[Question Submitted] I am a beginner who has zebra finches. Eventually, I plan to add Gouldians or red-cheeked cordon bleus. I want to find out about the finches listed in Appendix II of CITES, birds I've read can no longer be imported. Which birds are on the list?

[RESPONSE] As part of the WILD BIRD CONSERVATION ACT, which was signed into law in 1992, there is an import moratorium on birds listed on the three Appendices of CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna). Both Appendix I and Appendix II list few finches and have limited impact on the availability of small pet birds. Appendix I lists species that are threatened with extinction; Appendix II lists species that could become threatened with extinction if not carefully regulated. However, Appendix III, which includes species listed by their country of origin for purposes of limiting or controlling trade, does cover many commonly kept finches. The import ban of these Appendix III species was first effectively implemented in mid-1994, when importation stopped for many finches that were once commonly available.

Fairly lengthy, the list of finches on Appendix III of CITES includes these well-known species: cut throats, auroras, Senegal firefinches, red-cheeked cordon blues, St. Helena waxbills, lavender waxbills and orange-cheeked waxbills. Also included are red-eared waxbills, golden-breasted waxbills, silverbills, bronze manikins and magpie mannikins. In addition, several whydahs, including pin-tailed whydahs, and two favorite songbirds --- green singers and gray singers -- are listed. Many rarer finches, which I did not mention here, are also restricted. For a complete list or more information, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Management Authority, 4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Rm. 420, Arlington, VA 22203; (800) 358-2104.

These regulations are having a strong impact on people who keep and breed finches, because finches generally do not remain fertile very long. Depending on the species, finches commonly remain fertile for only four to six years. Some finches remain fertile for linger periods, but others lose fertility even before 4 years of age. Consequently, it is difficult to maintain a breeding population of finches without regularly adding new blood. In the past, new blood frequently came from imported birds, but now it must come from domestically raised young. We must breed our own finches and exchange young with each other, or in a few years we will not have the delightful birds we have today.

The finches primarily affected are birds from Africa, particularly African waxbills. In contrast, Australian finches, domestically bred in large number each year, will remain fairly easy to obtain. This means you will continue to find zebras, Gouldian, owls, stars and shaft-tails, for example. A few other domestically bred species (such as societies and Java rice birds) and some African and Asian species not listed on Appendix III will also remain available. Unfortunately, though, many African finches, including the red-cheeked cordons you might like to buy, will be increasingly difficult to locate. To find them, try tracking down local breeders, because it is unlikely many finches on Appendix III will appear in pet shops in the near future.

There are some exceptions to the shrinking supply of birds on Appendix III. Some Appendix III species, such as orange-cheeked waxbills and bronze mannikins, are still legally imported from Puerto Rico. However, the future of Puerto Rican imports is far from certain; there is speculation that commercial supplies will quickly be exhausted. Consequently, it is best to treat all Appendix III species as scarce and important.

For anyone who keeps (or plans to keep) birds on Appendix III of CITES, here are some basic recommendations. First it is crucial to breed these birds. If you do acquire red-cheeked cordon bleus, for instance, there is an obligation to breed them. What we do in the next few years determines the future of these birds in this country.

Additionally, Appendix III species should never be allowed to hybridize, since hybrids can seriously detract from efforts to preserve these species. Be particularly careful when working with blue waxbills (red-cheeked cordons, blue caps and their relatives) and Lonchura mannikins (such as silverbills, spice finches and societies) or serins (including singing finches and canaries), because closely related birds may hybridize when confined together in captivity. To be safe, do not combine closely related species (particularly species in the same genus) in a single enclosure.

When acquiring Appendix III birds, try to buy more than one pair, since it may be difficult to obtain others later. With more than one breeding pair, you can combine unrelated offspring, which will prevent inbreeding and the problems that can result from it. Keep records of the ancestry of your offspring, and maintain contacts with other people breeding the same species so you can trade for unrelated young and share breeding information.

Obviously, it is increasingly important to stay in touch with other people who keep and breed birds. Start by joining a national organization, such as the American Federation of Aviculture (Membership Services, Dept. BT, P.O. Box 56218, Phoenix AZ 85079-6218) and The Nation Finch and Softbill Society (Lynda Bakula, NFSS Membership Services, Dept BT, P.O. Box 3232, Ballwin, MO 63022). There is also a new organization, The Waxbill-Parrot Finch Society. For more information on the new society, write Levin Tilghman, Dept. BT, 6419 N. 15th St., Philadelphia, PA 19126-3503.