04/20/1993 - Minutes RECORDED
TRACY AVIARY ADVISORY BOARD JUN 0 d
MINUTESulj
April 20, 1993 niry ECOROSb
The 80th meeting of the Tracy Aviary Advisory Board of Salt
Lake City was held on April 20, 1993 at 5 : 15 p .m. at the
State Office Building. Vice Chair Laura Lockhart presided .
PRESENT
Board Members Staff
Ed Engh Sheryl Gillilan
John Green Rick Graham
Jeanne LeBer Patti Hansen
Laura Lockhart Susan Norris
Scott Mietchen Grenville Roles
Ann Price
Barbara Stubblefield
Clayton White
Excused
George Allen
Rex Kennedy
Laura Lockhart convened the meeting.
ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
Barbara Stubblefield moved that the minutes be approved .
[October 6, November 10, December 8, 1992, January 21 and
February 9, 1993] . The ' motion carried.
Patti Hansen, Director of Recreation, introduced herself to
the Board explaining that the Public Works and the Parks and
Recreation Departments have merged as the Public Services
Department . Patti told the Board that Tracy Aviary is now
included with Recreation . It was also noted that Shelly,
secretary for George Allen, was present.
ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT
Rick reported that he is now deputy director of Public
Services, and since his duties have changed he will no longer
be as directly involved with the Aviary. He said Patti is an
excellent addition to the Aviary.
Rick said the budget, including the contractual line item,
was submitted to the Mayor and was well received . It will go
to the City Council in May, a public hearing will be held and
it should be adopted in mid-June .
Rick updated the Board on the bird care report . He said that
since the Board's last meeting George Allen sent a letter to
the Mayor regarding the staff report . George corresponded
and met with members of the City Council and the chair has
Tracy Aviary Advisory Board Minutes
April 20, 1993 - Page Two
requested some more detail from the staff . Rick also
received a letter from Rendell Mabey who was curious as to
what was going on, and encouraged the staff to look into it
further .
Rick reported that Gene Baierschmidt, Director of the Utah
Humane Society, proposed to the Mayor that in light of the
allegations the City meet with George and select an outside
bird expert to provide a review and recommendation to the
City, which the City would pay for and accept as binding.
Rick read from the Mayor 's response, which supports a review
from the AAZPA. He said the City decided without consulting
with George to bring in the AAZPA. Rick said he stands by
the report and feels comfortable inviting the AAZPA. He
contacted Ralph Waterhouse, chair of the accreditation
committee of the AAZPA, for help in deciding who would be
appropriate in making the review . Rick said he is also
comfortable with George meeting with the group and expressing
his and others ' concerns .
Clayton suggested sending the document Laura prepared
(Exhibit A) and George 's document to Ralph Waterhouse who is
coming to SLC in August for the AFA convention, during which
time he could form an ad hoc committee for a review. Rick
wanted to follow up on this possibility and stressed the need
for sanction of the AAZPA.
CURATOR 'S REPORT
Grenville distributed copies of Acquisitions, Sales and Death
report (Exhibit B) . He said nothing significant was acquired
or sold . He said the Vasa parrots had just hatched two
babies, this being the second time they have bred at the
Aviary . He said they are on breeding loan from the
Avicultural Society of Utah; the first baby hatched belongs
to the Society and the second baby belongs to the Aviary .
The babies will likely be pulled within two weeks and hand-
reared, in the hope that they will produce a second clutch.
He said they will watch the babies closely to ensure they
survive as the baby from the previous clutch was not fed by
the mother .
He reported that both male and female Golden Eagles are
incubating eggs and that whatever progeny hatches will go to
a release program in Kansas at six weeks of age .
Grenville said he is disappointed the Hyacinth macaws are
again infertile. If they lay infertile eggs again he will
look at trading males .
Tracy Aviary Advisory Board Minutes
April 20, 1993 - Page Three
He reported that the death rate seems to be at an average
level . The Screech owl death was peculiar as it has been
neighbors with a Cooper 's Hawk for two years, which killed it
through 1" wire mesh.
