81 



destruction of nest trees, posing a fiirther stress on wild populations limited by nest availability. 



Captive breeding is the major source of individuals in trade for only a handful of bird 

 species — Budgerigars {Melopsittacus uruMatus), Cockatiels {Nymphicus hollandicus). Canaries 

 (Serinus canaria), Zebn and Bengalese Finches (Amandava subflava and Lonchura domestica), 

 most Agapomis lovebirds, several species of cockatoos (Cacatua), and a number of Australian 

 finches (e.g., Chloebia gouldiae, Poephila cinaa, Poephila acuticauda). For most other birds, 

 essentially all individuals in trade come directly from wild sources, either trapped as free-flying 

 adults or taken as nestlings. 



The importation of live exotic birds should be sustainable. It should not pose risks for 

 wild populations of species that are imported. There is no justification for commercial endeavors 

 to result in the extinction in the wild of a species. On the basis of the information presented 

 above, the numbers cf wild-caught live exotic birds imported into the United States for 

 commercial activities before the passage of the act were unsustainable and indefensible. The 

 sale of these wild-caught birds had to be stopped so that species would not be driven to 

 extinction. Most countriesw with species exploited for international trade acknowledged the 

 current crisis of unsustainable use by simply prohibiting all trade in wild-caught birds. 



The Exotic Wild Bird Conservation Act accomplished this goal in an effective manner, 

 yet still encouraged the sustainable use and captive breeding of species. The need for this act 

 remains today, and choosing not to reauthorize it would guarantee a return to the situation that 

 persisted before 1992 which threatened many bird species. Populations of most species have 

 been severely affected by decades of overharvesting, and many of these species reproduce very 

 slowly. It will require several generations for populations of most species to recover. Many of 

 the most desirable birds in the trade are long-lived and generation times probably exceed 10 

 years. Thus, the goals of this act will probably not be reached for at least 20 years. 



The Legitimate Role of Captive Breeding in Recovering Endangered Birds 



Captive breeding of birds can serve a variety of values. In particular, captive breeding 

 can provide birds for exhibit, pets, conservation education, and fund-raising pruposes. Captive 

 populations can be ao important source for fundamental biological research and training. While 

 all are potentially vahiable contributions of captive birds, they are only indirectly related to 

 recovering endangered populations of wild species. Captive breeding for other purposes should 

 not be confused with captive breeding for recovering endangered species, which requires very 

 different activities and precautions. 



To recover endangered species, birds must be bred in captivity for release in the wild 

 (reintroduction) at the earliest possible opportunity. Every precaution must be taken to avoid 

 placing species in close proximity to minimize disease risks by placing birds in single species 

 facilities. Ideally, these facilities should be within the native range of the species to minimize 

 exposure to (and introduction of) exotic diseases (to the wild populations). Special care must 

 be taken to keep the birds from becoming tame or domesticated because they are less likely to 

 survive when reintroduced. Such domestification proceeds very rapidly in captivity. Also, 

 captive breeding programs must be fully integrated with field conservation efforts to preserve 

 habitats and correct the factors that originally caused the population decline. Since these are 

 exotic birds, countries in their native range should be involved in their captive breeding and 

 reintroduction. 



