Leiothrix Breeding Coop

May 20, 2002

Anne St. John Office of Management Authority U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4401N. Fairfax Drive, Room 700 Arlington, VA 22203
Re: Cooperative Breeding program for Leiothrix lutea and Leiothrix argentaurus
Dear Ms. St. John,
Enclosed is the application for creating a cooperative breeding program for the Pekin Robin and Silver-eared Mesia. Please let me know what other information you may need to successfully complete this application. The members of this consortium appreciate your time and efforts to make this successful. The following is the list of answers required on the permit application form.
1. A description of the exotic bird(s)
a. Common names: Pekin Robin and Silver-eared Mesia Scientific names: Leiothrix lutea and Leiothrix argentaurus b. Number to be imported: 80 of each species. Our goal is not to diminish the wild population, priority will be given to obtaining captive-bred stock. c. Sex ratio: 1:1 for each species. d. Age class: Juvenile to young adult. At this time we have made contact with breeders in Canada who can legally supply captive - bred stock.
2. A full statement justifying this approval and a description of the cooperative breeding program:
a. A breeding protocol, including a genetic management plan and breeding methods.
We will use the pair management system using an alpha-numeric identifier for each bird, e.g. A 101 – Z 999. This will allow for the identification of 23348 separate individuals. Given that we are currently working with a mostly wild-caught Leiothrix population the gene pool for each species is rather pure. Until recently both these species have been considered as difficult to breed. Many of the necessary breeding stimuli have now been identified which should make successful domestic propagation more consistent. We are currently checking into the program SPARKS that can be leased from ISIS. We are also reviewing BREEDER’S ASSISTANT from England to use with PM2000, a program used by the Zoo community for determining best pair mating for the studbook birds.
From our experiences breeding these birds they require a minimum aviary size of approximately 3 feet X 6 feet X 6 feet high that provides them with the privacy and security they need, that is typical of all the softbilled birds. Aviaries need to be heavily planted. Of 30 known domestic nest sites, 25 were built in conifers. The other 5 were built in Spider plants and bamboo plants, where no conifers were available. The breeding stimuli include a photoperiod (day length) in excess of 14 hours, seasonal increase in live insects, increase in humidity levels to above 50%. Leiothrix love to bathe and clean water is daily requirement. Although the adults can withstand temperatures below freezing the freshly fledged chicks cannot, so consortium members are expected to commence breeding operations only once average temperatures are above 70 degrees F. Both species build a cup-shaped nest, either directly on the vegetation or in a wicker basket. The preferred nesting material is coconut fiber, cut into lengths of approximately 4 inches. The nutritional requirements of the Leiothrix have been well established in the United States. They are fruit-biased omnivores that require soft fruits supplemented with insects and pelleted foods. The pelleted foods can be a Universal insectivore food, Pretty Bird or Zupreem pellets, or soaked Monkey Chow or dog chow. Increased calcium in the breeding season is best supplied through the use of crushed baked eggshells.
b. A statement on the plans for developing and maintaining a self-sustaining population in captivity of the exotic bird species.
At this time it is not envisioned that wild-caught stock will be required by the consortium. If approved this program would allow us to obtain domestic unrelated birds from successful breeders in Canada and Europe. This network can be developed to avoid possible genetic problems associated with a small genepool. Our goal is to educate aviculturists in the nuances of breeding these birds. We need to learn from each other’s experiences to increase progeny survival. The following website was created for just this purpose. http://www.oocities.org/pekinrobins/index.html http://www.oocities.org/rainforestaviaries/mesia.html
On-line Leiothrix bibliography: http://www.oocities.org/pekinrobins/bibliog.html
c. Details on the system of record keeping and tracking of birds and progeny, including how individual specimens will be marked or otherwise identified.
All original wild-caught stock will be identified with an alpha-numeric number as recorded in the studbook. Consideration has been given to those birds that wont tolerate nest disturbance. Given we don’t want to lose blood lines, all consortium members will be required to band domestic progeny with leg bands purchased from the National Finch and Softbill Society, our overseeing organization. All chicks will be recorded in the Consortium studbook. Identification of each bird will be maintained by its band number. This will be cross-referenced through the assigned studbook number to monitor genetic lineage. Annual reports will be sent to our overseeing organization and the studbook and other Consortium records can be reviewed as requested.
d. A statement on the relationship of such a breeding program to the conservation of the exotic bird species in the wild.
