(o~7 I A°lST AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE VOLUME 109 No. 1 THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY The Avicultural Society was founded in 1894 for the study of British and foreign birds in the wild and in captivity. The Society is international in character, having members throughout the world. Membership subscription rates per annum for 2003 as for 2002: 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.. Enquiries regarding membership should be sent to: THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY, Stewart Pyper, 21, Primrose Hill, Nunney, Frome, Somerset BA11 4NP. Tel: 01373 836293 Subscriptions and other payments can be made direct to The Avicultural Society Account, Lloyds TSB Bank PLC, 83 High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1LG, UK. Please quote Account No. 00003950; Sort Code:30 97 49; and ensure you send your name as the account reference, or else we cannot match payments. 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. E-mail: editor@avisoc.co.uk Avicultural Magazine THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY Vol. 109 - No. 1 All rights reserved ISSN 0005 2256 2003 MANAGEMENT OF BUSTARDS IN CAPTIVITY by Tom Bailey and Sara Hallager Introduction This article presents key facts for aviculturists who are working with bustards maintained in breeding projects or zoological collections. Further information on how to manage bustards in captivity may be found in the publications listed in the references at the end of this article. Bustards The bustard family is made up of 25 species in 1 1 genera. Four species, including the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps, are listed by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Red List of Threatened Animals as Endangered. One species is listed as vulnerable and an additional six are listed as near-threatened (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Bustards are medium-sized to large terrestrial birds, inhabiting chiefly open plains in arid or seasonally dry regions of the Old World. Agricultural changes, overgrazing, hunting, trapping, habitat loss, droughts and wars are the main threats to bustards (del Hoyo et al. 1996). In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in the propagation of bustards in captivity, in particular, the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata in the Middle East and North Africa (Saint Jaime and Van Heezik, 1996). Similar programmes for vulnerable and threatened species of bustards such as the Great Bustard Otis tarda have been established in Europe and the former Soviet Union as well as for the Kori Bustard A. kori in the USA. Programmes with threatened bustard species aim to produce surplus birds for release into protected areas, thereby supplementing declining wild populations, while Houbara Bustard projects in the Middle East and North Africa aim to provide surplus birds for sustainable hunting using falcons (Bailey et al. 1996). Captive breeding programmes in the USA for Kori Bustards and the Buff- crested Bustard Lophotis gindiana aim to maintain populations that are genetically and demographically self-sustaining and do not rely on continued imports from the wild (Hallager and Ballou, 2001). BAILEY & HALLAGER - BUSTARDS Husbandry Housing Differences exist in the housing of bustards both between and within species and according to the region in which the birds are maintained in captivity. In the Middle East, captive Houbara Bustards are managed in an extreme climate outside of their natural breeding range, and they are maintained in environmentally controlled buildings. In North Africa, where captive Houbara are bred within their natural breeding range, birds are maintained in outdoor aviaries. In the USA, Kori Bustards are maintained in outdoor pens, which are equipped with heated sheds in which the birds are housed in during periods of inclement winter weather. Smaller species T. Bailey Large natural-like aviary for Houbara Bustard. such as the Buff-crested Bustard and White-bellied Bustard E. senegalensis are kept in both indoor and outdoor aviaries and provided with supplemental heat during the winter months if housed outdoors and/or moved into winter holding facilities. The provision of shade and shelter are important for birds managed outdoors in tropical and temperate climates respectively, as is the use of predator-proof fencing. All species of bustard are susceptible to frostbite and supplemental heat must be supplied when temperatures drop below 4QC (39.2°F). Outdoor aviaries may have alfalfa beds in addition to natural vegetation. This provides birds with cover in which to hide and also encourages foraging for invertebrates attracted to the vegetation. Trauma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality of all captive bustards, so great attention is paid to using soft materials when pens are constructed. In BAILEY & HALLAGER - BUSTARDS 3 addition, pinioning of chicks or feather cutting (of the primaries) of adults are important management tools to reduce the potential for self-inflicted injuries. Pinioning of chicks is preferred as this eliminates the need to routinely catch adults for feather-clipping. Strict biosecurity of large captive breeding projects is an important issue. Smaller bustard species can be exhibited in mixed aviaries. Kori Bustards should preferably be housed by themselves to facilitate breeding, but if necessary, can be maintained in mixed species exhibits with non-aggressive hoofstock (e.g. Gerenuk Litocranius walleri or