Rara Avis Consulting, Inc.

Natasha Schischakin

Natasha Schischakin

Natasha Schischakin, a native of São Paulo, Brazil has spent over twenty-five years in wildlife conservation and aviculture. She first started working with animals as an interpretive naturalist and wildlife rehabilitator at the Armand Bayou Nature Center in Houston. In 1981, she joined the Houston Zoo's renowned Bird Department as a keeper. She later became the zoo's Conservation and Research Coordinator, and became known for her work developing international conservation, education and captive breeding programs. She retired from the zoo in 2002 to start her own consulting company, Rara Avis Consulting, Inc. to focus on the development of private sector avicultural and education programs.

1991: Expedition to Curaça, Brazil to help set up the field conservation project for the last Spix's Macaw in the wild.

In 1988, Natasha was instrumental in helping the Brazilian wildlife authorities to set up the conservation effort for the nearly extinct Spix's macaw by ensuring that all of the known Brazilian and international owners of Spix's macaws are included in a managed international captive breeding program that is part of the official Brazilian recovery program. She was involved in the Brazilian Committee for the Recovery  of the Spix's Macaw as a member, studbook keeper, and coordinator of its working group for captive breeding until the Committee was disbanded in 2002 over the ownership return demand of all privately owned Spix's macaws to the Brazilian government. This included birds in the Philippines, Switzerland and Qatar.  Natasha also served on the Brazilian Lear's Macaw Committee that developed the first comprehensive Lear's Macaw Management and Recovery Plan for Brazil. (Related articles by N. Schischakin). 

1986: Celebrating the hatching of the 1st Helmeted Curassow chick at the Houston Zoo with Curator Bob Berry and Bird Department staff.

She served as the Chair of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) Brazil Conservation Action Partnership for a decade (1990-2000), coordinating and developing numerous conservation, research and education training programs in Brazil and Latin America. (Projects)

She writes on environmental and conservation issues, and has lectured extensively on endangered species, captive breeding and management programs, with a particular focus on issues of public and private sector collaboration. Her background and experiences in the zoo, conservation and avicultural communities on a national and international level have given her a unique perspective and understanding of species conservation and management programs. 

1998: Grand Teton National Park. On the way to the summit of the Grand Teton with the Marmot Mountainworks Team.

Natasha is an accomplished sailor and kayaker. She is an avid backpacker and has spent many years mountaineering, hiking and climbing in the American West and Alaska. She has traveled extensively in the tropics, particularly Brazil. As a passionate birdwatcher, she has been lucky to combine her hobby with her work. Her favorite pastime is collecting antiquarian ornithological and natural history books.  

She recently completed the development of a basic one-day avicultural educational training program called "Aviculture: the Art & Science of Birdkeeping©". 

She is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) and the IUCN Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG). She is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and English. 

© Copyright 2008 Natasha Schischakin  All Rights Reserved