Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!purdue!decwrl!sun!pitstop!sundc!seismo!uunet!mitel!scs!cognos!neptune!stewartw
From: stewartw@neptune.UUCP (Stewart Winter )
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: hookbills, you asked for it, you know, posting to rec.birds...
Message-ID: <393@neptune.UUCP>
Date: 19 Oct 88 22:09:59 GMT
Reply-To: stewartw@neptune.UUCP (Stewart Winter (3830))
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 60


  Someone Said ...
>>Then I heard about how so many birds die for each one that makes it
>>to a pet store, and how more and more species become endangered every year,

>Ya, ya, great.  But take a wild guess as to how many birds die in the wild du
>to natural selection (diseases, predators, hunters).  Millions.  As a matter of
>fact, some formerly endangered species, such as some of the miniature macaws,
>were saved due to the successful breeding and caring of private aviaries.  I
>agree that the rain forests are dwindling, but that isn't due to billions of
>people snatching wild birds.  It is due to the lumber companies and real estate
>developers that think forests will last forever.  Wild cockatoos in Australia
>are abundant in flocks of hundreds of thousands.  They are damaging the
>farmers' crops.  The farmers are shooting them, legally.  Now you can't blame
>that on the American bird owner.  Australia has a very small export rate of
>these birds, and that is very responsible.  It keeps the value of the birds
>high (people tend to take better care of a bigger investment), and keeps avian
>diseases at a minimum.

    Be very careful how you word things.  I can see that you didn't mean to
say it, but your first few sentences almost implies that smuggling is OK.
SMUGGLING OF BIRDS IS A TERRIBLE THING AND SHOULD NEVER BE CONDONED.
The birds suffer greatly in transit and less than 5% usually survive the ordeal.
The birds that are smuggled are not going into preservation.  They are 
in fact smuggled frequently as compensation in drug trafficing.  I don't believe
that the drug world's motives are too noble.

    Now, about Australia's birds.  Many cockatoos (such as Major Mitchell's) are
endangered (gravely).  As such they are placed on the CITES 1 list to which
countries such as the US and Canada have agreed that these animals should not
be removed from their native habitat except in exceptional circumstances.  Now
Australia does have a large number of rare birds and birds which have come back
from the brink of extinction.  I can see where a very black and white law which
prohibits exportation of flora and fauna is easier to manage than one which has
many rules and exceptions.  Many cockatoos are no longer that rare there, but
this business of farmers killing them left, right and centre has been greatly
exaggirated (I believe) by the American bird magazines.  There are two sides
to every story and I think we are only  looking at one of them.  

    The other thing that you should look at is the rules that North American
countries rules for exportation of its wildlife are also quite strict.  We are
not pleased to hear about Arabs taking Peregrine Falcons from the wilds or
even rare reptiles from our swamps.  Do the Australians want to colletct our
wild life?

    I hope that the countries of the world can find some kind of compromise
which will allow species to end up in the hands of serious breeders because
they may provide the best avenue of preservation.  In the mean time, I would
ask that every person interested in birds adopt the harshest stance possible
against smuggling.  If the price looks too good to be true, it just might be.

  Stewart Winter

PS Still looking for info on Macaw (blue and gold) breeding patterns as
   far as temperature, humidity, etc. go.
-- 
Stewart Winter             Cognos Incorporated               P.O. Box 9707
VOICE:  (613) 738-1440     FAX:  (613) 738-0002              3755 Riverside Dr.
UUCP:  uunet!cognos!neptune!stewartw                         Ottawa, Ontario
"The guy with the dogs!"                                     CANADA  K1G 3Z4