I do several things to help out our wild bird population;
1) I own rare breeds of birds and if these birds go extinct at least generations after us will be able to at least see them.
2) When I clean out my cages, I put the used seed and spillage out for the wild birds (not the stuff which is dirty, just the servicable stuff.)
3) I buy all my bird pellets from a company which is involved in 7 wild bird feeding projects (including wild breeding.)
4) I am a "dues paying" member of the Audubon Society, and build and place blue bird houses in my local park.
How else can I help out, to overcome "the drastic drop" in the wild bird population?
Well, growing trees and shrubs with berries is a VERY good idea
I hatch and raise lots of rare quail, pheasants, turkeys, swans, and other wild birds that are hunted or starting to die out (at least in my area)
The other way to help is breeding rare birds that are usually wild captured. The more we breed these birds, the less rare they will become and people wont have the "need" to go take them out of the wild. Macaws and certain breeds of Cockatoo are captured and brought to the US with fake papers, so I try to breed these kinds of birds (I don’t over-breed them. I only let them have as many babies as they normally would in the wild to make sure that they stay healthy) and sell them fairly cheap.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:08 am
1. Contact your local wildlife department (game & parks). Sometimes they have programs where they have people hatch eggs and release the birds into the wild when they are old enough. I have seen the program done with Doves, Quail, and Pheasants.
You would need an incubator to warm the eggs and then a brooder to warm the babies as they grow.
2. If you have a yard, you could grow "Bird Friendly" plants. This usually consists of trees and shrubs that grow berries that birds will be able to eat in the fall and spring.
Good Luck.
References :
http://www.nebraskabirdlady.com
October 24th, 2009 at 1:34 am
I think increasing peoples awareness and appreciation for birds is the main way cage birds can help. People will not preserve and conserve for something they don’t have a personal connection to.
I hope your rare species are legal for you to keep, wild birds should not be kept in captivity unless unable to be released..or with educational permit.
I enjoy feeding birds, but feel it is for the human enjoyment and appreciation of the birds beauty. If we truly care about a wild species we need to preserve the habitat that provides for them, which for migratory species can be over a large area. Feeding a bird is like feeding people..it’s a meal, but if they do not have a reliable means of support (habitat) they are still not in good shape.
You are making many valuable efforts, but I do not see the connection in pet cage birds and wild bird conservation any more than domestic dog/wolf conservation. In many cases the cage bird trade is harmful when tropical birds are taken from the wild to sell at profit. Potential pet owners willing to pay high prices mean many birds die in the illegal smuggling process under poor conditions to get that one high dollar bird to a family that does not understand the destructive trade they are contributing to.
Best wishes in your efforts.
References :
October 24th, 2009 at 2:16 am
Well, growing trees and shrubs with berries is a VERY good idea
I hatch and raise lots of rare quail, pheasants, turkeys, swans, and other wild birds that are hunted or starting to die out (at least in my area)
The other way to help is breeding rare birds that are usually wild captured. The more we breed these birds, the less rare they will become and people wont have the "need" to go take them out of the wild. Macaws and certain breeds of Cockatoo are captured and brought to the US with fake papers, so I try to breed these kinds of birds (I don’t over-breed them. I only let them have as many babies as they normally would in the wild to make sure that they stay healthy) and sell them fairly cheap.
References :
Professional Bird Trainer 18+ Years, Certified Avian Specialist, Avian Behavioral Specialist, Family-Owned Pet Store, Runs Rescue Center, Breeds Birds
October 24th, 2009 at 2:26 am
God Bless people like you.
References :
October 24th, 2009 at 3:14 am
Forgive me, but I don’t see any way caged birds are helping wild birds, unless you count appreciation of birds in general.
Keeping rare birds seems to be potentially quite destructive to me. If these species are in peril that much, qualified wildlife biologists should be breeding them in a way so that they can be released. You owning rare birds is probably just encouraging people to take these birds from their wild habitat and sell them.
Bird feeding will not help grow populations, at least not in a sustainable way.
To truly help wild birds, we need more people genuinely interested in preserving the wildlife and protecting the habitat we have left.
References :