More on O-B Parrots

[arthur]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-29/q ... am/4789656


Would be a lot of private breeders who would love to help out in their aviaries . . gratis

Will never happen of course . .

But just 40 years ago

"A WORLD FIRST BREEDING"

Was the headline on the July, 1973 issue of our magazine. (Birdkeeping in Australia . . Avic Socy of S.A. magazine)
It then went on to say: ”It is with pleasure we announce that the Society’s [first breeding bronze] medal has
been awarded to Mr. Fred Lewitzka for the ‘First Official Breeding’ of the Orange Bellied Parrot, Neophema
Chrysogaster....” .

Over the last few years there has been a persistent rumour that because the late Fred Lewitzka was in
charge of the Adelaide Zoo Bird Department at the time, the first breeding of the Orange-bellied Parrot
occurred at the Zoo. In fact, Mr. Lewitzka bred the species as a private aviculturist at is home in Broadview.
Unfortunately, a few years after the first breeding the then hierarchy of the National Parks & Wildlife Service
forced Mr. Lewitzka to surrender his Orange-bellied stock, the birds were then released in the Coorong
area. Thus, Orange-bellied Parrots were lost to private aviculture. The attitude of the fauna authorities were
at that time not as enlightened as they were later to become. . . ?????

[GregH]

It is a pity that Aviculturists are perceived as a problem and not a resource. Of course there are some that would abuse the privilege but in reality the record of private aviculturists can't be worse than legitimate government programs that put a bounty on the thylacine, introduced the cane toad, continue to allow the clearing of vast areas of native vegetation, allows people to "freedom" to have cats that roam and reproduce, stocks rivers with trout and red-fin and while stating that CO2 emissions represent the "greatest ecological and moral threat" to the planet promotes the "development' of coal and gas reserves. I could go on but what is the point - as Arthur said it will never happen. Alas the OBP will go the way of the Southern Star Finch since extinction is perceived as better than a life in captivity since it it more natural I suppose!

[finchbreeder]

Just use common sence. Big ask I know. If an aviculturilist has a 10 or more year record of successful breeding of similar type birds, get them involved in the captive breeding program, under a licenced program. The aviculturist is supplied with a pair of birds, they get to keep 50% of what they breed, and must return 50% to be allocated to further the breeding program with others.
LML