dik dik Madoqua spp.). Diet and feeding Bustards are opportunistic omnivores and in the wild the diet reflects the local and seasonal abundance of plants and small animals, including invertebrates and small vertebrates. Studies of gut contents have shown that vegetation constitutes a significant proportion of the diet of some free- living bustards (del Hoyo et al. 1996). However, studies of the gut contents of Kori Bustards in Namibia have revealed mostly insects and very little plant material (T. Osborne pers. comm.). In captivity, bustards are fed mice, mealworms, crickets, apple, cabbage, chopped greens and either bustard pellets, game bird pellets or a mixture of crane and ratite pellets (Sleigh and S amour, 1996). Minced or ground beef can be used to replace mice or mealworms if either component is unavailable. Kori Bustards in US zoos are fed horsemeat in addition to mice and- the meat is supplemented with either crane and ratite pellets or game bird pellets. The mixture is made into small meatballs and hand-tossed to each bird. This method of feeding facilitates close inspection of each bird as well as helping form a trust bond between the keeper and each bird. Pinkie mice are fed to smaller species of bustards, while fuzzie or adult mice are fed to the larger species such as Kori Bustards. Calcium carbonate may be added to the fresh food mixture to compensate for the calcium imbalance that is caused by the addition of livefood/mince. Multivitamin supplements (e.g. SA37 at Ig per 10kg body weight) are provided to birds maintained in the Middle East (Sleigh and Samour, 1996). Maintenance pellets (15% protein) are fed to birds outside the breeding season and productioner pellets (20.5% protein) are fed during the breeding season (Anderson, 1998; Sleigh and Samour, 1996). Food is presented in plastic or aluminium food dishes either once or twice a day. Water is provided ad lib. Additional livefood such as mealworms or crickets may be supplemented as part of taming protocols to reduce keeper- induced stress. To encourage natural foraging behaviour, supplement the daily diet and provide a form of enrichment, chopped green beans, cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled egg and blueberries are given twice a week to Kori BAILEY & HALLAGER - BUSTARDS Bustards. Medication may be given to specific birds within favoured items such as mice. Bustard chicks, like those of other long-legged species, are susceptible to long-bone disorders and chick-rearing diets must be supplemented with Vitamin D3 (e.g. Neutrobal, Vetark). Angel wing is a common occurrence with hand-reared Kori Bustard chicks, typically occurring at day 11-14. Taping the affected primaries in a natural position at the first sign of the outward turning will permanently correct the deformity. A definitive cause of the problem has not been determined (Boylan et al. 2001). A suitable way of holding smaller species such as the Buff-crested Bustard. Capture To avoid injuries correct methods must be used to catch and handle bustards. For birds maintained in outside aviaries in the Middle East, as well as North American zoos in the south-west, catching is carried out early in the morning to reduce the risk of heat stress. In the Middle East multivitamin solutions are given in the water before large catches to reduce the potential for capture-related myopathies. The specific methods for catching birds depend on the species, aviary size and the reason for catching them (translocation, medication, artificial insemination). Single small to medium-sized birds in small outside aviaries are caught with catching nets. Single tame bustards in small indoor aviaries are caught by hand, after herding the bird into a comer. Flocks of birds in large aviaries can be captured using BAILEY & HALLAGER - BUSTARDS 5 a catching corral. This is a blind-ended funnel with a wide mouth and a circular catching area at the blind end. Small and medium-sized bustards can be caught using nets in the blind end, while larger species like Kori Bustards are caught by guiding them slowly into a darkened small shed, cornering them and grabbing them by hand. Nets should not be used for Kori Bustards. Handling Bustards should be held firmly against the handler’s body, the wings should be fully closed and the legs held together and prevented from rubbing against each other by positioning one of the handler’s fingers between the legs. They can be held so that the legs are bent at the tibiotarsal joint. Some movement of the leg is allowed without letting the bird kick uncontrollably. Falcon hoods or cloth bags with holes for the nares can be used to calm birds down although hand-reared birds may be more comfortable without hoods. Birds should be kept as sternal as possible while being held as this reduces stress levels. Falcon hoods can be used to calm birds down. Positioning a Finger between the legs prevents the legs rubbing against each other. 