a/-,

67/

XVlCULTURAL

MAGAZINE

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY

The Avicultural Society was founded in 1894 for the study of British and
foreign birds in freedom and captivity. The Society is international in
character, having members throughout the world.

Membership subscription rates per annum for 2000 as for 1999: British Isles
£18.00: Overseas £21 .00 (plus £6.00 for airmail). (U.K. funds please). The
subscription is due on 1st January of each year and those joining the Society
later in the year will receive back numbers of the current volume of the
AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE.

Subscription, changes of address, orders for back numbers etc. should be
sent to:

THE HON. SECRETARY AND TREASURER, THE AVICULTURAL
SOCIETY, c/o BRISTOL ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, CLIFTON,
BRISTOL BS8 3HA, ENGLAND.

Enquiries regarding membership should be sent to:

THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY, Stewart Pyper, 21, Primrose Hill,
Nunney, Frome, Somerset BA11 4NP.

Website: http://www.avisoc.co.uk

THE AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE welcomes original articles that have
not been published elsewhere and that essentially concern the aviculture of
a particular bird or group of birds, or that describe their natural history.
Articles should be preferably typewritten, with double spacing, and the
scientific names as well as the vernacular names of birds should be given.
References cited in the text should be listed at the end of the article. Line
drawings, black and white or colour photographs which illustrate a particular
point in the article will be used where possible and should be clearly
captioned. If authors wish their eventual return, they must say so when
submitting the article and write their name on the back of each photograph.
Tables and graphs will also be used wherever possible but authors should be
aware of the constraints of reproduction, particularly regarding the width of
the page which is 105mm.

ADDRESS OF THE EDITOR

Malcolm Ellis, Hon. Editor, The Avicultural Magazine, The Chalet, Hay
Farm, St. Breock, Wadebridge, Cornwall PL27 7LL, England.

Avicultural Magazine

THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY

Vol. 106 - No. 3 All rights reserved ISSN 0005 2256 2000

BREEDING THE WHITE-COLLARED YUHINA

by R Burden

The White-collared Yuhina Yuhina diademata is a small passerine
measuring about 6in (15cm) long. It comes from south-west and south China,
north Vietnam and north-east Burma (Howard and Moore, 1980). There is
a coloured illustration of it on plate 23 of de Schauensee’s The Birds of
China (1984). Its most distinctive feature is its white collar. Many people
mistakenly call this species the White-naped Yuhina but the White-naped
Yuhina is Y. bakeri, which comes from the eastern Himalayas and Assam
(Howard and Moore, 1980). My pair are larger than most and are probably
the largest of all the yuhinas. As I know my pair so well, I can sex them,
even though males and females look alike.

I bought the birds in December 1995 from a trade stand at the National
Exhibition of Cage and Aviary Birds. They were put in an aviary measuring
9ft x 6ft x 7ft high (approx. 2.7m x 1 .8m x 2. lm high) attached to an indoor
flight 3ft x 9ft x 7ft high (approx, lm x 2.7m x 2.1m high) in my garage, in
which they like to feed on apple pushed through the wire. They also have
other fruits according to the season and Vega Lage universal insectivorous
mixture. They especially enjoy elderberries. The aviary is thickly planted
and has the top and both ends covered with perspex. The left side has a
panel attached so that neighbours cannot look in and to protect the birds
from cats. Other occupants of the aviary have included Golden-breasted
Waxbills Amandava subflava (which have bred), Red-billed Firefinches
Lagonosticta sene gala. Red-cheeked Cordon-bleus Uraeginthus bengalus
and a male rosefinch Carpodacus sp. They like to hawk insects and catch a
lot of flies. Mealworms are offered only when they are breeding.

They nested 5ft (approx. 1.5m) above the aviary floor in a conifer bush,
having also had the choice of privet bushes and bamboo. The cup-shaped
nest consisted of hay, moss and feathers. The nest could easily be seen as
could the sitting female which undertook perhaps seventy-five percent of
the incubation.

The same place was used in 1996, 1997 and 1998, with two eggs being

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BURDEN - WHITE-COLLARED YUHINA

laid each time, but it was not until 1998 that they were successful. I noticed
on July 1st that the female was sitting tight. I noticed there were egg shells
in the flight on July 16th and saw the head of a chick on July 22nd. Both
young fledged on July 28th after I had seen them on the edge of the nest the
previous day. They were paler, greyer, versions of their parents.

I separated them from their parents in October and exhibited them on
two occasions, both times winning the award for best current year owner
bred foreign bird. The parents have also been successful on the show bench
and won numerous awards either shown as a pair or when exhibited
individually. They can be aggressive to other small birds in the aviary but
generally only when breeding. They appear to be hardy, easy to manage
and make an ideal softbill for beginners.

References

de Schauensee, R. M. 1984. The Birds of China. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Howard, R. and Moore, A. 1980. A Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Macmillan,
London.

99

THREE MONTHS - THREE CONTINENTS

by Charlie Romer

As 1999 drew to a close, I had a particularly good reason for looking
forward to the new Millennium. I thoroughly enjoy my work as a member
of Melbourne Zoo’s bird department and as the 1999-2000 breeding season
neared its end there were a number of reasons for quiet satisfaction. Among
our breeding successes were Superb Blue Wren Malurus cyaneus. Satin
Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus , Grey Shrike-Thrush Collurincincla
harmonica , Yellow-backed Chattering Lory Lorius garrulus flavopalliatus,
King Parrot Alisterus scapularis, Purple-crowned Lorikeet Glossopsitta
porphyrocephala. Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus magnificus.
Black-breasted Button-Quail Tumix melanogaster, Blue-billed Duck Oxyura
australis, Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus and Brolga Grus
rubicundus. Because of import restrictions the zoo’s bird collection consists
mainly of indigenous species with just a few exotics such as Blue & Gold
Macaw Ara ararauna, Sun Conure Aratinga solstitialis, Nanday Conure
Nandayus nenday, Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus, Dusky Lory Pseudeos
fuscata. Red Lory Eos bornea, Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata and Luzon
Bleeding Heart Gallicolumba luzonica.

In addition to the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Black-breasted Button-
Quail and Brolga, other rare or studbook species in the collection include
Golden-shouldered Parrot Psephotus chrysopterygius, Sooty Owl Tyto
tenebricosa, Australian Bustard Choriotis australis and Freckled Duck
Stictonetta naevosa. Also of interest is a colony of Little Penguins Eudyptula
minor which has been producing chicks regularly for more than 30 years.

In mid- 1999, 1 applied for, and was subsequently awarded, a zoo-based
scholarship which would enable me to visit macaw habitat in southern Peru
and spend time at Loro Parque, Tenerife, to study the latest husbandry and
bird management techniques which will be of considerable value at
Melbourne Zoo where the bird department is undergoing considerable
change, with staff development a key element. In February I embarked on
the first leg of my journey - destination Cusco. That was the easy bit! I
arrived during the rainy season and the grass landing strip which was my
interim destination was too muddy for even the most intrepid aviator to
attempt a landing. So I spent a frustrating five days kicking my heels and
hoping each morning for news that conditions at the strip had improved.
But if you are destined to be marooned somewhere in Peru, Cusco is a by no
means boring location. It is an interesting place, dominated by Spanish
colonial architecture built on visible foundations laid down by the Incas. It
seemed to be populated by almost equal numbers of locals and tourists,

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ROMER - THREE MONTHS - THREE CONTINENTS

including many ubiquitous backpackers. A considerable volume of cars on
its roads and streets means a steadily increasing pollution problem. But
above all it is a mecca for sightseers. There are temples, Inca ruins, craft
markets - and of course the celebrated Inca ruins at Machu Picchu, close
enough for a day trip courtesy of Peru Rail.

Eventually, conditions at the landing strip improved sufficiently for me
to board a light aircraft for the 45 minute flight. At the strip, Indian guides
were waiting to take me on the next stage, a 2lh hour journey by motorised
canoe along the Madre de Dios River to the base at Rio Blanco where I was
to spend the next seven weeks assisting Odette Doust, a Dutch veterinarian,
and her local research assistants. The project was in two phases; the first of
which involved monitoring the growth rates and development of four
endemic macaw species - Scarlet A ra macao, Green- winged A. chloroptera,
Blue & Gold and Severe A. severa. Local Indians, whose detailed knowledge
of the locality, not to mention their tree-climbing expertise which was put to
good use retrieving young macaws from nests located considerable distances
above the ground. In general, Scarlet and Severe Macaws preferred local,
dead palm trees that rot from the top. When a section breaks-off it usually
leaves an open cavity in which the birds nest. Sites in such locations presented
particular dangers for the climbers who often had to negotiate areas of
decayed wood up to 40ft (approx. 12m) above the ground. On the other
hand, Green-winged Macaws preferred solid and very tall trees in which
broken branches formed nesting cavities. Retrieval of nestlings from this
environment posed additional problems as biting insects constantly swarmed
round the climbers’ bodies, especially, it seemed, their heads, making both
ascents and descents particularly difficult and dangerous.

Retrieved birds were lowered to the ground in plastic baskets where
blood samples, beak and cloacal swabs were taken, and they were weighed
before being returned to the nest. It was a routine which took place
approximately once a week until the birds fledged. The study site, on an
area of privately owned land, was approximately 20sq. km. (approx. 8sq
miles) in area.

The second phase involved retrieval of nestling Scarlet and Severe
Macaws. These nests were located in trees close to the river which was in
flood at the time. Rapidly rising water levels were obviously destined to
destroy the entire site and nestlings were therefore taken for rearing. The
young birds ranged in age from three to eight weeks old. They were moved
to an Indian camp and housed in a typical hut of timber and palm leaf
construction, supplemented with fly wire. They were raised in isolation by
Odette Doust in order to minimise imprinting. The birds were fed a
commercial hand-rearing formula supplemented with local fruits, collected
by the Indians. These were typical of fruits which formed part of the diet of

ROMER - THREE MONTHS - THREE CONTINENTS

101

wild birds and were scattered on the floor of the holding facility. Initially,
brooding boxes were used but these were rendered obsolete as the youngsters
became more wary and started to explore their environment. It was not
long before they started to use perches fixed at various heights; they fledged
when about three to four months old. The process was accelerated by use of
a diet probably more varied and nutritious than they would have received in
the wild.

The base was surrounded by pristine rainforest and wildlife was plentiful.
Among the more significant mammal species were South American Tapir
Tapirus terrestris, Jaguar Panthera onca, Giant Otter Pteronura brasiliensis
and a variety of primates including howler Alouatta spp., spider Ateles spp.
and Squirrel Monkeys Saimiri sciureus, and various tamarins Saguinus spp.
In addition to previously mentioned macaw species, local avifauna included
Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja, King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa , Ornate
Hawk Eagle Spizaetus ornatus, various trogons Trogon ssp., quetzal
Pharomacrus spp., jacamars Brachygalba spp., cotingas Cotinga spp., White¬
winged Trumpeter Psophia leucoptera, Spix’s Guan Penelope jacquagu,
Anhinga Anhinga anhinga, Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin and a vast array
of hummingbirds and various passerine species.

The prevailing climate was hot and oppressive - ‘sticky’ is probably the
most apt word to describe it. Food deteriorated rapidly as a result of mould
and was also lacking in variety. Having said that, how much better off we
must have been compared to those who explored the area in a bygone era.
The local tributary, inhabited as it was by many species of catfish, piranhas
and a few Black Caiman Melanosuchus niger, still provided water for
drinking and bathing as well as being our highway. The main rivers were
black and muddy. Only the odd one was clear and inviting.

