Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!cognos!stewartw
From: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: INDOOR:  Thanks, and gold capped-conures
Message-ID: <9660@cognos.UUCP>
Date: 21 May 91 22:16:42 GMT
References: <1991May16.233434.14751@casbah.acns.nwu.edu> <32962@usc>
Reply-To: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter)
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 78

In article <32962@usc> burhans@mizar.usc.edu (Mustang Sally) writes:
>the discussion of ethical issues about owning them, especially the rare
>ones.

   I guess I believe that there is a great deal of good that aviculture
can do in regards to rare species ... unfortunately we aren't always
doing it.

>As a new birder I recently joined the Audobon society and got my
>first issue of their magazine which has an article about the parrot
>trade. In particular they were focussing on illegal sales of parrots and
>the effect this is having on the native populations of parrots. Very
>interesting and disturbing.

   There are numerous causes of parrot declines in their native
habitats.  They include:
  (a) illegal trapping (for use within the country)
  (b) illegal trapping (for destinations outside the country)
  (c) illegal hunting
  (d) habitat destruction
  (e) diseases (such as PBFD)

   Solving the problem of parrot decline involves taking on each one
of those issues.  We can do quite a bit about problem (b) by encouraging
the purchase of domestic bred (ie bred in country of purchase in captivity)
parrots.  Also, both the AFA (American Federation of Aviculture), PIJAC
(Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council) and WFW (World Wildlife Fund) are
supporting possible federal legislation which would phase out importation 
of birds into the United States over a period of 5 years with some exceptions
(such as qualified breeders, zoos, etc).

   In some situations we can help with (c) (some parrots are caught because
natives use their feathers in traditional ceremonies).  While transport
of feathers of endangered bird is technically illegal, CITES has (as I
understand it) turned a blind-eye to the transport of bird-feathers back
into the native country being run by some organizations (not sure who is
doing this - maybe World Parrot Trust?).

>screaming over various parts of the city. But those always seemed like
>such an anomaly as I have tended to "think" of parrots as belonging
>in cages.

    Yes, parrots do belong in the wild, but they can also lead fulfilling 
lives in captivity.  It would be a tragedy if these birds disappeared
from their native habitats.  If you would like some positive news, try
to get info the the RARE Center's efforts in St. Lucia, St. Vincent and
Dominica.  In these countries, native parrot populations are actually
increasing because the people living there are giving the parrots that
opportunity.

>At the Audobon bookstore they have a book called Parrots, A Natural History
>that I glanced thru and it seems real interesting. One of its first point
>was that people don't tend to think of parrots as real birds. It has many
>beautiful pictures of parrots in their natural settings.

   I would also recommend reading some of Tony Silva's (curator at Loro Parque)
writings as he has spent a great deal of time studying parrots in their 
native habitats.

>Meantime I hope that people who
>are responsible continue to breed parrots that are rare with a hope to
>someday releasing them.

   This is a great ideal, but may be difficult to implement in practice.
Attempts to reintroduce the Thick-Billed Parrot have not been terribly
successful to-date.  The captive bred birds have no concept of preditor
evasion (many died by flying right in front of hawks) and have difficulty
recognizing food hanging on a tree that was previously served up in a bowl.
They are trying again with the Thick-Billed and are putting more effort into
it.  Optimistic estimates put survival rates somewhere around 20% in
the first year (I have no idea how this compares to natural survival rates).

  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 .... Timneh Parrot                  CANADA  K1G 3Z4