Grenville attended the AAZPA Southern Regional Convention
March 13-15 in Florida. He attended the workshop on
artificial incubation and hand-rearing of non-domestic
birds . He said it was very informative and worthwhile .
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Garden - Barbara Stubblefield reported that the west area of
the pond is being cleaned up. Dick Hildreth will spot where
the plants should go . The committee will meet again in May.
She said the next step is for Jan and Dick to design
landscaping along the waterway.
Education - Jean LeBer reported that Little Caesars will
sponsor a May 22nd Toucan Party. There will be many
activities for children, while promoting membership in the
Aviary.
Public Relations - Laura' Lockhart said that sign production
is behind twenty signs. She would like another art intern,
but says they are making progress; over 100 are done.
OTHER BUSINESS
The Board discussed the possible legislative arts tax (an
imposition of 1/10th of 1% sales tax) to be voted on June 8 .
The aviary should be eligible to benefit from the proceeds as
a zoological institution . Barbara Stubblefield proposed that
the Public Relations committee study the issue and take
appropriate action . Laura said that a good lobbying effort
is needed .
NEXT MEETING
May 26, 1993 at 5: 00 p .m. State Office Building, Room 4112 .
This has been changed to June 21, same time and place .
Exhi.61*
MEMORANDUM
TO: Tracy Aviary Board
FROM: Laura Lockhart
DATE: March 26, 1993
RE: Bird care
I have made a number of inquiries regarding bird care generally.and at Tracy Aviary, and
would like to let you know of the results. Except where otherwise indicated, my primary
contacts on these issues have been:
Ron Johnson Metro-Miami Avian Curator. Contacted at the suggestion of
Ralph Waterhouse, who called him one of the best avian
curators.
Scott Ransom With Chaffee Zoo. On the committee that reviewed Tracy
Aviary for accreditation with the American Association of
Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA).
Dr. James Savoy Former director of the Phoenix Zoo. On the committee that
reviewed Tracy Aviary for accreditation with the AAZPA.
Peter Shannon Audubon Park Zoo, Aviary Curator. Contacted at the
suggestion of Rapli Waterhouse, who called him one of the best
avian curators.
Ralph Waterhouse Current director of the Chaffee Zoo and current head of the
committee that is responsible for accrediting AAZPA
institutions. Contacted at the suggestion of Scott Ransom.
I talked with Ron Johnson, Peter Shannon, and Ralph Waterhouse in greater detail because
they were more knowledgeable about care of birds. Ed Engh also participated in the phone
calls made to all but Ransom, Savoy, and Waterhouse.
Conclusions
Based on my discussions, I conclude that there is substantial evidence suggesting that bird
care at Tracy Aviary is quite good. There are a few areas where potential improvements
should be discussed, but I would like to make it quite clear that proposing potential
improvements in this report does not suggest that there is a serious problem that needs to be
Memorandum to Tracy Aviary Board
March 26, 1993
Page 2
remedied. Continuous improvement should be a goal for Tracy Aviary just as it should for
any organization.
Mortality rates
All of the gentlemen I interviewed indicated that it was difficult to determine an appropriate
mortality rate; it depends very much on a number of variables, including the types of birds in
the collection. Having said that, however, Ralph Waterhouse indicated that Tracy Aviary's
mortality rate appeared to be "very low." Ron Johnson called the record "excellent." Peter
Shannon called the total bird mortality rate (11.9%) "very good," and indicated that the adult
bird mortality rate was "not bad at all." Dr. James Savoy was uncomfortable basing any
conclusion on statistics; Scott Ransom was not familiar with avian mortality rates, and so
was uncomfortable drawing any conclusions.
Ralph Waterhouse, Peter Shannon, and Ron Johnson also did not believe that a 2.5%
mortality rate was achievable except in extremely unusual circumstances, e.g., a majority of
the collection consisting of large parrots, or a closed system with no new birds and small
enclosures that do not have displays normally used for aesthetic reasons. They also indicated
that, generally, there wasn't much difference between caring for birds in a zoo and caring for
them in an Aviary, although Ron Johnsop noted that they will occasionally lose a bird to
aggressive behavior by non-avian cage mates. Dr. James Savoy indicated that it may be true
that zoos have higher mortality in some situations, but felt that it depended very much on the
situation.