The final phase of the macaw project involved construction of an 80ft
(approx. 24m) high feeding platform from which the artificially raised
juveniles could feed, climb and generally integrate with non-captives of the
same species before eventually moving back into the wild. So far as we
know, this process was successful, although difficult to evaluate since first-
year pressures such as lack of food in the dry season would present a major
test of their survivability. There was also the question of predation of
inexperienced birds by Harpy Eagle and other large raptors. It was regarded
as a valuable training exercise to be utilised for more endangered macaw
species. Future projects may include satellite telemetry to help monitor
macaw populations, although at US$5,000 (approx £3,000) per bird it is a
high cost exercise. This technology was developed in the USA by NASA
and is already in use in a project involving Harpy Eagles.

The area in which I was located in southern Peru’s Madre de Dios region
is adjacent to Manu National Park. Habitat ranges from tropical lowland

102

ROMER - THREE MONTHS - THREE CONTINENTS

forest into higher elevations and cloud forest retains. There was little or no
evidence of poaching and the hope is that experience gained here can be
used to advantage with more conservation-needy species such as the Hyacinth
Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus and Blue-throated Macaw A. glaucogularis.

After two months in the rainforest, and still amazed by the whole
Amazonian experience, I left for Tenerife in the Canary Islands where I was
to spend a few weeks at Loro Parque, the world’s biggest collection of parrots
with more than 300 species and subspecies. My role there was to assist and
observe general husbandry and day-to-day happenings.

In the main visitors’ area at the park more than 600 birds are exhibited in
pairs. A separate breeding complex is located at La Vera approximately 2
km (LA miles) away, where 2,600 birds are housed in a state-of-the-art
facility. More than 800 young are reared each season and this number is
expected to increase as the facility expands.

Among endangered species in the collection are Spix’s Macaw
Cyanopsitta spixii, Blue-throated Macaw, Palm Cockatoo Probosciger
aterrimus, rare island Amazons and lorikeets to name but a few. The emphasis
on conservation is immense and substantial sums of money are contributed
to projects involving such species as Red and Blue Lory Eos histrio,
Moluccan Cockatoo Cacatua moluccensis, Red-vented Cockatoo C.
haematuropygia and Yellow-eared Conure Ognorhynchus icterotis.

The Mediterranean climate with its mild winters is obviously excellent
for bird-keeping and a further plus is the ready availability of excellent local
produce. There is a significant commitment to staff development at the
park. A highlight every four years is the World Parrot Convention which
brings together leading veterinarians, conservationists, researchers and other
specialists from around the world. Papers and findings are shared during
this important gathering. During my short stay at Loro Parque I learned an
enormous amount about techniques ranging from general husbandry to
display. Staff were helpful and courteous, and the emphasis on conservation
was inspiring. At Melbourne Zoo we aim to continue and develop this new
relationship in the future.

My final destination was England where I spent a short while with my
family and had a look at one or two collections. Chester Zoo, where I had
worked before going to Australia, was inevitably top of my visiting list. As
usual it was impossible not to be impressed by the collection there - especially
some of the species not available ‘Down Under’, including Red Bird of
Paradise Paradisaea rubra, St Lucia Amazon Amazona versicolor, a splendid
collection of hombills, Violaceous Touraco Musophaga violacea, Mauritius
Kestrel Falco punctatus, Congo Peafowl Afropavo congensis and Great Grey
Owl Strix nebulosa.

Among the more significant mammal species were Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis, a nice social herd of Asiatic Elephant Elephas maximus,

ROMER - THREE MONTHS - THREE CONTINENTS

103

in a spacious and well designed indoor/outdoor exhibit - and obviously doing
well with one 1 8-months old calf and two pregnant cows. Philippine Spotted
Deer Cervus alfredi, Babirusa Bahyrousa babyrussa, Rodrigues Fruit Bat
Pteropus rodricensis , Buffy-headed Capuchin Cebus xanthostemos and
Europe’s largest Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes colony of some 30 animals
were all impressive.

London Zoo was another must and here it was the small mammal
collection which took my eye for it also includes many choice species not
represented in Australian zoos including Silvery Marmoset Callithrix
argentata, Golden-headed Lion Tamarin Leontopithecus chrysomelas,
Goeldi’s Monkey Callimico goeldi and Aye-Aye Daubentonia mada-
gascariensis. Two other impressive - but very different - exhibits were Okapi
Okapia johnstoni and Hyacinth Macaw.

Shortly afterwards I returned to a Melbourne winter and resumed my
work at the zoo where I will share details of my experience with colleagues
and hopefully help implement some of the new ideas I brought back from
my travels. I am extremely grateful and privileged that Melbourne Zoo
decided to facilitate the trip. To anyone with even the remotest interest in
birds and who has the opportunity to visit either Loro Parque or South
America’s remaining rainforests I have just one recommendation: seize the
opportunity with both hands and hold tight to it. Either or both will provide
an unforgettable experience.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the following people at Melbourne Zoological Gardens
for their help and encouragement with the project: Leo Oosterweghel, Peter
Courtney and Steve Wilson; to John Melton and Charlie Munn, lncanatura,
Peru and Miguel Bueno at Loro Parque. I also wish to thank Frank Woolham
for his help in preparing the above account of my travels.

Charlie Romer, who was formerly on the staff of Chester Zoo, is now a
bird keeper at Melbourne Zoological Gardens, PO Box 74, Parkville, Victoria
3052, Australia . Tel: +61 -3-9285-9300/Fax: +61 -3 -9285 -9330/E-mail:
zpgb @ zoo. org.au

104

HOW I CAME TO KEEP MOUSEBIRDS

by Kara Black

I guess I was under the impression that the only pet birds available were
parrots. If you went to the bird shows in the Nashville area, you could easily
see how I came to that conclusion. There was a sprinkling of canaries and
budgerigars, a dusting of finches, and a full-blown infestation of larger
squawking birds that frankly overwhelmed this former finch fanatic. Oh
sure, I had the obligatory Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus back in my
college days, but had since in my early thirties moved onto finches, opting
for a quieter and less demanding exchange between pet and owner.

One day online I stumbled upon an article about mousebirds. How simply
delicious, here was a creature with all the charm, affection and personality
of my Cockatiel, if not more, and none of the noise: a marketing coup if
ever there was one. I rejoiced for every neglected Cockatiel which along
with its cage, had been relegated to a dark closet or an outside location
somewhere to scream well out of its owner’s earshot.

Going through a divorce has a way of simplifying one’s life, and mine
was no exception. I was eager to get back to the basics of avian husbandry.
Breeding finches had evolved from a delight into a burden. I had become
more concerned with producing chicks than marvelling at their creation. I
was eager to return to the peaceful days in which hours were spent just
watching my birds, much to the neglect of the rest of my life (and I wonder
why my marriage did not work!). When I located a bird broker willing to
trade several Pekin Robins Leiothrix lutea and a pair of Speckled Mousebirds
Colius striatus for all of my Owl (Double-barred or Bicheno) Finches
Poephila bichenovii, I was ecstatic.

I had read that mousebirds are superficially unremarkable in appearance
and named more for the manner in which they creep and crawl than the way
they look. Eleven to 14in (28cm-35.5cm) long, with long, stiff tail feathers
which account for two-thirds of their total length, mousebirds are sexually
monomorphic (the sexes do not differ in appearance). The six species include
the Red-faced C. indicus, Red-backed C. castanotus and Blue-naped C.
macroura, but I was obtaining the more common Speckled species.

Mousebirds, or colies, are considered prolific breeders, and I had high
expectations. Often I observed them either courting or fighting. The male
would delicately feed the female or she would feverishly chase him around
the aviary, once actually drawing blood. On other occasions the male would
hop methodically several times next to the female, which would then allow
him to mount her. They preferred a cup-shaped nest in a low-growing shrub.
She begun the 18 day incubation period after the first egg was laid. Despite

BLACK - MOUSEBIRDS

105

their aggressive courtship and subsequent mating, my mousebirds produced
only two clutches of two eggs, both of which were infertile. When I placed
the mousebirds in the quarantine cage, they eagerly scrambled for the mashed
fruit that I had prepared for them. Unlike my finches, the mousebirds actually
held their food while chewing it, in a manner reminiscent of my Uncle Amie
after he had taken out his dentures for their nightly soak.

Malcolm Ellis

Speckled Mousebird

They absolutely loved banana, and almost anything else soft or cooked
came a strong second. According to Martin Vince in his must-have book
Softbills (Hancock House Publishers Ltd), they are frugivores that do well
on a diet similar to the fruit based omnivores, but require a lower protein
intake. He recommends a diet consisting of 55% fruit, 30% softbill pellets,
10% hard-boiled egg and 5% vegetables and greens. Due to their penchant
for vegetation and soft fruits, mousebirds are considered pests in parts of
Africa, and fruit farmers and gardeners do not look fondly upon them. I can
certainly empathize with these sentiments, as my pair made short order of a
hanging fern and totally ravished a ficus tree by summer’s end.

When I moved to my new ‘single again’ home, I made sure I had enough
money to build my lifelong dream of an outside aviary. A triangular-shaped
structure attached to one comer of my deck, it was made using 2in x 2in
(5cm x 5cm) pressure treated timber and Vdn (6mm) vinegar-washed,
galvanized wire mesh. It measured 14ft (approx. 4.2m) on its longest side

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BLACK - MOUSEBIRDS

and was 9ft (approx. 2.7m) high. I added numerous plants, real and artificial,
and several perches using branches placed between the taut wires. One-
third of the structure butted up against my house where there was a 2ft
(61cm) roof overhang and a vinyl side wall. I used a bug-zapper during the
summer months to provide an endless supply of insects. Ignored for the
most part by the mousebirds, the assortment of moths was relished by the
Pekin Robins. I made a small pond from the upturned top of a rubber garbage
can that balanced on a large plastic plant lid. An old recirculating pump
made a delightful bubbling sound that, when turned on, encouraged all except
the mousebirds to take a bath. They never bathed in water and certainly did
not drink it, but I learned later that they were taking extravagant dust baths
in the brightly coloured softbill pellets that I had mistakenly believed I was
providing strictly for their nourishment.

My mousebirds loved the aviary and I would hear them making their
cute little squeaks and ‘giggles’. They were though rarely visible in their
new accommodation. Whenever I walked by the aviary they would scurry
to the top comer, where they would remain motionless until I left. Otherwise,
most of their time was spent lounging in the hanging fem, perching vertically
on the wire or scuttling rapidly about the floor. If you saw the film Alien,
you may remember how after the embryo sprang from one of the
crewmember’s chest, it scurried across the floor. My mousebirds seemed
to remind me of that image. At night, mousebirds prefer sleep in groups,
and my pair was often found clinging torpidly together in tete-a-tete fashion
appearing much like a Rorschach inkblot. In an attempt to conserve energy,
mousebirds allow their body temperature to drop during the night. As a
result, the early mornings would often reveal them fluffed-up in the first sun
kissed comer of the aviary, much like the tumble-dried Pink Panther cartoon
character that I used to love as a child.

By November, the temperature dropped occasionally into the 30s
(fahrenheit) and, although they never seemed to mind the cold, I brought
them inside. However, their copius droppings and banana slinging soon
became a problem. I rushed to head-off future Saturdays spent wall-scraping
by the timely introduction of bamboo print wallpaper, but the sight of my
fruit splatterd room soon overwhelmed me. One week of it and I was ready,
to find them a new home.

As I continue my research into aviculture, I am inspired by all the unique
species that God has created, and am eager to see which will be the next
inhabitants to grace my aviary.

Kara Black lives in Tennessee , USA. It was through the softbill discussion
group at Onelist.com that she learnt of the existence of the Avicultural
Magazine.

