Ql e wAVICULTUR AL 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 2001 as for 2000: 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, P.O. BOX 47, EDENBRIDGE, KENT TN8 7WP, 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 107 - No. 3 All rights reserved ISSN 0005 2256 2001 NOTES FROM COBHAM by R. C. J. Sawyer In 19971 wrote an article titled Twenty-five years at Cobham (Avicultural Magazine Vol. 103, No.2, pp.49-66). These notes follow on from there up until about March 1999. At which time there were no new aviaries to report on and the plant-life here remained largely unchanged, except that the vegetation in some aviaries had been severely pruned back to make it easier to see the birds and to prevent the interiors of some of the aviaries becoming too jungle-like. Red-billed Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax were bred during 1998. I have kept choughs at different times and had acquired this pair some years earlier. The two had been surgically sexed but after they nested during their first year here and laid eight eggs all of which were clear, I had them re- sexed and both proved to be females. Subsequently, one, a 1984-bred female, was exchanged for a three or four year old male. The new pair was housed in what I term the secluded aviary, where there is an old potting shed. It is built of stone and it was inside this shed that the pair nested. I put up a wire- mesh platform to which some twigs were added and very quickly a nest was constructed. Four eggs were laid from which two or three young hatched but only one was raised successfully. The others disappeared, perhaps having been eaten by their parents. Choughs are very highly strung birds. Later I obtained three more pairs, which I housed in the garden aviary. I wondered if they would breed in a group. The choughs are fed mealworms, insectivorous food and minced (ground) meat. They are of course long- lived birds which can exceed 20 years of age. Hoopoes Upupa epops, if they want to, can be very free breeding. It was a good year for them in 1998, with six young being reared, after which the female promptly died. Speaking with other aviculturists, they too seem to encounter this problem. You have one or two years perhaps when they successfully rear numerous young, then one of the pair dies and no further breeding occurs. When the six young were sexed, most proved to be males. Fortunately, I was able to swap one with Leeds Castle aviaries in order to introduce new blood and 98 SAWYER - NOTES FROM COBHAM form a new pair which was soon sitting on eggs. Hoopoes are of course highly insectivorous, almost too much so. I just wish they would take a wider variety of the foods offered to them. Bartlett’s or Mindanao Bleeding Hearts Gallicolumba criniger were also very prolific in 1998. All three pairs nested successfully. Remember that this dove lays only one egg per clutch. It is important that pairs settle down for if they remain flighty successful reproduction is very difficult. Red-billed Oxpeckers Buphagus erythrorhynchus were added to the Cobham collection in 1997. The pair was in a very rough condition on arrival here. They were housed first in one of the six indoor heated aviaries and were later released into the large original aviary, and it was only when the nest-box they were roosting in was taken down that a young oxpecker was found dead in the bottom. The box was being put inside for the winter and the oxpeckers were being brought inside because they dislike cold weather. Prior to the box being taken down I had no idea that they had nested. A young bird had been found on the aviary floor and I could not think what it was at the time, but realise now that it was a young oxpecker. In 1998 I acquired four more Red-billed Oxpeckers which later went to Birdworld. The original pair nested again in 1998 but were again unsuccessful. I wonder now if the minced liver was perhaps too bloody for them. Green Wood Hoopoes Phoeniculus purpureus successfully raised a single youngster in 1998. My Wattled Jananas Jacana jacana though were unsuccessful and the old female has died now. The Superb Starlings Lamprotornis superbus proved to be very prolific but they were very aggressive towards my lutino Princess of Wales Parrakeets Polytelis alexandrae. Red-tailed Laughing Thrushes Garrulax milnei reared a single youngster and the Island Thrushes Turdus poliocephalus reared two more young, a male and a female. The Azure-winged Magpies Cyanopica cyana proved to be two females. I was successful in breeding a single Red-crested Touraco Tauraco erythrolophus but my Knysna Touracos T. corythaix let their young die and the Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber lost a chick. The Roulroul Partridges Rollulus roulroul produced lots of young. They breed best indoors in heated accommodation but do look lovely in the landscaped outdoor aviaries. Splendid Sunbirds Nectarinia coccinigastra nested in the tropical house but I suspect that the youngster may have been taken by the Spangled Cotinga Cotinga cayana. Beautiful Ptilinopus pulchellus and Black-naped Fruit Doves P. melanospila both bred successfully. A pair of Scarlet Tanagers Ramphocelus bresilius, acquired from a dealer, bred in one of the three aviaries behind the Koi pond. A single youngster was raised in a small basket. The parents were provided with livefood and fruit, etc. No problems arose between the SAWYER - NOTES FROM COBHAM 99 tanagers and the other occupants of the aviary, which were a breeding pair of Bartlett’s or Mindanao Bleeding Hearts and a colony of mutation Gouldian Finches Erythrura gouldiae. In the next aviary the Black-cheeked Woodpeckers Melanerpes pucherani raised four more young in 1998. Members may not believe it but two 1997 birds housed in the large original aviary were killed by a pair of Stella’s Lorikeets Charmosyna papou. My Eclectus Parrots Eclectus rnratus proved to be very prolific. Some of the young were parent-reared and some were hand-reared by Sheila Becker. Philippine Hanging Parrots Loriculus philippensis had a single chick and the pair of melanistic Stella’s Lorikeets successfully raised a single chick in the lakeside aviary. Before finishing I must tell you about my waders. Two pairs of Black¬ necked Stilts Himantopus mexicanus raised nests of three young each and my three pairs of Avocets Recurvirostra avocettta had three nests. The adult breeding pair of Masked Plovers Vanellus miles and a 1997 pair both nested successfully. So that at that time the collection contained 10 Masked Plovers. They seem very tough and easy to keep and breed. NEW HON. SECRETARY/TREASURER Lee Gardiner, P.O. Box 47, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7WP , England, is the new Hon. Secretary/Treasurer of the Avicultural Society. He takes over from Geofrey Greed, who has retired. Geoffrey has also retired as Director of Bristol Zoo Gardens, and the society will no longer be based there. The new Director is Jo Gipps, who was Director of London Zoo. 100 PATHOLOGY AND DISEASES OF TOURACOS by J. Waine The dictionary defines pathology as ‘the branch of veterinary science examining the essential nature of disease especially on the changes in body tissues and organs which cause or are caused by disease’. Essentially this means dealing with dead material - dead bodies, dead tissues, dead organs. Such material may be presented in the form of samples taken from a live bird (for example biopsy of tissue, swabs for bacterial or viral culture or even just smears from a crop to examine under the microscope), or post mortem examination of a dead bird with samples taken for further tests as necessary. It could be argued that the examination of dead birds is not a lot of use to the aviculturist, but these techniques are our most useful aid to achieving a diagnosis as well as improving our understanding of disease and allowing us to advise the birdkeeper about the best ways of avoiding or controlling the spread of disease. My interest in pathology is fuelled by the fact that our knowledge of avian diseases is pathetically small and that we have hardly started scratching the surface of this subject. The vast majority of research has been aimed at the intensive poultry and game bird producing industries with most of the remaining work being done on parrot and raptor diseases. Problems associated with softbills have hardly been examined and even fairly casual observation can add to our limited understanding in this area. The touracos are a group of 23 or so species (the exact number depending on which taxonomic authority you use) in six genera belonging to the family Musophagidae. Most taxonomists include this family with the cuckoos in the order Cuculiformes, principally by reason of the similar arrangement of their toes. Even this, somewhat tenuous link, does not strictly hold true as the touracos have a medial digit which can be moved sideways. In many respects, for example their muscles, feather tracts and skull anatomy, the touracos appear distinct and I believe that they should be in an order of their own. Another feature unique to this group of birds is the presence of copper bearing pigments - turacin and turacoverdin - in the feathers. One or both of these pigments can be found in the feathers of almost all of the species of touraco. The touracos constitute a very individual group of birds with special disease patterns and pathology. As part of my work and interest in these birds I have on database the details of 80 autopsies that I have carried out on birds of this family - a figure that begins to have some statistical value. The results indicate several diseases of importance: WAINE -TOURACOS 101 Yersiniosis or pseudotuberculosis On my database 20% of all birds examined had died as a result of yersiniosis or pseudotuberculosis. It is caused by a bacterium called Yersinia (or Pasteurella ) pseudotuberculosis. It causes a very rapid and usually fatal inflammation of the liver (known technically as a peracute hepatitis). Contamination of food or water by the infected droppings from rodents and wild birds, as well as possible carriers within a collection, is the principal cause of its spread. Touracos (together with hornbills, toucans and barbets) are highly susceptible to this disease, often dying without showing any, or only few, signs of illness. The post mortem picture is fairly typical with a grossly swollen liver studded with small, white or off-white spots. Often the spleen is similarly affected and usually the carcass is in good physical condition. Treatment is based primarily on speed of action. If a bird in the collection appears vaguely off-colour, I advocate immediate use of appropriate antibiotics rather than waiting to see whether or not there is a genuine problem. Wait, and the next stage could be a dead bird. The best antibiotic to use is a matter for discussion with your own veterinary surgeon. I advocate the use of a drug called Synulox administered by crop tube twice daily for a minimum of seven days. The distress caused by catching a bird and treating it 14 times is often cited as a reason for waiting to treat but, in my opinion, there is a definite risk of fatality if this approach is adopted. This view may well be controversial, as good medical practice demands a diagnosis before applying treatment - a