good pets), it seems reasonable to releave zoos of the burden of maintaining these species. >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)? Leaving aside North American species, there are many birds other than psitticines which are endangered. However, other than finches, there is virtually no pet-market (which makes non-zoo captive breeding programmes viable). Also, many of these birds are extremely difficult to breed and really require the expertise available at a zoo (or a lifetime of dedication). >o Are there any efforts to re-release these kinds of birds back into the wild? The problem of course is where to release them. I think that if countries like Costa Rica can 'save their rainforest', then they could be sent back. Unless native populations have dwindled to almost nothing they would repopulate. >o How hard is it to breed birds/how much of a commitment am I talking > about? I'll avoid the obvious stuff (food,sanitation,space,noise) and get to some meatier issues. Breeding is part science/part art. Two birds thrust together will not necessarily be a good pair. We have a pair of B&Gs that hatched 3 of 4 eggs and fed all 3 babies for 3 weeks. This is not the norm for captive macaws, BUT these birds were in a zoo where they picked each others as mates. The success of a pair really depends on how well they like each other. Keep in mind that these are intelligent animals who have preferences. Few people have the resources to do selective breeding (where the birds choose their own mates) with large parrots. So you must prepare yourself for many failures. Also, you must provide the birds with environment that they need. Most like quiet, but some like noise. Some pairs need the stimulation of other birds; some do not. Temperature, light, humidity, food variety are often key players in triggering breeding and hitting the combination for one pair may not do anything for the pair sitting beside them. Lastly, you must consider the risks. Large parrots are expensive, and you must be able to accept the possibility that one of the birds may become unsuitable for breeding (illness, bad habits like kills mate, sterile, etc) and that your purchase may never yield anything. Most breeders work their way up to large parrots or are wealthy enough to buy more than one pair (if need be) (I wish I was in the latter category rather than the former). hope this helps Stewart -- Stewart Winter Cognos Incorporated S-mail: P.O. Box 9707 VOICE: (613) 738-1338 x3830 FAX: (613) 738-0002 3755 Riverside Drive UUCP: stewartw%cognos.uucp@ccs.carleton.ca Ottawa, Ontario The bird of the day is .... Illiger's Macaw CANADA K1G 3Z4