 In cooperation with colleagues in France, England, Germany, the United States and Australia he succeeded in assembling one of the best captive breeding bird collections in Europe, specializing in "Anatidae" and "Loriinae" (ducks, swans, geese; and the group of small parrots consisting of lories and lorikeets).Derscheid also kept the omnivorous alpine parrots from New Zealand known as keas.There, he researched dietary requirements and incubation, sending specimens to zoos throughout Europe, America, and Australia.