philosophy with which I am in complete agreement most of the time. However, in this case, experience has shown time and again that speed of treatment is essential. Prevention of yersiniosis relies on food and water hygiene. Store food in sealed, rodent-proof containers. Perform regular and frequent rodent control measures: always assume you have a rodent problem, never believe you are free of mice. Do not place food and water bowls under netted roofing, where wild birds can sit and defecate through the netting. Iron storage disease This is a metabolic problem wherein iron is stored in the liver and eventually reaches poisonous levels that cause damage to the liver cells. This disease has been traditionally associated with Ramphastids but there is increasing evidence that it also affects touracos and barbets. A veterinary student at Bristol University has undertaken a scientific study of this disease, in toucans originally, but later broadened the scope to include touracos. Affected birds usually suffer acute death showing no clinical signs. At post mortem the birds are in good physical condition and the liver appears normal. Diagnosis is based on histopathology of the liver (looking at stained tissue 102 WAINE -TOURACOS samples under the microscope) and on liver iron assays. There is no specific treatment and the best means of prevention is to feed susceptible species diets low in iron. Recently I visited The Gambia and while there had the opportunity to study Buffon’s Touracos Tauraco persa buffoni and Violet Touracos Musophaga violacea. In the wild their diets consist mainly of greenstuffs (leaves from various unidentified trees), buds of fig trees and the fig fruits. When we examined the fig fruits, we found that they often contained many small insects suggesting that the birds take livefood as a regular part of their diet. I believe that we should be looking critically at their diet in the wild, in particular at the species of plants they eat as one or more may have iron-chelating chemicals that reduce iron levels. Other areas of research into this disease are suggested by the fact that birds susceptible to iron storage disease are also susceptible to yersiniosis. Is there a link? In particular, does damage to the liver cells by excess iron storage make birds more likely to succumb to yersiniosis infection? Also, could there be a link in touracos between copper and iron metabolism? This group of birds is very efficient at extracting and using copper for feather pigmentation (it has been estimated that 20mg of copper are required for the plumage and a bird would therefore have to eat about 20kg of fruit to get the necessary amount). As iron is fairly closely related to copper in the periodic table of elements, could this mean that iron extraction is similarly efficient? Indeed, this one disease serves to illustrate how we have many more questions than answers. Aspergillosis Another disease commonly encountered is aspergillosis, a fungal infection commonly affecting the windpipe (trachea), voice box (syrinx), lungs and/or air sacs. It is usually a secondary infection, i.e. it occurs after the bird’s immune system has been compromised either by stress, chronic disease or drugs. The spores of the fungus are found almost everywhere but extreme contamination will increase the risk of infection. Such contamination can occur with mouldy food, the use of hay or straw bedding in poorly ventilated areas or mould accumulating in the aviary itself. Sensible hygiene precautions will reduce the risk. Also beware of it in carrying boxes: if these are allowed to get damp and soiled with droppings they can encourage the growth of mould. You then put a stressed bird into the box and stress it further by transporting it to strange surroundings. This encourages open mouth breathing which increases the risk of taking in infection even more. The symptoms of the disease are very variable and range from an apparent healthy bird suffering acute respiratory distress and sudden death (caused by a fungal growth in the syrinx) to a slowly developing disease causing WAINE -TOURACOS 103 gradual deterioration of body condition with, or without, breathing problems (caused by air sac infection). Signs at autopsy are quite unmistakable with fungal growths, sometimes very large, in the windpipe, voice box, lungs or air sacs. Other, assorted, diagnoses on my database include: arteriosclerosis a metabolic disease causing thickening of the walls of the arteries. There is just one case but worthy of mention because it was so unexpected as touracos’ diets are so low in fats. There are also single cases of a carcinoma and valvular endocarditis (the latter an infection of the heart valves causing damage to the valves and leading to congestive cardiac failure). Metabolic bone disease (a failure of bones to mineralise properly especially during growth) is recorded commonly in young birds. In such cases the diet should be examined carefully and either adjusted or supplemented with calcium and vitamin D. Aggression injuries are a fairly common cause of death in mixed aviaries although the injuries are often inflicted by the bird’s own mate. Such incidents have been associated with reproductive failure or with overt sexual behaviour from one of the pair. Damage to part of the gut from foreign body ingestion is not uncommon. Such foreign material has included wire from aviary mesh, thorns, twigs and, in one case, a paper clip. Another example of the unique nature of this group of birds is its peculiar reaction to isofluorane anaesthesia. Isofluorane is a particularly safe gas anaesthetic causing little trouble with most birds, but with the touracos, if they are at all stressed prior to anaesthesia, it poses a significant risk. Such a risk is especially great for routine procedures such as sexing when birds may be caught up in batches. I would suggest always catching the birds at least 90 minutes in advance of anaesthetic and keeping them quiet in a darkened box for this period. I would like to conclude by discussing the usefulness of post mortem examination. Most aviculturists regard a dead bird as a dead loss and either put it in the waste or have it stuffed. Although I understand how owners feel on these occasions I would urge you to think again. Examining a bird after death may answer a number of questions: 1) Why did the bird die? 2) Does this suggest an underlying disease in the collection? 3) Does it indicate an underlying management problem? 4) Is this disease a zoonotic (i.e. can it be spread to people)? 5) Was the disease brought in with introduced stock? 6) What can be done to prevent further problems? I think question five needs further comment, as I believe purchaser’s quarantine to be a very important aspect of disease control in a collection. 104 WAINE -TOURACOS Irrespective of the previous history of a recent addition to a collection, each new bird should be kept isolated in quiet surroundings for at least 35 days after its arrival. This is inconvenient and time consuming but it does allow the bird a period to settle in and get over any stress it may have been subject to prior to its arrival and it gives any latent disease being carried by the bird a chance to show itself and may avoid the transmission of disease to susceptible birds in the collection. In addition to these factors, post mortem examination of birds also gives us veterinary surgeons the chance to learn more about avian disease and facilitates research into new areas of knowledge. The cost of an autopsy varies quite considerably and an autopsy can be performed on two levels: 1) Gross examination only: this does not involve laboratory tests but can often result in a suggested diagnosis and sometimes provides a complete answer. 2) Laboratory back-up: performing laboratory tests as well as a gross examination is more likely to achieve a definitive diagnosis but can become expensive depending on the number and type of tests involved. I have been conducting private research into avian pathology and anatomy, both in wild birds and exotic birds, for over 10 years. Current research topics include developing a database on touraco disease, anatomical examination of the skull and providing material for investigations into iron storage disease in touracos. In the course of this research, I perform gross examination post mortems free of charge. If anyone is interested in supplying me with material please contact me at the address below. I must emphasis that this in no way should be considered a replacement for any service offered by your own veterinary surgeon and I am interested only in looking at cases which would not normally be autopsied. The above is a synopsis of the talk given by the author at the Annual General Meeting of the International Touraco Society held at the Cotswold Wildlife Park on April 2nd 2000. It is reproduced here by the kind permission of the author and Louise Peat, Editor of the International Touraco Society Newsletter, in which it appeared first. J. Waines address is:- 97Mount Pleasant, Redditch, Worcs. B974JD, UK. Tel:01527 550111/E-mail:waine@attglobal.net 105 LAST OF THE GREAT COLLECTORS by Malcolm Ellis When Ken Dolton wrote saying that with the death of Jack Barlass who joined the society in 1934, we had lost the person who had been a member for the longest time {Avicultural Magazine Vol. 106, No.3, p. 143), it set me wondering. I could recall having seen that Fred Shaw Mayer had joined the society in 1922 and was an honorary life member, and thought that sometime in the past five years or so I had seen an address for him at what looked to be a retirement home in Queensland, Australia. Not having seen an obituary, I wrote to Cliff Frith, co-author of Birds of Paradise (Oxford University Press, 1998), in Queensland, and asked whether he knew if Fred Shaw Mayer was still alive? It transpired that he had died and Cliff had been among those who had helped in the preparation of a four- page obituary by W.S. Peckover and G. G. George, published in Emu (1992), a photocopy of which he sent me. Perhaps as a result of upheavals in the Avicultural Society following the death of Harry Hors well, no obituary or mention of the death of Fred Shaw Mayer appears to have been published at that time in the magazine. In an attempt to remedy this omission I have compiled the following notes, relying heavily on the obituary in Emu , as well as finding other sources of information. Fred Shaw Mayer MBE 1899-1989 Frederick William Shaw Mayer MBE died at Nambour, Queensland, September 1st 1989, 25 days short of his 90th birthday. Born in September 1899 and educated in Sydney, after working as a surveyor and in the building trade, he turned to collecting museum specimens for Lord Rothschild’s Tring Museum here in England and live birds for London Zoo and the private collections of Jean Delacour, Alfred Ezra, John Spedan Lewis and Herbert Whitley - four prominent members of the Avicultural Society. During the years 1928-1931 he collected extensively in the Moluccas and western New Guinea (now Irian Jaya), with most of the bird skins going to Tring Museum. The following year Lord Rothschild sold his collection of 250,000 skins to Harry Payne Whitney’s widow for the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in memory of her late husband. According to