6 BAILEY & HALLAGER - BUSTARDS Transportation Small bustards (up to 2 kg) can be transported in commercial pet carriers or cardboard boxes. Larger bustards, such as Kori Bustards can be transported individually in transport crates. Crate requirements for all bustard species can be found in the International Air Transport Association manual (IATA, 1998). Individual identification Bustards in captivity can be individually identified by using coloured plastic rings with engraved coding attached above the tibiotarsal joint for visual identification of individuals in pens. Birds are also identifiable by means of a subcutaneous passive induced transponder (PIT), which is placed in the inner crural region of the leg. Routine health care Bustards in the Middle East have succumbed to a variety of diseases, notably trichomoniasis, Newcastle disease and avian pox. Preventive medicine programmes include annual vaccination with inactivated Newcastle disease vaccine, live canary pox vaccine and regular (two to three times a year dependant on risk) anthelmintic and antiprotozoal medication given in the water or food. Vaccines are given during health assessment catches held one to two months before the breeding season and during the cool season in the Middle East. In the USA, internal parasites are seen occasionally and avian pox has been reported in two chicks. Vaccines are not routinely administered in the USA. Kori Bustards in zoo settings need to be monitored carefully for signs of impaction and zinc toxicity as they have a particular tendency to consume items thrown into their enclosures by visitors (e.g. coins, camera batteries, nails, etc). Daily inspection of pees and the removal of foreign material are very important. Breeding Management Sexing Bustards show sexual dimorphism (see Table 1). Some smaller species such as the White-bellied Bustard can be sexed by differences in head and throat plumage. Larger species, such as the Kori Bustard, are easily sexed at one year of age, for although the plumage of both sexes is similar, males are considerably larger. Juvenile bustards can also be sexed using endoscopy after about six months of age. Genetic sexing offers many advantages, being non- invasive and if done from feathers or blood collected from freshly hatched chicks, it can allow different sexes to be reared under different protocols. BAILEY & HALLAGER - BUSTARDS 7 Table 1. Adult body weight of bustards. Species a* (kg) 9 (kg) Great Bustard Otis tarda 6-8.5 3. 8-4.5 Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori struthinuculus 1 10-18 6-7 Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori kori 2 7-14 3-6 Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata 1.5-2. 5 0.8-1.4 White-bellied Bustard Eupodotis senegalensis 1.0-1. 3 0.9-1. 1 Buff-crested Bustard Lophotis gindiana 0.4-0. 8 0.4-0. 6 1 subspecies maintained in US zoos 2 subspecies maintained in the Middle East Breeding strategies Bustards are K-selected species - long-lived and with a low reproductive output (del Hoyo et al 1996). Management strategies for breeding vary according to the species but there are basically three regimes (see Table 2). Table 2. Examples of breeding strategies. Strategy Species Age Social Grouping Isolated for artificial insemination Houbara Adult Juvenile Singles Small groups (<5) Pairs White-bellied Adult Juvenile Pairs Small groups (<5) Heterosexual groups Kori Adult Adult Juvenile Large group (~25) Trio or 2.3 Large group (—15) In most species, males and females do not establish a true pair-bond, and depend instead on a dispersed lek breeding system in which the males advertise themselves in traditional areas. Male bustards perform elaborate displays to attract females and maintain a dominance hierarchy. The females are left alone to undertake the nesting, incubation and rearing of the young. In captivity, Houbara Bustards managed as pairs or as mixed sex groups rarely, if ever, breed. Similarly, Houbara Bustards caught as adults remain sensitive to stress and in most cases fail to breed. Successful Houbara Bustard breeding projects use hand-reared birds, which are more suitable for intensive production efforts utilizing artificial insemination. White-bellied Bustards BAILEY & HALLAGER - BUSTARDS are monogamous and adults are maintained in pairs. Kori Bustards are managed in mixed-sex flocks, but can be managed as trios. Intraspecific aggression can occur between pairs of Buff-crested Bustards (cf-9) and male Kori Bustards (cf-cf) in the breeding season so care needs to be taken when there are changes to group structure. Adult male Kori Bustards may require physical and visual separation during the breeding season to prevent aggression and physical injuries (Boylan et al. 2001). End-piece Species such as the Houbara are in the early stages of domestication, with the objective to produce large numbers for managed hunting. Other species, e.g. Great Bustard and Kori Bustard, are maintained in captivity for conservation objectives. The successful breeding of all species is being held back because of the poor understanding of nutritional requirements and high levels of infertility and chick mortality. An expansion of the knowledge base is needed if advances in the husbandry and medical management of these birds are to be made. References Anderson, S. 1998. Captive management and breeding of the kori bustard, white-bellied bustard and rufous-crested bustard at the National Avian Research Center. External Report No. 3. Bailey, T.A., Samour, J.H., Cooper, J.E. and Cromie, R.L. 1996. Veterinary considerations of houbara bustard captive breeding and restoration programs in the Middle East. Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery 10: 268-277. Boylan, J., Hallager, S. and Cramm, A. 2001 . Update on Husbandry Guidelines for Kori Bustards (. Ardeotis kori). 2001 AZA Conference Proceedings. del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. 1996. Handbook of Birds of the World. Vol. 3 Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Hallager, S. and Ballou, J. 2001. 