Abstract
A new committee for determiningAvy awards recipients was formed at the 1981 AFA convention in San Diego. The seven members that were nominated for this committee are Robert Berry, Francis Billie, Gene Hall, H. Richard Mattice, Nancy Reed, Larry Shelton, and Dale Thompson. This committee voted for new rules to be used. The basic guidelines were followed, but the rules were simplified. One important rule will be that each award nomination will be checked out carefully through one or more of the committee members. All rules will be published in the Watchbird at a future date.
All rules that were voted on will be first used with 1982 award nominations. There will be a certificate award for a First Breeding in the U.S. Avy awards will fall into two categories. The Gold award will be an honor award for those persons who have contributed significantly to the aviculture world. The Silver award will be an achievement award and there are several categories.
The Avy awards is one of the few ways to give honor to our fellow aviculturists.
Probably the largest group of aviculturists ever assembled in the U.S. was present at the San Diego banquet when the Avy awards were given. There were several unusual first breedings given in 1981 and the award recipients were widely spread throughout the U.S.
(Additional photos of Avy Award winners to be shown In future Watchbird issues.)
The following are the recipients of the 1981 Avy awards:
CATEGORY I, SILVER AWARD
Ist U.S. captive breeding award James Duroy , undulated tinarnou (Crypyurellus undulatus)
Smith & Wells/Blue Sky Aviaries, tinamou (Cryturellus paruirostris) Ramon Noegel & Greg Moss, Caymon
Brae Amazon (A. ieucocepbala besterna)
Tony Silva, slender bill conure
Gerald L. Schulman &John Vanderhoof, New Guinea bloodfinch
CATEGORY III
progress in establishing a new mutation in U.S.
Dr. Rainer Erhart, rose mutation of the Bourke parakeet
CATEGORY IV
consistant breeding of a difficult species
Penny Luczak, blue naped parrot
CATEGORY V
outstanding show achievement m English budgies
Wilfred E. Lumb
CATEGORY VI
most progress with an individual species
John Biggs, Sr. lovebirds
Ramon Noegel & Greg Moss, hawk
headed parrot
Rose Herman, lories Roland Dubuc, lovebirds Louise Dietz, conures
ZOO CATEGORY
U.S. first breeding
Philadelphia Zoo, Larry Shelton, Emerald starling
San Diego Zoo, Kerry Muller/ Art Risser, Blue faced honeyeater
GOLD AWARD
for outstanding contribution to a vi culture
Ramon Noegel, outstanding work with Caribbean Island Amazons and other psittacines
Tom and DeeDee Squyres, for their work in originating and developing the American Cockatiel Society
James Gunderson, for furthering the field of aviculture through breeding many species, and his assistance to others
Rosemary Low, many years of outstanding contributions to aviculture as breeder and writer.
BRONZE
A.F.A. service awards
Clifton Witt, continuous legislative work Helen Hanson, executive secretary Sharon Claues, 1st commercial, public
oriented "Pet Fair"
Jim Reid, 1980 convention chairman, Las Vegas
Marguerite & John Agrella, CITESendangered species alert
Robert ]. Berry, curator of birds, Houston Zoo, best Watchbird article, ''Breeding Cockatoos and Macaws in Captivity," Feb/March 1981 issue....