B. and R. Meams (1998), Rothschild offered his collection to the museum for US$225,000 (roughly £150,000 at the present exchange rate), but absolutely refused to part with his cassowaries and other ratites. He was particularly proud of his collection of cassowaries. As a young keeper at London Zoo, I can recall an older keeper telling me that Wilfred 106 ELLIS - FRED SHAW MAYER Frost had told him how he (Frost) had brought back young cassowaries for Lord Rothschild, which were kept at the zoo until they matured into perfect museum specimens! The Shaw Mayer obituary includes a long list of references from the literature about New Guinea covering the period 1928-1952, as a record of the localities in New Guinea where he collected during that period. It was in 1938 that he sent the British Museum (Natural History) the two central tail feathers and some other feathers obtained from a missionary, of what proved to be a hitherto undescribed bird of paradise - Astrapia mayeri - formerly called Shaw Mayer’s Bird of Paradise, but known now as the Ribbon-tailed. The subspecies of the Dwarf Cassowary Casuarius bennetti shawmayeri is another bird which helps perpetuate his name. From Walter Goodfellow’s article in the Avicultural Magazine , first published in 1934 and reproduced in Vol. 104, No. 3, pp. 106-113 (1998), we know that in 1933 Goodfellow and Shaw Mayer travelled to the New Hebrides (now called Vanutu), where they collected live Royal Parrot Finches Erythrura cyaneovirens regia , which they brought to England in April 1934. In 1953 Fred Shaw Mayer took over the management of Sir Edward Hallstrom’s aviaries at Nondugl in the Wahgi Valley of Papua New Guinea. These had been established in 1948, the first manager having been Captain Neptune (Ned) Blood. Shaw Mayer was an expert at hand-rearing young birds, especially birds of paradise. He had noticed that if their young were not doing well, female birds of paradise would capture certain species of spiders to feed to them. He assumed these had a medicinal effect and sought the same species to feed to birds he was rearing, should they be off-colour. Apparently he made extensive use of natural foods and included the dried pupae of tree-nesting ants in the bird of paradise food mixture fed to the birds each day. A male Paradisaea raggiana salvadorii hand-reared by him at Nondugl in 1959 and later housed at the Baiyer River Sanctuary, was still in prime condition 25 years later and there is no knowing how long it would have lived had it not been killed by a python. Peter Scott (yet to be knighted) visited Nondugl in December 1956, and described the visit in his diary, extracts of which were published in Animals Magazine (1964). He, his wife and a TV cameraman were greeted by Fred Shaw Mayer, who Scott described as: ‘tall, quiet, a scientific collector and ornithologist, in his late 60s, burned dark by the sun, slow of speech, courteous of manner’. The collection consisted of about 200 birds of paradise, some bowerbirds, parrots, three cassowaries, 20 Salvadori’s Ducks Salvadorina waigiuensis and 12 or more tree kangaroos. The ducks were more striking in appearance than Scott had expected, with the barring on the back and flanks, less precise and neat than he had shown it in The Waterfowl of the World (Country Life, ELLIS - FRED SHAW MAYER 107 1954-1964). Shaw Mayer thought tadpoles form the basis of their diet in the wild and fed them these most of the year, except in the wet season when they are difficult to get, when he augmented their diet with meat and, sometimes, tripe. They had bred there twice, rearing three and two young from two clutches of three eggs each. During the four days that Scott’s party spent searching the rivers, they saw Grey Teal Anas gibberifrons, a male P. r. salvadorii, though not in full colour, Black-headed Shrikes Lanius schach stressemanni , Black-shouldered Kites Elanus caeruleus wahgiensis, Mountain Red-headed Honeyeaters Myzomela adolphinae in bushes beside a path, and 15ft (4.5m) high reeds full of ‘Wahgi Munias’ or New Britain Mannikins Lonchura spectabilis wahgiensis, but failed to see any wild Salvadori’s Ducks. Jean Delacour visited Nondugl in November 1962 and wrote about his visit in the Avicultural Magazine (1963). He was welcomed by Fred Shaw Mayer who had, he wrote, laid out the grounds with great skill and taste, to include large ponds, beautiful trees, shrubs and orchids. Within this setting were nearly 100 aviaries, most of which were thickly planted, except for a few housing parrots and birds of paradise particularly destructive to vegetation, and each had a large shelter at the back. Housed in them were about 160 birds of paradise of 12 species: Raggiana, Lesser P. minorfinschi, Blue P. rudolphi , Ribbon-tailed, Princess Stephanie’s A. stephaniae. Brown Sicklebill Epimachus meyeri, Queen Carola’s Parotia Parotia carolae, Loria’s Loria loriae, Wattled-billed Loboparadisea sericea. King Cicinnurus regius. Magnificent Diphyllodes magnificus hunsteini and King of Saxony Pteridophora alberti. Four species had nested successfully, the Blue, Lesser, Ribbon-tailed and Princess Stephanie’s, the last two having also produced hybrids. To this list was added P. r. salvadorii. Three plumeless males and several females were living in a large aviary in which there was a nest, and although Shaw Mayer doubted non-adult males could breed, when he and Delacour looked into the nest it contained newly hatched chicks. Delacour noted that the climate at Nondugl is temperate and at night the temperature can drop to 40°F (4.4°C), therefore the birds living in these high valleys must be fairly hardy. It is warm during the day, but there is little sun and much rain, with the sky often being overcast. He had never seen anything like the aviaries there and concluded that the way birds of paradise were kept in Europe and the USA was wrong. Their cages were too small, they were given too much heat and were overfed. He considered that all but the smallest species should be kept in large, outdoor aviaries, well protected from winds and with a large shelter at the back heated to 40°F - 50°F (4.4°C - 10°C) on the coldest days. In the mornings at Nondugl they were fed a mixture of mashed papaya and banana (10% of the latter), crushed dog biscuit and fresh ant eggs. This had been eaten by mid-day, 108 ELLIS - FRED SHAW MAYER when they were given plain fruit and any available berries. They received no meat and just six to 10 mealworms a day. Sir Edward Hallstrom was Chairman of the Taronga Park Trust and often sent collections, the most prized of which included birds of paradise, to overseas zoos, often in exchange for stock for Taronga Zoo in Sydney. The obituary noted that the Victoria Crowned Pigeons Goura victoria there were survivors of about 50 collected by Shaw Mayer in the Ramu Valley. Similarly, the White-bibbed Ground Doves Gallicolumba jobiensis were collected by him from Yule Island or the mainland opposite. We had some at London Zoo, which we called Jobi Island Ground Doves, and received collections of birds of paradise in 1957 and 1965. In 1966 Sir Edward decided to sell his remaining interests at Nondugl and offered part of his collection of birds of paradise to the government. The controlling trust employed Shaw Mayer to establish and manage what became the Baiyer River Sanctuary. However, his health began to fail and eventually G. G. George took over. About 1969 he moved to Lae and regularly visited the market to look for young tree kangaroos and cuscuses. One of the species he obtained there, Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus matschiei , went on to become established in US zoos. His last expedition was in early 1970, when he accompanied the American naturalist/ photographer Crawford H. Greenewalt to the Huon Peninsula. In 1972, Queen Elizabeth II honoured him with the award of the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his work in establishing the Nondugl and Baiyer River Sanctuaries and breeding birds of paradise. On his retirement to Nambour, he kept exotic finches and on moving to a retirement village, the management built him two large aviaries in which he kept finches and pheasants. He reverted to the name Fred Mayer, having throughout most of his career been known as Fred Shaw Mayer to avoid confusion with the German A. B. Meyer, who published material on New Guinea birds between 1874 and 1895, and the American Ernst Mayr, who worked in the field in New Guinea at about the same time as Shaw Mayer’s early collecting expeditions there. He was survived by his sister Miss Janet Mayer. References Delacour,J. 1963. Notes on Austral and Southern Pacific Birds. Avicultural Magazine 69,6:231- 234. Goodfellow, W. 1934 & 1998. The Royal Parrot Finch Erythrura cyaneovirens regia. Avicultural Magazine (Fourth Series) XII,7: 173-182 & 104,3:106-113. Meams, B. and R. 1998. The Bird Collectors. Academic Press, San Diego and London. Peckover, W. S. and George, G. G. 1992. Obituary: ‘Masta Pisin’ - The Bird Man of New Guinea Fred Shaw Mayer M. B. E. 1899-1989. Emu 92:250-253. Scott, P. 1964. Journey to New Guinea: The search for Salvadori’s duck - an extract from the diaries of Peter Scott. Animals 5,4:94-101. 109 THE OMEI SHAN LIOCICHLA Liocichla omeiensis by Nigel Hewston Introduction This paper briefly describes the bird, its habitat, range, status and husbandry, and summarises research and conservation to date originated through interest in this species in captivity. This species provides an example of how the interest of amateurs can lead to significant advances in knowledge, and how this might be built on to develop more formal and professional research and conservation programmes using the network of regional zoo associations. Description The Omei Shan, Omei or Mount Omei Liocichla (Omei Shan means Mt Omei) is a medium-sized (between Leiothrix and Garrulax) babbler Timaliinae, one of three species in its genus. It is largely olive green above and grey below with a pale belly, and with areas of bright yellow, orange and red on wings and tail (see photo p. 113). This species is unusual (but not unique) among babblers in its obvious sexual dichromatism which is exhibited in the wing and tail plumage. The flight feathers are mainly black with yellow leading edges in both sexes, but the bases are orange, which is brighter and more extensive in males. There are orange areas at the tips of the secondaries which are also brighter and larger in males, so that they form a patch on the folded wing, whereas in females they form a row of spots. The tail feathers are dark olive, barred black above (more strongly in males) and tipped with yellow, but males have the central four feathers tipped orange and the next four with some orange on the yellow tips. The under tail-coverts are black edged with yellow, but broadly tipped orange in males. The orange on the wings (and tail in males) is formed by hair-like (i.e. with no barbules) extensions to the feathers, on the leading edge of wing feathers and the tip of tail feathers. Males in fresh plumage can be a vivid red-orange in these areas, but the nature and location of the bright areas in wings and tail can lead to wear and fading, while the under tail-coverts retain their colour. This makes this the most reliable feature for sexing captive birds, though wing plumage might be the most useful field character. The eye is dark with a small black spot above, the bill and feet are greyish horn. Juvenile plumage is similar, but duller, with all sexual characters present on fledging. 