Exotic Bird Group Sues to Downlist Golden Parakeet as Threatened

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is failing to act on whether to delist or downlist the golden conure from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act, an exotic bird group says in a new lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C. federal court.

American Federation of Aviculture Inc. says the agency’s failure to act violates the ESA, which requires a final determination in a timely manner, and the Administrative Procedure Act, according to the lawsuit filed March 20 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The lawsuit says many of the group’s members breed golden conures—golden parakeets—to ...