2001 North American Population Management Plan for the kori bustard. Smithsonian National Zoological Park. IATA 1998. Live animal regulations, 25th Edition, International Air Transport Association, Geneva. Webpage : http ://www. iata. org/index. asp Saint Jaime, M. & Van Heezik, Y. 1996. Propagation of the houbara bustard. Kegan Paul International, London. Sleigh, I. & Samour, J.S. 1996. The National Avian Research Center Bird Care Manual National Avian Research Center Internal Research Report No. 41. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Dr Tom Bailey has returned recently to the United Arab Emirates. E-mail: drtombailey@hotmail.com Sara Hallager is at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington DC 20008-2598, USA. E-mail: shallager@nzp.si.edu 9 WONGA SUCCESS by Louise Peat The Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca is endemic to Australia, where it is found mainly on the east coast. A plump bird that spends a lot of time on the ground where it forages for fruits, seeds and insects, it is renowned for its far-carrying and monotonous call. At the Cots wold Wildlife Park, Oxon., UK, we have kept Wonga or Wonga Wonga Pigeons (as they are also known) since 1998. A pair was kept initially in our walk-through aviary, in which the pair made a wonderful display, but failed to breed. Several months later we lost the female to a Stoat Mustela erminea , after which the male was moved to a more secure aviary while the Stoat problem was resolved. We decided that more birds and a change of aviary could prove fruitful, so in October 2000 five more Wonga Pigeons arrived. The old male and the five new birds were placed together in an aviary on the Pheasant Section. They mixed together well without any aggression being shown by any of the six birds. A choice of nesting places was offered including baskets, roofed boxes and open-roofed boxes. The open-roofed boxes were favoured, as the birds seemed more secure in these. Nest material in the form of long slender twigs were eagerly snatched up as soon as they were placed on the aviary floor. Our first egg was laid in June 2001 but it was clear, as were those of the first three clutches; then in August, after sitting for the full incubation period, both adults were seen away from the nest and made no attempt to return. The nest was checked and two eggs were found, one was clear, the other had a chick half way out of the shell. The chick was warmed up and helped out of the shell. Hand-rearing was attempted but the chick survived for only three days. Eggs continued to come, but were abandoned and with bad weather on the way, it was decided to try foster-rearing using Barbary Doves Streptopelia roseogrisea (dom.). These had been set up for our pair of Pink Pigeons Nesoenas mayeri and, at that time, had successfully reared both Pink Pigeons and Crested Pigeons Ocyphaps lophotes. Wonga Pigeon eggs are slightly larger than Pink Pigeon eggs, so initially there was concern that they might be unable to turn the Wonga Pigeon eggs, however, this concern proved unjustified. The Barbary Doves did a wonderful job, but most of the eggs proved to be clear, until in October when the first chick hatched. Unfortunately, I had set up the Barbary Doves to synchronise with the 16- 18 day incubation period given by Gibbs et al. (2001). The chick hatched on the 19th day and therefore missed the crucial first three days of crop milk. As a result the chick was very small and died 10 days later. The 10 PEAT - WONGA PIGEON majority of chicks which followed hatched after a 19 day incubation period, with just one hatching after 18 days. Our luck changed with the third chick, which hatched February 28th, for this was the first to be successfully reared by foster parents. Two more chicks hatched, one of which died a few days later. Hatched on April 17th, the sixth chick, was found abandoned and almost dead 10 days later. The chick was warmed in an incubator and after some liquid food its head was up and its breathing was back to normal, so the decision was taken to introduce it back to the Barbary Doves. The foster parents went straight back to it and all seemed well. However, the following morning the chick was again alone on the nest and had an empty crop, therefore we were left with little choice but to attempt to hand-rear it. Hand-rearing pigeons from day one is notoriously difficult, and few attempts are successful. Although we had tried this with several species, we had succeeded only once, when we managed to hand-rear a Pied Imperial Pigeon Ducula bicolor. The situation with the Wonga Pigeon was very different; at 1 1 days old it had already got past the most difficult stage and, providing it did not have an infection, we felt we had a good chance of pulling it through. Table 1 . Diet covering the period day 1 1 - day 62. Day Weight Diet 11 72g Very watery Milupa, thickened through the day. A pinch of Nutrobal added to each feed. 12 73g Boiled egg yolk and crushed soaked millet. Probiotic added every other feed. 16 110g Soaked super com pellets added. 19 138g Feeds reduced to six a day. 30 236g Chick fledged. 31 244g Barbary Dove introduced to encourage self-feeding. 33 259g Seen pecking at food. Feeds reduced to five a day. 40 292g Feeds reduced to four a day. 41 299g Seen eating for the first time. 45 306g Feeds reduced to three a day. Eating much more by himself. 