They all also felt that an appropriate mortality rate -- if you can figure out what that is -- was
an important indicator of bird care.
Specific causes of death
All of the gentlemen I interviewed noted that protecting birds from specific kinds of
problems was a matter of evaluating costs against benefits. It is easier to keep a bird free of
disease in a simple wire cage, for example, but that type of display is not generally
acceptable to the viewing public. For this reason, they all declined to draw conclusions
about the mortality rates from specific causes of death. They did note, however, that Tracy
Aviary faces unusual challenges because of its climate. For example, Dr. Savoy felt that the
number of deaths from exposure was probably acceptable for our location, but suggested that
the same number of exposure deaths in Phoenix would cause him to look into the situation.
Peter Shannon suggested preparing a priority list for moving birds to warmer areas during
Memorandum to Tracy Ayiary Board
March 26, 1993
Page 3
cold periods, and did not agree that moving birds during this time would affect their breeding
success.
Necroscopy
Ralph Waterhouse, Peter Shannon, and Ron Johnson indicated that a 25% "unknown" rate
for necroscopy was typical in their experience. They noted the difficulty of finding and
freezing dead birds quickly enough to make all necroscopies meaningful. I also contacted
Dr. E. Jane Kelly from USU. She indicated that the autopsies she performs are primarily on
poultry and pet birds, and that she would expect to find the cause of death for fewer cases if
working on a wider variety of birds. She also indicated that she does a fairly thorough
evaluation, including microbiology, for most birds.
Water
Ralph Waterhouse indicated that the goal of a keeper is to provide all birds with fresh water
at all times. However, he also indicated that this was often not necessary, depending on the
species of bird. He did feel that it was important to provide fresh water once each day, and
to refill water bowls later in the day if tliey had been tipped over or were dirty. He
suggested the use of heavier bowls if bowls being used get tipped over regularly. Finally, he
noted that it will be apparent if birds are not getting sufficient water because they will die.
Ron Johnson also indicated that water should be provided once or twice each day, and that,
for those birds that spilled water dishes, it was sufficient if they had fresh water for 5-10
minutes twice each day.
Peter Shannon stated that fresh water should be available at least once each day, and that
birds will die if sufficient water is not being provided. He also noted two other indicators
that would suggest watering should be improved: birds going to the water dish immediately
after fresh water is provided, and birds with stiffer fecal matter than normal may be
dehydrated.
Ralph Waterhouse, Peter Shannon, and Ron Johnson all indicated that they would not be
concerned simply because a water dish was dry at any one time. Peter Shannon did suggest
that the type of water bowls should be changed, however, if the birds are tipping them
easily.
Memorandum to Tracy Aviary Board •
March 26, 1993
Page 4
Staffing
All of the gentlemen with whom I spoke indicated that there is no single appropriate ratio of
keepers to birds. The appropriate ratio depends very much on conditions, e.g., type of birds
in collection, type of facility. Ralph Waterhouse and Dr. James Savoy also indicated that
this is an important issue for those persons evaluating a facility for AAZPA accreditation,
and that they therefore assumed Tracy Aviary's ratio was acceptable since Tracy Aviary was
AAZPA-accredited. Scott Ransom remembers that the question of appropriate numbers of
keepers was raised during Tracy Aviary's accreditation process, and that it was ultimately
resolved satisfactorily. Peter Shannon indicated that a review of patterns in mortality causes
would be important in establishing whether the bird-to-keeper ration was appropriate, e.g.,
parasites, repeated diseases.
I also discussed this issue with Tracy Aviary's keepers. They expressed concern that they
often did not have time to observe the behavior of birds in the collection, which they felt was
important to assure that any health problems were caught, and to learn more about the bird.
They also felt, however, that basic needs were being met adequately, and there was no need
to reduce the number of birds at Tracy Aviary.
