TRAFFIC USA's 1990 Psittacine Captive Breeding Survey

Abstract

Here is what some of the 1,221 respondents had to say about the TRAFFIC USA 1990 Psittacine Captive Breeding Survey (CBS): ''Think it is great! I am a strong advocate of census and information gathering. The results benefit all, especially the birds." "Excellent idea! Similar questionnaries should be done for finches and softbilled birds as well. This (survey) makes me wish I had done better record keeping." "Thank you for the survey. I learned things about my collection I didn't realize before. I plan to keep better records as a result."

This unprecedented response marks the first time such large numbers of private aviculturists in the United States have responded to a comprehensive national survey of captive breeding. This article summarizes the results of the census portion of the CBS. They show that aviculturists are successfully breeding many psittacines, and have begun to demonstrate their potential to meet the pet industry's growing demand for captive-bred birds.

Background

TRAFFIC USA's involvement in assessing private aviculture's role in breeding psittacines for the pet industry emerged from deliberations of the Cooperative Working Group on Bird Trade (CWGBT). The CWGBT, a diverse group of representatives from the pet industry, animal welfare organizations, aviculture, avian veterinary practitioners, conservation organizations and the zoological community, was convened by World Wildlife Fund - U.S. (WWF) in 1988 to address the problems associated with the international trade in wild-caught birds. After two years of intense research and discussion, the CWGBT recommended that U.S. imports of wild-caught birds for the pet trade be phased out over a five year period, with the goal that they be replaced by captive-bred birds, both foreign and domestic. Where imports of wildcaught birds would continue to be allowed for captive breeding purposes, the CWGBT recommended that federal import controls be strengthened and streamlined (CWGBT, 1990).

The CWGBT realized that quantitative information on captive breeding by private aviculturists in the U.S. was virtually non-existent. To address the information void, TRAFFIC USA, WWF's international wildlife trade monitoring program, initiated a survey to: 1) assess the current and potential ability of private aviculture in the U.S. to fulfill the pet bird industry's demand for captive-bred birds; and 2) determine what factors are inhibiting or contributing to the growth of private aviculture in the U.S.

A pilot survey of aviculturists was distributed at the American Federation of Aviculture (AFA) annual convention in 1989. The purpose of the pilot survey was to determine whether aviculturists might participate in a more comprehensive survey of psittacine captive breeding. Although only 13 5 aviculturists participated in the pilot survey, over 18,000 birds were documented. More importantly, over 85 % of the respondents indicated they would be willing to participate in a more comprehensive psittacine captive breeding survey. The success of the 1989 effort, published in AJ<::4 Watchbird (Allen et al., 1990, inspired the larger, more comprehensive 1990 CBS.

Methods

The CBS was limited to psittacines ( order Psittaciformes) because they are commonly imported for the pet trade, and because harvest for the pet trade threatens many wild populations. Except for two questions specific to them, budgerigars (Metopsittacus uridulatas) and cockatiels (Nymphicas hollandicus) were specifically excluded from the CBS because they are well established in captivity and their husbandry is well known.

The CBS consisted of a two-part survey form: a questionnaire and a census. The questionnaire had 32 questions divided into sections on collection inventory, avicultural practices, avian health care, selling and trading, and background information about the respondents. The census was a list of 130 species divided into nine categories: Amazons, Cockatoos, Macaws, Parrots of Primarily African and Pacific Region Origin, Conures, Lories, Pionus, Parrotlets and Lovebirds. An "other" category allowed respondents to add species not listed. Mixed breeding pairs (also referred to as hybrid pairs) were to be listed in a "mixed pairs" category. For each species, information was requested on total number of birds held, origin of the birds, and 1989 breeding information.

The CBS was distributed in May 1990 by the American Federation of Aviculture (AFA) to its 5, 700 individual members by mail. In addition, the AFA asked each of its affiliated bird clubs around the country to distribute survey forms to their club membership. Bird World magazine also helped distribute the CBS by publishing the survey form as an insert in the May/June 1990 issue. Despite overlap of distribution between AFA members and Bird World readers, we estimate that the CBS reached approximately 15,000 to 20,000 people.