52 327g Feeds reduced to two a day 56 335g Feeds reduced to one a day 62 348g Feeds stopped. Bird putting on weight by himself. The chick was fed at two to three hourly intervals, receiving seven feeds a day between 6.00am - 10.00pm. Many attempts were made to feed the chick with a spoon, but this resulted in a huge mess and very little food going down into the crop. Even though the chick looked keen, at no stage did it attempt to gape for food (in hindsight I believe this may have been the PEAT - WONGA PIGEON 11 reason why the chick was rejected by the foster parents). The syringe was placed at the side of the beak and a small amount of food was squeezed into the mouth, then the syringe was withdrawn to allow the chick to swallow the food. The chick grew steadily and fledged at 30 days old. The following day, to try to encourage weaning, a Barbary Dove was placed with the chick. I also began to reduce the feeds in order to keep the chick keen. Weaning was a slow process and the chick was 62 days old before it was fully weaned. After rearing, the chicks were all kept together in a creche along with two Crested Pigeons reared by foster parents. All were later placed with other collections, apart from the hand-reared Wonga Pigeon which has been placed in our mixed group so that we can monitor its behaviour and find out if having been hand-reared affects its ability to breed successfully. On May 15th the adults sat on two eggs for the 19 days incubation period, but unfortunately both were found to be infertile. They laid their tenth clutch on May 27th and sat tight throughout the incubation period. A week later they were still sitting tight but with no sighting of a chick I started to lose hope. Then on June 19th I was thrilled to see a squab being fed on the nest. The chick fledged on June 30th. In immaculate condition, it had taken 17 days to fledge and had done so at a much earlier age than those reared by foster parents. At the time of writing (early September 2002) they are rearing a second chick, bringing the total to five chicks bred so far this year. The hope now is that the adult birds will continue to rear their own young. It has been a wonderful experience having the opportunity to observe all three methods of rearing in the space of one year, especially as with the exception of the one we are keeping, the others were all snapped up by other collections, which makes all the hard work even more worthwhile. The Wonga Pigeon is a delightful species and although not endangered the experience gained breeding it may prove helpful when breeding more vulnerable pigeon species. I cannot express how thrilling it is to see a chick hatch under a foster parent, and to everyone who keeps pigeons, I would recommend always having a few pairs of Barbary Doves on standby. They have proved their worth over and over again here at the Cotswold Wildlife Park and, I am sure, will continue to do so. References Gibbs, D., Bames, E. and Cox, J. 2001 . Pigeons and Doves - A Guide to Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, East Sussex, UK. del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A. and Sargatal, J. (eds.). 1997. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 4. Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Louise Peat is a bird keeper at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford, Oxon., 0X18 4JW, UK. Tel:01993 823006/Fax: 01993 823807 /Website: www. cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk 12 BREEDING THE CHESTNUT-TAILED MINLA Minla strigula by Neil Owen The Chestnut-tailed Minla is a very lively and attractive babbler, approximately 15cm (6in) long, found from the north-western Himalayas, eastwards through countries including Myanmar (Burma), Malaysia, Thailand and Laos, to western China (King, Dickinson & Woodcock, 1975). Its crown is a bright chestnut colour and can be raised to form a small crest when the bird is excited (which is most of the time). There is a bright yellow spot under the beak and the throat has black and white scaly markings. The underparts are yellow, which can vary in brightness from bird to bird. The back and rump are greenish grey and the wings are a colourful mix of orange and black stripes. The tail is bright chestnut with yellow and black on the edges. I bought what I hoped was a pair in March 1998, choosing the brightest and the dullest coloured birds in the hope this might be a sexual difference. They were in excellent condition and as the weather was mild I decided to put them straight into a large planted flight. It has a shelter with a night light, and can be heated, but the birds preferred to roost out in the flight. This is approximately 6m x 2.5m x 2m (20ft x 8ft x 6ft 6in). The roof has clear Perspex (Plexiglas) sheeting along most of its length and also along one side, to protect the occupants from strong winds and driving rain. The flight is planted with various small conifers as well as climbing plants such as honeysuckle and ivy. As the birds are keen bathers, there is a small concrete pool at one end. The aviary also housed a pair of White-collared Yuhinas Yuhina diademata and a pair of Omei Shan Liocichlas Liocichla omeiensis. All six birds seemed to get on well and would come down together to fresh bath water or to investigate a new perch. They were fed the same diet I give all small softbills, this consists of a fine grade universal mixture, to which is added finely chopped pear, grapes, tomato, banana, etc. Occasionally other items were added such as mashed hard-boiled egg or brown breadcrumbs. Half an orange spiked on a perch was also popular. A few small mealworms or crickets were added to the mixture and the minlas were always first to investigate these. I placed various nest-boxes in different parts of the aviary and as I did this the minlas followed me around watching with interest. In late March, I was surprised to see a small nest had been made entirely