BREEDING THE MADAGASCAR TURTLE DOVE
Streptopelia picturata

107

by Philip Schofield

A chance telephone conversation with a Yorkshire aviculturist in the
autumn of 1995, initially about pheasants, produced the information that he
had a pair of Madagascar Turtle Doves Streptopelia picturata and was tired
of their repeated lack of reproductive success. Subsequent negotiations led
to their arrival in Dorset, and reception at a friend’s aviaries, as I had no
room for them. According to their previous owner, the pair, believed to be
captive bred, had been imported from Holland. He had kept them in a small
aviary in which they laid freely, but never incubated for more than a couple
of days. Apparently, they ‘fought each other all the time’. On arrival both
birds were in rather rough plumage, consistent with their stormy domestic
existence.

The pair were installed in an aviary some 13ft (3.9m) square,
incorporating an unheated 6ft x 4ft (approx. 1 .8m x 1 .2m) shed, and enclosed
on three sides. The aviary was thinly planted with shrubs and ground cover,
with artificial nest sites provided high up undercover outside and in the
shed. There was a pond some 4ft (1.2m) in diameter, provided for a pair of
Hottentot Teal Anas hottentota which shared the aviary. A few small
passerines were also present. A mixture of large seeds was provided including
safflower, hemp, canary and various millets. Wheat and poultry pellets were
provided for the ducks, with cuttlefish, pigeon minerals, grit and sand also
on offer. The pair of turtle doves settled down well and were in perfect
plumage by late February 1996, when they commenced a pattern that was to
continue to the autumn. They would lay their clutch of two eggs and sit
well, taking turns on the nest in the normal pigeon fashion, only to lose
interest about two days after the second egg had been laid and would repeat
the process two or three weeks later.

They always used the same (outside) nest tray, which contained
sometimes as many as six eggs in varying stages of freshness. There was
always a lot of resistance on the part of the bird that was incubating the
eggs, when the other bird wanted to relieve it and take over the incubating
duties. This took the form of real fighting, with the birds pecking and wing
slapping. No aggression was shown to the other inhabitants.

At the end of 1996, this pair of doves was moved to my aviaries, sharing
a compartment 5ft wide x 10ft deep (approx. 1.5m wide x 3m deep) with a
single male Grey Peacock Pheasant Polyplectron bicalcaratum. The rear
half of the aviary was covered on the top and at the sides, forming an open-
fronted shelter in which a nest site was placed, screened with conifer

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SCHOFIELD - MADAGASCAR TURTLE DOVE

branches. The aviary was not planted, but was felt to give a reasonable
degree of seclusion, as the birds could retreat the full length of the aviary
away from passers-by. They laid at least seven clutches that season, of
which the first two went the same way as those in previous years. Determined
to breed this species, I removed the third clutch as the eggs were laid, and
entrusted them to a pair of Barbary Doves S. risoria dom. The single fertile
egg hatched and was reared despite the male Barbary Dove going light and
having to be treated (successfully) for trichmoniasis while feeding the young
bird, which showed no ill effects. A further seven young Madagascar Turtle
Doves were reared in the course of the season, with a second pair of (caged)
Barbary Doves sharing the work. The pair of Madagascar Turtle Doves
continued to lay eggs and fight their way to their customary untidy and
battered appearance by the end of the summer. All the damage was caused
by marital strife; there was no suggestion of injury from any other source.
These were a very steady pair of birds, often remaining on the nest while I
removed the eggs for fostering. As in 1996, the same nest site was used all
season. All the fertile eggs hatched, nine in all, although one squab died at
an early stage. Despite being rather larger than their foster parents, all the
young were well reared, even when there were two together.

In August the eight young Madagascar Turtle Doves were released into
my largest aviary, 40ft x 15ft (approx. 12m x 4.5m), with a 6ft x 8ft (approx.
1.8m x 2.4m) shed attached. Already in there were a pair of Blue Peafowl
Pavo cristatus, a few Golden Pheasants Chrysolophus pictus and a single
Triangular Spotted or Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea. All eight settled
well as a group, spending much more time on the ground than did their
parents in smaller enclosures. At some time one appeared to have a sprained
wing, as it could not fly for a couple of weeks, but made a full recovery
without being treated. All the young developed a taste for wholemeal bread,
which had formed part of the rearing diet fed to them by their foster parents.
They quickly displaced the Triangular Spotted Pigeon from his favourite
perch, but did not otherwise seem to bother him. However, he was found
dead and underweight, suggesting that more serious harassment had occurred.
All the young were sold during the course of the autumn as I did not feel I
had room to retain any.

March 1998 found the old pair as usual in immaculate plumage, and
they replaced their young in the peafowl aviary, which now housed a pair of
breeding Zebra Doves Geopelia striata as well as the peafowl and pheasants.
It was hoped that this larger enclosure might reduce the level of aggression
and lead to the pair breeding normally without assistance. However, this
was not to be. They chose a nest site high up in the shed, and laid three
clutches in succession. Yet again there was no sustained attempt at incubation.
As the pair had given me no good reason to leave them where they were and

SCHOFIELD - MADAGASCAR TURTLE DOVE

109

I wanted to try a pair of European Turtle Doves S. tutur in there, the
Madagascar Turtle Doves were removed to an adjoining 10ft x 12ft (3m x
3.6m) aviary with similar facilities and shared with a pair of Grey Peacock
Pheasants. (The European Turtle Doves, which had not parent reared their
chicks for several years, did so in the big aviary in both 1998 and 1999: the
female is now 15). Within a week I found the female Madagascar Turtle
Dove dead and scalped presumably by her mate as they had been scrapping
as usual, although scalp injuries had not been a normal feature. (The
pheasants have always been a particularly peaceful pair of birds). As I had
little hope of securing another unrelated female, I sent the male to one of the
purchasers of the 1997 young birds.

A full description of this species can be found in Goodwin (1967).
Perhaps a little larger and more heavily built than the familiar Collared Dove
S. decaocto, it has a proportionately shorter tail, recalling a Mountain Witch
Dove Geotrygon versicolor in both shape and colour. The former, while
lacking the iridescence of the Mountain Witch Dove, is coloured in shades
of purplish brown, with some faint spotting at the back of the neck. In the
wild state it is endemic to Madagascar and neighbouring islands with two
subspecies. It has been introduced to Mauritius and was seen there by
Baverstock and Morrad (1998). There is no suggestion that it is in any
danger of extinction.

It would be interesting to solve the pair compatibility issue with this
very attractive bird, which shows more personality than some doves. No
aggression was ever seen by the adult pair towards any other bird large or
small, although they were never enclosed with other doves of their own
size, this would probably have been disastrous, as was demonstrated by the
fate of the Triangular Spotted or Speckled Pigeon mentioned earlier. The
much smaller Zebra Doves apparently were not seen as competition and
were ignored.

Newman (1908) bred this species (with the young apparently being parent
reared). Alderson (1911) refers to a second successful breeder, and gives
her usual detailed notes about her own pair. She refers to them having
deserted a succession of clutches, but having a well-grown young one in the
nest at the time of writing, also of being fearless in defending their nest
against human intrusion. She mentioned a distraction display, unusual in
doves, and a further indication that the present species is worthy of detailed
study. While most of the photographs in Miss Alderson’s charming book
show mixed species groups, her Madagascar Turtle Doves, significantly
perhaps, are depicted on their own.

London Zoo, a very successful early breeder of doves, had Madagascar
Turtle Doves in the 1860s but these do not appear to have reproduced
themselves. The Foreign Bird Federation Breeding Register (and before

110

SCHOFIELD - MADAGASCAR TURTLE DOVE

this the Avicultural Society Breeding Register) failed to record any breedings
of this dove from 1973 to 1997, so it may be that two world wars have
intervened since the previous UK success.

References

Alderson, R. 1911. My Foreign Doves and Pigeons. Feathered World.

Baverstock, B. & Morrad, J. 1998. Birds on Mauritius. Avicultural Magazine 104, 4: 157-160.
Goodwin, D. 1967. Pigeons and Doves of the World. British Museum (Natural History).
Newman, T.H. 1908. The Madagascar Turtle Dove. Avicultural Magazine , New Series, 6:79-
84.

Sclater, RL. 1877. List of the Vertebrates. Longmans, Green, Reader & Dyer.

Philip Schofield who is by profession a social worker, lives in Dorset in
south-west England. An Avicultural Society Council Member, earlier this
year(Vol. 106, No. 1, pp. 1-9), he wrote about his 30years keeping pheasants.

WINGING IT

Normally found from Mexico to Argentina, the Ruddy Ground Dove
Columbina talpacoti has in recent years become a rare but fairly regular
visitor to the south-west USA. The earliest records were from south Texas,
but more recently records have also come from Arizona ( Winging It ,
Newsletter of the American Birding Association Inc., Vol. 12, No. 3).

Elsewhere in the USA ‘feeder watchers’ are being asked to help document
the rapid spread of the recently introduced (Eurasian) Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaocto. Already abundant in many suburban areas of Florida,
it is now becoming more common in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana and Arkansas. It has also been reported from California, Nevada,
Illinois and Oklahoma, and one is said to have wintered in North Dakota
(. Birdscope , Vol. 14, No. 1, Winter 2000).

Ill

THE SAN BLAS JAY, A COOPERATIVE BREEDER

by Eric Callaghan

The San Bias Jay Cissilopha sanblasiana is widespread along the Pacific
coast of northern Mexico, where it occurs in lowland open wooded areas. It
measures 27cm-31cm (approx. lOVdn - 12in) long, the male being slightly
larger than the female. The head, upper mantle and underparts are black.
The upperparts, including the wings and tail, are blue, which is especially
bright when seen in sunshine. The tail is relatively long and graduated at
the tip. The legs and feet are yellowish and the bill is black. The iris of the
eye is yellow.

This is a social species in the wild living in groups of up to 30 birds and
occupying extensive foraging territories. The group may include up to 10
breeding pairs, each of which may half-heartedly defend a small breeding
area against other flock members. The pair bond in strong and may be life¬
long and, while most birds do not breed until three years old, some first-
year birds have been known to do so. Normally each nest is attended by a
group of about six birds (Goodwin, 1986; Madge and Burn, 1999).

I received a trio, consisting of two males and a female, on March 1st
1998. They had been kept together for more than six years. The size
difference between the sexes was obvious and had been confirmed by surgical
sexing. Moreover, at the time, the female’s tail feathers were broken and
were about half their normal length, making instant identification even easier.
I was told that they had had eggs in the past, but nothing had come of these.
It was obvious that there was a pair bond between the female and one of the
males, the second male being subordinate. As this species is a cooperative
breeder in the wild and there was no history of aggression between the birds,
I decided to leave the three together.

On arrival they were released into an aviary approximately 17ft long x
5ft wide x 7ft high (approx. 5.2m long x 1.6m wide x 2.2m high). They
were very calm, allowing me to approach until there was just the wire
separating us. The back and one side of this aviary are solid and the other
side adjoins another aviary, with double wire between the two. Three
potential nesting platforms had been installed, these being wire platforms
approximately 14in (36cm) square, with some twigs wired to them to provide
an anchor for any nesting material. One platform was located at each end
and one about half-way along the aviary, all situated at the back. Clear
perspex sheeting was attached to the outside of the aviary above each nest
site. The aviary was planted with a couple of small shrubs and the floor was
covered with bark chippings. It has been difficult to grow plants in the
aviary as they tend to destroy most growing plants eventually.

