AFA IN BRIEF

September 2009

Editor - Carol Lee

We had a great and successful convention in Houston in August, and are now preparing for our 2010 convention. Join Us August 4-7, 2010 in St. Petersburg, Florida

36th Annual AFA Convention - The Magic of Birds!

Hilton St. Petersburg - Bayfront

333 First Street South, St. Petersburg, Florida

2009 AFA Convention Super 8 Prize Winners !

Many thanks to all who donated items and to those who purchased tickets!

1. Tiffany Latino--Amazon Framed Print donated by Gamini Ratnavira

2. Bill Christian--Belize Retreat at Banana Bank donated by Carolyn and John Carr

3. Julia Stacy--San Francisco Getaway donated by Mary Ellen LePage

4. Jan Cheney--Parrot Bed Quilt donated by Ardith Raine and Pat Chinnici

5. Georgia Hayes--Opal and Diamond Ring donated by Pat Chinnici

6. Peter Rizzo--$1,000 cash card donated by Christopher Chinnici

7. Daina Mahone--Pediatric Supply Intensive Care Unit donated by Joe Freed

8. Ed Singh--Small bow-front cage donated by Super Pet

-Lisa McManus won the laptop for the membership drive.

-Madeline Franco won the laptop in the registration drawing.

A huge thank you to the generous donors for the outstanding raffle, auction items, and to Bill and Wanda Elder for donating the two laptop computers!

2009 Avian Conservation and Research Grants were awarded at the AFA Convention banquet. Our AFA Conservation and Research committee chair, Janice Boyd, presented checks to David Waugh of Loro Parque for conservation and research, and Dr. Ian Tizard of Texas A&M University for their PDD research project.

American Federation of Aviculture, Inc

36th Annual Convention - 2010 CALL FOR PAPERS

We invite you to submit a proposal to present a paper at our annual AFA convention. Proposals should be submitted in the form of an abstract, accompanied by a brief biographical sketch identifying the author’s experience with the topic to be presented and other relevant information. Please consider submitting multiple abstracts

as you may have the opportunity to give more than one presentation.

* Abstracts will be accepted through February 15, 2010.

* AFA will provide a complimentary convention registration package and

one banquet ticket to each confirmed speaker.

For complete details, see 2010 Call for Papers on our website at www.afabirds.org .

2009 Avian Research Grants Program

AFA Helps Avian Research and Conservation

In 2009, the AFA is soliciting contributions from members and friends to

provide grants to the following avian conservation projects:

1. Red-fronted Macaw Conservation Project (Asociación Armonía, Bolivia)

2. Project Abbotti – Conservation of the recently re-discovered Abbott’s Cockatoo (Indonesian Parrot Project / Project Birdwatch)

Go to afabirds.org to learn more and help with these important causes.

AFA Board of Directors Quarterly Meeting will be held November 6-7, 2009, Houston, TX.

Important Legislative Issue Regarding the U.S. Endangered Species Act

 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior have been sued by a group called the "Friends of Animals". This lawsuit is forcing the USFWS to investigate the possible listing of up to 14 additional parrots on the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).

 Once a species is listed under the ESA, all interstate commerce in that species requires federal permits and registrations. If adopted, the proposal would list the following species as “Endangered” under the ESA: umbrella cockatoos, Moluccan cockatoos, lesser sulphur-crested cockatoos, Buffon’s macaws, hyacinth macaws, scarlet macaws, military macaws, shining parrots, grey-cheeked parakeets, red-vented cockatoos, blue-headed macaws, blue-throated macaws, yellow billed amazon parrots and green-cheeked amazon parrots.

 This would mean that any listed species could not be sold from one State to another without the appropriate federal permit, a permit that does not recognize "pet purposes" as a valid permitting reason.

AFA believes that this proposal is bad politics and worse science, is not supported by reliable commercial or scientific data, will discourage captive breeding of these species and may encourage hybridization. It will also have a detrimental affect on interstate and local commerce without any benefit to the species alleged to be protected.