from coconut fibre inside a wicker basket low down in a conifer bush. A couple of days later when I went to change the bath water, one of the minlas hopped out of the bush and I could see two bright blue eggs with dark spots at one end. On April 15th there were three OWEN - CHESTNUT-TAILED MINLA 13 eggs and, despite a heavy snowfall, the birds sat tight. All three eggs hatched and the birds seemed model parents, taking it in turns to brood the young and chasing away any other birds which came too close. The chicks were being fed on small waxworms and white mealworms. The weather was too cold to find much livefood in the garden. When they were a week old all three chicks were found dead on the floor beneath the nest. I suspected one of the other birds might have been responsible, so I decided to move the yuhinas and liocichlas to another aviary. The minlas set about re-lining the nest and were soon sitting on two more eggs. Unfortunately, on the day they were due to hatch, both eggs were thrown out. The pair spent the rest of the summer half-heartedly carrying bits of nest material but nothing more came of it. The following year, 1999, began in a similar fashion. A nest was built in the same place early in April. One egg was thrown out but then three more were laid and after about 14 days all three hatched. The weather was warmer than it had been the previous year and I was able to gather a variety of livefood from the garden, including spiders and greenfly (aphids), which I used to supplement the mealworms and crickets. Sadly, this was still not enough and two of the chicks were found dead on the floor. The third chick was still alive, so I took it indoors and attempted to hand-rear it, but it died the first night. Although I was getting more and more frustrated, the minlas did not seem bothered and in mid-June went to nest again. Three eggs were laid, and all three hatched, but two of the chicks were ejected. For some unknown reason the pair decided to do the job properly and, to my great relief, the third chick was reared to independence. On leaving the nest, it was a duller version of the adults, being mainly grey/green but with the distinctive bright chestnut and yellow tail. When I was sure it could feed itself, the youngster was moved to another flight and housed with some other young softbills. The adult pair went on to have yet another clutch, but just when I thought I had ‘cracked it’, the two chicks were found dead in the nest. They were 10 days old. I found Chestnut-tailed Minlas fascinating and lovely birds to keep, but breeding them successfully is certainly a challenge. Reference King, B. F., Dickinson, E. C., Woodcock, M. W. 1975. A Field Guide to the Birds of South- East Asia. Collins, London. Neil Owen lives in Carmarthenshire , Wales. Tel: 01558 668336. 14 BREEDING AND HAND-REARING THE BLUE-WINGED LEAFBIRD Chloropsis cochinchinensis AT THE RIVERBANKS ZOO AND GARDEN by Angela Hardy Leafbirds are fairly common in the wild, inhabiting India and south-east Asia, including Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the Philippines. All eight species are varying shades of green with medium-sized wings and tails. Throughout their range, these beautiful songbirds often frequent orchards and gardens, searching for an easy source of soft fruits and nectar-filled blooms. Leafbirds also spend a lot of time searching branches and acrobatically peering under leaves for insects and larvae. Even though they are common in the wild, leafbirds are rare in captivity (in the USA), and are almost never bred successfully. Aviary The Blue- winged Leafbirds at the Riverbanks Zoo are housed in one of several large, mixed-species aviaries within the new Bird House. The leafbirds’ aviary is 25ft long x 15ft wide x 30ft high (approx. 7.6m long x 4.5m wide x 9m high). All of the exhibits are covered by a glass roof allowing them to be brightly lit with natural light. In addition, the exhibits are equipped with metal halide and fluorescent lights to supplement the natural light on cloudy days. Some of these are also used after dark as night lights. The exhibit is thickly planted with species, such as the Golden Rain Tree Koelreuteria paniculata. West Indian Cedar Cedrela odomta and a variety of Ficus spp. commonly found in Asian rainforests. Many of the trees are at least 20ft (6m) tall and provide excellent nest sites for small passerines such as leafbirds. The exhibit floor is covered with natural mulch that is both aesthetically pleasing and ideal for the terrestrial birds such as the Hooded Pittas Pitta sordida and Indian Pygmy Geese Nettapus coromandelianus. The exhibit features a shallow pool surrounded by leafy plants and overhanging branches which the leafbirds regularly use when bathing. The aviary offers plenty of privacy, as only the bottom 7ft (2.1m) of the front is exposed to the public. Viewing is through a fine, stainless steel mesh (ZooMesh™) which is almost invisible when painted black. Other inhabitants of the exhibit include Fairy Bluebirds Irena puella, Lesser Green Broadbills Calyptomena viridis, Pin-tailed Nonpareil Parrot Finches Erythrura prasina , Dhyal Thrushes or Magpie Robins Copsychus saularis and a Luzon Bleeding Heart Gallicolumba luzonica. All of these species coexist very well. In fact, the Fairy Bluebirds, Hooded Pittas and Blue-winged Leafbirds breed simultaneously without any problems. The HARDY - BLUE- WINGED LEAFBIRD 15 leafbirds, however, are very protective of their nesting area and will aggressively chase away other birds. Diet By volume, the diet consists of 55% chopped