Wild populations of numerous avian species have declined dramatically in the last half-century. Hundreds of avian species are endanger of becoming extinct in the near future, and many more are vulnerable. Many of these species will cease to exist in the wild in our lifetime. When this happens, will aviculture have preserved captive specimens that will assure survival of the species? Hybridization, inbreeding, and breeding for specific traits and mutations that are popular among bird keepers have produced strains of birds that little resemble the wild type. The wild type Lady Gouldian Finch, for example, is among the most exquisitely beautiful creatures on earth. Nevertheless, due of the popularity of the various color mutations of the gouldian, one would be hard pressed to find genetically pure birds in captivity that could be used to reestablish the species in the wild. Our goal is to produce exceptional quality birds of archetypical phenotype and genotype. |
