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The International Parrotlet Society
Cooperative Breeding Program

Background and Goals

As with most species of animals these days, every day more and more become endangered and parrotlets are no exception. One of the tenants that the International Parrotlet Society was founded upon was conservation. It is in the interest of conservation and the goal of preserving endangered that the IPS Breeding Cooperative Programs were formed.

Currently, IPS has started CBP's for Mexican (Forpus cyanopigyus) and Yellow Face (Forpus xanthops) parrotlets. Because of the scarcity of these parrotlets in the United States, presently all the birds are privately owned. We hope as the programs succeed, we will eventually be able to offer more breeders entry into the Programs in the future. We also hope to have future CBP's that would include Blue Wing (Forpus xanthopterygius) parrotlets and two subspecies of Green Rump parrotlets.

IPS also works with various national and international organizations to determine the necessity of studbooks and Cooperative Breeding Programs for various species. IPS currently is working with the American Zoo Association Parrot Taxon Advisory Group regarding record keeping, bird identification, studbook coordination, species status and all other applicable projects.

Definitions

Advisory Board - An Advisory Board consisting shall be formed to advise the Participants and the Management Group. The Advisory Board shall consist of individuals who either have knowledge of studbooks and conservation management or are researchers and biologists familiar with Forpus parrotlets.

Captive Population - The size and diversity of ownership of the captive population should be carefully considered. A species held in low numbers by only one or two institutions is a good candidate for studbook consideration. In addition to the actual size of the captive population, the genetic diversity of the population held should be considered. The more non-related breeder stock there are to contribute genetically to the captive population, the better the chances are for its’ long term survival in captivity.

Captive Propagation - The current captive population breeding records should be studied to determine if the species can actually be bred and maintained in captivity.

Consortium- Consortiums are entities or organizations that operate studbooks to maintain the population of a species. All of the animals in the consortium are owned by the consortium and are loaned to breeders who are participating in the consortium. Offspring of the animals are distributed between the breeder and the consortium on a pre-agreed basis.

Cooperative Breeding Program - Cooperative Breeding Programs (CBP) are entities or organizations which operate studbooks to maintain the population of a species. The animals in the CBP can be owned either by the CBP or the breeders. The CBP owned animals are treated as if they were in a consortium, while the breeder owned animals are simply participating in the program. Offspring of the animals are distributed between the CBP and the breeder on a pre-agreed basis.

International populations - Some species, maintained by breeders in one country, may have little, if any, genetic relation to populations in other countries. Moreover certain countries bloodlines may be descendants of only one other country. Other species have had their genealogies mingled freely between countries. In either situation provisions in the studbook should be made to allow these types of circumstances.

As you can see, parrotlets of all genus and species definitely fall into the area where studbooks may help preserve the genetic diversity of the birds. IPS has already started studbooks and Cooperative Breeding Programs for the rarest parrotlets, such as the Yellow Face (Forpus xanthops) and Mexican (Forpus cyanopygius). Blue Wing parrotlets (Forpus xanthopterygius) also fall into the category of needing a studbook and Cooperative Breeding Program. Other parrotlets that currently are not available in the United States, the Sclater's (Forpus sclateri), Touit (all species) and Nannopsiticca (all species) are all candidates for international breeding Consortiums. Pacific parrotlets (Forpus coelestis) and Green Rump parrotlets (Forpus passerinus) are readily bred in captivity and regularly sold in the pet market, therefore, a CBP is not warranted. Certain subspecies of Green Rumps (Forpus passerinus deliciosus and Forpus passerinus viridissimus) are in need of studbooks and CBP's to prevent the breeding of generic subspecies. Color mutation parrotlets are not candidates for studbooks and CBP's.

Now that we have discussed the considerations for establishing the studbook and Cooperative Breeding Program, we need to define the plans and goals of such a program. Here are some key goals that apply to both entities:

Establish and maintain enough genetic diversity in the captive breeding populations such that no wild caught birds will be required to maintain the program.
Establish a wide distribution of birds among different facilities to prevent the loss of the population should epidemic disease, natural disaster or other local calamity arise.
Develop a standardized methodology to ensure breeding success, and refine the methodology as new techniques, products and procedures are discovered.
Establish a quantity of genetically diverse breeding pairs for programmatic release to the wild.

Any organized program must have policies and procedures, which are used as the basis of agreement and setting the expectations for both the participant and the Cooperative Breeding Program. A clear understanding of these established rules must be thoroughly adopted by all the parties involved or else the possibility of conflicts and even failure exists. Also, methods for the resolution of conflicts must be in place. These rules are detailed in the Cooperative Breeding Program Agreement.

