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From: dmark@joey.cs.buffalo.edu (David Mark)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Contributions from Exotic Bird owners.
Message-ID: <10775@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
Date: 23 Sep 89 14:28:20 GMT
References: <7995@cloud9.Stratus.COM>
Sender: nobody@acsu.buffalo.edu
Reply-To: dmark@joey.cs.buffalo.edu.UUCP (David Mark)
Organization: SUNY @ Buffalo
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In article <7995@cloud9.Stratus.COM> mm@cloud9.Stratus.COM (Mike Mahler) writes:
>
>        Hi,
>
>        About 2 months ago there was a big push to seperate bird
>     "OWNERS" from bird "WATCHERS" and to disallow entries from
>     bird "OWNERS" into this group and to point them instead to
>     rec.pets.  It was said this was the original purpose of
>     rec.birds and I can understand that.
>
>        It's not my attempt to try and stir up controversy again,
>     but I'd like to propose the creation of rec.birds.exotic
>     where exotic bird "WATCHERS" could converse with each other
>     and with exotic bird "OWNERS" (sorry, I don't like this
>     term, my Nape owns ME!).
>
>        What do you all think?

I guess I think the key distinction in the kind of activity is not whether
the human is watching or owning or whatever, but the status of the bird, 
whether the bird is captive or "wild and unrestrained"  I like to look at the
bird collections in the National zoo in DC, or in my Dad's aviary for that
matter, but I am not 'birding' when I do that.  Whether the bird is "exotic"
or not has almost nothing to do with it-- as I look out the window, I see
two species of exotics, house sparrow and starling.

I think the group has been pretty healthy lately.  Since the original purpose
involved birding, I hope to see wild bird postings make up over 50%, averaged
over say 2 weeks.  I certainly can tollerate up to 50% captive bird postings,
and doubt if there would be enough interest for the establishment of a 
"cagebird" group.

David Mark
dmark@cs.buffalo.edu