110 HEWSTON - OMEI SHAN LIOCICHLA Voice Males have a loud, whistling song of six or more notes, falling in pitch at the end. Males sing for most of the year except when moulting. Females have a loud one- or two-note whistle usually only heard from unpaired birds or those separated from their mate. There are quieter calls and a churring call used in alarm and often before roosting. Range and Status This species is endemic to China and is known only from a few mountains, including Omei Shan and Erllang Shan, in central Sichuan (Collar, Crosby and Stattersfield, 1994). It is found in the undergrowth of primary and secondary forest between 1,000m and 2,400m (approx. 3,280ft - 5,870ft). Robson (1989) records it as often seen around scraps and garbage near the toilets at Wannian Temple at 1,020m (approx. 3,300ft) on Omei Shan. IUCN lists this species as Vulnerable because of its small, fragmented range coupled with habitat destruction, trapping and assumed consequent decline in numbers. C.R. Robson (pers. comm. 1996) considers it likely that the range is larger than presently known and that the bird’s adaptability to secondary habitats may reduce the threat from habitat loss. The appearance of this species in trade in recent years is an obvious cause for concern, though there is no firm evidence at present to suggest that trapping occurs at a threatening level. Robson has not seen evidence of trapping on visits to Omei Shan but the source of traded birds is not known and neither is the bird’s status or that of its habitat at sites other than Omei Shan. The species was placed on CITES Appendix II in 1997. Avicultural history A. Broadbent (pers. comm.) first saw this species in the UK in 1980. From the late 1980s it has appeared regularly in trade, usually in small numbers (10 birds or fewer per consignment and probably no more than 30 birds in most years, and in some years few or none). These birds have come into the UK from Belgium or Holland, and birds have presumably been traded from these to other European countries and perhaps from Europe or China to other regions. For a few months during 1998 the EC (European Community) imposed a ban on importation of birds from China because of avian influenza, though Chinese birds (not necessarily of this species) seem still to have entered the EC via Indonesia. H. Bishop (pers. comm.) found only three birds at Belgian dealers on several visits over about six months in 1998. The species’ recent CITES listing should lead to the collection of trade data. The Omei Shan Liocichla was first bred in the UK by Richard Cockerill in 1993 (Cockerill, 1993) and subsequently by Andrew Blyth in 1995 and HEWSTON - OMEI SHAN LIOCICHLA 111 the author in 1996. Breeding has continued in all three collections. No details are known of captive breeding in other countries. A census of known keepers conducted in March 1998 recorded 21 males and 20 females in 10 collections, with nine males and two females reared in 1997. Research As so little is known about this bird in the wild, observations by aviculturists have added significantly to knowledge of the species. Andrew Blyth first noted (pers. comm.) the sexual dichromatism in adults, and I was able to confirm this in juvenile birds. Breeding behaviour has only been observed in captivity, and notes on breeding and plumage have been passed to Craig Robson for a forthcoming book on babblers. A recording of song has also been passed to Craig for use in the field. Specimens have been passed to the Natural History Museum, which had no material at all for this species. There are now skins of adult and juvenile males in the collection as well as eggs, nestlings and nests. Conservation Contact was made with JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Council (UK Government conservation advisors)) early in 1997 on behalf of the Zoo Federation’s Passerine TAG with the aim of gaining CITES listing for the species. These efforts were overtaken by The Netherlands’ successful proposal for CITES II listing. This does not ban trade but should bring it under licence and lead to the collection of data on trade which may eventually be useful in assessing whether trade is threatening. Efforts have been made to encourage captive breeding by making contact with keepers and prospective keepers through the Zoo Federation, Cage & Aviary Birds and individual contacts. This has led to a number of birds being sexed and paired. Captive-bred birds have been moved to zoos in the hope that the breedings in private collections can be repeated in zoos. This process is at an early stage but, if successful, the institutional support of zoos should give the species a more secure captive future in the long term than the efforts of a few individuals. A British Isles studbook is proposed which, once established, may be expanded to an EEP studbook covering Europe. It is hoped that the profile of the species has been raised among those who might contribute to its future without stimulating further trade in wild-caught birds. Avicultural management Housing The species has bred in aviaries from about lm x 2m (approx. 3ft 3in x 6ft 6in) upwards, and in the company of birds ranging in size from yuhinas Yuhina spp. and fulvettas Alcippe spp. to turacos Musophagidae and Wonga 112 HEWSTON - OMEI SHAN LIOCICHLA Pigeons Leucosarcia melanoleuca. Pairs are highly territorial towards conspecifics and should not be housed more than one pair per aviary, but aggression towards other species is rare. These birds can be egg predators, certainly of Painted Quail Excalfactoria chinensis and possible of Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea (A. Blyth pers. comm.), but birds in my aviaries have ignored eggs of turacos and hill partridge Arborophila spp., and other passerines of a similar size have been able to nest successfully. There have been instances of aggression by males towards females, but this is rare and pairs can generally be housed together all year round. The birds are hardy in the UK and while they may use an enclosed shelter if available, will winter outdoors successfully if provided with sheltered roosting sites such as evergreen trees or bushes. Feeding These birds thrive on diets normally provided for omnivorous softbills and will take foods such as universal food, soaked mynah pellets, diced fruit, soaked sultanas and sweetcom. Livefood such as mealworms is given daily, but not in quantity except when feeding chicks. Breeding The breeding season in the UK is usually from April - July, though birds may nest as early as February (R. Cockerill pers. comm.) and as late as September (H. Bishop pers. comm.). The nest is a deep cup built mainly by the female, though males often display to females while carrying nesting material and invite females to inspect prospective nest sites. The birds readily build nests in conifers, evergreen bushes and bamboo, and have accepted wire or wicker baskets placed in trees or bushes. Materials used include coconut fibre, grass, bamboo leaves and moss, the last in small quantities only. Hair seems to be ignored. Nests may be built almost entirely of coconut fibre in twiggy bushes, but in bamboo dry grass is usually necessary to anchor the base of the nest before it can be completed using fibre. Cockerill (1993) and I have both experienced coconut fibre nests which have been built in conifers and then fallen out complete, leading to the loss of eggs. Nests in my aviaries have been built at heights from 0.5m to 1.2m (approx. 1ft 8in - 4ft), but a pair at Chester Zoo built a nest at about 2.5m (almost 5ft). Successful nests have been built in Lonicera nitida, Spiraea bumalda, Asparagus, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana and bamboo (unknown sp.). Bamboo may be a particularly attractive site, as one pair in an aviary with a L. nitida bush and bamboo used the bush successfully the first year while the bamboo was very small, struggled to build in the bamboo the following year but also nested in the bush and were eventually successful in both, and the third year ignored the bush completely as the bamboo was HEWSTON - OMEI SHAN LIOCICHLA 113 Roger Wilkinson Omei Shan Liocichla at Chester Zoo now large enough to provide good nest sites. They have also transferred their roosting site from the bush to the bamboo. Nests are not re-used, though subsequent nests may be built very close to previous sites. Clutch size is two to four (two clutches of two, nine of three, three of four eggs) and both sexes incubate for about 14 days. Chicks seem to be fed entirely on invertebrates at least until fledging at 13-14 days. Waxmoth Galleria mellonella larvae are a favourite food, and Brown Crickets Acheta domestica are also accepted, as are mealworms Tenebrio molitor. These are fed as mini mealworms (15mm-18mm) for up to a week after hatching, then as regular mealworms (25mm-30mm). In both cases white, soft-skinned mealworms are selected whenever possible. Livefood is provided at least four, and if possible six or more times daily once chicks have hatched. Young have been reared on just waxworms and mini mealworms for the first few days, followed by regular mealworms only. Wild invertebrates caught in the aviaries must also contribute to the diet of the chicks. Wild invertebrates are also collected and released into tanks or buckets in the aviaries, particularly grasshoppers, mainly Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus , also Common Field Grasshopper C. brunneus. These are often plentiful when second broods are being reared in July and 114 HEWSTON - OMEI SHAN LIOCICHLA August, and appear to produce more brightly-coloured fledglings than commercial livefoods. Chicks are fed by both parents at the nest and after fledging. One brood which was observed frequently was fed regularly to 42 days old, and one bird was fed at 52 days. First-round young have not been observed helping with incubation or feeding of subsequent broods, in fact they tend to hijack parents en route to second nests with choice food items, and are often fed in this situation. Young birds are tolerated by their parents until around the end of the year, though it is safer to remove them at the latest when the adult males start to sing again in October-November following the moult. Mortality There are few data available. Post mortem findings for the few deaths investigated indicate trauma, Yersinia (A. Blyth pers. comm.), or are inconclusive, but mortality in adult birds is generally low. Future Objectives It is hoped to develop a studbook and captive breeding programme, initially in the British Isles. If successful this could be extended to Europe and possibly to China or elsewhere as appropriate. There is considerable potential to develop research on captive birds if the species becomes established in zoos. Song and ethology would be good subjects for student projects, and the other liocichlas, the Red-faced L. phoenicia and Steere’s L. steerii, are both breeding in British aviaries at present so comparative studies might be possible. The appearance of this species in captivity has provided a window of opportunity which I hope will be exploited. References Cockerill, R. 1993. Breeding Omei Shan Liocichla. Beak and Claw 89:8-10. Collar, N.J., Crosby, M J. and Stattersfield, A.J. 1994. Birds to Watch 2. BirdLife International, Cambridge. Robson, C. 1989. Birdwatching areas: Omei Shan, Sichuan, China. Bull. Oriental Bird Club 9:16-21. The above paper was published first in Proceedings of the Passerine & Pigeon Symposium (held 19th-20th May 1998, at Bristol Zoo Gardens) and is reproduced here by kind permission ofABWAK (Association of British Wild Animal Keepers). Copies of the Proceedings, price £4 including p & p, are available from:-Rick Green, ABWAK, 4 Llys Close, Oswestry SY11 2UZ, UK. E-mailjrkgreen@talk21.com THE MOULTING CYCLE OF THE AFRICAN JA^ANA Actophilornis africanus IN AVICULTURE by Greg Bockheim 115 The African Ja£ana inhabits lakes and marshes throughout sub-Saharan Africa from sea level up to 2,500m (approx. 