Abstract
While I was attending the First International Birds in Captivity Symposium in Seattle, Washington, in March, I overheard "rumblings" that make me feel that it is in the aviculturists' best interest to start a self-controlled program of certification of individual members.
The membership could be divided according to the degrees of expertise, as well as the type of birds with which they would be allowed to work.
For example: Class A Aviculturists might be those who are able to keep and breed any Class I or below aviary bird. It might be required for them to have had a minimum of three years experience with Class II birds prior to applying for this. Perhaps they might have to be endorsed by three other Class A Aviculturists before they are accepted. Suggestions for classes of birds might be:
Class I Birds - All rare and endangered birds as determined by a liaison committee of the A.F.A., an ornothological and perhaps a zoo curator (such as Bob Berry of the Houston Zoo).
Class II Birds - Birds that are difficult to keep and rarely bred, which may become endangered due to their geographic locale. (Cockatoos, lories, Island Amazons, etc.)
Class III Birds - Those birds, which, with some degree of expertise, can be bred and raised by most aviculturists.
Class IV Birds - Beginners' birds, easily bred and plentiful.
All of the above is only a suggestion, but it may well be worth your careful consideration. The whole idea was very close to being recommended by a group at the Symposium for inclusion in a Resolution from the Symposium to the USDA. Obviously any government involvement in such certification should be kept to a minimum.
I would hope that some type of Selfcontrolled Certification of Members would....