 The USFWS has initiated a call for information on the science and commercial data with regard to these species, with comments due by September 14, 2009. They are not looking for public comment at this time but will accept comments containing science or commercial data. Once the comment period is open to all public comments, the AFA will advise its members. Rest assured your AFA is working on a position paper to be submitted by the deadline. All other avicultural, scientific, and conservation organizations are encouraged to do so as well. Contact information for the Service and this important legislative issue can be found at www.fws.gov or by contacting the AFA Business Office at afaoffice@.... Or you can write to:

Public Comments Processing

Attn: RIN 1018-AV75

Division of Policy and Directives Management

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222

Arlington, VA 22203

Additionally, people concerned about this proposal may want to contact their US Congressman or woman and their US Senators (by phone, email or letter) and make them aware of their concerns.

From: ARCancilla3@... <ARCancilla3@...>
Subject: [AmericanFederationofAvicultureMembers] Tambopata Macaw Project collecting info on behavior of your birds
To: ARCancilla3@...
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2009, 8:10 PM

 

Please participate in the parrot and macaw behavior study for your birds. Tambopata Macaw Project   wants to compare ( macaws and other parrots) the behavior of birds in captivity to the birds they observe in the wild,  in Tambopata.

Participation is easy. You can either simply send a one minute videos and some background information on your bird. Or you can observe the bird and send the information by following the instructions provided

http://www.macawmonitoring.com/behaviorstudy.htm

__________________________________________________
Ciao, Angela Rosaria Cancilla Herschel in Southern California ......
Being kind is more important ... than being important.
California Wildlife Center ( volunteer, wildlife warrior )
Malibu, Ca. 91302
310-458-WILD (9453)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pelon-KBut8&feature=related

From: gennygem2@... <gennygem2@...>
Subject: [AmericanFederationofAvicultureMembers] AFA Legislative Alert - Common Birds in Aviculture to be listed under the ESA?
To: Gennygem2@...
Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2009, 6:33 PM

CROSS POSTING PERMITTED

 

Any questions, please feel free to contact me.

 

Thanks

 

Genny Wall

AFA Legislative Vice President

gennygem2@...

AFA Legislative Alert Common Birds in Aviculture to be Placed Under Endangered Species Act?   The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is considering the possible listing of up to 14 additional parrots as "Endangered" under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).     If adopted, the proposal would list the following species as "Endangered" under the ESA:  umbrella cockatoos, moluccan cockatoos, lesser sulphur-crested cockatoos, red-vented cockatoos, blue-headed macaws, blue-throated macaws, buffon's macaws, hyacinth macaws, scarlet macaws, military macaws, shining parrots, grey-cheeked parakeets, yellow billed amazon parrots and green-cheeked amazon parrots.   Many of these species are being successfully bred in large numbers by U.S. aviculturists and are owned by many thousands of U.S. citizens as pets.   Once listed, a species could not be sold across state lines without the appropriate federal permit, a permit that does not recognize "pet purposes" as a valid permitting basis.   AFA believes that this proposal is not supported by reliable scientific or commercial data, will discourage captive breeding of these species in the U.S. and will have a detrimental effect on U.S. interstate commerce, without any corresponding benefit to the species purported to be protected.  Since none of these species has been imported into the United States since the Wild Bird Conservation Act (1992) went into effect, AFA sees no material scientific or commercial justification for the uplisting, but does see a huge detriment to aviculture and to the future of these species themselves in the U.S.   The USFWS has initiated a call for information on scientific and commercial data with regard to whether these species should be proposed for Endangered status, with comments due by September 14, 2009. They are not looking for general public comment on uplisting at this time, but are looking for input on whether there is a scientific and/or commercial basis for these species to be proposed for uplisting. If the FWS actually proposes these species for uplisting, that proposal should be open to general public comment.  AFA will advise all of its members if this occurs.    AFA is developing a position paper on the scientific and commercial aspects of this call for information and will submit it by the deadline.   People concerned about the scientific and commercial pros and cons of this proposal may make their thoughts known to FWS by September 14, 2009.    Contact information for the Service and this important proposal can be found at www.fws.gov or by contacting the AFA Business Office at afaoffice@....   You can make a formal comment to FWS online by September 14, 2009 at: http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=09000064809f0e3a   Or you can mail your comments to: Public Comments Processing Attn:   FWS-R9-IA-2009-0016 Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222 Arlington, VA  22203   In either case, refer to FWS-R9-IA-2009-0016. P.O. Box 91717 * Austin, TX 78709 * [unsubscribe]

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