In order for us to better understand the rules and regulations at hand, there are a several terms utilized which should be cleared up now, so that we all have the same understanding of what a particular term means.

Management Group - The Management Group consists of three elected Participants in the CBP, the Studbook Keeper and the Species Coordinator. The Management Group is chaired by the Species Coordinator. The Management Group will oversee the CBP with duties such as determining the eligibility of applicants, overseeing the studbook, and other details concerning the operation of the CBP.

Model Aviculture Program (M.A.P.) - A program certifying the participant has met certain standards for husbandry, quarantine and record keeping. Requires annual inspections by a veterinarian to determine compliance.

Participant - Participants are individuals who have been authorized by the Management Group to breed birds which are participating the CBP.

Registry - A registry is often confused with a studbook. While a studbook identifies individual specimens and keeps track of them throughout their entire lifetime, a registry only summarizes the total inventory at various locations. The data published publicly by ISIS is essentially a registry.

Species Survival Programs - Species Survival Programs (SSP) are extremely detailed plans based upon studbook information in regards to the survival of a particular species. These are usually for highly endangered species or species that are no longer found in the wild.

Status - What is the official status (CITES, IUCN, etc.) of the species held by this country and the country of origin? What are the known population trends derived from recent field studies? What is the natural range of the species in the wild? If it is a small confined area a sudden modification in habitat or other factor involving direct utilization by man or natural disasters could completely wipe out the species. Species that are common in the wild but not readily available in captivity may be just as qualified for studbook management as more highly endangered species.

Studbook - Studbooks have been and will continue to be a simple catalogue of the species which the studbook is working with. Information is obtained concerning the genetic overview, identification, birth dates, genders, transfer information, and the date and cause of death of the population. Captive management techniques can be applied upon the data which was collected. The first official studbook was established in 1924 for the European bison.

Studbook Keeper - The Studbook Keeper is the person who is responsible for maintaining and publishing the studbook. The Studbook Keeper is also a member of the Management Group. The Studbook Keeper provides pairing and transfer suggestions to the Management Group for approval.

The CBP Agreement constructs the legal expectations of the program, however there is no mention of how the program will be implemented. The Management Group Plan outlines these details. This document is the guide for how the Management Group functions. It attempts to outline what the Management Group will do when "something happens". Things such as,

What if a CBP Owned bird dies?
What does the CBP do with their offspring?
How are birds transferred between facilities?

Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. Can I participate in the program?

A) At this time, IPS has breeding cooperatives for Yellow Face (Forpus xanthops) and Mexican (Forpus cyanopygius). Due to the rarity of these birds in the United States at this time, only current owners are allowed to participate.

Q). Who owns the studbook?

A). The studbook, which is simply the record of the birds and their progeny, is the property of the International Parrotlet Society under the auspices of its Cooperative Breeding Programs.

Q). If I have a pair of birds which I enter into the breeding program, whose are they and who has ultimate control of them?

A). You do, just as the CBP has ownership and control of their birds. Once entered into the program, you may submit a request for removal to the Management Group at any time, no reason need be given.

Q). Exactly what record keeping will be required?

A). While the exact details are still being determined, it is the intent to keep the requirements as simple as possible. Your current record keeping may contain more information than is required by the Cooperative.

Q). I understand that the offspring are divided between the breeder and the participant on an agreed basis, and that party now owns the bird. What happens to the birds, where do they go, etc.?

A). Disposition of the birds is up to the owner, which is either the CBP or the breeder.

CBP owned birds are paired as best as possible to prevent genetic relationships.

The CBP selects a breeder to receive birds, who has requested to participate and do not have this particular species, as this will limit the exposure to disaster. If all applicants have these pairs, then participating members which indicated the ability to house additional breeding stock will be selected to increase genetic diversity at each breeding location.

Privately owned birds are distributed as the Participants wishes with CBP participants having right of first refusal strongly recommended.

Fortunately parrotlets reach breeding maturity at about one year of age, so there is a relatively short housing time to reach an age where it can be paired. It is hoped that the breeder will house the birds until the time which they are distributed into the breeding program.

Q) Why isn't there a studbook or CBP for color mutations?

A)  A CBP and studbook is set up to save endangered species for conservation purposes. Color mutations are not viable for conservation purposes because of their genetic make-up. When breeding endangered species, you need the purest, healthiest genetic stock possible. Mutations, by their very definition, are genetically altered and should not be involved in species conservation.

Q). Because a studbook is created, is it necessary to have an overseeing CBP or Consortium for the studbook?

A). No, although a Management Group would be created to manage and oversee the best interests of the studbook.

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