Hand feeding protocol for Ibises and Spoonbills: A multi-species experience.

GONZÁLEZ, PAULA M; GATTINONI, VIVIANA; SUARES, ANDRÉS

Animal Keepers Forum

American Association of Zoo Keepers.

Lugar: Topeka; Año: 2013

0164-9531

Threskiornitidae is compound of 34 species, 8 of which are globally threatened (4 cited as critically endangered) and two are cited as near threatened (IUCN, 2013).Hand rearing birds is a fundamental tool for the management and conservation of genetic diversity of captive populations. Although there are protocols for several species such as the experience of Sweeney (1993) with African Spoonbills, and the one of Woodley and Macpherson (2011) with Northern Bald Ibis, there are no records that a generic hand rearing protocol had worked successfully with several species of the family.The aim of this paper is to share a generic hand rearing protocol for Ibises and Spoonbills that can be used in individuals of many species, report its results with three different species, and compare the growth curve obtained following the protocol with parent reared chick?s curves.