The St. Vincent amazon (Amazona guildingii) is an endemic parrot on the Carribean island St Vincent. Due to poaching, trade, natural events such as hurricanes and habitat loss the species declined severely throughout the 20th century to a total number of 487 adult individuals and is currently regarded as vulnerable by IUCN. Captive breeding is attempted in terms of species conservation, but reproduction rates have been low due to reproductive problems such as mate aggression, asynchronous reproductive activity and infertile eggs. The aims of the present study were; firstly, to evaluate whether semen analysis might help to assess the fertility of males and to detect potential reasons for infertile eggs; secondly, to increase the number of offspring using artificial insemination, and as a future effect, to increase the presence of genetically valuable males in the ex-situ breeding population. For semen collection electric stimulation was used in 15 mature and healthy St. Vincent amazons with a success rate of 89% (202/227 attempts) in 14/15 males. Quality assessment of the semen included the evaluation of volume, pH, color, consistency and contaminations of the ejaculate, as well as estimation of motility, viability, morphology, concentration and total count of spermatozoa. Semen pH ranged from 6.7 to 7.5. Median sperm motility was 50% and median progressively forward motility 40%. Mean sperm concentration (x¯ ± SD) was 21,313.5 ± 22,408.8 spermatozoa/μl and mean sperm viability 66 ± 16%. Semen samples contained on average 20.5% morphologically normal spermatozoa and sperm malformations were detected mainly in the head (x¯ = 47.6%) and the tail regions (x¯ = 27.7%). Interestingly round bodies were detected in the ejaculates with a mean ratio of 0.6 round bodies per sperm. Semen analysis proved to be very useful to identify males with poor semen quality. Artificial insemination was performed 46 times in 9 females with either individual or pooled semen samples and 13 eggs from 7 females were laid afterwards. In 3 eggs, embryonic development was detected and 1 chick hatched successfully. Paternity testing confirmed the fatherhood of a one-winged semen donor male, a bird which was not able to copulate naturally. The results are very promising and underline that assisted reproduction techniques are a suitable tool for species conservation in captive breeding programs for psittacines.

中文翻译：

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圣文森特亚马逊（Amazona guildingii）的精液分析和成功的人工授精

圣文森特亚马逊 (Amazona guildingii) 是加勒比海岛屿圣文森特的特有鹦鹉。由于偷猎、贸易、飓风和栖息地丧失等自然事件，该物种在整个 20 世纪严重下降至 487 只成年个体，目前被 IUCN 视为易受伤害的物种。在物种保护方面尝试圈养繁殖，但由于繁殖问题，如配偶攻击、不同步的繁殖活动和不育的卵子，繁殖率一直很低。本研究的目的是；首先，评估精液分析是否有助于评估男性的生育能力并检测不孕卵的潜在原因；其次，为了增加使用人工授精的后代数量，作为未来的效果，增加异地繁殖种群中具有遗传价值的雄性的存在。在 15 只成熟和健康的圣文森特亚马逊中使用电刺激收集精液，14/15 雄性的成功率为 89%（202/227 次尝试）。精液的质量评估包括评估精液的体积、pH、颜色、稠度和污染，以及估计精子的运动性、活力、形态、浓度和精子总数。精液 pH 值范围为 6.7 至 7.5。中位数精子活力为 50%，中位数逐渐向前运动为 40%。平均精子浓度 (x ± SD) 为 21,313.5 ± 22,408.8 个精子/μl，平均精子活力为 66 ± 16%。精液样本平均含有 20.5% 形态正常的精子，精子畸形主要发生在头部 (x¯ = 47. 6%) 和尾部区域 (x¯ = 27.7%)。有趣的是，在精液中检测到圆形体，每个精子的平均比例为 0.6 个圆形体。精液分析被证明对于识别精液质量差的男性非常有用。对 9 只雌性进行了 46 次人工授精，使用单独或混合的精液样本，然后产下了 7 只雌性的 13 个卵。在 3 个鸡蛋中，检测到胚胎发育并成功孵化了 1 只小鸡。亲子鉴定证实了一只单翼精液捐赠雄性的父亲身份，这是一只无法自然交配的鸟。结果非常有希望，并强调辅助生殖技术是鹦鹉螺圈养育种计划中物种保护的合适工具。有趣的是，在精液中检测到圆形体，每个精子的平均比例为 0.6 个圆形体。精液分析被证明对于识别精液质量差的男性非常有用。对 9 只雌性进行了 46 次人工授精，使用单独或混合的精液样本，然后产下了 7 只雌性的 13 个卵。在 3 个鸡蛋中，检测到胚胎发育并成功孵化了 1 只小鸡。亲子鉴定证实了一只单翼精液捐赠雄性的父亲身份，这是一只无法自然交配的鸟。结果非常有希望，并强调辅助生殖技术是鹦鹉螺圈养育种计划中物种保护的合适工具。有趣的是，在精液中检测到圆形体，每个精子的平均比例为 0.6 个圆形体。精液分析被证明对于识别精液质量差的男性非常有用。对 9 只雌性进行了 46 次人工授精，使用单独或混合的精液样本，然后产下了 7 只雌性的 13 个卵。在 3 个鸡蛋中，检测到胚胎发育并成功孵化了 1 只小鸡。亲子鉴定证实了一只单翼精液捐赠雄性的父亲身份，这是一只无法自然交配的鸟。结果非常有希望，并强调辅助生殖技术是鹦鹉螺圈养育种计划中物种保护的合适工具。对 9 只雌性进行了 46 次人工授精，使用单独或混合的精液样本，然后产下了 7 只雌性的 13 个卵。在 3 个鸡蛋中，检测到胚胎发育并成功孵化了 1 只小鸡。亲子鉴定证实了一只单翼精液捐赠雄性的父亲身份，这是一只无法自然交配的鸟。结果非常有希望，并强调辅助生殖技术是鹦鹉螺圈养育种计划中物种保护的合适工具。对 9 只雌性进行了 46 次人工授精，使用单独或混合的精液样本，然后产下了 7 只雌性的 13 个卵。在 3 个鸡蛋中，检测到胚胎发育并成功孵化了 1 只小鸡。亲子鉴定证实了一只单翼精液捐赠雄性的父亲身份，这是一只无法自然交配的鸟。结果非常有希望，并强调辅助生殖技术是鹦鹉螺圈养育种计划中物种保护的合适工具。一种无法自然交配的鸟。结果非常有希望，并强调辅助生殖技术是鹦鹉螺圈养育种计划中物种保护的合适工具。一种无法自然交配的鸟。结果非常有希望，并强调辅助生殖技术是鹦鹉螺圈养育种计划中物种保护的合适工具。