fruit, 25 % Tropical Bits and 20% Red Apple Jungle pellets that are softened briefly in water. All three ingredients are mixed together and offered in the same dish. A proprietary nectar - Nekton Lory™ - is offered in a separate dish. Waxworms (waxmoth larvae), small mealworms, and lin (25mm) crickets are also provided. To make the insects more nutritious, the crickets and mealworms are fed romaine lettuce, carrots, sweet potato and Layena poultry meal for several days before use. The high calcium content of the poultry meal helps to correct the inverted c.ak tum- to phosphorous ratio. If left uncorrected, the high level of phosphorous could lead to a calcium deficiency, especially in chicks which live almost entirely on insects for the first few days of life. In addition, all insects are lightly dusted before use with laboratory grade calcium. Orange slices are skewered onto perches for the birds to eat during the day. Normally, these hold little interest for the leafbirds but are eaten consistently during the breeding season. Indeed, the increased consumption of orange seems to precede breeding activity and is followed by courtship behaviour. We have also noticed this phenomenon in our Crested Oropendolas Psarocolius decumanus and Troupials Icterus icterus. Perhaps these birds are unable to manufacture vitamin C and not only need regular amounts of dietary vitamin C, but need it in increased levels in order to achieve breeding condition. Avieulturists traditionally shy away from feeding orange due to its acidic content and its implicated role in promoting iron storage disease. While feeding an excess of any natural food is risky (since no natural food is a complete diet) it is reasonable to feed a small amount of most fruits to all fruit-eating birds. Occasionally, an interesting observation will result such as this apparent correlation between the increased consumption of orange and increased breeding activity. Nest site The Blue-winged Leafbirds built small cup-shaped nests. While the outer dimensions varied depending on the chosen nest site and materials used, the inner dimensions were fairly constant, being 5.5cm (approx. 2 74 no across and 3.5cm (not quite 1 Am) deep. The female chose the nest sites and did most of the building. Materials included burlap strings, sisal rope fibres and palm fibres. We cut the sisal rope into 12in (approx 30cm) lengths and separated it into loose fibres. This was the female's favourite material and was used to line the nests. To encourage nesting behaviour 16 HARDY - BLUE- WINGED LEAFBIRD Martin Vince The nest is well camouflaged and constructed of plant fibres, burlap strings and sisal rope. these materials were placed in an old cup nest. The female quickly ‘stole’ the materials from this site. If the materials were simply scattered around the aviary perches, she ignored them. The pair nested in thick foliage 10- 14ft (approx 3m-4m) above the ground. They almost always built in the West Indian Cedar in the centre of the exhibit, where the top of the tree was in the direct airflow from a vent. This caused the leaves to move in the breeze. As this tree had no real branches, only long branch-like leaves, it was too weak to support even a tiny nest. The female tried several times to build a nest, but each time the leaves collapsed. When a small, wicker canary nest cup was added at her chosen site, she immediately built her nest inside it. The male was very excited during the building process. He called constantly and frequently would sit in the nest while she was away. When he did this, however, the female became very agitated and quickly returned to the nest, whereupon the male left. The female worked diligently on the nest, but would stop to solicit copulations. She did this by landing near the male, singing and shaking vigorously. They copulated multiple times during the three days it took her to build the nest. Most of these copulations appeared to be false, as the birds did not properly align their vents. In retrospect, they were probably just part of the courtship. Within two days of finishing the nest, the female laid two eggs and began incubating alone. The male sat nearby and chased off any onlookers that came too close, most often the female Lesser Green Broadbill. The male HARDY - BLUE-WINGED LEAFBIRD 17 leafbird brought food for the incubating female, but she always left the nest to accept it. Whenever she left to eat, he would become very agitated. He would fly to the nest, call, and if she did not quickly return, he would sit on the eggs. This always attracted her attention and she would immediately chase him away. The male never tried to damage the eggs or chicks, and eventually was allowed more contact with the young. Eggs and Chicks In a total of six clutches, two eggs were laid in every clutch. The eggs are a glossy cream colour, wreathed with purplish scrawls around the air cell line (at the blunt end). Dimensions are as follows: 24mm long x 15mm at the widest point. Each is laid on consecutive days, with incubation starting after the second egg. The incubation period is about 13.5 days. The chicks are fed mostly waxworms for the first three days. On day four the parents start to include nectar. They accomplish this by drinking nectar, then taking a wax worm, mashing it, and feeding the nectar-worm puree to the chicks. On day five pieces of grape are added, but even then waxworms remain the favourite food. Chicks go from eating a worm per feeding on day one, to six or seven worms per feeding on day eight. For the first four days, the chicks produce