Welcome

Society of Species Conservation and Aviculture

General Information

The Vereinigung für Artenschutz, Vogelhaltung und Vogelzucht (AZ) e.V. (Association for the protection of endangered species, bird keeping and aviculture) is a registered non-profit association. Founded in 1920 it has already a long tradition and thus collected a wealth of experiences. The AZ has about 25,000 members in Germany as well as abroad. It is the largest association of its kind in Germany and one of the biggest ones all over the world. It only consists of individual members. Most of them teamed up in more than 460 local branches - in the Federal Republic of Germany as well as the neighboring countries and, moreover, there are 14 federal state groups.

Working groups

On account of the numerous species of birds and directions of breeding, there are five working groups (WGs) within the AZ that particularly deal with specific bird species. These are:

The individual workgroup are managed by a chairman and two deputies each that are also members of the AZ-Managing Committee.
On federal state level the individual WGs are represented by delegates elected by the members of the federal state group.
Chairman and his deputies and also the delegates of the individual federal state groups will be glad to answer your special questions of all bird-related kinds.
Within the WGs there are specific Interest Groups with the aim to support the breeding of certain species and/or breeding directions.

Membership and subscription fee

Presently the annual AZ subscription is 36.00 EURO. This includes the monthly publication - AZ news (AZN) - and the AZ handbook containing the list of all members, local groups, federal state groups, AZ-judges, AZ-statutes and articles as well as all the regulations required for smoothly running members management and bird shows.

For all species the AZ offers self-contained foot rings to its members. The rings are provided with an unique number each for every member. In addition, the ring contains the year of breeding and a consecutive ring number. These rings made of aluminum, stainless steel or special plastics in high quality prove the private breeding and are officially.

Of course, every AZ member is free to connect to one of the numerous local AZ-groups and show its bred birds on relevant local, state, federal or Europe bird exhibitions. On such exhibitions the birds are evaluated according to a standard elaborated by the AZ - that only marginally deviates from the other ones of leading bird associations in the world.
At the exhibitions AZ-tested judges or even AZ-acknowledged judges of other countries make the evaluation. Yearly once the AZ judges are trained at a training convention.

Regular training events are performed on federal and state level. For this purpose, scientists and experts of bird breeding and keeping are invited for giving lectures.

Laws

Concerning new laws all AZ members are comprehensively informed - partially by the BNA ( www.bna-ev.de ), too - in a good time. The most important laws you can find in the AZN or on this homepage.

Preservation of species by breeding

In earlier times, animals and particularly birds were kept and bred for its own sake, i.e. for edification, but with increasing destruction of the environment the aspect of "preserving species by breeding" with non-domesticated birds becomes more and more the focus of attention. Concerning this the members of the AZ (Vereinigung für Artenschutz, Vogelhaltung und Vogelzucht e.V.) contribute in two different kinds. On the one hand, they meet the non-denied demand for wild bird species by breeding and on the other one, more and more participate in the so-called preservation breeding programs for particularly endangered bird species. In doing, we support the European zoological gardens in their work with the European endangered species programs (EEP). Two of these, namely the EEP of the Bali Starling (Leucopsar rothschildi) and the Socorro Dove (Zenaida graysoni), were initiated by the AZ.

Breeders already succeeded in saving animal and bird species for the mankind. We, the fanciers and breeders of birds, consider to be a supplementation to the top-priority biotope protection that we urgently demand, too.

Funds for protecting and breeding endangered species

For requiring the goals of preservation of species not only by breeding the AZ established an own funds, the Species Preservation and Breeding Funds (AZF).

Donations can be transferred to the account:

Artenschutz- und Zucht Fonds (AZF)
Volksbank Backnang (Bank Code 60291120), Account No.: 49713000

Among others, these donations are used for the following purposes:

Preservation breeding programs and similar projects;
Programs and scientific research work on specific bird species,
(ethology etc.) and their biotopes;
Biotope protection;
Bird naturalizing projects.

In every year up to 2.50 EURO of the subscription fee of every member are used for such purposes. This is managed by the Scientific Council of the AZ.

Aims of the AZ

According to our Statutes the objective of our association is in the main:

1. Cultivating and supporting advanced bird keeping and aviculture;
2. Fighting against dubious wheelings and dealings in bird keeping and trading;
3. Contacting and cooperation with scientific institutions of ornithology and/or of carrying out research projects;
4. Preservation of species by breeding. Elaboration of breeding programs for certain species with the aim of saving endangered bird species.

AZ office

The AZ has a full-time office that is competent for all management areas, e.g. movement of membership, annual subscription fee, ring orders, sales of AZ articles and books of AZ authors, etc.

The AZ office can be contacted as follows:

Phone: 0 71 91 - 8 24 39
Fax: 0 71 91 - 8 59 57
E-Mail:geschaeftsstelle@azvogelzucht.de

Business times are on Monday from 8:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 20:00 o'clock and on Tuesday to Friday from 8:00 to 12:00 o'clock.

Postal address:
AZ-Geschaeftsstelle
PF 1168
71501 Backnang
Germany

Theo Vins
AZ-President