STUDBOOK: Papuan wreathed hornbill, Aceros plicatus

The first edition of the North American Regional Aceros studbook was current through 31 December 1999. Since then, 2 annual updates were distributed to participants. A second edition will be current through 31 December 2002 and will be printed early in 2003.

In the past 3 years, the captive status of the 5 species of Aceros covered in this regional studbook remained relatively stable.� This means that births and imports approximately equaled deaths and exports.� Whether this is good or just satisfactory will be better known when the Population Management Plan (PMP) for this genus is completed.� With a PMP, we will set goals for optimum number of birds for each species. The preliminary analysis is that we should at least recommend for PMP status, Aceros corrugatus. We might not have enough available spaces to provide for a long term, genetically diverse, self-sustaining captive population for any of the remaining 4 species. The following listing show the numbers of current living birds at the end of the past three years.

Aceros cassidix:	9.10.0 (19) in 8 institutions as of 31 December 1999
	10.9.0 (19) in 8 institutions as of 31 December 2000
	10.9.1 (20) in 8 institutions as of 31 December 2001
Aceros corrugatus:�	30.33.3 (65) in 24 institutions as of 31 December 1999
	33.31.1 (65) in 24 institutions as of 31 December 2000
	32.29.1 (62) in 26 institutions as of 31 December 2001
Aceros leucocephalus:	2.2.0 (4) in 2 institutions as of 31 December 1999
	2.2.0 (4) in 2 institutions as of 31 December 2000
	2.1.0 (3) in 2 institutions as of 31 December 2001
Aceros plicatus :�	10.8.0 (18) in 8 institutions as of 31 December 1999
	10.7.0 (17) in 8 institutions as of 31 December 2000
	10.7.0 (17) in 8 institutions as of 31 December 2001
Aceros undulatus :	16.18.0 (34) in 13 institutions as of 31 December 1999
	16.17.0 (33) in 12 institutions as of 31 December 2000
	14.17.1 (32) in 13 institutions as of 31 December 2001

SUMMARY for 2001:

Unfortunately there has not been any breeding success in the past two years. Breeding of this species is encouraged. Offspring can be transferred to Asian and/or European collections so as not to impact population management plans for other Aceros species. By so doing, this would increase the genetic diversity of those other regional captive populations.

Irena Pavlin Bitenc is the European studbook keeper for this species. She can be reached at [email protected] at Zooloski vrt Mesta Ljubljana, Vecna Pot 70, 61000 Ljubljana. Slovenia.