Abstract
What is Aviculture?
T he term "aviculturist" has commonly been applied to people in the private sector. In actuality, it applies to anyone that is raising birds and would include zoological bird curators as well as government bird breeding facility managers. This article takes a brief look at how aviculture can fit into the conservation picture.
Who are Aviculturists?
Aviculturists are a diverse group of people. Some have a few pairs of birds while others have large collections. Some specialize in one family, genus or species of birds, while others have mixed collections. In general, aviculturists who concentrate their efforts on one or two species can usually make a greater contribution to species preservation than those who have large mixed collections.
Specialist aviculturists concentrating on a particular group of birds can accumulate vast amounts of vital information and frequently network with other aviculturists on a world wide c
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basis. Groups of these specialists often ~
form special interest organizations ~ such as the Whooping Crane ~ Association, the Trumpeter Swan ~ Society or the World Parrot Trust. All of ~
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these groups are useful for dissernina- tE
tion of information to aid in the propagation of birds and education of aviculturists and the public.
Specialist associations can be of great benefit to ornithologists and field biologists who may spend years tracking down large numbers of birds in the wild to attempt studies which could easily be carried out in a captive setting. Often, provided that the constraints of the breeding season are respected, a large amount of data can be collected in one year's time with several aviculturists' participation. Information on sexual dimorphism, courtship, nesting behavior, nest building, clutch size, egg calibrations,
weight gains, feeding of young, weaning age can all be collected in aviary settings. Eventually DNA, hormone and aging srudies may be carried out. Captive bird photography often reveals what a researcher suspected, but could not observe in the wild.
Each species' biology is extremely complex. Success of future release programs is dependent on many other species (including man, the greatest predator of all) which interplay with the subject species. For many of the species in the greatest danger of extinction, little is known of their natural biology. Tracking tropical forest birds can be especially difficult for researchers.
Ideally, populations of specific bird species should be monitored and their habitats preserved when there are hundreds or, better yet, thousands of individuals left in the wild. More frequently, however, the population dips precariously close to extinction before a desperate, last minute avicultural intervention is implemented to save them. Current examples include the
Whooping Crane Grus arnericana, Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus anatum, and the California Condor Gymnogyps californianus.
A Recent Example of Aviculture Assisting Conservation
An example of one such opportunity for this author to assist in conservation research occurred in 1993. The author became aware of a radio transmitter that was to be used on Buffon's Macaws (Ara ambigud) in the wild by researchers Robin Bjork and George V.N. Powell working for RARE Center for Tropical Conservation. Buffon's Macaws are uncommon birds in captivity and in the wild which are, unfortunately, frequently misidentified as the more common Military Macaw (Ara militaris). RARE was contacted and it was determined that wild Buffon's Macaws were to be fitted in the wild and released. A suggestion was made that the researchers try the transmitters out on captive birds first to determine if the design was appropriate. Three prototype transmitters were tried prior to the final design. Details in the researchers own words are as follows:
Radio Telemetry Methodology" Robin Bjork and George V.N. Powell
RARE Center for Tropical Conservation
Radio-telemetry is being employed in this study to track habitat use by the Bu.ffon's Macaw population in Costa Rica in order to identify movement patterns and quantify important food resources throughout the species annual cycle. 7he plan is to radio-tag adults andjuveniles, and subsequently, monitor their movements and food selection; to date only juveniles have been radio-tagged.
To determine the safest, effective radio transmitter for use on the Bu.ffon's Macaw. three prototype neck collarmounted transmitters (manufactured by Holohil Systems. Lid; Ontario, Canada) were tested on captive macaws before radio-tagging birds in the wild. Each of the three transmitters had a brass cylinder (42 mm long X 17 mm in diameter) encasing the transmitter and battery, which, by virtue of its weight, rests on the ventral side of the bird. 7he prototypes differed in collar and antenna design. 7he first prototype used a collar of multi-strand, stainless steel cable with a trailing cable antenna covered in plastic "shrink-wrap" material.