8,200ft) (del Hoyo, 1998). It is described as common throughout much of its range, with birds dispersing widely to take advantage of flooded land and, once this becomes dry again, moving onto wetter areas. It is one of the few bird species which is polyandrous, females copulating and laying eggs with several males in a single season. Under certain conditions in the wild pairs remain monogamous (as they do in captivity because they are most often housed in pairs). The coloration of the male and female African Jagana is identical. There is a great difference in their body sizes though, with the males being nearly half the weight of the females; proportionally the birds appear the same. However, upon closer inspection it is clear that the male’s feet and toes are as large as those of the female, even though its body is so much smaller. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom (DAK) adult female weights have fluctuated from 216g-250g and adult males from 120g-136g. Having large feet but being of smaller size and weight than the female has for the male ja^ana pros and cons. The male’s large, weight-displacing feet and smaller size afford him, as well as the chicks in his care, the opportunity to escape from land-dwelling predators by subsisting on floating vegetation farther from the shore. The larger size of the female jagana allows her to dominate the male, it also makes it physiologically possible for her to lay numerous eggs in numerous clutches for several males. Eggs are laid one per day during the breeding season and the female may lay clutches for one to 10 males (Tarboton, 1998). The African Ja^ana moult is synchronous, meaning the flight and tail feathers are shed at the same time, rendering the bird incapable of flight. At first appearance this method of moulting may seem an ineffective strategy for survival in the wild and, if unknown to the bird’s keeper, it can come as a surprise to discover handfuls of feathers in the bird’s exhibit. In its natural habitat the ja^ana moult may coincide with environmental conditions that favour its flightless condition, the bird’s secretive behaviour also affords it protection when in close proximity to water and water plants. Our experience with the j ananas at DAK revealed that when the moulting process begins the birds initially become secretive. Within a few days however they overcome this secretiveness, and exhibit what we consider to be normal behaviour. Two or three days prior to moulting their flight feathers many of the jaganas become less attentive towards the staff and remain hidden 116 BOCKHEIM - AFRICAN JA£ANA Greg Bockheim After about 18 days even when live insects are being distributed; and during the 48 hours in which the feathers are moulted the birds can often be observed hiding amongst the vegetation in or surrounding the water. Soon after these feathers are moulted, the birds resume their normal foraging behaviour. During the moulting cycle, when they are flightless, the African Jaganas BOCKHEIM - AFRICAN JA£ANA 117 Greg Bockheim After nearly 20 days the process is almost complete at DAK can be described as perceiving danger yet often choosing to roost in ‘visitor busy’ and predator accessible areas. They often spend the night standing on the ground on the visitor (or guest) bridge, making it relatively easy for DAK staff to capture them and physically examine them and record their weights. One would expect a bird that has temporarily lost its main mode of making a speedy retreat to be more secretive and seek refuge in one of the many other areas of water, away from danger. Moulting Body contour feathers are replaced throughout the year in a manner similar to that of most other birds - at a rate in which no obvious or recognisable physical affect is demonstrated by the birds. By the time the jaganas have moulted and regrown their flight and tail feathers their overall appearance is that of robust and sleek birds. The jaganas at DAK are quite uniform in the rate and order in which 118 BOCKHEIM - AFRICAN JA£ANA they moult their primary, secondary and tail feathers. The most conspicuous moulting of these feathers occurs over the course of 72 hours, and with some birds, less than 48 hours. One of the earliest signs of the onset of the moult is the slightly dishevelled and fluffed appearance of the secondary flight feathers and body contour feathers. In these instances the secondaries have been observed hanging vertically to the ground while the primaries are still held intact. Within the next 24 hours the secondaries fall out in clusters followed within hours by the primaries. Small groups of these feathers will be seen floating on the aviary pool or scattered throughout the bird’s habitat. Upon close examination of the birds, open feather follicles can be seen very clearly. The jaganas’ tail feathers, which can be difficult to see, moult out at the same time as the flight feathers or within the following 24 hours. The result is a very stumpy looking bird moving about on its long legs and toes. The primary wing-coverts are soon moulted, exposing the underwing-coverts, which are dropped later in the moult cycle. The area of the metacarpus, or wrist joint just above the manus, may show marked feather loss, giving the impression that the bird has worn the feathers from this area. New pin¬ feather growth is recorded to erupt from the follicles within three days. During the synchronous moulting stage adult ja£anas at DAK have shown weight increases of 10g-25g. This slight increase in weight may be due to the increased mass of heavy fluid-filled growing pin-feathers. Because they are flightless during the moult, adult jaganas will swim when necessary in order to reach other land areas or to escape danger. The birds quickly move through the water paddling with their large feet in the manner in which ducks swim. They are rarely observed to swim in this manner outside of the moulting cycle. When the flight feathers are partially grown the birds have been observed to flap their wings and run across the surface of the water rather than swim. The replacement of the flight and tail feathers, from the time the old feathers are seen to drop until the new feather shafts have opened completely, occurs over the course of 10-15 days, with the bird fully capable of flight by day 20. Stress during the moult may slow the growth of the new feathers. The varying types of stress that may affect feather growth include changes in temperature and photoperiod, dietary deficiencies and interference from other animals or humans. Once the stresses have been removed or relieved the birds resume the proper rate of feather growth. Juvenile moult The juvenile jaganas at DAK have been recorded entering their first synchronous moult - moulting their flight and tail feathers - at eight months of age. Prior to this moult, their body contour feathers are replaced gradually, when the juveniles are three to six months of age. The feathers of the head BOCKHEIM - AFRICAN JA£ANA 119 and neck are not replaced completely until after the birds complete their synchronous moult, which occurs from the age of nine to 12 months. By the time they have reached 12-14 months of age, aside from the blue of the bill and frontal shield, the birds have acquired the coloration of adult jananas. The black on the crown extends from the end of the frontal shield to the base of the nape. The rich brown on the back, wing-coverts, rump and abdomen becomes deeper in colour, and the white on the chin becomes purer and extends to the upper part of the chest. An iridescent caramel coloured band, mottled with black, occurs before the start of the rich brown of the rest of the body. With many of the young birds at DAK the white on the neck has extended in a broken pattern down the chest to the vent area. It has taken up to one year for these white feathers to be replaced by the rich brown feathers of the adult plumage. The juvenile’s second moult occurs gradually after one year. The second synchronous moulting of the secondary, primary and tail feathers occurs when the birds reach about 16 months of age. It is after this second moult that they are likely to mature and appear more robust, with sleek plumage that shimmers in the sunlight. The frontal shield above the bill develops its blue-silver colour throughout the juvenile’s first year and by the time of the second moult, at 16 months, the colour reflects that of the adult. Adult moult At DAK all three wild caught African Ja£anas, one male and two females, have undergone a synchronous moult just weeks prior to the onset of the breeding season (in October and November). The breeding pair moulted again in this manner in early spring following the breeding season (March). Eggs have been laid in December, January and February. Initially, other aviary inhabitants predated the eggs and this led to the replacement clutches being removed for artificial incubation and hand-rearing, as described by Congdon and Zima (2000). Aggression The African Jagana can in most circumstances be described as a placid bird which resides by the water’s edge. However, on occasions during the rearing and maturing periods, birds at Disney’s Animal Kingdom have had to be permanently separated. We found that adult females cannot be kept together in the same aviary during the breeding season and there is a bit of a risk in trying to keep them together even outside of the breeding season. If the aviary is very large and has water features at opposite ends, two females may co-exist. Juvenile females need to be separated at the first sign of aggression, as the dominant female will cause any cage or aviary mates, including siblings, 120 BOCKHEIM - AFRICAN JA£ANA to cower. At DAK dominant females have been seen to prevent other jaganas getting access to food bowls and keeping them away when livefood is being distributed. These other ja 9 anas frequently crouch motionless amongst the bushes or in corners of the aviary, prompting human intervention to ensure their well being. At DAK we found that when female jaganas reach six months of age they often need to be separated into male/female pairs or placed in their own habitat. One of the telltale signs that ja 9 anas have been fighting is the development of what appears as dark, almost black, freckling on the bill and frontal shield. These are sites of tissue trauma caused by pecking by an adversary. Males will occasionally suffer this as a consequence of not giving their mate the amount of space she desires. The pre-copulatory behaviour of the male African Ja 9 ana explicitly reveals his respect and submissiveness toward the female. References and bibliography Carrascal, L. M„ Mozetich, I., Senar, J. C. & Domenech, J. 1998. Interactions between environmental stress, body condition, nutritional status and dominance in great tits. Auk 115,3: 727-735. Congdon, S. & Zima, B. 2000. Breeding African Jacanas Actophilornis africanus at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Avicultural Magazine 106,1: 62-73. del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds.). 