Tuberculosis
I contacted Craig Nichols, Director of the Division of Epidemiology, Utah Department of
Health about whether avian tuberculosis poses a risk for humans. He provided the following
information after reviewing recent literature. The bacterium that causes avian tuberculosis is
different from the bacterium that causes human tuberculosis (Mycobacterium avium rather
than Mycobacterium tuberculosis). The former is extremely common in soils and water.
Avian tuberculosis ordinarily poses no danger to humans, although humans that are immuno-
compromised, such as AIDs victims, will occasionally contract the disease. It cannot be
communicated from human to human, and is probably not communicated between birds and
humans, although there is some ambiguous data about this latter point (involving situations
where both birds and humans came into contact with contaminated soils or water). Generally
speaking, it is extremely rare in humans, and is not considered a health hazard.
Rodents
All of the gentlemen I interviewed indicated that rodents are an inevitable part of any outdoor
zoo, and that we can only hope to control the population size. Ralph Waterhouse suggested
using covered feed bins and elevated feed dishes with stainless steel lips. He also noted that
many ground feeders will not use elevated feed dishes.
Memorandum to Tracy Aviary Board
March 26, 1993
Page 5
Ralph Waterhouse, Scott Ransom, and Ron Johnson also suggested various ways of
controlling mice: live traps, snap traps, and a pest control service. Some have also used
poison, though they acknowledged that method could cause problems.
Peter Shannon noted that mice can be annoying and can consume bird food, but generally do
not cause health or other problems for the birds.
I also spoke with the keepers about this issue. They indicated that they felt the rodent
problem was under control. Several changes have been made recently that have reduced the
rodent population, e.g., shrubbery has been removed, and live traps have been used.
Care generally
Scott Ransom remembered generally that birds at Tracy Aviary were well cared for. Mr.
Waterhouse described for us the AAZPA's fairly rigorous accreditation process, which
includes evaluation of facilities (e.g., lighting, perches, security, and appropriate shelter),
staffing (e.g., number and training of keepers), breeding program, etc. He felt confident that
care was of high quality in any facility that could get AAZPA accreditation. He also
indicated that, where there is poor sanitation, overall health and breeding success will
diminish. (It should also be noted that our breeding rate of 23% of species was "pretty
aggressive" in his view.)
SALES �.At U1+ p
Date Species SpNo Price Recipient
1/6/93 African Grey Parrots '92.`hatch $550.00 Balance owed by Bill Kuhn.S.L.C.Pald in full
1/23/93 Impeyan Pheasant '92 hatch $62.50 B.Sartor. S.L.C.
.1/23/93 Impeyan Pheasant '92 hatch $62.50 B.Sartor. S.L.C.
1/23/93 Impeyan Pheasant '92 hatch $62.50 B.Sartor. S.L.C.
•
1/26/93 African Grey Parrots Adult $150.00 Prt pay by D.Cracroft,bince $400.00 owed.
1/27/93 Palawan Peacock Pheasant Adult $225.00 S.Eyre. American Fork
2/2/93 Golden Pheasant '92 hatch $12.50 J.LLewellyn.S.L.C.
2/2/93 Golden Pheasant '92 hatch• $12.50 J.LLewellyn.S.L.C.
2/2/93 Amherst Pheasant '92 hatch $12.50 J.LLewellyn.S.L.C.
2/2/93 Amherst Pheasant '92 hatch $12.50 J.LLewellyn.S.L.C.
2/6/93 Wood Duck '92 hatch $17.50 B.Rlch. Murray
2/6/93 Wood Duck '92 hatch $17.50 B.Rlch. Murray
2/7/93 Male Grey Peacock Pheasant Adult $60.00 D.Anderson. S.L.C.
2/7/93 Ruddy Quail Dove Adult $60.00 D.Anderson. S.L.C.
2/16/93 Cheer Pheasant '92 hatch $40.00 Allan Gritton. S.L.C.
2/16/93 Cheer Pheasant '92 hatch $40.00 Allan Gritton. S.L.C.
2/16/93 Cheer Pheasant '92'hatch $40.00 Allan Gritton. S.L.C.
