Abstract
This report is submitted for the benefit of those interested in saving endangered and threatened species of psirracines, We at Life Fellowship have established a working captive breeding program and have proven such a program can be successful. Only at Life Fellowship are some of these parrots being captive bred. One subspecies, the Isle of Pines Amazon (A. leucocephala palmarum), is now extinct on its native island, making our captive breeding group the only hope for this parrot's survival. Several of the other species being captive bred here have dangerously low populations in their small island habitats making the continued success of our program imperative. If these parrots disappear from their native habitat, captive bred offspring may well supply the nucleus for future re-introduction. Such re-establishment can only be practical when man achieves a responsible degree of growth and maturity and exhibits a keen respect for and protection of his native avian fauna.
When a man is able to contact all forms of life pleasantly, with consideration, with the heart of a helper and with the mind of a student, he grows. Over the past decade, Aviculture has matured into a science. It is a study of the interrelationship between man and his environment, of man's love for and responsibility to avian life. As Henry David Thoreau noted over a century ago, ''All things do exist in mutual relationship to one another.'' This interrelationship of the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of aviculture has made it one of the most rewarding studies. For aviculture has ceased to be just an interest in birds or a whim of the wealthy who fancy something exotic. Rather it has grown to be a necessary means of saving many rare and endangered species from total extinction. It was with this realization in mind that we instituted our program in 1966 with the hope of maintaining a reserve of these rare birds for future posterity's sake. To date, Life Fellowship has achieved six world first captive breedings of rare and endangered Amazons. Some have been captive bred into the second generation.
Cuban Amazon: Amazona leucocephala leucocephala This beautiful parrot is now restricted ro the mountain regions of Oriente Province in the eastern tip of Cuba. This year the zoo in Havana has asked for and received help from Life Fellowship to set up their own captive breeding program for their native parrot. We sincerely hope they will be successful. Our first specimens of old cage pets were obtained in 1966. Only one of the two pairs has so far bred, producing eleven offspring raised to maturity. We have two males on loan from the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service, and two other males on breeding loan from private individuals. Unfortunately, with the exception of one of the captive bred offspring, all are males, making future pairing difficult until more female offspring are reared.
Isle of Pines Parrot: Amazona leucocepbaia palmarum
This subspecies is now extinct on the Isle of Pines. Only at Life Fellowship are they being captive bred. We obtained our first pair in 1970 when both birds were past thirty years of age. They bred for us from 1975 through 1978 producing 17 eggs. Twelve hatched and eight were raised to maturity. Two of the 1976 offspring nested in 1979 producing one chick which died. In 1980, this pair again nested and hatched four chicks which were reared to maturity. One female hatched in 1977 was paired with an old feather picked, unrelated male. In March of this year they hatched three chicks which were raised thus giving us a total of seven grandchildren from the old original pair and a rota! of fifteen Isle of Pines. Amazons reared to maturity in a six year period. We have three other old unrelated males waiting to be paired with the captive bred female offspring. This group of 21 specimens may be the only hope of survival of this subspecies whose native habitat has been completely destroyed.
Grand Cayman Parrot: Amazona leucocephala caymanensis In 1971, we imported eight juvenile Grand Cayman Island Amazons. Two of these bred for us in 1974 producing four chicks which were raised to maturity. From 1974through 1981 this pair produced 30 eggs, 26 of which were fertile and hatched. Of these, 2 3 were raised to maturity. Another pair from the original eight proved out in 1977 and have to date produced eleven young that were raised to maturity. Two offspring from the 1974 hatch have produced second generation captive bred numbering...