1996. Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol.3. Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Fry, C. H. 1983. Brooding and a Structural Character of the African Jacana. Ostrich 54,3:175- 176. Hodgson, R. 1983. Rearing the African Jacana Actophilornis africana at the Wildfowl Trust, Slimbridge, Glos. Avicultural Magazine 89,2:67-68 Tarboton, W. R. 1992. Aspects of the Breeding Biology of the African Jacana. Ostrich 63,4:141- 157. The Moulting Cycle of the African Jacana Actophilornis africanus was written by Greg Bockheim when he was working at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Florida, and his observations were made on birds living in the collection there. Greg is now General Curator at Potawatomi Zoo, South Bend, Indiana, USA. E-mail:Ernieaves@aol.com COLLATED DATA ON THE TIMOR SPARROW Padda or Lonchura fuscata 121 by Neville Brickell The Timor Sparrow is also known as the Brown Ricebird, Brown Mannikin, Brown Padda or Timor Dusky Sparrow. It measures 13cm (5in) in length. The crown and nape are black, as are the chin and a narrow line dividing the upper and lower breast; the cheeks are white. The mantle, back, rump and upper tail-coverts are dark chocolate brown, the wing-coverts Neville Brickell Timor Sparrow are blackish chocolate and the tail is deep rich brown. The breast and underparts are white. The irides are dark brown and the orbital skin is bluish- grey. The bill is silvery-grey and the legs and feet are pale brown. The male is described as inseparable from the female, but Restall (1996) is of the opinion: ‘it seems that males are darker and glossier, the females browner on breast and mantle’. Immature birds have the crown dusky brown, the cheek patches whitish, the mantle and wings dark brown, and the belly pale whitish cinnamon. The bill is slate-grey. 122 BRICKELL - TIMOR SPARROW Field characteristics A large mannikin with white cheek patches, chocolate brown upperparts and white underparts. Its large bill is silvery-grey. Distribution and status It is restricted to East Timor, West Timor and its outlying islands of Semau and Roti, where it is widespread, but generally sparsely and patchily distributed. It is locally moderately common, but often difficult to find and appears to have declined. BirdLife International (2000) lists is as vulnerable fearing that it is likely to suffer a rapid decline in the near future, as the result of increasing exploitation for the cage bird trade and habitat loss. Targets include surveys to clarify its distribution and ecological requirements and its population size and trends, so that effective conservation measures can be implemented. There is also the need to monitor and regulate trapping and trade, and devise and enforce effective legislation. Habitat and general habits It occurs mainly in lowland areas, where it feeds on or near the ground in grassland, lightly wooded cattle pasture, scrub, overgrown gardens, deciduous or degraded monsoon forest and the edges of cultivation. It usually occurs singly or in small groups of three to five birds, occasionally in the company of other seed-eating species such as the Red Avadavat Amandava amandava and mannikins Lonchura spp. Feeding The Timor Sparrow feeds principally on the inflorescences of grasses, including those of weeds and, apparently, thistles (Clement et al. 1993; Restall, 1996). It appears that insect food plays little or no part in its diet (Burkard, 1980; Restall, 1996). Birds trapped in the field were fed solely on a diet of dry, plain paddy rice. On receiving three pairs, consisting of adults and immature birds, in a shipment from Jakata, Restall (1989) offered the new arrivals a finch mixture consisting mostly of millets, along with paddy rice and millet sprays. Also favoured were lettuce, orange slices and mealworms. Later as their diet widened, they no longer accepted the greenfood, orange or mealworms, but would still nibble at apple and pear. The ARU (Avicultural Research Unit) fed its seven pairs a similar seed diet to that described above, plus the inflorescences of Guinea Grass Panicum maximum , which its birds preferred. Some individuals would also accept chickweed, broken decorticated (dehusked) sunflower seeds, split peanuts and termite alates. BRICKELL - TIMOR SPARROW 123 Housing One pair in the UK was housed in a breeding cage about lm (3ft 3in) cubed (Restall, 1989 ). The dividing panel of a double-breeder should be removed to allow access to both sides. The ARU housed all 14 birds in a compartment cage which measured 3m long x 70cm wide x lm high (approx. 9ft 9in long x 2ft 3in wide x 3ft 3in high). Plants included potted ferns, palms and indigenous grasses. Each pair had access to two nests in the open or concealed beneath foliage. A colony may be housed in an ornamental garden aviary with, if preferred, other mannikin species as company. Avoid the Java Sparrow P. oryzivora though as I have observed bullying by this larger species when selecting nest sites. Voice In the Avicultural Magazine Restall (1989) described his first impression of the undirected call as: ‘ clik clik clik diklikliklikW. Noting that the bird performing the advertisement song, stood clear of the perch and moved slightly from side to side but did not point at any other bird in the vicinity. On another occasion, he noted that a bird stood on top of a nest-box and nearby cage and performed a full advertisement song - 'chip chip chip chipchipchipchip (gurgling, gargling, chip)'. Display The male twists his head and tail towards the female while bobbing up and down on the perch, jumping clear of the perch with each bob (Restall, 1996). Breeding A single reference exists in which it states that the nests are constructed of various fibres and grasses, and are placed in tree holes, clinks in walls and in small, dense shrubs (Restall, 1996). In captivity they have accepted lovebird nest-boxes packed with coconut fibres and half-open-fronted finch nest-boxes, and have included raffia and white cotton threads as lining (Restall, 1989). A UK report by Martin (1961) referred to them having utilized a Budgerigar nest-box, which was lined with hay, moss, bits of paper and feathers. The ARU found that of all the nesting receptacles offered, a Gouldian nest-box was their first choice. Nest linings offered were the inflorescences of Natal Red-top Rhynchelytrum repens , lucerne, wheat straw, Pampas Grass Cortaderia selloana plumes and dried, finely cut Kikuyu Grass Pennisetum clandestinum , used in lawns in South Africa. Both sexes participate in nest building. The clutch size can vary from two to nine eggs, with five being the most usual number (Restall, 1996). The ARU recorded clutches of four to six eggs, with five being the most 124 BRICKELL - TIMOR SPARROW usual number. The eggs are white and measure 18mm x 12mm. Both sexes share the incubation which Restall (1996) recorded as taking 13 days, while the ARU found that among seven pairs it varied from 12-14 days. Newly hatched nestlings are naked and pink, but after a few days become darker. Restall (1996) recorded the fledging period as 21 days, but the ARU found strong flighted young emerging after up to 26 days. In Germany, Burkard (1980) bred this species to the fourth generation. Clutch sizes varied from two to nine eggs. One pair reared 19 young in three consecutive broods. Hybrids I know of no records of captive mutations, but a hybrid male Timor x normal Java Sparrow and Timor x white Java Sparrow have been benched at local bird shows here in South Africa. References and bibliography BirdLife International. 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions in association with BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain. ARU. 1999. Feeding/Breeding Record Cards. KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Burkard, R. 1980. Von einigenseltneren Psittaciden und Prachfinken. Gefielderte Welt 1-2. Clement, P, Hams, A. & Davis, J. 1993. Finches & Sparrows - An Identification Guide. Russel Friedman Books cc, Halfway House,South Africa. Goodwin, D. 1982. Estrildidfinches of the world. British Museum (Natural History), London. Martin, A. 1961. Breeding of the Brown Mannikin. Avicultural Magazine 67,3:89-90. Restall, R. 1989. Reminscences of Rare Mannikins Part II. Avicultural Magazine 95,4:192- 209. Restall, R. 1996. Munias and Mannikins. Russel Friedman Books cc. Halfway House, South Africa. Verheigen, J. A. 1976. Some data on the avifauna of the island of Roti, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. Zool. Meded. 50:1-21. White, C. M. W. and Bruce, M. D. 1986. The Birds of Wallacea: Sulawesi, the Moluccas and Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. B.O.U Checklist No. 7. Neville Brickell, 100 Innes Road, Durban 4001, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Tel/Fax:031-3129701 (from outside of South Africa replace 031 with 27-31 )/E-mail:ainvests@global.co.za CORRECTION In notes on behaviour and ecological requirements of Rothschild’s Mynahs Leucopsar rothschildi by Walter A. Sontag Jr. in Avicultural Magazine 107,1:10-20 (2001), one number was altered in the editorial process in Graph D on page 15: R 2 = 0.7481 is correct (not 0.8532). Thus, this coefficient of determination of the linear regression analysis (for the juvenile Rothschild’s Mynahs in Group 3) was clearly lower than that in Graph A (R 2 = 0.8532 for the adult Rothschild’s Mynahs in Group 1). This in no way affected any of the conclusions of the paper. 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J pq ^ u in w u P4 P o C/3 w U z 0< w W z o Q Q F.B.F Breed. Reg. Annual Breeding Register of the Foreign Bird Federation Psittascene Newsletter of the World Parrot Trust Proc. of Owl Symp. Proceedings of U.K. Owl Symposium (B. Sayers) Columbidae Magazine of the Pigeon and Dove Society Beak and Claw Magazine of the Foreign Bird Association 136 BOOK REVIEWS POPULAR CONURES Australian Birdkeeper’s A Guide to ... series has established itself as probably the leading soft cover series of avicultural books. The books have great visual appeal with generous amounts of colour, excellent illustrations and quality glossy paper throughout. For the latest title, Popular Conures, Canadian authors Ray Dorge and Gail Sibley were chosen. Bearing in mind that this book was written mainly for the Australian market, the conures covered are restricted to those available in that country - five species of Aratinga (including the Sun), Patagonian and Queen of Bavaria’s, Nanday and five species of Pyrrhura , including the popular Green¬ cheeked and the colourful Crimson-bellied Conure. The text is divided into sections: Conure behaviour (including loudness and nippiness), Obtaining a conure, Husbandry, What’s on the menu? and Entertaining conures, followed by information about the 13 species. Australian avian vet Bob Doneley wrote the excellent chapter about diseases and Terry Martin, a specialist in mutations, the page on mutations in Australia. This 112-page book is full of good basic information gained from various keepers and breeders whose experiences are described. Occasionally there are statements which would have been better omitted, such as that of one breeder who believes that female Queen of Bavaria’s Conures pluck out their tail feathers ‘to make it easier for the cock to copulate with her.’ My main criticism is that Dorge and Sibley did not write this book from personal experience, as evidenced by such statements as: ‘We took a few wrong turns, even venturing up some blind alleys and dead ends, while researching the species discussed in this book.’ Nevertheless, this does not mean that it will not be extremely useful to conure keepers and potential pet owners, especially as with each species there is a discussion of its - pet quality. For me the highlight of this book is the 13 species illustrated by full- page colour photographs by Peter Odekerken. Their clarity, against plain blue, uncluttered backgrounds, is outstanding. A Guide to... Popular Conures is priced A$30.75 plus postage in Australia, and is available in the UK priced £13.95. Rosemary Low BOOK REVIEWS 137 WILDLIFE GUIDE TO ALASKA The Ecotravellers’ Wildlife Guide to Alaska is the sixth in this series of guides, endorsed by the Wildlife Conservation Society ( founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society), and all written or co-written by Les Beletsky. Denis Paulson is co-author of this sixth guide. The format (which is similar in each guide in the series) consists of chapters on the area in question, covering geography, habitats, the national parks and reserves, with the bulk of the guide divided into sections on insects, marine invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, birds and mammals. The detail on individual areas is fairly brief, but various internet sites are suggested as sources of further information. The chapter on environmental threats and conservation in Alaska seems fairly superficial, and might rapidly become inaccurate given the recent change in attitude to environmental issues of the US government. It is not clear if this book is trying to be a location guide, or a very basic general purpose natural history book. It appears to be aimed at readers who are new to the study of wildlife, given the reminders to remember to take binoculars, and to be careful on the slippery rocks when investigating rock pools. In each section there is a lot of information not specific or necessarily relevant to Alaska. For example, there are three pages of general text about hummingbirds, including the statement: There are only two regularly occurring species and two rare species in southern Alaska’, but it names only one of them, the Rufous Hummingbird. Despite these criticisms there are a number of good points. The habitat photos give a good impression of this enormous state, and the colour illustrations are detailed and appear accurate. In the bird section (plates 17-59 by John Sill) just over 175 species are illustrated . The Ecotravellers ’ Wildlife Guide to Alaska by Denis Paulson and Les Beletsky is published by Academic Press, Harcourt House, 32 Jamestown Road, London NW1 7BY, UK and 525B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, California 92101-4495, USA. It is priced £19.95 in the UK, US$29.95 in the USA and $44.25 in Canada. Shirley Ellis 138 NEWS & VIEWS NEWS & VIEWS SWEET SUCCESS Within weeks of being introduced into a 5,000sq ft (approx. 465sq m) glass house at The London Butterfly House, Syon Park, west London (website:www.butterflies.org.uk), a pair of Golden-winged Sunbirds Nectarinia reichenowi nested just 30cm (1ft) from the visitor walkway and fledged a single chick. It is almost certainly the first recorded breeding success with this species in Great Britain or Ireland, and may even be a world first. * * * LONG LIVED MACAW Ken Dolton, Parklands, Hallow, Worcestershire, writes: ‘On the 9th July this year my Hyacinth Macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus died, it had been poorly for about two days and did not seem to be coming through the moult satisfactorily. I purchased this bird in 1958 from a bird dealer named Jack Indge. It was already an adult when I obtained it so it could have been about 60 years old when it died. I provided it with two females and although I saw feeding I never had any eggs from them.’ * * * SPANISH QUAKERS According to comment in British Birds 94,4:208-209 (April 2001), the Monk or Quaker Parrakeet Myiopsitta monachus is now widespread throughout most of Barcelona. Seven-hundred and seventy-nine nests were counted in 1999. The increase of the Rose-ringed or Ring-necked Parrakeet Psittacula krameri has been much less spectacular, and although it is well established and breeding there, it remains localised and always occurs in small numbers only. The Mitred Conure Aratinga mitrata and the Blue- crowned Conure A. acuticaudata may also be established there. Other species recorded sporadically include the Nanday Conure Nandayus nenday. The situation regarding exotic additions to the Spanish avifauna is being studied by the GAE (Grupo de Aves Exoticas) and the results will be published and also made available via the Internet. * * * LONGEVITY OF WHITE PELICANS In Ostrich 72, 1 & 2, March 2001 (p.123), Emil K. Urban and J. S. Ash report the recapture of a (Great) White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus in a gill net at Lake Zwai, Ethiopia. The bird was ringed at Lake Shala, Ethiopia in June 1974,70-80 days after it hatched, and therefore at the time of recapture NEWS & VIEWS 139 was known to be 23 years and five, or possibly, six months old. They remark that how long pelicans live is poorly documented and not well known in Africa. They go on to record two recoveries of White Pelicans in South Africa, one aged 17 years and the other 16 years, as well as mentioning an unmarked bird which may have been at least 28 years old. In the Avicultural Magazine 73, 2: 62, John Yealland reported the death of London Zoo’s oldest inhabitant, a White Pelican. It had arrived at the zoo on May 2nd 1922 and died January 11th 1967, so was likely to have been over 45 years old. Urban and Ash conclude by mentioning an unidentified pelican, reported to have reached the age of 54 years (del Hoyo et al. 1992). Does anyone know of records of pelicans which have lived longer? * * * RECENTLY APPOINTED CURATOR The dates that the White Pelican (above) arrived and later died at London Zoo were checked by recently appointed Curator of Birds John A. Ellis. In News & Views on the opposite page of the same magazine (p.63), A. A. Prestwich referred to the oldest inhabitant having been an Australian Pelican P. conspicillatus. So as to avoid any confusion, John also checked the records of Australian Pelicans and found that four arrived on June 19th 1924. One died November 4th 1940, the casualty of an air raid. The others died October 30th 1950, February 24th 1962 and March 25th 1963. By 1966 no Australian Pelicans remained in the collection. At the time that John faxed the above information, the highlight of the year on the bird section was the successful breeding of the Seven-coloured or Superb Tanager Tangara fastuosa. John will be more than happy to write an end of the year report on what has been happening on the bird section at the zoo. In the meantime he is hoping to persuade the Bird House staff to write reports of the breeding of the Black Hombill Anthracoceros malayanus and Blue-crowned Lory Vini australis that occurred there during 2000. Hopefully, there may also be a report about the breeding of the Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon Ducula rufigaster - an earlier UK first breeding. * * * UGANDAN PROCEEDINGS What is likely to have been the first of many workshops concerned with the status and health of vultures was held in April, at Kampala, Uganda. The objective of the two-day workshop was to focus attention on the well¬ being of East African vultures and to develop protocols for monitoring their populations, in the light of the current concern about the decline of vulture populations in India (see News & Views, Vol. 106, No. 3, p. 134 (2000)). The first day there were formal lectures by biologists, veterinarians and a lawyer, as well as practical sessions. The emphasis in these sessions was 140 NEWS & VIEWS on monitoring populations, the use of minimally invasive methods of study of live birds and correct sampling procedures. On the second day the participants, most of whom work in East Africa, divided into four groups in order to formulate protocols and codes of practise for work with vultures. These have now been finalised and together with the course notes form part of the Workshop Proceedings , copies of which are available from:- Dr Christine Dranzoa, Department of Wild Life & Animal Resources Management (WARM), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Makerere University, PO. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda, or Prof. John E. Cooper and Mrs Margaret E. Cooper, Wildlife Health Services, PO. Box 153, Wellingborough, Northants NN8 2ZA, UK.E-maikNGAGI@compuserve.com * * * BIRDS AND AVOCADOS It seems to be generally agreed that both the flesh and stone of avocado pears are toxic to parrots, and therefore should not be fed to them. Is this true of all varieties of avocado and does it apply to all species of parrot, and what about other birds? As a young keeper working in the Bird House at London Zoo, I was told how the quetzals Pharomachrus sp. kept there in the 1930s were fed on avocado pears (which at that time must have been incredibly expensive and difficult to obtain). Recent studies at Monteverde, Costa Rica (where quetzal and other wildlife research and conservation projects are being funded by the British Embassy there) have revealed that the Resplendent Quetzals P. mocinno living in the cloud forest of Monteverde eat the fruits of at least 18 different species of wild avocados, and these make up about 80% of their diet. The small fruits are plucked on the wing and gulped down whole, rather like a ‘snake eats a frog’, wrote Charles Bergman in Wildlife Conservation Vol.102, No.5:42-49. The stones are regurgitated later. The fruits are also eaten by other birds, including the Three-wattled Bellbird Procnias tricarunculata. Bare-necked Umbrellabird Cephalopterus glabricollis and Black Guan Chamaepetes unicolor. * * * NEW BARRET’S HABITAT SAVED For hundreds of years the Cordillera Azul in north-central Peru remained virtually uninhabited by humans, the forests of these isolated mountains being protected by their rugged terrain and their great distance from the waterways of Amazonian commerce. Then, as John W. Fitzpatrick describes in Birdscope Summer 2001/ Vol.15, No.3, the forests began to be logged. Local and international conservation organisations acted quickly to save the Cordillera Azul, where in 1996 biologists from Louisiana State University discovered the previously unknown Scarlet-banded Barbet Capito wallacei. NEWS & VIEWS 141 Thanks to their prompt action, on May 21st 2001, the President of Peru, impressed after touring the region by helicopter, signed a decree to establish the 1,353,190 hectares (approx. 