Parrot Conservation and Aviculture (a selfcritical exam)

Abstract

Most aviculturists I know are bird-loving people who care about making ethical decisions. However, these decisions are based on the information we have at hand, which may not always be accurate and unbiased. Unfortunately, there is a dangerous tendency in the avicultural literature to suppress or distort information related to parrot conservation. This tendency may be unintentional, and may simply reflect our natural inclination to see what we want to see and to hear what we want to hear. A short summary of the disturbing message that I read between the lines in too many avicultural magazines is this:

Aviculturists will save endangered species that are on their sure way to extinction due to loss of habitat. Any attempt to save undisturbed wild habitats is a lost battle. Restrictions on importation and trade are dangerous and may result in the loss of our businesses and even our pet birds.

While aviculturists need to be aware of the status of each captive species in the wild and the possibility to avert extinction through increased captive breeding efforts, they also need to learn from past mistakes to avoid con-

 

tributing to more ecological tragedies. The Spix's Macaw, for example, has declined in the wild to near-extinction levels due to capture for bird fanciers and not due to loss of habitat. Claims about their nesting sites being lost to Africanized bees have not been supported by field studies. What has been confirmed by these studies is that by paying as much as $40,000 per bird during the late '80s, aviculturists contributed to a rapid decline in the wild population of these macaws. When avicultural efforts geared to reintroduction of the Spix's Macaw are disseminated by the literature, aviculturists suddenly emerge as heroes in complete denial of responsibility for the role we played in this tragedy.

A similar scenario has emerged with the Hyacinth Macaw. The wild population of these macaws has declined from about 500,000 to fewer than 5,000 in little over a decade, due largely to trapping. We must learn to seek information open-mindedly, pay attention to multiple sources, be aware of conflicting interests among authors of various reports, and then make up our minds, based on scientifically backed facts rather than slogans and exhortations.

The human need for animal companionship dates back to our early ancestors. Even non-human primates are known to adopt animals as pets. Regardless of what we do in this

 

respect, our actions will have an environmental
impact. Because we are pa1t
of the ecosystem, it is not realistic to
expect that we go through our lives
without altering the e nvironment.
What we can aim at is minimizing the
destructive impact of our actio ns on
the environment and on o th e r life
forms.

PDF

References

The Diversity of Life, Edward 0 Wilson, Narton Books, New York, NY, 1993.

Recommended reading, in addition to avicultural publications.

Audubon, Birder's World, Nature Conservancy, Sierra.