Q: My husband and I live in Punto Fijo, Venezuela. During the past two years, we have purchased several species of Amazon parrots. We have been told that it is now prohibited to bring wild-caught birds into the U.S. We will be donating our birds to the zoo when we finish our assignment here. We would like to pursue the possibilities of breeding parrots professionally when we return to the U.S. Can you give us any advice?

A: Under the new regulations, you are allowed to bring in two birds per family if you have been out of the U.S. for one year or more. Call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (800) 358-2104, extension 5577. They will mail you the proper permit applications.

Please don’t waste this precious opportunity on birds that are commonly available here in the States. If you can send me a list of your collection, I can advise you as to your best choice. As far as information on how to be successful as a commercial breeder is concerned–beware. Many of the older books that are still in print are riddled with misinformation. Magazines are a great source for the latest information. Remember that many of the things you see in print are theories, even though the authors might tend to present them as facts.