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CALLAGHAN - SAN BLAS JAY

A dry dogfood, soaked in warm water, forms the basis of the birds’ diet.
In addition to this they received, from time to time, pieces of chicken wing,
pieces of laboratory mice and raw minced beef. Small cubes of Cheddar
cheese are also very popular. They readily accept chopped pear, tomato,
kiwi fruit and banana and once each week half an apple, half an orange and
half a pomegranate (when available) are placed on spikes in the aviary. The
jays also accept peanuts in the shell and sunflower seeds, both of which
provide a degree of entertainment as well as being a part of their diet.
Mealworms are thrown into the aviary a couple of times a week and are
searched for among the vegetation. During the breeding season the protein
level in the diet is increased by using a high protein dogfood and increasing
the amount of meat. During the winter, greater amounts of fruit and seeds
are offered. The amount of food has always been regulated as, like all corvids,
they store excess food. From the beginning both males would carry food
and feed the female and she would occasionally feed a piece back to them.
At times the males have been seen to feed each other.

Breeding

On March 9th, just over a week after they arrived, the paired male was
seen carrying a stick which he subsequently gave to the female. A bundle of
birch twigs and some dry grass and moss was put into the aviary and on
March 12th all three jays started to carry twigs. Two days later the first
male was courting the female. He was standing very tall, parallel to the
female, with his lower body feathers fluffed downwards. He then bowed
and dropped the wing on that side and partially tilted and spread his tail
towards her. He was singing continually throughout, the song being a
collection of quiet whistles, churring sounds and clicks that could be heard
only from very close-by. The second male was never seen courting the female,
although he frequently fed her. On March 19th the first male was arranging
twigs on the platform on the left of the aviary, and forming the rough outline
of the nest. Four days later the pair started to line the nest cup with dry
grass. A long piece was selected and taken to a perch where it was bent
back on itself many times, the bird using a foot to hold the grass in place,
until a bundle was formed that was then taken to the nest. No other material
was used and the nest was apparently complete by March 25th.

At mid-day March 29th I was fortunate to be present when the pair mated.
The female was standing on a high perch, with her tail quivering. The male
approached slowly by a circuitous route, hopping from branch to branch
and on and off the back of the aviary. The female suddenly spread her
wings and held them horizontally, quivering them strongly and the male
then mounted her. Afterwards they sat quietly together on the perch. The
second male remained at the far end of the aviary throughout this. The

CALLAGHAN - SAN BLAS JAY

113

San Bias Jay

Eric Callaghan

female had been sitting on the nest that morning and was sitting again at
3.00pm. She was on the nest throughout the following day and the day after

114

CALLAGHAN - SAN BLAS JAY

that I found the male sitting beside her on the nest. That day, for the first
time, the male began to become aggressive towards me, flying onto the wire
when I approached and attempting to peck me, behaviour that became very
familiar. Neither the female nor the second male has ever shown any
aggression towards me. Both males were now filling their throat pouches
and feeding the female on the nest. At this time she was very interested in
lumps of cuttlefish ‘bone’ and broke off pieces and swallowed them. The
male also fed pieces to the female.

On April 12th I borrowed a small closed-circuit video camera and placed
it on the aviary roof just above the nest. Although both males called in
alarm, the female remained on the nest throughout. With the camera in
position I was later able to watch the breeding male sit in the nest when the
female left to bathe and exercise. The use of the camera provided some
interesting details I could not possibly have observed otherwise, e.g. by
using the camera I realised that the male crouched down in the nest rather
than actually sat on the eggs.

On the afternoon of April 15th the male was extremely aggressive towards
me leading me to wonder if the eggs had hatched. Two days later the female
was seen to stand up in the nest and apparently pass food to something
beneath her. The second male was seen to fill his throat with mealworms
and then take a snail shell and break off pieces, later giving the lot to the
female. By April 25th it was obvious that something was wrong, as the
female was simply continuing to sit on the nest all day without any extra
feeding being observed. The following day a broken egg was found in the
bath and when the nest was checked two eggs were present. In contrast to
earlier occasions, the female readily left the nest when it was approached.
Both these eggs were infertile and the nest was abandoned. The eggs were
strikingly beautiful, being pinkish buff, mottled with darker rufous spots
and blotches. The egg that was measured was 28.4mm x 22.3mm.

Three days later the breeding male was seen giving a stick to the female
and later they were seen adding sticks to both of the other nest sites. On
May 1 st a new nest was under construction at the centre site and for the first
time the female was heard singing. On May 6th there was an egg in the new
nest and the male was again very aggressive towards me. I moved the camera
to above the new nest and the birds were not too disturbed by my doing this.
Incubation apparently began the following day and on May 15th I could see
there were five eggs in the nest. Six days later I was watching by means of
the camera when the male was ‘guarding’ the nest while the female was off
exercising. When the female returned, the male started to vibrate his wings
as she approached and the female fed him before settling back onto the
eggs. The male then departed.

On May 24th I decided to check the eggs, as I was afraid that they would
again turn out to be infertile. When I entered the aviary the female left the

CALLAGHAN - SAN BLAS JAY

115

nest and all three birds scolded me from the far end of the aviary, but did not
approach me. As the shells were too pigmented to make candling possible
I floated the eggs in warm water. Three of the five definitely moved, so this
time I knew I had a fertile clutch of eggs. One of the other eggs was damaged
and was removed. The female returned to the nest as soon as I left the
aviary.

Using the camera the next morning I was able to see that all four eggs
were still present. When I next checked at 1.30pm, one chick had hatched.
The male kept trying to feed the chick, but was continually intercepted by
the female which took the food from him. At 5.00pm I could see that a
second chick had hatched and a third egg had split almost in half. The
female kept rising in the nest and gently touching the hatching egg and
breaking off and swallowing small fragments of shell. At 6.05pm the chick
struggled free and the female promptly ate the shell, thus explaining the
absence of eggshells in the aviary.

The following morning the male was feeding the young without
interference from the female. If a chick did not beg spontaneously the parent
encouraged it to do so by putting the tip of its bill just beneath the chick’s
chin, raising its head. This always caused the chick to gape. At this point
the male was spending much time sitting on the side of the nest beside the
female, which rarely left the nest. The male was feeding the chicks soaked
dogfood as well as livefood. At this time the adults would not feed
mealworms to the young, preferring instead to give them waxmoth larvae.
Small pieces tom from pinkie mice were also fed to the young.

The youngest chick was missing from the nest on the morning of May
28th, the third day after hatching. At 2.00pm on the same day the female
was seen removing the unhatched fourth egg from the nest. This was found
to contain a dead, fully-formed chick. It was May 31st, when the young
were six days old, before I saw the second male bring food to the nest,
although he had probably been doing so earlier. The difference between the
two males’ feeding methods was very noticeable. The breeding male, the
father of the young, always tried to feed the young itself, actively attempting
to avoid giving the food to the female, whereas the other male showed no
interest at all in the young, instead always giving the food to the female,
which then passed some of it to the chicks.

As everything seemed to be progressing well, I was surprised to discover
the younger of the two chicks dead in the nest on the morning of June 4th.
Later that day the female removed it from the nest and I was surprised to see
how large it was. I believe it simply failed to compete for food with the
other chick. It made me aware of one of the disadvantages of using the
camera for observation. The size of the image on the monitor had led me to
believe that the chicks were smaller than they really were and, as a result, I

116

CALLAGHAN - SAN BLAS JAY

Eric Callaghan

Young San Bias Jay on the day it left the nest

had failed to provide the amount of extra food that was required.

On June 5th feather tracts were visible down the spine of the remaining
chick and by June 7th the tips of the flight feathers were also visible. By
that time the eyes were definitely open. The female jay was first seen to
collect food on June 11th which was the first time that the chick was left
unattended for even a brief moment. It was now 18 days old. On one
occasion when the female returned to the nest and the chick failed to gape,
having in her absence been fed by the male, she resorted to lifting the chick’s
head, as was the practise when the chicks were newly-hatched.

At 3.15pm on June 14th the young jay climbed out onto the rim of the
nest for the first time. It was then three weeks old. The female immediately
squatted down in the vacated nest. This allowed me the first good view of
the chick, which was basically a greyish-brown colour, with very dull blue
wings. The head was still covered with pin-feathers, and some of the flight
feathers were still in their sheaths as were all the Van1 (13mm) long tail
feathers. The beak was flesh-coloured and the legs and feet were greyish-

CALLAGHAN - SAN BLAS JAY

117

pink. The iris of the eyes was dark. There was the suggestion of a small
frontal crest, the pin-feathers there being somewhat longer. The chick had
returned to the nest by 4.00pm. The next day the chick was sitting on a
branch beside the nest and the following day left the nest area completely,
and sat on a branch lower down the aviary.

The young bird continued to develop uneventfully and by June 30th was
able to fly the length of the aviary. By then its tail was two-thirds adult
length. The juvenile was still being fed occasionally on July 15th, even
though it had been self-supporting for some time before this.

On July 3rd the adult breeding pair started to vigorously chase the second
male in an attempt to drive it away. They settled down again a short time
later, but this was the beginning of the expulsion of the second male. The
following autumn the persecution got worse and there were times when I
found the second male pinned to the ground on its back, with both other
adults attacking it. The juvenile took no part in this. Eventually the second
male had to be removed from the group.

That autumn the young bird completed a body moult, after which it
resembled the adults, except that it had a striking vertical frontal crest. The
bill remained pale and darkened at the tip only, and the iris of the eyes was
still dark. At the time of writing (April, 2000), the young jay is almost two
years old, and the crest is now very much reduced, although still more evident
than is the case with the adults, the bill is black and the iris of the eyes is
brownish.

References

Goodwin, D. 1986. Crows of the World. British Museum (Natural History), London.

Madge, S. and Bum, H. 1999. Crows and Jays. Christopher Helm/A. & C. Black, London.

Eric Callaghan was recently awarded the Society’s medal for the first
breeding of the Bearded Barbet Lybius dubius in Great Britain or Ireland
( Avicultural Magazine 105,2:49-53). He is attached to the Department of
Zoology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. E-
maihEric. Callaghan @ ucd. ie.

118

FURTHER NOTES ON THE DRAKENSBERG SISKIN
Serinus totta symonsi

by Neville Brickell and Trevor Konigkramer

In 1986, at the time that my (N.B’s) first notes about this species were
published ( Avicultural Magazine 92,1: 37-39), although the clutch size was
known successful captive breeding had yet to be recorded. This remains the
case but hopefully not for very much longer, as a serious attempt to
successfully breed this species is presently underway here in South Africa.

After four months housed in an aviary approximately one-third the size
of a tennis court, a pair began to show an interest in breeding. An
approximately one-third open-fronted nest-box measuring 12cm x 16cm x
14cm (approx. 43/4n x 6V4in x 5V2in) was visited by the pair for a week
before they were first observed carrying nesting material. They preferred
mostly coir in preference to the various grasses which were provided. When
the nest was completed, the top was level with the lip of the front of the box,
enabling the sitting female to have a clear view out. Two eggs were laid and
incubated by the female for 17 days. The nestlings had reddish-pink skin
with creamy coloured fluff on their heads. Both nestlings disappeared within
two days. The culprit was possibly a gecko of an alien species which in
recent years has invaded homes and other buildings in coastal towns and
cities, having driven out the indigenous Striped Skink Mabuya striata , whose
diet was solely insects and other small invertebrates.

Also, there was only sparse information on this species’ food. Recently
the Avicultural Research Unit undertook a survey of the food preferences of
captive birds. It was found that they showed little interest in mound termites
but alate termites were consumed when in flight. Plant material which had
previously been collected from wasteland in all provinces of South Africa
and presently growing in my (N.B’s) weed and seed garden was offered to
16 birds housed in my (T.K’s) aviaries. The plant species, the buds or seeds
of which were eaten, were:-

Dwarf Marigold Schkuhria pinnata
Common Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Sowthistle Sonchus oleraceus
Gallant Soldier Galinsoga parviflora
Shepherd’s Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris
Cape Wild Mustard Sisymbrium capensis
Chickweed Stellaria media
Yellow Sorrel Oxalis pes-caprae
Yellow Nutsedge Cyperus esculentus
Marsh Grass Echinochloa colona

BRICKELL & KONIGKRAMER - DRAKENSBERG SISKIN

119

Khatse River in Lesotho

Neville Brickell

Nest of Drakensberg Siskin

Neville Brickell

Top view of nest

120

BRICKELL & KONIGKRAMER - DRAKENSBERG SISKIN

Male Drakensberg Siskin

Barnyard Grass Echinochloa crus-galli

Sweet Buffalo Grass Panicum schinzii

Guinea Grass Panicum maximum

Natal Red-top Rhynchelytrum repens

Scarlet Salvia Salvia splendens bushes growing in the aviary also had
their buds attacked by the birds.

