Use ‘flying training’ before release

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

30%
Certainty

10%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Birds in captivity will rarely fly as far or as often as those in the wild, potentially leading to weaker flight muscles.

Study locations

Key messages

A replicated study from the Dominican Republic found that captive-reared Hispaniolan parrots Amazona ventralis had higher initial survival if they were given pre-release predator training, although this difference was not present a year after release.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated study in the Dominican Republic in 1997-8 (Collazo et al. 2003) found that 25 captive-reared Hispaniolan parrots Amazona ventralis released in 1998 in a subtropical forest site after intensive pre-release flying ‘training’ had flight muscles in significantly better condition than 24 birds released in 1997 after less intensive training. Intensive training consisted of exercise (making birds fly around their aviary) three or four times a week, as opposed to twice a week, and every day in the final week before release. Survival over the first five weeks was much higher in 1998 than 1997 (no deaths in 1998 vs. five deaths in 1997), but overall first-year survival estimates were similar in both years (29% survival in 1998 vs. 30-35% in 1997). This study is discussed in more detail in ‘Release captive-bred individuals into the wild to restore or augment wild populations’.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Collazo J.A., White T.H. Jr., Vilella F.J. & Guerrero S.A. (2003) Survival of captive-reared Hispaniolan parrots released in Parque Nacional del Este, Dominican Republic. The Condor, 105, 198-207.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

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Use holding pens at release sites Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	6	Synopsis Link
Release captive-bred individuals into the wild to restore or augment wild populations of bustards Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	4	Synopsis Link