Kaplan Gisela
School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Dec 23;12(1):31. doi: 10.3390/ani12010031.
This paper discusses paradoxes in our relationship to and treatment of birds in captive and conservation contexts. The paper identifies modern and new challenges that arise from declining bird numbers worldwide. Such challenges have partly changed zoos into providers of insurance populations specifically for species at risk of extinction. They have also accelerated fieldwork projects, but by using advanced technological tools and in increasing numbers, contradictorily, they may cause serious harm to the very birds studied for conservation purposes. In practice, very few avian species have any notable protection or guarantee of good treatment. The paper first deals with shortcomings of identifying problematic avian behavior in captive birds. It then brings together specific cases of field studies and captive breeding for conservation in which major welfare deficits are identified. Indeed, the paper argues that avian welfare is now an urgent task. This is not just because of declining bird numbers but because of investment in new technologies in field studies that may have introduced additional stressors and put at risk bird survival. While the paper documents a substantial number of peer-reviewed papers criticizing practices counter to modern welfare standards, they have by and large not led to changes in some practices. Some solutions are suggested that could be readily implemented and, to my knowledge, have never been considered under a welfare model before.
本文探讨了在圈养和保护背景下，我们与鸟类的关系及对鸟类的处理方式中存在的矛盾。本文指出了全球鸟类数量下降所带来的现代及新挑战。这些挑战部分地将动物园转变为专门为濒危物种提供保险种群的机构。它们还加速了野外工作项目，但矛盾的是，通过使用先进技术工具且数量不断增加，这些工具可能会对出于保护目的而研究的鸟类造成严重伤害。实际上，很少有鸟类物种得到显著保护或良好待遇的保障。本文首先论述了识别圈养鸟类中存在问题的行为方面的不足。接着汇集了野外研究和圈养繁殖用于保护的具体案例，其中发现了主要的福利缺陷。的确，本文认为鸟类福利现在是一项紧迫任务。这不仅是因为鸟类数量在下降，还因为野外研究中对新技术的投入可能引入了额外压力源并危及鸟类生存。虽然本文记录了大量经同行评审批评与现代福利标准相悖做法的论文，但总体而言，它们并未导致某些做法的改变。文中提出了一些可以轻易实施的解决方案，据我所知，在福利模式下这些方案以前从未被考虑过。
