Rescuing, raising and reintroducing more Red Siskins
Red Siskins in the wild have declined severely, making it very difficult for them to rebound on their own. We are working hard to reduce threats so that remaining wild populations may recover naturally while also preparing to release captive raised individuals to augment existing populations and establish new ones.
Achievements
2022 Achievements coming soon
2021
• New equipment for the Red Siskin Conservation Center!
Thanks to the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund: Covid 19 Relief program, we received funding for salaries and operating costs of the Red Siskin Conservation Center (RSCC) in 2021, including new equipment that will help our education and research efforts.
• Infrastructure improvements:
Despite difficulties due to COVID-19, RSCC activities have increased! We have undertaken deep cleaning, essential parasite control measures, and aviary and laboratory upgrades, with new nets to reduce exposure to disease carrying insects and a roof to further protect our Red Siskins.
Also, the RSCC has a new education exhibit to show the public who we are and what we do.
• Alliance for red siskin conservation
The RSCC has added the Ornithological Federation of Andalusia (FOA, acronym in Spanish) as a new ally. FOA has provided support for storage areas, a laboratory area for environmental control of biological specimens and construction of feeders in outdoor aviaries.
The avian care supply store Aviantecnic has renewed its support for a second consecutive year, providing specialized foods, supplements, medicines, and equipment. The Red Siskin’s Specialists and Aviculturists Network (ReSSAN) of Spain, continues to grow and provide important knowledge, education and other support for RSI care, husbandry and trafficking mitigation efforts.
• Growing our breeding program
We currently have sixteen red siskins, including six pairs that have reached sexual maturity and are now part of the RSCC breeding program.
These pairs are not like any other, under their wings lies a valuable treasure, the future recovery of a population now threatened with extinction. We continue to add knowledge, experience and a lot of love so that our breeding program continues to grow.
A new partner, the Wildlife Conservation Center in Virginia, built a specialized breeding facility that will supply Red Siskins to an expanding number of AZA partners across the US that will contribute to breeding and husbandry research and public education.
2020
• In January 2020, we welcomed Species360 as a new partner of the RSI. Zoológico Leslie Pantin (ZLP) will be able to share studbook and husbandry data on the Endangered Red Siskins in its’ collections as well as other species subject to conservation programs in ZLP.
2018
- In 2018, Miami Zoo joined the RSI as a partner, housing the first population of Red Siskins that will be exhibited to the public in an American zoo.
- In 2018, construction of the first Red Siskin Conservation Center in Venezuela commenced in Zoologico Leslie Pantin.
2017
- In 2017, Zoológico Leslie Pantin (Turmero-VE) joined RSI as our first new Venezuelan partner since founding.
2016
