Aviculture
Aviculture is the keeping and breeding of birds in human care, encompassing companion birds, captive breeding, and managed bird collections.
Bird: A warm-blooded, feathered vertebrate whose forelimbs are adapted as wings. Bird anatomy and behavior set the basic requirements of aviculture.
Companion parrot: A parrot kept by people primarily for companionship rather than production or exhibition. Parrot keeping is a prominent form of companion-bird aviculture.
Selective breeding: The deliberate mating of organisms to increase the frequency of desired inherited traits. Aviculturists use it to develop varieties and influence captive populations.
CITES: An international agreement regulating trade in endangered species and products derived from them. Its controls affect international trade in many wild-caught and captive-bred birds.
Animal husbandry: The practice of caring for and managing domesticated animals. Aviculture applies husbandry methods specifically to birds.
Poultry farming: The raising of domesticated birds, especially chickens, ducks, and turkeys, for food or other products. It applies captive bird breeding and care at agricultural scale.
Bird banding: The attachment of an identifying ring or band to a bird for tracking or recordkeeping. Bands help track ancestry, ownership, and individual birds in managed collections.
Wildlife trade: The exchange of wild animals and plants, alive or dead, and products derived from them. Demand for captive birds can contribute to or help displace trade in wild birds.
Bird welfare: The physical and psychological well-being of birds, shaped by health, environment, and opportunities for natural behavior. Welfare standards guide housing, handling, social grouping, and breeding decisions.
Zoo: An institution that keeps living animals for public display, education, research, or conservation. Zoo bird collections use avicultural methods for care and breeding.