Plants previously recorded are omitted from the above list. No household
greenfood was offered during the survey.

I (T.K.) discovered four nest sites in Lesotho on February 19th, 2000.
One of these was on the horizontal branch of a bush identified as Wormwood
Artemisia afra, which was growing lm (approx. 3ft Sin) from the water’s
edge. The nest which had been abandoned consisted of fine dry grass and
tendrils, lined with fine grasses and four dried leaves approximately 5cm
(2in) in length. The nest which will be donated to the Free State Natural
History Museum or the Transvaal Museum, measures 90mm in diameter x
55mm deep on the outside, with the inside (the cup) 58mm in diameter x
35mm deep.

The second nest was also by the Khatse River. It was in a clump of
long drooping grass and is clearly visible on the video film shot at the time.
When the female left the nest for a short period the opportunity was taken to
examine one of the three eggs. It measured 1 8mm x 13mm and, like the two
laid in the aviary, differed little from that described by Mackworth-Praed
and Grant (1963), as being: ‘white with fine brown speckling and occasional
larger spots of brown.’ This is at slight variance with Maclean (1993) in

BRICKELL & KONIGKRAMER - DRAKENSBERG SISKIN

121

Neville Brickell

Female Drakensberg Siskin

which they are described as: ‘white to pale greenish blue, sparingly spotted
with brown and grey mainly at the thick end’ . The other two nest sites were
in holes in a bank devoid of any vegetation, holes that had possibly been
discarded by bee-eaters or kingfishers. The females were entering and leaving
these while the males launched aerial attacks on rival males venturing too
close to the holes.

References and bibliography

Mackworth-Praed, C.W. and Grant, C.H.B. 1963. Birds of the Southern Third of Africa. Vol. 2.
Longmans Green & Co., London.

Maclean, G.L. 1993. Roberts’ Birds of Southern Africa. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird
Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa.

Skead, C.J. 1960. The Canaries, Seedeaters & Buntings of Southern Africa. South African
Bird Book Fund, South Africa.

Video

Konigkramer, T. 2000. Nesting Drakensberg Siskins in Lesotho. Natal Bird Breeder’s Society
Video Library.

Plant identification by Parks Department (Burman Bush), Municipality
Metropolitan Council, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Neville Brickell and Trevor Konigkramer are Foundation Members of
Natal Bird Breeder ’s Society. Neville can be contacted at:- 100 Innes Road,
Durban 4001, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Tel/Fax: 27-31-3129701 (from
outside South Africa)/E-mail:ainvests@ global. co.za.

122

HAND-REARING AN ASIAN GREEN STARLING
Aplonis panayensis

by Juan Cornejo

During the time I was biologist at El Parc de les Aus, a bird garden near
Barcelona, Spain, the collection included an adult pair of Asian Green
Starlings Aplonis panayensis , housed in an outside aviary measuring 2m x
2m x 2.5m high (approx. 6ft 7in x 6ft 7in x 8ft 3in high). The public viewed
the birds from the front of the aviary, which had a concrete shelter provided
for the birds at the back. A similar aviary on one side housed a group of
Black Bulbuls Hypsipetes madagascariensis, and a similar aviary on the
other side housing a pair of White-headed Bulbuls. Once a day the starlings
were provided with universal mix and large pieces of seasonal fruits such as
apple, pear, orange and water melon, etc., as well as fresh water in a bowl
on the floor.

During the previous two years the starlings’ breeding attempts had ended
in failure with the eggs or newly hatched chicks being abandoned. May
1998, the pair started to build in a wooden nest-box measuring 10cm x 10cm
x 15cm high (approx. 4in x 4in x 6in high), with the top 5cm (2in) open at
the front, and eventually filled the bottom with green leaves from the trees
in the aviary. On May 1 3th, during a periodic check, two eggs were found
in the box. They were glossy blue with a greenish cast and garnet blotches
around the wider end. On the 24th, a chick hatched after an estimated
incubation period of 1 1-14 days. The second egg was found to be infertile.

Because of the history of the pair, the day after the chick hatched it was
removed for hand-rearing. It had a little grey down on the back and head, a
yellowish bill, and weighed 5g. It was placed in a tissue-lined container in
a portable brooder. The temperature was set at 35°C (95 °F) and a small
container with moistened cotton wool used to maintain the humidity at about
60%. A hand feeding formula was designed made up of 25% fruit (banana,
apple and papaya), 50% soaked kitten pellets and 25% hard-boiled egg,
mixed together and moistened with warm water as necessary according to
the age of the chick. A syringe was used to feed the chick every hour from
6.00am to 12.00pm for the first two days, and every hour from 7.00am to
10.00pm from the third day to the eighth day when we started to supplement
the diet with earthworms and newly moulted mealworms. From the eighth
day to the 1 8th day it was fed every two hours from 7.00am to 9.00pm. The
chick was weighed every day before the first feed and its weight gains are
plotted on the accompanying graph (p. 123)

At four days old, and maintaining a visible amount of yolk sac, the chick’s
ears opened and it started to lift its head when begging for food; one day

CORNEJO - ASIAN GREEN STARLING

123

Daily weight records (in grams) of two Aplonis panayensis chicks

Hand-reared

Parent reared

later its eyes started to open. The pin-feathers on the wings and those of the
tail started to appear at eight days old, followed one day later by those on
the chest. At this time the temperature in the brooder was reduced to 32°C
(89.6°F). At 10 days old the chick’s eyes were completely open and the
upper mandible had began to turn darker. The chick was really active, and
shook its head when begging for food. When the chick was 14 days old, all
the major feather tracts had feathered up and the legs, feet and claws were
grey. The temperature was reduced to 28°C (82.4°F). The chick started to
peck at food held in the fingers and jumped out of the brooder. So, during
the warmest hours of the day it was placed on a perch and sections of apple,
pear and orange, and soaked pellets were placed in front of it to encourage it
to feed itself.

At 17 days old, it was provided with food and placed outside in a small
cage during the day. It was capable of scratching itself, as well as cleaning
its beak against the perch. It had dark grey feathers on the wings, back and
tail, and the underparts from the throat to the under tail-coverts were white
with dark spotting. The iris of the eyes was brown orange and the claws
were grey.

It began to feed on its own, pecking from a cut section of apple, at 19
days old, and from that time was hand-fed only twice a day to encourage it
to fledge. It flew for the first time at 24 days old, when I was taking it for a
ride around the park perched on one of my shoulders. From that day it was

124

CORNEJO - ASIAN GREEN STARLING

Juan Cornejo

Egg and newly hatched chick in nest

Chick at 18 days old

Juan Cornejo

CORNEJO - ASIAN GREEN STARLING

125

Juan Cornejo

Hand-reared bird at 35 days old

placed in a mixed aviary but continued to come to be fed. Two weeks later
it become totally independent and lost its tameness. By that time its beak
was almost black and the iris of the eyes had begun to turn red around the
outside, the wings and tail feathers had completed their development and
the first signs of glossy plumage appeared on the back.

The adult pair laid again on June 1 st, but the eggs disappeared. They
later laid a third clutch from which one chick hatched on August 1 st. With
the addition of mealworms to the diet, it was reared successfully by the
parents. As can be seen from the accompanying graph (p. 123) from the
14th day it started to gain more weight than the hand-reared chick had.

Juan Cornejo is a Spanish biologist whose home address
is:- Hoyarrasa 30, Alcobendas 28109, Madrid, Spain, or E-mail:
cornejo Juan@hotmail.com. The above article was submitted at the end of
February just before he left for Costa Rica to work atZooAve, a zoo/breeding/
rescue centre there.

126

BREEDING THE LESSER FLAMINGO
Phoeniconaias minor

by Mark Rubery

Hillside Bird Oasis obtained its first Lesser Flamingos Phoeniconaias
minor , eight birds in all, in 1987. In the few weeks run up to their arrival, a
wintering house was built and the pool redesigned to suit their requirements.
Lesser Flamingos being the most delicate of the six species of flamingos
and easily chilled, it was most important they had an easily accessible house
in which they could shelter from the weather as and when required.

The eight birds arrived safely and settled in well with no real problems.
During their first winter they stayed in their house coming out only
occasionally. After wintering well and going through a successful moult
they all looked in fine feather, and later that year we managed to obtain
another 1 0 birds so that we now had a nice flock. Over the summer I began
to notice some slight pair bonding with occasional signs of displaying.

Through the summers of 1995 and 1996 the flock messed about building
nests along the water’s edge and eventually built some substantial nest
mounds on which they sat for many hours. However, no eggs were laid.
So, in spring 1997, 1 moved the flock to the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus
ruber roseus enclosure, in the hope that their nesting behaviour would
stimulate the Lesser Flamingos. Although at first they showed interest in
the nesting area used by the large flock of Greater and Chilean Flamingos P
chilensis, once nesting commenced they felt intimidated by the larger birds,
and stayed near to the water away from the nesting areas. So in the autumn
of that year I moved the flock back into its own enclosure.

In 1997 the flock again built nests by the water’s edge but, after a while,
lost interest. To try to encourage them I put a Chinese Goose egg on one of
the mounds. One pair took turns to incubate the egg until eventually they
deserted it after about two weeks. However, towards late summer, much to
my delight, we had our first Lesser Flamingo egg. It was laid on the grass,
so we artificially incubated it, but it turned out to be infertile. At least though,
we had made a start.

Lesser Flamingos have only rarely been bred in captivity. So on a visit
to East Berlin Zoo in the winter of 1997, I was keen to see how it had
achieved success with its Lesser Flamingos. Its flamingos had in fact built
nest mounds in their wintering quarters, where they had laid and successfully
reared a chick.

I returned home excited at the prospect of trying out placing a nesting
area in their winter house. In it I built eight nest mounds. Almost immediately
there was a high level of activity, with all mounds soon occupied,

RUBERY - LESSER FLAMINGO

127

Mark Rubery

Lesser Flamingo chick at three weeks old

accompanied by a great deal of displaying outside, and with lots of courtship
behaviour taking place in the enclosure. I also observed several pairs mating,
which I had not seen before. Then in January seven pairs settled on their
nest mounds and laid. Unfortunately, all the eggs were infertile.

In the summer of 1998 many of the birds displayed and pair bonding
continued, with nine pairs becoming established. Then, in February 1999,
three pairs laid. I was slightly disappointed that it was only three pairs, but
at the beginning of March a female stood up and there was a chick. The
other two eggs failed to hatch. Within days the chick was marching around
the inside of the house and at a week old was outside swimming on the pool
with its parents amongst the ducks.

In early May two other pairs returned to the house and began building
up their nests, so I put some mud in the house and both pairs laid soon
afterwards. Incubation was shared between the birds, the male and female
taking it in turns. Both these chicks hatched successfully, making it a triple
delight for myself. We were very pleased again when earlier this year, we
had two eggs from different pairs, having noted that last year’s successful

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RUBERY - LESSER FLAMINGO

pairs were continuing to feed their chicks occasionally and making no attempt
to lay. Of the two eggs laid, one was fertile and the chick hatched early in
June, following the same pattern as last year.