2/25/93 Golden Pheasant '92 hatch $12.50 Indianapolis Zoo
2/25/93 Golden Pheasant '92 hatch $12.50 Indianapolis Zoo
2/25/93 Wood Duck '92 hatch $17.50 E.Asper. Fl.
2/25/93 Wood Duck '92 hatch $17.50 E.Asper. Fl.
2/25/93 Wood Duck '92 hatch $17.50 E.Asper. Fl.
2/25/93 Wood Duck '92 hatch . $17.50 E.Asper. Fl.
4/14/93 African Grey Parrots Adult $100.00 Prt pay by D.Cracroft,bince $300.00 owed.
$1632.50
Acquisitions •
Date Species 231L Cost
3/11/93 Ruddy-headed Geese M $0.00
3/11/93 Ruddy-headed Geese F $0.00
4/7/93 Red-crested Pochard M $25.00
4/7/93 Red-crested Pochard M $25.00
4/7/93 Ringed Teal F $25.00
$75.00
Egg Report 1993.
•
SPECIES FIRST EGG at U.rel,BROKE HTCH(pIED REAREQ SOLD
Crane, Sandhill 4/7/93
Dove, Asian Turtle 3/11/93 2
Dove, Galapagos 2/1/93 2
Dove, Laceneck 3/12/93 2
Dove, Mountain Witch 1/1/93 3
Dove, Ruddy Quail 3/19/93 1 1
Duck, Mallard 3/1/93
Eagle, Golden 3/23/93
Emu 2/10/93 4
Goose, Hawaiian 3/11/93
Goose, Sebastopol 1/28/93 1
Parrot, Alexandrian 1/6/93 1 1 1
Parrot, Macaw Hyacinth 1/28/93 3
Parrot, Vasa 4/2/93
Pheasant, Amherst 4/16/93
Pheasant, Edwards 4/7/93
Pheasant, Elliots 3/18/93 4 2
Pheasant, Golden 4/14/93
Pheasant, Grey Peacock 3/24/93 1 1
Pheasant, Impeyan 4/7/93
Pheasant, Reeves 4/13/93 1
Pheasant, Satyr Trag 4/4/93
Pheasant, Temmincks Trag 4/8/93
Plover, Blacksmith 3/8/93 2
Swan, Black-necked 3/25/93
Tinamou, Chilean 2/19/93 3 1
Turkey, Wild 4/1/93
Deaths
Date Species SpeclD Cause
1/12/93 White Eared Pheasant 2 Intestinal septicemia
1/14/93 Barbary Partridge • 4 Intestinal blockage
1/15/93 Red-billed Blue Magpie '92 Hatch Cause undeterminable upon gross necropsy
2/1/93 Zenaida Dove Adult Remains only recovered, Non examinable.
2/1/93 Thick-billed Parrot Bnd No 638 Enteritis
2/4/93 Black-crowned Night Heron Ed. Bird Abscess on syrinx.
2/11/93 Red-crested Touraco Adult Fungal infection of air sacs
2/11/93 Red-crested Pochard Adult Fluid in air sacs-pneumonia
2/17/93 Chukar Partridge Adult Peritonitis
3/23/93 Galapagos Dove '92 Hatch Trauma by cage mate
4/7/93 Wild Turkey Adult Cause undeterminable.
4/7/93 Screech Owl Adult Trauma by neighbour.
4/13/93 Collared Finch-billed Bulbul '92 Hatch Trauma by mother
•
NOTICE OF TRACY AVIARY BOARD MEETING
DATE: Tuesday, April 20, 1993
TIME: 5:15 p.m.
PLACE: Room 4112 of the State Office Building -- the building immediately to the
north of the Capitol Building
I hope that this meeting place will be convenient for everyone; it is usually not possible to
schedule meeting rooms in the City and County building for Tuesday nights because of City
Council meetings. Please let me know if this poses any difficulty for you.
Thank you all for your patience in getting this meeting organized.
RECEIVED
Laura Lockhart APR 071993
486-5590 (h)
538-1728 (w) CiTYRctqwwwr)
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