Abstract
"Between January 1977 and August 1979, 3,800 wild-caught blue-and-gold macaws were imported into the United States"
Macaws Traded To Extinction, TRAFFIC
"As of February 26, 1981 there were 101 blue-and-gold macaws in the United States, and only 35 had been captiveraised during the preceeding twelve months"
Data from A.F.A. Registry Returns
Based on the above statements, about 3,700 macaws are unaccounted for. Did they all die? Have they flown back to the wild? And do you believe that only 35 blue-and-gold macaws were raised in captivity last year? Of course not. Many more than that were raised.
A.F.A. members know that, zoo professionals know that. But international and national regulators of wildlife don't know what is happening in aviculture. If more members do not return the A.F.A. Annual Bird Registry questionnaire, the A.F.A is going to be dismally handicapped whenever it is asked by an international or national agency for statistics.
For this reason, I do not envy the job of our Legislative Liaison Clifton Witt. Some people can pull rabbits out of hats, but, good as Cliff is, I doubt that he can pull macaws (of any species) out of a hat.
The A.F.A. 's need for statistical evidence, however, is just one of many reasons why every A.F.A member should fill out and return the A.F.A. Bird Registry questionnaire. As time goes on, more and more nations are banning expons of wild-caught birds, and consequently, new blood from the wild will be less and less available. The data po-
tentially available from the A.F.A Bird Registry will aid breeders in locating sources for outbreeding. The high level of infertility or the ratio of poor specimens now prevalent in several species could have been avoided through cooperative sharing of information and the exchange of specimens. but more returns are necessary before the A.F.A. Bird Registry becomes an effective tool for this purpose.
As I stressed at the 1980 annual convention in Las Vegas, the information provided through the returns is strictly confidential. At the present time, as our data is not yet computerized, I'm using a primitive but effective and confidential method of handling requests for mating rare species-namely, sending a copy of the letter to those now shown by the A.F.A. Bird Registry to have the species. That way, each individual can decide if he wants to reply and let someone else know what he has.
Your failure to make the fullest use of the Bird Registry may prove to be nothing short of tragic. Those aviculturists who through a paranoiac fear of thefts or government knowledge of their activities do not return the questionnaire are really jeopardizing the future of all aviculturists.
The A.F.A. Bird Registry questionnaire form is in this magazine or it can be gotten from the A.F.A. Home Office. If you have birds and value the very essence of aviculture fill it out and mail it today e
Sincerely
Larry C. Shelton, Chairman, A.F.A. Bird Registry