All four are now part of our flock of Lesser Flamingos and can be seen
at Hillside Bird Oasis.

Mark Rubery is owner of Hillside Bird Oasis , Damson Lane, Mobberley,
Cheshire WA16 7HY, England. Tel/Fax:01565 873282.

As described above, the Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor, has been
bred at Hillside Bird Oasis. This is probably the first successful breeding of
this species in Great Britain or Ireland. Anyone who knows of a previous
breeding is asked to inform the Hon. Secretary.

SOCIAL MEETINGS 2001

The Society is trying to arrange a return visit to the Bird Department of
the Natural History Museum at Tring. If it can be arranged, the visit will be
in January or February, and the booking form will be sent out with the next
magazine.

The Society hopes to visit Chester Zoo on March 25th, but this date has
yet to be confirmed. The provisional date for the President’s Garden Party
is July 16th.

* * *

AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE BACK ISSUES

A large stock is available including some early issues. Sales are by post
only. Further details are available from:- Hon. Secretary, Avicultural Society,
c/o Bristol Zoological Gardens, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3HA, England.

129

BOOK REVIEWS

MANAGEMENT OF LAUGHING THRUSHES IN
CAPTIVITY

The laughing thrushes of the genus Garrulax are among the most
attractive and interesting of the softbills available to aviculture. They are
popular and easy to maintain, and there have been many breeding successes,
but very few species can be said to have well-established captive populations.
In the light of threats to wild populations of a number of species it is important
to have a publication which draws together the experiences of those who
have been successful with these birds to help promote more consistent success
in the future.

Dave Coles is ideally placed to do this, having built up a large collection
of Garrulax as Curator of Beale Bird Park, and been successful in breeding
a number of species. This practical experience, combined with a review of
published literature and a wide range of contacts among both amateur and
professional aviculturists, has enabled him to summarize effectively the
experience gained in many collections where these birds have been
maintained and bred successfully.

Twenty-three of the 45 pages (A4 clip bound) consist of sections on
accommodation, health, dietary requirements, sociability, breeding, handling
and population management, all of which are packed with practically useful,
experience-based information. There are also lists of references and of old
generic names to aid further research, and a checklist which is annotated to
indicate those species recently represented in captivity in the UK, those
present in the skin collection at the Natural History Museum, and a full list
of common names. These are all useful aids to identification in a genus
with 5 1 species and numerous subspecies, particularly when new species
are frequently imported - 1 know of at least one (the Black Laughing Thrush
G. lugubris ) since lists in this book were finalized at the end of 1999.

There are appendices listing first breeding records in the UK, suggested
ring sizes, numbers recorded in 14 annual UK censuses and the 19 species
currently thought to be of conservation concern. There is inevitably a bias
towards the UK in some of the details, but the sections on captive
management are international in their content and application.

The book will be updated as new information becomes available by the
publication of separate supplements, a system which Dave already uses with
his First Breeding Records.

All of this adds up to a publication that Garrulax keepers should not be
without. I wish the book had been better edited but readers should not let
this distract them from the wealth of information presented in this slim

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BOOK REVIEWS

volume, which is available price £7.50 including postage in the UK and
£9.00 overseas, from the author at:- 2 Church Farm Cottages, Lower
Basildon, Berkshire RG8 9NJ, England.

Nigel Hews ton

PARROT ACTION PLAN

Action Plans are published by the Species Survival Commission (part of
IUCN) and focus on groups of animals of conservation concern. Attempts
in the early and mid-1990s to produce one for this large group of birds did
not come to fruition. Then in 1995 the World Parrot Trust offered to host a
meeting with the aim of launching a plan. Five years later, the Parrot Action
Plan has been published, under the title of Status Survey and Conservation
Action Plan 2000-2004, Parrots.

Trying to co-ordinate experts and field researchers in every part of the
range of parrot species was a project which had already failed twice. Because
of its importance for the long-term survival of many species and to all those
worldwide who work for parrot conservation, the trust was determined that
this time it would succeed. The result is a 1 80-page book which will act as
the reference on endangered parrots for some years to come.

Twenty-eight percent, or 95 of the approximately 330 known species,
are threatened with extinction. This is one of the highest rates for any major
bird family. The plan identifies all the species at risk and describes the
reasons. The Introduction makes it clear that: The major goal of this Action
Plan is to ensure the conservation of the world’s parrot species. This is to be
achieved by providing researchers, managers, and local groups with practical
recommendations for conducting conservation programs for the threatened
parrot species and populations endemic to their regions of the world’.

It is founded on the most up-to-date assessments of distribution, status
and threats to endangered species, and relates these data to the considerable
experience that conservation biologists have gained in attempting to prevent
threatened populations from becoming extinct. Perhaps it is fortuitous that
the original plan failed, because even in the few years since its inception,
much more information on parrot biology and the status of various species
has been gained. It is recommended that for enhanced understanding, the
present plan should be read in conjunction with more general treatments of
parrot conservation and biology.

Destruction and fragmentation of habitat are the main reasons why 78
species are endangered; excessive trade has given this status to 36 more
species. Regrettably, in recent years, diminished international trade has
been dwarfed by a significant growth in internal trade. For many species,

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131

the two threats act concurrently, so that it is difficult to determine which
threat is the most severe. Many aviculturists can recall the flux of ‘new’
parrot species which entered aviculture during the late 1970s and 1980s,
largely the result of new areas being opened up to trappers by felling.

The status of so many parrot species has changed dramatically for the
worse since then. Twenty years ago, how many members could have foreseen
that species as common as, for example, the Citron- and Sulphur-crested
Cockatoos, would now be endangered, mainly as a result of excessive
trapping? It is a myth, too, that aviculturists can breed such species and
return them to the wild, as the danger of introducing disease from released
birds which have been in captivity, is now well known. It may ultimately
result in the extinction of the Cape Parrot in South Africa, for example, as
the virus which causes Psittacine Beak and Feather disease is now affecting
wild birds whose numbers are in the region of only 500 individuals.

The 23-page chapter on General Principles for Parrot Conservation is,
in itself, a valuable document for conservation managers. It starts off by
pointing out that the over-riding goal of parrot conservation should be the
maintenance of viable wild populations within their native ranges and natural
ecosystems. Captive populations are not an end-point of conservation efforts.
In extreme cases it might be necessary to depend on an intermediate stage in
captivity to achieve viable populations. However, the difficulties of
establishing wild populations from captive birds are many, for species such
as parrots in which important behavioural characteristics are learned and
can be quickly modified or lost under captive conditions.

A major problem in conserving parrots is identifying which species are
declining. Because they are such highly mobile birds, monitoring population
sizes is difficult and usually expensive in terms of man-power. One of the
first species to be the subject of an intensive conservation programme was
the St Lucia Parrot Amazona versicolor. The cause of its decline was mainly
hunting. Massive education and legal efforts (mainly master-minded by Paul
Butler, who can fairly be described as an icon in the world of parrot
conservation) reversed the fortunes of this large and handsome parrot in
less than a couple of decades. His work must have inspired many of those
now working in the field, all of whom will find the Parrot Action Plan an
indispensable document.

Conservation actions vary greatly in cost. For some years captive
breeding of the Lesser Antillean Amazons, such as the St Lucia, was proposed
as an important aspect. The Action Plan points out that it is relatively
expensive; habitat protection and law enforcement have been found to be
much less costly. I would add to the argument against captive breeding on
the grounds that it will never succeed without the most dedicated personnel.
Such people are hard to find and, their commitment, long-term, is usually in

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BOOK REVIEWS

question. Examples are rare; one is Carl Jones with the Mauritius Parrakeet.
Habitat protection is important also because there are major benefits for
other species which share that habitat. This chapter (p. 12) contains the
statement that: ‘Many parrot species are, in fact, relatively tolerant of habitat
degradation per se, and can persist in highly modified habitats if stress factors
such as trade, hunting, and loss of specialised nest sites can be controlled’ .
This could be misleading. It perhaps fails to take into account that parrots
are extremely long-lived birds. They might exist in altered habitats, but can
they survive and breed over the long term? For many species, the answer
will surely be a negative one.

The Action Plan’s authors and editors, Noel Snyder, Philip McGowan,
James Gilardi and Alejandro Grajal, rightly point out that parrots are among
the most charismatic species to be found in many ecosystems under threat,
and they can serve as a successful focus for habitat protection for many of
the less charismatic species. The Puerto Rican Parrot Amazona vittata, for
example, was crucial in preventing the cutting of rainforest, thereby providing
protection for numerous other animals and plants.

The authors mention CITES. Although this convention has curbed illegal
international trade in some species, in others CITES listing might even have
exacerbated the trade problem, they say.

The section on Captive Breeding will be of interest to most members.
The difficulties and problems are described. The conclusion is that because
of its risks and limitations, it should be invoked as a species recovery
approach only under carefully defined circumstances. These include :-

1 . Species approaching extinction so rapidly that they cannot survive
without intensive intervention, and other alternatives are not available.

2. All or nearly all members of the species are already in captivity.

3. Other conditions prevail that make captive breeding and re-
introduction essential for the preservation of the species in the wild.

In Chapter 3 there is a valuable table listing all threatened species, their
distribution area and threat category. The following four chapters cover
each region of the world - Australia and the Pacific, Asia, Africa and the
Neotropics. Each opens with an honest overview of the area. In that for
Indonesia we find: ‘In general, the Indonesian conservation community views
parrots either as a non-issue or a specialist and thankless conservation activity
that runs the risk of embroiling an agency in politics. Opportunities for
outside agencies and individuals to make a useful contribution in Indonesia
without a strong local partner are limited.’

Indonesia is one of the regions of greatest concern for parrot
conservationists. It has a wealth of fascinating and unusual species, and
rampant deforestation, habitat loss by fire, and trade which is largely
uncontrolled along with unenforced regulations. Except for the efforts of a

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133

few dedicated individuals it is perhaps the most neglected area where parrot
conservation is concerned.

The species accounts (most of which are illustrated with a black and
white photograph and all with a distribution map) occupy the major part of
this book. Each species is discussed under the headings of Conservation
status, Distribution and status, Threats and Action. The final 30 pages contain
References, contact details for the persons and organisations who contributed
information, IUCN Red List Categories and a list of other Action Plans
published to date.

No one who is seriously interested in parrot conservation or breeders
who want to be well informed about the status of the species in their care,
can afford to be without this important document. It can be obtained from
IUCN Publications Services Ltd, 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3
ODL. (Tel:- 01223 277894). The price is £15 plus £2.25 postage in the UK,
£3 for overseas surface mail, £4.50 for airmail in Europe and £6 for airmail
to the rest of the world.

Rosemary Low

THE LOVING CARE OF PET PARROTS

The Loving Care of Pet Parrots by world renowned parrot expert
Rosemary Low is, as signalled by its title, clearly aimed at the pet parrot
keeper and at improving the welfare of pet parrots.

Parrot keepers with greater experience need not be put off by the title of
this publication. In its 192 pages this paperback includes a wealth and depth
of up-to-date information not only on the care and training of pet parrots but
also on diet, disease and behavioural enrichment. As we have come to expect
from this author the book is extremely well written, benefits greatly from
the author’s personal experience and is complemented by both colour and
black and white photographs.

The first two chapters - Should you be a parrot owner? and Choice of
species - include information on the advantages and disadvantages of broad
types (e.g large macaws, Australian parrakeets) and individual species of
parrots as single pet or companion birds. Cockatiels but not budgerigars are
included in this treatment. An interesting treatment in these chapters
categorises parrots as to whether they form permanent pair bonds or maintain
these only for the duration of the breeding season. Those parrots in the
former category make more demanding pets but offer greater rewards in
having the potential to bond with their carer.

