What was the first amazon you started with?
Our first Amazon is the Cuban Amazon (Amazona leucocephala). If I remember correctly, these birds were imported from Zverimex in Czechoslovakia. There are 60 units and they sell for 2,000 Czech crowns (= 75 euros) each. Zverimex imported them legally, but our agents declared it illegal.
Today you have 105 aviaries with outside flights more than 8 metres long and 1-2 metres wide. I guess that your first facility had to be more modest.
You are right. I started breeding of parrots as most of other parrot breeders since I was 6 years old. My first birds were budgies, cockatiels, rosellas and I had only few aviaries. By the time my facility has been growing.
Now you have a parrot farm. When was the turn?
There was no turn, the change has happened gradually.
But now your birds farm is in different place.
Yes, earlier I was living in a near village where I had only 65 outside and 50 inside aviaries. To new house I moved 6 years ago and I built here bigger and better facility, located in USA , UK and some parts of Europe such as France and Ireland.
I guess the old place was too small for you…
Yes. I had an opportunity to get an empty cow house so I used that building.
Apart from amazons you have been breeding other parrot species as well. How do you choose species you are going to breed? According to their rarity, difficulty to breed, price, ..?
I like breeding parrots which are difficult to breed. In the past (during communism) only few parrot breeders had any amazons. Officially were imported Blue-fronted Amazons (Amazona aestiva), Orange-winged Amazons (Amazona amazonica) and Yellow-crowned Amazons (Amazona ochrocephala). These were available. Later, when I achieved some successful breedings there was an opportunity to get more species.
You have several caribbean amazon species which are very rare in Europe. I can mention for example St. Vincent Amazons (Amazona guildingi) and St Lucia Amazons (Amazona versicolor). Do they have any specific requirements for breeding compared to the others?
I would say the are very different. They can be dominant and it’s hard to work with them. When the pair is eating, males have to be the first at the feeder and they eat the best food. Then the female is allowed to access to bowls. Consequently males get easily fat, females are skinny and their clutches can be small or infertile.
Do they display any different behaviour patterns?
All of them are wary. Maybe that’s because their very limited populations on caribbean islands are threatened by predators and people. When any bird of prey flies over my aviries, caribbean amazons react as the first ones. They always hardly tolerate any changes in their environment. When I try to give them new kind of fruit or other foods it can happen that they will be sitting scary in the corner of the aviary for three days. So they get used to changes very slowly.
So they behave like imported African Grey Parrots?
Yes, but my birds are bred in captivity and still keep their vigilance.
Caribbean amazons are rare in the wild as well. How do you see their future? You have already visited these islands so what’s your opinion?
For some “green activists,” long-term survival is unlikely. It seems the locals now understand their uniqueness, but a few years ago they were captured and consumed. In addition, their biotopes are becoming smaller and smaller. In Saint Lucia, people built a path through the forest where these birds live! In the end, he will only have a short time to live. Some say that a small number of Amazons live on this island. I would say there are more birds than local conditions can support. If the authorities had allowed 10 to 20 years of exports, nothing would have been neglected. I assume, of course, that there will be no hurricanes capable of completely decimating the entire population. Breeding breeding birds in captivity can save the future survival of the species. Look at the Martinique Amazon (Amazona martinicana) or the Guadeloupe Amazon (Amazona violacea). These birds are now extinct because humans completely destroyed their habitat and kept none in captivity.
Is there any cooperation between you and other parrot breeders of these rare caribbean species? So you can get new bloodline for your breeding.
Not at all. There are not many parrot breeders of birds like St. Lucia Amazon or St. Vincent Amazon.
Was this breeding season successful? I heared you have bred Blue-cheeked Amazon (Amazona dufresniana).
You are right. But unfortunately, I had 2 males. That is actually the worse alternative as there are less females. Otherwise we hadn’t many youngers this year. Maybe it’s good because generally the interest in amazons is in decline.
Why? Is that because of the economical crisis?
Who knows. This year the demand for most of amazon species was minimal. Older parrot breeders are dying and young ones are not comming. What is more, many species were bred in high numbers recently. Imported birds suffered from high mortality and now individuals bred in captivity are strong and well adapted.
Do you think that this trend is specific for our country or we can find it in whole Europe?
We see it in whole Europe.
I have to admitt I’m little bit surprised as with such rare species you have there has to be always some demand. For example from western countries.
Why western? There are more interested buyers from the East. I have frequent visits from Russia or Bulgary.
Isn’t the declining interest in breeding amazon species caused by strict law related to CITES which forces a breeder to registrate very common birds like Cuban Amazon?
Maybe in part. Of course people don’t want to spend their time by visiting offices. I guess they will always prefer CITES II species as they have less troubles then.
You don’t reduce breeding of CITES I parrot species?
No way!
Many parrot breeders refuse these species as they are afraid of regular inspections from authorities. Do you have any experience with that? We hear frequently that these inspections can be very hard for breeders and birds as well.
I didn’t have any inspeciton for a long time. But it’s only matter of time when they will come again. There is a difference in regular inspection and an attempt to criminalize somebody. When sometimes authorities come to control birds and it’s not every year and they behave politely then it‘s their right. It’s worse when they come only because they want to fine you or want to confiscate some birds.
Any personal experience about that?
Of course. I had an inspection. When they didn’t find anything wrong they started checking all CITES papers. They were doing that for 3 hours! At that time I had Yellow Lored Amazons (Amazona xantholora) which were very rare those days, approximately 8 to 10 birds. They were registered, I had all papers at home but I forgot to sign them from the backside (by my signature!). I was told that it’s violation of law and I was fined.
Was that fine high?
No, just about 2000 CZK (=75 euro) but they called me a criminal!
So do you think that inspectors have to find some number of violation even if it’s nonsence and banality?
I don’t know whether they have to but if they wouldn’t find anything then somebody could think that their job is useless.