WPA is involved in a number of important captive conservation projects around the world. Conservation breeding programmes provide a vital lifeline to species that are threatened in the wild. Though the European Conservation Breeding Group, we work hard to enable species to be sent back to their countries of origin to help re-establish local populations and further conservation efforts, examples of this include Green peafowl Pavo muticus, Malaysian peacock-pheasant Polyplectron malacense, Mountain peacock-pheasant Polyplectron inopinatum, Satyr tragopan Tragopan satyra and Temminck's tragopan Tragopan temminckii. By ensuring the genetic variation in captive populations, through the use of studbooks, we are able to ensure that a genetically viable population remains in captivity that could be used for release programmes or to add genetic diversity to wild populations.

Through our Captive Breeding Programme, we have supported projects that have successfully released young cheer pheasants Catreus wallichii into the wild in Pakistan where they had previously disappeared, and a project that has released over 500 hazel grouse Tetrastes bonasia in Germany. Both the Conservation Breeding Advisory Group and the European Conservation Breeding Group work to ensure good avicultural practice and to share knowledge, expertise and experience. A collaborative approach and good communication links enables breeders to share knowledge and expertise, and over the years breeders from across the world have helped to train staff at conservation breeding workshops in India, China, Malaysia and Thailand. 

Projects