Hardest to find

[Diane]

What else can these people to do to make the best use of the captive genes available than swap around as best they can among themselves whilst they collectively attempt to build/preserve numbers? (apart from sourcing fresh wild-caught stock)

This I can understand and I applaud those willing to take on the no doubt costly, heartbreaking task of bring the numbers up.
If a species is considered under threat to this extent, what would the numbers be in captivity roughly? What do the numbers have to get to before more prospective breeders could get involved assuming they had the knowledge and the nerve to take them on?
(Dont have any where near the knowledge or the nerve myself so just interested in the numbers others feel would make a species viable.)

Its very easy for non holders of rare species to point the finger at those who are doing the very best they can with the available genetics to preserve & ideally build up a rare species.

Never my intention to point a finger at anyone other than those Myzo mentioned.

"collectors" with no interest in breeding or insufficient experience/skill; or those too pig-headed to pass on their birds to other experienced breeders when they themselves have failed over several seasons.

As Deb said a mentoring program is a great idea, there would have to be the passing of knowledge between those who already have them so hopefully anyone interested could be included so that when the time comes that numbers rise sufficiently there will be knowledgeable breeders ready with the correct habitat ready waiting.

[Danny]

Agreed Deb, sharing knowledge is a very big part of the answer especially before a species gets as rare as WB Bloods currently are. .

Agreed, WB bloods are rare indeed and listed as such.How about keepers,zoos and National Parks collectively finding out a bit more about these rare birds before they are gone !! Is there a dozen unrelated pairs around ?? I doubt it.

You are flogging a dead horse expecting QLD National Parks to assist. If its a QLD endemic, fence it off and it'll be fine. "Oh, whoops, where did that bird go, better set up a comittee to see why they disappeared. Damn poaching bird breeders. Put it on a restricted licence. There you go. All safe now".

[Danny]

As Deb said a mentoring program is a great idea, there would have to be the passing of knowledge between those who already have them so hopefully anyone interested could be included so that when the time comes that numbers rise sufficiently there will be knowledgeable breeders ready with the correct habitat ready waiting.

The persons Myzo is talking about aren't interested in increasing numbers. They keep the bird to be the only one with it because "they can't bear to not hear a species X call in the morning". Wait another year and nobody will hear a species Xever again. In many cases they are crappy mentors because their only claim to fame is that they could afford the bird when it was offered up for sale. Many of these hoarders possess no skills worth passing on.

[Tiaris]

NSW National Parks also have the lock it up equals conservation mentality I'm afraid. Plus the fact that no NSW National Parks person I've ever spoken to or heard of knows squat about finches so I don't believe there to be any pool of information to be shared to anyone's benefit. Add to this that they see aviculture purely as a threat to birds & there wouldn't be much ground for co-operation if they did have any expertise to share. Where on our own I'm afraid.

[VR1Ton]

they see aviculture purely as a threat to birds

No No, I think they also see it as a cash cow.

[jusdeb]

yep