These species are widespread throughout China and South-east Asia. The Leiothrix lutea (Pekin Robin) range is predominantly northern and Leiothrix argentaurus (Silver-eared Mesia) is predominantly southern, although there is an overlap of their ranges through the Himalayas, Northern Myanmar, Assam and Yunnan. They are widely prized in their homelands as songbirds (and hors d’oeuvres since their exportation ceased). As we have a preference to dealing with domestically raised stock we do not expect to be importing any wild birds at this time.
e. Details on the funding of this program.
The program will be privately funded by the participating individuals. Each breeder will be responsible for all expenses associated with housing, care and feeding of the stock in their possession. Birds imported by the Consortium will be owned by the consortium members as a group. It is understood that if a member leaves the consortium the birds must remain with the Consortium as that was the condition of importation approval.
f. Plans for the disposition of the exotic birds and any progeny.
As breeding of the imported pairs occur, 50% of the progeny will remain Consortium owned contributing to future genetic diversity, and 50% will be owned by the breeder. Breeders interested in joining the Consortium will be required to complete an application form and will need to be approved by the board of directors of the consortium. The board of directors of the consortium will be composed of the original people that have submitted information for the approval of this Consortium. It is the goal of the Consortium for each member to maintain multiple breeding pairs of Leiothrix. Sales to the pet trade are not a consideration at this point.
3. A qualification statement for each individual who will be overseeing the cooperative breeding program.
Not Included.
b. Criteria for acceptance of individuals into the program.
Individuals interested in participating in the program will need to submit an application, including a resume of experience breeding Leiothrix and/or other softbills. The application will be reviewed by the Consortium overseeing committee and the NFSS Finch and Softbill Save committee. Approval will be by a majority vote. Some proof of success will need to be submitted with the application. New members will also be required to provide proper caging, nutritional support, record keeping, registration, health maintenance and sufficient financial funding, to maintain the birds in an acceptable manner. Our goal is for the Consortium to grow and assist many individuals in breeding these birds. All members must agree not to form a monopoly that would limit the supply of birds to competent breeders. A copy of the application is attached.
c. The relationship of the cooperative breeding program to enhancing the propagation and survival of the species.
The National Finch and Softbill Society’s objectives are to enhance the knowledge of our members in the keeping and caring of these birds, to encourage breeding programs, and to cooperate with organizations for the preservation of aviculture in this country.
Cooperative breeding programs are established to assist certain birds that would not otherwise be available as specimens in the US. When captive-bred specimens are available to the U.S breeders this will reduce certain pressures on the wild populations and may help to curb poaching of the species from its natural habitat. This will have a positive effect and is intended to enhance the survival of the species’ populations.
5. A history of the cooperative breeding program, including: a. An annual report for the last 3 years, if applicable. b. Breeding and mortality records. c. Studbook, if one has been developed for the species.
As no wild-caught stock has been imported under this breeding consortium the first annual report or renewal program after an initial importation will be the only record of its existence. Upon approval of the cooperative a studbook will be created by Cathy MacKay in conjunction with the National Finch and Softbill Society. A blank copy of the proposed breeding records, application, and genetics worksheet are attached to this application. These forms are to be used by all participants (as they are accepted into the program). These records will be copied and kept on file with the studbook once it has been created.
Once established, this cooperative breeding program is expected to satisfy the demand for captive Leiothrix stock on a perpetual basis. It is not expected that wild populations will decrease to a critical level, but if that should happen consortium members would consider making them available for possible release if needed. This consortium can help change the status of Leiothrix from birds that people would "like" to own to birds that are available to US aviculture with a diverse gene pool. Although both species are not very common in American aviculture this consortium should not be detrimental to the survival of these exotic species in the wild. The primary goal of this group is to be an efficient producer of healthy captive-bred stock. Domestic stock will be traded within the group with the intention of expanding the genetic pool.
This will enhance the survival of the population in the wild by providing a self-sustaining population of the species in captivity. We have put together a group of six well known softbill breeders who provide us with a broad base of experience, expertise, and knowledge with Leiothrix that will be of invaluable assistance in our endeavors. This hand-picked group also makes available many resources to our program to enable us to successfully accomplish our objectives as stated in this application.

Sincerely,

Cathy M.