FEATURE


I


am a foreign bird keeper. That means that my interest is in overcoming the challenges involved in establishing and maintaining in captivity as many species as possible. There are two issues regarding this that I will bore anyone with at the slightest opportunity!


OUPS” SERVATION?


The first issue is that of establishing species in captivity. Since the 2006 restrictions on importation many of the commoner – let alone the rare – species have disappeared from our aviaries. In some cases it was inevitable - parasiting by Whydahs, for example meant that they would never be established. In many others it could have been avoided. Not enough effort was made in times of plenty, either because the birds were always available from dealers or simply because “there was not enough money in it”.


The second issue is a consequence of success with the first. Having established a species successfully the next step is almost inevitably domestication. The consequence is that, as mutations are developed, it eventually becomes virtually impossible to acquire a wild type bird that will breed true. In extreme cases a single species society is formed and a show standard based on the “Ideal Bird” is developed so that the size


BIRD SCENE 41


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