3,343,750 acres) Parque Nacional Cordillera Azul Biabo, thereby, hopefully, safeguarding the barbet and the wealth of other biological specialities of the Cordillera Azul. * * * CHANGES AT WALSRODE The Vogelpark Walsrode Bird Inventory 2000 records that last year was a difficult year. The park ran into financial difficulties and in September was taken over by a group of three companies. Falling attendances had made it obvious that considerable investment was needed to make the changes required to halt the fall in the number of visitors and add attractions for younger visitors. Immediately following the change of ownership, plans were developed to make the park more attractive and to add a public ‘baby station’, a flight show, a children’s zoo, and to consider the possibility of allowing visitors to feed some of the birds such as pelicans and penguins. Aviaries, particularly those of the parrot section, have been made into larger units to house flocks of birds rather than single pairs, the aim being to display birds in what are closer to natural communities. It is also planned to include a few small mammals and reptiles in some enclosures. Vogelpark Walsrode hopes to continue to maintain its excellent reputation within the zoo world and will continue to participate in international captive breeding programmes, maintain off-public breeding facilities and cooperate with other collections in establishing viable captive populations of rare species. Despite the difficulties, it enjoyed a better breeding season than in the previous year, rearing not only more young birds (1,083 vs 841 in 1999), but also of a greater number of species (210 vs 184 in 1999). Unfortunately, the most noteworthy breeding attempts were unsuccessful. One of two pairs of Kagu Rhynochetos jubatus laid an egg in December. The shell was damaged, but was repaired and the embryo developed to the age of four weeks, only to die just prior to hatching. A Greater Bird of Paradise Paradisaea apoda laid one egg and a Red Bird of Paradise P. rubra laid a clutch of two eggs. However, they missed the right time to introduce the females into the males’ aviaries and as a result all three eggs were infertile. Vogelpark Walsrode also has examples of the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise Seleucidis melanoleuca. King Cicinnurus regius and Lesser Bird of Paradise P. minor. Last year Walsrode’s female Bulwer’s Pheasant Lophura bulweri laid 25 eggs! However, the male is too old to breed, and all were infertile. Earlier this year a new male was acquired from Antwerp Zoo. Since 1995, Vogelpark Walsrode has kept a large group of the spectacular Montezuma Oropendola Gymnostinops montezuma. The females built numerous huge bottle-shaped nests and the males established display territories, but it was 142 NEWS & VIEWS not until last year that this species reared two chicks and another four were hand-reared after being rescued from their nests following a heavy rainstorm. After experiencing difficulties rearing young Asian Openbill Storks Anastomus oscitans, experiments were made which concentrated on the digestive enzymes added to the food of the chicks. Two chicks were reared artificially. It is the first ever captive breeding of this species. One of the pairs of African Openbills A. lamelligerus again succeeded in rearing a chick. The Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus were successful again, and reared seven chicks. Riedel’s Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus riedeli, the smallest subspecies and very rare in captivity, raised seven young and Vogelpark Walsrode now has 15 of these birds, the only examples outside of Indonesia. Two pairs of Cornelia’s Eclectus Parrot E. r. cornelia reared three young. Vogelpark Walsrode now has five pairs of Blue-headed Macaws Ara couloni. These are confiscated birds which it has on loan . In 1998 it started a cooperative programme with Tsimbazaza Zoo, Madagascar. One of the aims of this is to establish viable captive populations of endemic Madagascar birds. Last year witnessed the first success of this programme with the rearing of five Crested Couas Coua cristata (a non- parasitic cuckoo or coucal). It has received further Madagascar Crested Ibis Lophotibis cristata and Sickle-billed Vangas Falculea palliata and now has sufficient founder stock for breeding programmes for these species. Several species of passerines bred in the Nusantara Rainforest Exhibit, which was opened in 1999. Among these were the Blue-tailed or Borneo Banded Pitta Pitta gujana schwaneri, Large Wren-babbler Napothera macrodactyla and Chestnut-backed Scimitar-babbler Pomatorhinus montana. All three successfully reared young, but Sunda Blue Robins Cinclidium diana failed to raise their offspring. Other species which hatched young included Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus, Sclater’s Crowned Pigeon Goura sheepmakeri sclaterii. Whiskered Lorikeet Oreopsittacus arfaki, Blue-naped Parrot Tanygnathus lucionensis, Muller’s Parrot T. sumatranus , Desmarest’s Fig Parrot Psittaculirostris desmarestii, Salvadori’s Fig Parrot P salvadorii , Knobbed Hornbill Aceros cassidix, Red & Yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus and Guyana Aracari Selenidera culik. * * LONG LIST OF BREEDINGS Chester’s Zoo Life , Autumn 2001 - Issue 7, has on the front cover colour photos of a pair of White Storks Ciconia ciconia with three young in the nest, a Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii and a young Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosa. They are just a few of the young hatched during May, June and July at Chester Zoo. Others hatched during this period include 10 Humboldt’s Penguins Spheniscus humboldti, one Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, three White-headed Ducks Oxyura leucocephala, one Congo NEWS & VIEWS 143 Peafowl Afropavo congensis, one Vietnamese Pheasant Lophura hatinhensis, two Satyr Tragopans Tragopan satyr, one Pink Pigeon Columba mayeri, two Mount Apo Lorikeets Trichoglossus johnstoniae , three Red-tailed Amazons Amazona brasiliensis, two Yellow-collared Macaws Ara auricollis, three Tarictic Hornbills Penelopides panini , one Yellow-throated Laughing Thrush Garrulax galbanus, two Red-tailed Laughing Thrushes G. milnei, one Emerald Starling Lamprotornis iris and two Azure-winged Magpies Cyanopica cyana. * * * NATIONAL EXHIBITION Stewart Pyper writes ‘Last year’s National Exhibition of Cage and Aviary Birds was held December 2nd - 3rd at the NEC (National Exhibition Centre), Birmingham. It was dedicated to the memory of our late Chairman Ken Lawrence, who died just prior to the event. Ken and the National Exhibition went together. Over the years Ken did much to ensure its success and was returning home from working on the arrangements for last year’s exhibition at the time of his death.’ ‘Best bird in the show was a Yellow Bunting or Yellowhammer. Best foreign bird was an Abyssinian Lovebird owned by Dave Phillips from Cornwall. This came as a great surprise, for it was the first time a lovebird has won this award and perhaps only the fourth time a parrot species has been judged best foreign bird. It went on to be runner-up to the bunting as best bird in the show, pressed by the White-breasted Amazilia (hummingbird) which was the subject of the article by Ivor Grogan (of Essex Birds) in the Avicultural Magazine 106,4:157-164. Others birds to take the eye included two individual Rothschild’s Mynahs or Bali Starlings , one an adult and the other a current year bred bird. They were exhibited by Sayers and Booth. R. Beeson’s male current year bred Japanese Robin took the award for the most artistically staged exhibit. There were two examples of what I took to be Black-and-Crimson Orioles, a species I do not recollect having seen before. The crimson of one had faded.’ The society again had a stand where members could meet and exchange news and views and renew their subscriptions. Only two new members were enrolled, which was disappointing. The cost of the stand was met by a generous donation from Scott Appleton, a relatively new member, and the society is most appreciative of his help . The 2001 National Exhibition of Cage and Aviary Birds will be held December lst-2nd, once again at the NEC, and the society will again have a stand. Anyone willing to help run the stand, even if only for an hour or two, is asked to contact Stewart Pyper - Tel: 01373 836293. 144 ROB HARVEY SPECIALIST FEEDS Seed mixtures - Straights - Berries - Nuts - Dried fruits - Supplements Nectars - Eggfoods - Softbill diets - Livefoods - Frozen foods Rearing formulas - Pelleted diets - Plus much much more We supply over 50 zoos and birdparks in the UK plus hundreds of private breeders with our vast range of quality feeds and supplements imported from all over the world. Try our livefood at unbeatable prices! Mealworms lkg (2.21bs) £14.95 2kg (4.41bs) £26.95 5kg (1 libs) £41.96 10kg (221bs) £72.34 Mini Mealworms 500g(l.libs) £13.95 lkg (2.21bs) £24.95 Livefood prices include delivery www.robharvey.com Kookaburra House, Gravel Hill Road, Holt Pound, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 4LG Tel: 01420 23986 Fax: 01420 23078 E-Mail Rob@robharvey.com DONATIONS RECEIVED IN 2000 The society is most grateful to the following members for their generous support:- S. Appleton J.R. Padgett D.R. Bayliss A. Perkins Dr M.S. Bourne (deceased) P.J. Phelby R.A. Callaghan A.J. Pitman N.H.R. Dodds R.C.J. Sawyer L.J. Driver D.P. Shearing Mrs W. Duggan J.G. Thurlow K.W. Dolton J. Trollope M.E. Fidler J.K. Watson I.T. Forbes N. Kapyla A.W. Gibbard Dr H. Quinque D. Goodwin Jan Louwman A. Griffiths Ivo Lazzeroni R.L. Henshaw J.L. Pappas Prof. J.R. Hodges R. Restall J.J. Mallett Miss R. Ezra N. O’Connor * * * HELP WITH THE WEBSITE The society is seeking a member with the appropriate computer skills to help run the website. If you would like to help, we will be pleased to hear from you. * * * OMEI SHAN LIOCICHLA STUDBOOK KEEPERS Nigel Hewston is now British Isles Studbook Keeper for the Omei Shan Liocichla. He has promised a progress report in the near future for the Avicultural Magazine, and will be pleased to hear from anyone interested in this species. Tel/Fax: +44 (0)1453 826944/E-mail: nigelhewston@supanet.com. The European Studbook Keeper is: Theo Pagel, Cologne Zoo, Germany. E-mail: tpagel@zoo-koeln.de CONTENTS SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES 3 9088 01769 6436 Notes from Cobham by R. C. J. Sawyer.97 Pathology ^nd Diseases of Touracos by J. Waine ..100 Last of the Great Collectors by Malcolm Ellis.105 The Omei Shan Liocichla Liocichla omeiensis by Nigel Hewston. 109 The Moulting Cycle of the African Jagana Actophilornis africanus in Aviculture by Greg Bockheim.115 Collated Data on the Timor Sparrow Padda or Lonchura juscata by Neville Brickell.121 Additions and Corrections to UK First Breeding Records by Dave Coles.125 Book Reviews Popular Conures.136 Wildlife Guide to Alaska.137 News & Views.139 Published by the Avicultural Society, England. Produced by Data Publishing Service, Cheddar.