The following chapters give advice on purchasing parrots, noting the
advantages of captive-bred as opposed to wild caught birds and of choosing
appropriate housing for pet birds. Many young hand-reared parrots even

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BOOK REVIEWS

when apparently weaned may regress to juvenile behaviour when transferred
to a new unfamiliar environment. As such whilst clearly indicating her
disapproval of the sale of unweaned birds the author includes a chapter with
advice on weaning.

Other topics covered in this volume include health care, wing clipping
(with particular reference to its disadvantages), vocal mimicry, plumage care
and feather plucking, choice of toys, and the problem of how to recover
escaped birds. Throughout the book the welfare of pet parrots clearly remains
the author’s priority and this book should be compulsory reading for anyone
owning a pet parrot or contemplating taking on the responsibilities of parrot
ownership.

The Loving Care of Pet Parrots is published by Hancock House
Publishers, 1431 Harrison Avenue, Blaine, USA. Price $12.95. In the UK
it is available, price £8.95 post free and £10 elsewhere in Europe, from
Rosemary Low, PO Box 100, Mansfield, Notts. NG20 9NZ.

Roger Wilkinson

AFRICAN PARROTS

African, Parrots by Rick Jordan and Jean Pattison is dedicated to the
American Federation of Aviculture (AFA) to whom the authors have
generously agreed to donate their royalties.

This book is written for the parrot hobbyist and appears to be particularly
directed to readers in the USA. The introductory chapters on African Parrots
and Captive Management Programmes include sections on national
restrictions and leg-banding with particular reference to parrot keeping in
the USA.

The following eight chapters are devoted to the accounts for selected
species of African parrots. African Parrots in its 142 pages covers most of
those species presently known in aviculture which originate from mainland
Africa and from Madagascar and includes a colour section illustrating many
of these parrots.

Poicephalus enthusiasts will be pleased to see four chapters on this genus
but may be frustrated that some aspects on general care are scattered amongst
these chapters. Niam-niam Parrots are morphologically very similar to the
more well known Brown-headed Parrot and although currently treated as a
separate species, were previously considered to be a race of the former. The
authors include the provocative suggestion that Niam-niam Parrots may not
exist but be either naturally occurring hybrids or aberrant Brown-headed
Parrots !

Chapters follow on African Grey Parrots, Rose-ringed (Ring-necked)

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135

Parrakeets, lovebirds and then Vasa and Black Parrots. I have a particular
interest in Coracopsis. The authors note that the appearance of white or
non-uniform feathers in captive Vasas may indicate a nutritional deficiency.
I would caution that this may also be an indicator of PBFD. It is also
suggested that both species of Coracopsis go bald when in breeding condition
with the skin on the head then becoming yellow. In our experience of
breeding both species at Chester this was true of only the Greater Vasa Parrot
and only occurred in the female.

The final chapters include advice on basic parrot husbandry and breeding,
incubation and hand-rearing. These are useful but may have greatest appeal
to the more general reader and some of the topics are covered in more detail
elsewhere. For example artificial incubation has been covered more
comprehensively by Rick Jordan in his earlier book Parrot Incubation
Procedures (Silvio Mattacchione & Co., 1989) and no mention is made of
alternative methods such as tracking weight loss during incubation and
moving eggs between drier and more humid incubators to achieve best hatch.

African Parrots is published by Hancock House Publishers, 1431
Harrison Avenue, Blaine, WA 98230-5005. It is a paperback priced $12.95.

Roger Wilkinson

Hancock House (Tel: 604-538-1114/Fax: 604-5 3 8-2262/E-mail: sales @
hancockwildlife.org/Website:www.hancockwildlife.org) has also published
a Third (Revised) Edition of Parrots of the World. It is priced US$60.00
plus US$8.00 s/h in North America and slightly more elsewhere.

SNIPES OF THE WESTERN PALEARCTIC

By bringing together the existing information, covering the biology and
demography of snipes and management techniques for their habitats, this
304-page book by Richard Rouxel represents a serious attempt to compile
the existing knowledge of these species with a view to serving as a basis for
future research and the development of strategies for their conservation.

Snipes of the Western Palearctic is avaliable price FFr190 from:- Editions
Eveil-Nature, 10 rue Evariste Poitevin, 16710 Saint-Yrieix, France (Tel/
Fax: (33) 5 45 92 2611/E-mail: eveilnature@hotmail.com), which has
published it in conjunction with OMPO, an international non-governmental
organisation active in the conservation of migratory birds.

136

NEWS & VIEWS

GURNEY’S PITTA

According to a report in a recent issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine ,
Gurney’s Pitta Pitta gurneyi may be the first bird species to become extinct
this millenium. Fewer than 10 pairs remain in a reserve in southern Thailand,
according to the magazine. Earlier this century it was relatively common
but destruction of its evergreen forest habitat in Burma and Thailand has
seen the population decline at an alarming rate. A breeding pair was located
in Thailand’ s Trang Province in 1986 when some 30 pairs were believed to
be present in the reserve with four smaller populations in nearby forests.

* * *

PARROT APPEAL

It has been confirmed that Harry Sissens has been granted leave to appeal
against his conviction for illegally importing into the UK three Lear’s
Macaws Anodorhynchus leari and six Blue-headed Macaws Ara couloni
(News & Views, Vol. 106, No. 2, p.90). The hearing before the Court of
Appeal in London is likely to take place at the end of this year or the beginning
of next year. Whether or not the appeal succeeds will presumably have a
bearing on whether Customs & Excise proceeds with its reported claim
against him for £404,000 (approx. US$600,000), using a law aimed at
preventing drug dealers and other criminals from benefiting from their illegal
activities. Furthermore, it is seeking to confiscate the rest of the birds that
were seized, even though they did not form part of the original case. It
seems that the onus is on him to prove that the birds came into his possession
legally. The three Lear’s Macaws are said to have tested positive for
polyomavirus, which is likely to complicate any plans to return them to
Brazil and the likelyhood of them ever being returned to the wild.

* * *

LAST POST FOR PIGEONS

Carrier pigeons used by police in the state of Orissa in India are to be
made redundant after 2 1 of them died of heatstroke and neglect. Police
chiefs recommended closing the Pigeon Service after more than half a century
during which it provided a cheap and effective means of sending messages
from villages cut-off by floods and cyclones from the Bay of Bengal.
Although the birds were capable of flying 500 miles (approx. 800km)when
such natural disasters disrupted land-based radio systems, the 34 policemen
assigned to look after them regarded it as a punishment posting in an era of
mass communications. First used by Orissa’s police in 1946, the birds were
trained to fly either long one-way trips, return journeys or to be carried by
police officers travelling to remote areas.

NEWS & VIEWS

137

GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME

Of the eight species of vultures that occur in India, most populations
have suffered a rapid decline in recent years. To try to determine the reasons
for the plummeting vulture populations across India and to formulate an
action plan to try to resolve this crisis, Dr Asad Rahmani convened a meeting
at the Bombay Natural History Society. Reasons for the worrying decline
were thought to include outbreaks of disease, chemical contamination and
poisoning. Actions proposed included trapping sick vultures and keeping
them under observation, conducting pathological and toxicological
examinations, considering captive breeding projects and forming an Indian
Vulture Study Group. The latest findings indicate the most likely cause to
be infectious disease, with viral aetiology being implicated.

* * *

DUCKS TACKLE LOCUST PLAGUE

Earlier this year a vast army of domestic ducks and chickens was
mobilised in China to tackle the country’s biggest plague of locusts in 25
years. The birds were trained to pursue and eat the insects at the sound of a
whistle. A spokesman for China’s Pest Control Department explained:
‘Farmers knew that chickens were very fond of eating locusts so we did
some tests with a few hundred birds before spreading the idea more widely.
Each bird is said to be able to eat up to 400 locusts per day.

* * *

OWENS RAINFOREST AVIARY

The newly remodelled Owens Rainforest Aviary at San Diego Zoo is a
spacious walk-through exhibit where water and lush plantings do much to
create the atmosphere of a tropical forest. It houses an excellent collection
of birds which share parts of their man-made environment with brightly
coloured tropical fish, including gouramis, barbs and others, but especially
Archer Fish which astonish visitors by demonstrating their skills shooting
little jets of water at unsuspecting crickets resting on a rock wall.

Among a number of interesting bird species in the aviary are Greater
Racquet-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus, Javan Cochoa Cochoa azurea,
Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon Otidiphaps nobilis, Comb-crested Ja^ana
Irediparra gallinacea , Chestnut-breasted Malcoha Rhamphococcyx
curvirostris erythrognathus, Blue-masked Leafbird Chloropsis venusta,
Marche’s Fruit Dove Ptilinopus marchei, Bartlett’s Bleeding Heart Dove
Gallicolumba criniger, White-breasted Wood Swallow Artamus
leucorhynchus, Greater Yellow-naped Woodpecker Picus flavinucha. Black
and Crimson Oriole Oriolus cruentus and Ruby-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus
melanicterus . In all some 180 birds of more than 60 species are exhibited.

138

NEWS & VIEWS

LIST FOR BIRD KEEPERS

Jeremy Taylor, who works as a bird keeper at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Orlando, Florida, USA, has created an e-mail list for bird keepers in a
zoological setting, as well as other individuals with an involvement in
aviculture. Anyone wishing to join may do so by sending a blank e-mail to
birdkeepers-subscribe@egroups.com or by going to the list website http://
www.egroups.com/group/birdkeepers. He points out that this list is an
independent undertaking on his own behalf, and is in no way associated
with Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

* * *

BOWERBIRD BOOK

Cliff Frith, co-author with Bruce Beehler of Birds of Paradise (Oxford
University Press, 1998), is now working with his wife, Dawn, on a similar
work on the biology of the bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae). They are
interested in learning which species are being kept and bred in captivity and
other information about this group of birds. Information can be sent to
them at:-PO. Box 581, Malanda, Queensland, Australia 4885, or E-
mail : friths @ internetnorth . com . au .

* * *

SERIN SURVEY

Bryan Reed and Tony Jolliffe are keen to swap information and possibly
birds with others interested in keeping and breeding African Serinus species.
They are especially interested in making contact with those living outside
the UK, and are happy to receive correspondence written in English, German,
French, Dutch or Spanish. You should write to:- Bryan Reed and Tony
Jolliffe, African Serins Survey, 62 Northwood Drive, Sittingboume, Kent
MEIO 4QS, England.

* * *

AUSTRALIAN AND PARROT FINCH SEMINAR

There will be a one day seminar titled Captive Breeding and Conservation
of Australian and Parrot Finches held at Bristol Zoo on November 23rd.
Organised in collaboration with the Passerine TAG, the programme will
include presentations by David Jeggo (Jersey), Nicola Blay (Harewood Bird
Gardens), Mark Pilgrim (Chester Zoo), Stewart Evans and Andy Birchenough
(Newcastle University) and members of the Australian Finch Society,
including Percy Holland (Chairman). It aims to bring together field workers,
keepers of Australian and parrot finches, and other aviculturists and zoo
staff, and illustrate the potentiality that exists for collaboration between them.
Further information is available from Percy Holland (Tel: 01903 872722).

NEWS & VIEWS

139

SPOROPHILA CORRESPONDENT

Jack Clinton Eitniear, of Texas, who was President of the American
Avicultural Association, would like to correspond with other keepers of
Sporophila finches. He can be contacted through the bulletin board on the
Avicultural Society website (www.avisoc.co.uk).

