Abstract
The A.F .A. Feral Exotic Retrieval Program
learned in early June that the California
Department of Food and Agriculture
will move to rate the Indian Ringneck
Parakeet, Nanday Conure and
Canary Wing Parakeet as "B" pests. The
A.F .A. has been diligently working to
keep these birds from being given an "A"
pest rating, which would have made
possession of these birds unlawful and
made the birds subject to confiscation.
The "B" pest rating does not make
possession of these birds unlawful nor
does it make them priority items for the
State to spend time to control. Instead,
the "B" pest rating leaves all action on
these birds to the discretion of the individual
county departments of agriculture.
Each county must decide for itself
whether to attempt to eliminate the feral
population of these birds in its county or
whether to simply ignore their pr~sence.