* * *

UK FIRST

A while ago, Robert Callaghan sent a cutting about the imminent hatching
of a Marabou Leptoptilos crumeniferus egg at Blackbrook Zoological Park,
near Leek, Staffordshire. Now, Zoo Manager, Malcolm Mycock, has sent
an account of the breeding two Marabous there in 1998, one of which was
reared successfully, and was probably the first breeding of this species in
Britain or Ireland. His account will appear in the next issue of the magazine.

* * *

TEN THOUSAND TOURACOS

The Proceedings of the Ninth Pan- African Ornithological Congress, held
in Accra, Ghana, December 1st - 7th 1996, have recently been published in
Ostrich, Vol. 71, No. 1 & 2, March 2000. Amongst the many papers of
interest to aviculturists is one on the status and conservation of Prince
Ruspoli’s Touraco Tauraco ruspolii by Luca Borghesio and Renato Massa
(pp. 355-358). Although currently considered endangered, the authors
estimate that the present population of this Ethiopian endemic could number
10,000 individuals. These frequent mostly forest margins and relatively
dry acacia woodlands, whereas the White-cheeked species T. leucotis prefers
wetter forests.

* * *

ELEGANT BREEDING

In April this year Cologne Zoo opened its new tropical house called The
Rainforest, in which it has already succeeded in breeding the Elegant Pitta
Pitta elegans. Other birds living in the house include Vietnamese Pheasant
Lophura hathinensis, Red-billed Malkoha Phaenicophacus javanicus, Blue¬
tailed Trogon Harpactes reinwardti. Black and Red Broadbill Cymirhynchus
macrorhynchus, Lesser Bird of Paradise Paradisaea minor, Chestnut-capped
Laughing Thrush Garrulax mitratus, White-collared Myna Streptocitta
albicollis and Crested Jay Platylophus galericlulatus . Theo Pagel’s account
of breeding the Elegant Pitta will appear in the next issue of the magazine.

140

NEWS & VIEWS

DOUBLE YOLK

Neville Brickell reports from South Africa that a fellow member of the
Natal Bird Breeder’s Society, Peter Viljoen, a dove and pigeon breeder for
over 30 years, gave members of the society the opportunity to witness an
unusual occurrence in his aviaries. A pair of Band-tailed Pigeons Columba
fasciata laid a single egg which hatched after 19 days and was found to
contain two nestlings of equal size. One died three days later but the other
was reared to adulthood.

FURTHER BREEDINGS

In the previous News & Views (Vol.106, No. 2, p. 94) mention was
made of some of the species bred during 1999 at San Diego Zoo and San
Diego Wild Animal Park. Others included two Eastern Yellow-billed Hombill
Tockus flavirostris, two Southern Sulawesi Hombill Penelopides exarhatus
sanfordi, two Malaysian Wrinkled Hombill Aceros c. corrugatus, one White-
headed Hombill A. L leucocephalus, one Red-knobbed Hombill A. cassidix,
two Eastern Papuan Hombill A. plicatus jungei and three Black Hombill
Anthracoceros malayanus. Amongst the smaller species bred were two
Guianan White-bearded Manakin Manacus m. manacus, two Senegal
Gonolek Laniarius b. barbarus, one Sichuan White-browed Laughing Thrush
Garrulax sannio oblectans, three Oriole Warbler Hypergerus atriceps, 10
Northern Wing-barred Seedeater Sporophila a. americana , five Northern
Spotted Tanager Tangara p. punctata , five Western Golden-masked Tanager
I larvata franciscae , one Surinam Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes s.
spiza and 22 Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea.

* * *

CORNISH ECHOES

As there is now a surplus of male Echo Parrakeets Psittacula echo living
on Mauritius, six have been sent to be quarantined at Jersey Zoo. Three of
these are destined for Paradise Park, Hayle, Cornwall. Among them, ‘Pablo’,
one of the first to be hand-reared, and a remarkably tame individual, which
is expected to join Paradise Park’s free-flying bird show.

* * *

END OF THE ROAD

Following the death of Betty Risdon, about a year ago, it was mmoured
that The Tropical Bird Gardens, Rode, near Bath, Somerset, would be put
up for sale. This has now happened. The story of this popular collection,
opened to the public in 1962, and now housing some 1,000 birds of about
200 different species, was described by Betty in her book The Road to Rode ,
reviewed in the Avicultural Magazine , Vol. 104, No.4, p.181.

141

OBITUARIES

DR LUIS FELIPE BAPTISTA

Once in a while someone comes along who, though we may meet them
only for a fleeting moment, can leave us with a remarkably lasting impression.
Such a person was Dr Luis Felipe Baptista who, sadly, died unexpectedly
on June 12th, while tending the garden of his home at Sebastopol, California.
He was only 59.

Luis’ ancestors had lived in the Portuguese colony of Macao since the
seventeenth century, but he was bom in Hong Kong. After the Second World
War the Baptista family left for the USA, a move that could have been inspired
because from there Luis’ childhood fascination with wildlife was to blossom
into a distinguished scientific career.

He studied biology and graduated from the University of San Francisco
in 1965 and, in 1971, received his PhD from the University of California, at
Berkeley. The following year he was awarded a two-year NATO post¬
doctoral fellowship to work on behavioural physiology at the Max Planck
Institute, near Munich, Germany. During this period he studied Old World
mannikins and New World grassquits. Luis went on to become Curator and
then Associate Professor at the Moore Laboratory of Zoology at Occidental
College, Los Angeles. He left in 1980, upon being invited to join the
California Academy of Sciences. In 1987, following the death of his friend
and mentor, Dr Robert T. Orr, Luis became Curator, the position he held
until his death.

For over 20 years he worked with colleagues studying the songs and
calls of White-crowned Sparrows, documenting individual songs of various
subspecies and recording dialects of birds from different areas. It is said he
knew the languages of songbirds from Alaska to Costa Rica and was a friend
to just about every winged creature - some 178 species - in Golden Gate
Park. On many occasions he was able to call to the birds and attract them
onto his hands, and when he arrived home would give a brief whistle
whereupon, from out of the bushes, a flock of wild quail would come out
into the open to greet him.

Luis was profoundly interested in conservation and for the past 10 years
had worked with Mexican biologists to save Grayson’s Dove, which had
disappeared from Socorro Island following the introduction of feral cats.
He was devoted to a project to breed captive Grayson’s Doves for release
back onto the island- once the predators were removed and the island was
restored to its natural state.

Altogether Luis was the author and co-author of over 100 papers on
avian systematics, bioacoustics, song dialects and song learning. Only

142

OBITUARY

recently he was working on an unfinished paper with Jack Clinton Eitniear,
of Texas, on tropical pigeon vocalizations. He was also one of the few
scientists who actively worked alongside aviculturists1, forever ready to
oblige by giving talks, advice or by providing articles for publication at
short notice. When I was Editor of The Estrildian, in spite of his pressing
commitments and without any prompting from me, he graciously provided
the two best articles ever published in the magazine: Timor/Australian Zebra
Finches , in 1993; and A Guide to the Study of Estrildids, in 1995. He was
prepared to stop whatever he was doing to answer my telephone calls and
was always incredibly jovial and tremendously helpful.

Among his other many accolades, Luis was regarded by many as the
foremost authority on waxbills, for he knew almost everything there is to
know about them, down to the finest detail. Not a movement, not a call, not
the slightest nuance passed him by.

Patrick Kociolek, Executive Director of the California Academy of
Sciences, said: ‘Luis was a brilliant scientist who made contributions that
are fundamental to our understanding of bird communication and
vocalization. He was a kind and affable person who was loved and respected
by all of the staff at the academy.’ To this we could well add: ‘and everyone
else whose life he touched.’

Ornithology and aviculture have lost an irreplaceable friend.

Dr Luis Felipe Baptista is survived by his daughter Laura; his partner,
Helen Horblit; his mother and two brothers. A memorial service was held
in San Francisco on June 24th.

Ian Hinze

1 In the Avicultural Magazine 100, 4:183-188 (1994), he wrote about
Aviculture s Contributions to Science and Conservation. Dr Baptista also
wrote in the magazine On Courtship Displays and the Taxonomic Position
of the Grey-headed Silverbill (79,5:149-154); Field Observations of some
New Guinea Mannikins Lonchura spp. (97,2:77-87) and, with Helen M.
Horblit, on The Inheritance and Loss of the Straw Display in Estrildid
Finches (96,3:141-152).

PETER GLADSTONE

The death occurred on July 25th of Peter Gladstone. He was 71. A
lifelong waterfowl enthusiast, he devoted time and energy - much of it on a
voluntary basis - to establishing the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust’s Martin
Mere reserve at Burscough in Lancashire. He also kept waterfowl at the
family home, Hawarden Castle, North Wales and went on to establish a
private collection at Shrewsbury School while he was a biology teacher
there.

OBITUARY

143

Through family connections he came to know the late Sir Peter Scott
who was enthusiastic about the Martin Mere project. Initially he worked on
a voluntary basis to get things up and running and was subsequently appointed
its first Curator (1972-1977). Said Pat Wisniewski, Martin Mere’s present
Manager: ‘He was responsible for laying out the original footprint of the
grounds and it is a fitting tribute to his foresight and ability that it is, by and
large, the same footprint that exists today’.

Peter worked tirelessly to raise not only the vital funds which helped
establish the Lancashire centre but also his own salary! His enthusiasm and
knowledge played a key part in Martin Mere’s early success and he also had
the invaluable ability to be able to beg and borrow from all and sundry. He
established and maintained a good rapport with the local farming community
at a time when the idea of transforming farmland to wetland was regarded
as distinctly eccentric.

Some years ago he visited the Falkland Islands to study Ruddy-headed
and Magellan Geese. More recently, in 1998, his enthusiasm undiminished,
he led an expedition to Tibet on an unsuccessful search for the Pink-headed
Duck (see News & Views, Vol. 104, No. 1, p. 41).

Frank Woolham

PHILLIP GLASIER

Phillip Glasier has died aged 84. A leading expert on falconry and
hawking, he founded the Falconry Centre, now the National Bird of Prey
Centre, at Newent, Gloucestershire. Housing the largest collection of birds
of prey in the world, it is run now by his daugther Jemima Parry-Jones.

JACK BARLASS

Ken Dolton writes: ‘Due to the sad loss of Mr Jack Barlass we have lost
our longest member, who had been in the Society since 1934. The member
who has now been in the Society for the longest time is Professor Bob Hodges
who joined in 1947. This information I obtained from the Avicultural
Magazine, Vol. 73, Jan/Feb 1967, at which time there were 1,068 members’.

KEN LAWRENCE

As- this magazine goes to press, it is learnt of the sudden death of the
Society’s Chairman Ken Lawrence on November 1st. A full obituary will
appear in the next issue.

144

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CONTENTS

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES

3 9088 01769 6394

Breeding the White-collared Yuhina

by P. Burden . 97

Three Months - Three Continents

by Charlie Romer . 99

How I came to keep Mousebirds

by Kara Black . 104

Breeding the Madagascar Turtle Dove Streptopelia picturata

by Philip Schofield . 107

The San Bias Jay, a Cooperative Breeder

/ by Eric Callaghan . % . Ill

Further Notes on the Drakensberg Siskin Serinus totta symonsi

by Neville Brickell and Trevor Konigkramer . 118

Hand-rearing an Asian Green Starling Aplonis panayensis

by Juan Cornejo . 122

Breeding the Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor

by Mark Rubery . 126

Book Reviews

Management of Laughing Thrushes in Captivity . 129

Parrot Action Plan . 130

The Loving Care of Pet Parrots . 133

African Parrots . 134

Snipes of the Western Palearctic . 135

News & Views . 136

Obituaries

Dr Luis Felipe Baptista . 141

Peter Gladstone . 142

Phillip Glasier . 143

Jack Barlass . 143

Published by the Avicultural Society, England.
Produced by Data Publishing Service, Cheddar.