tiny faeces which are eaten by the parents. On day five, they start producing faecal sacs which are removed by the parents and dropped in a far comer of the aviary. Hand-rearing Unfortunately the nest was located directly in the airflow from a heating/ air conditioning vent, and at the top of the exhibit where it is hottest. This environment appeared to cause the chicks to become dehydrated. The female attempted to correct this by wetting her feathers before brooding, but it did not help. Four consecutive clutches were lost between day six and day nine, leading to our decision to remove further clutches on day five for hand¬ rearing. After being removed from the nest, the chicks were placed in a Gmmbach incubator to provide a constant temperature and humidity; they weighed approximately 5g. The chicks had no body fat, and were visibly dehydrated with very pale and slightly wrinkled skin. After a few hours in a humid incubator, however, the wrinkles had gone and the skin tone was a strong, dark pink. The chicks were very temperature-sensitive and shivered if the temperature dropped below 100°F (37.8°C). To prevent dehydration the incubator was kept at a constant 80% Relative Humidity. The diet fed was Kaytee Exact Original hand-rearing formula. There were no problems adjusting from the livefood to the formula. The first feed was one part Kaytee Exact mixed with four parts water (1:4). Thereafter, 18 HARDY - BLUE-WINGED LEAFBIRD Martin Vince The eyes start to open at nine days of age. Martin Vince By 11 days of age the eyes are completely open and green feathers are starting to emerge. Enkamat (the black plastic mesh) provides ideal footing, and is easy to disinfect. It is an erosion control material used extensively by horticulturists. HARDY - BLUE- WINGED LEAFBIRD 19 Martin Vince At 12 days the feathers are looking great, thanks to lots of preening. Martin Vince At 19 days, three days after fledging, chicks can perch and fly but are clumsy. 20 HARDY - BLUE- WINGED LEAFBIRD Martin Vince At 12 days chicks respond well to vibration. We tap on the table near the chick to solicit a feeding response. When excited the chicks can shake like an electric toothbrush. the food was mixed to a ratio of 1:3 until day 10. From day 10 until weaning, the food was thickened and mixed at a ratio of 1 :2. The chicks were fed with a flexible syringe tip cannula on the end of a 1 .Occ tuberculin syringe. A syringe tip cannula is normally used for the treatment of cattle teats, but the lin (25mm) long, thin flexible tip is also ideal for feeding small passerines. It fits easily onto the syringe and can be disinfected between feedings. All of the hand-feeding implements were disinfected daily with a diluted chlorhexidine solution. Tapping the table next to the chicks elicited a strong feeding response. For the first ten days, the chicks were fed 14 times a day from 8.00am - 10.00pm, with the late feeding being particularly important to prevent dehydration. In addition to syringe feeding, we began to use tweezers on day 10 to feed small pieces of Red Apple Jungle pellets and grapes soaked in the hand-rearing formula. Small amounts of Nekton Lory nectar were gradually added to the diet to allow the chicks’ digestive systems to adjust. At day 16 the chicks fledged and were no longer fed after 5.00pm. They were fully feathered and a shade darker green than their parents. At this point we began feeding them entirely with tweezers, including more fruit and pellets in the diet. Each piece of food was first soaked in the Kaytee/nectar mixture. Once they had fledged, the chicks were occasionally offered nectar or water with a spoon to encourage self-feeding. Being nectar drinkers, the chicks HARDY - BLUE- WINGED LEAFBIRD 21 had no problems drinking nectar and water from the spoon, and would sometimes consume as much as one teaspoon of this. Hand-feeding became difficult once the chicks fledged because they were more interested in flying than eating. However, tapping on the perch quickly caught their attention and encouraged a feeding response. Food and water dishes were added to the brooder on day 21 to encourage self-feeding, and on day 30 the chicks were moved to a small indoor aviary. The hand-feedings were reduced gradually, and by day 36 the birds were reliably feeding themselves. The chicks moulted into their light green adult plumage within two months of weaning, and were then indistinguishable from the adults. For Riverbanks Zoo and Garden’s complete hand-rearing notes, please e-mail: ahardy@riverbanks.org In 2002 we successfully raised three Blue-winged Leafbirds. All were DNA sexed as females. One bird has gone to the North Carolina Zoo to enter its breeding programme. The other two females will remain at Riverbanks to be paired with unrelated males and perpetuate our leafbird breeding programme. We believe that this is a world first breeding. Any member knowing otherwise are asked to contact the author or the Hon. Editor of the Avicultural Magazine. Products mentioned Red Apple Jungle pellets: extruded, cylindrically-shaped pellets nearly lin (25mm) long and 5/i6in (9mm) in diameter and bright red in colour. Manufactured by Marion Zoological, Wayzata, Minnesota, USA. Tropical Bits: with the same nutritional content as the above, but only the size of finch seed and normally marketed for finches and canaries. Manufactured by Marion Zoological, Wayzata, Minnesota, USA. Several manufacturers, such as Pretty Bird and Kay tee, produce equivalent products. Angela Hardy is Primary Bird House Keeper, Riverbanks Zoo & Garden , PO . Box 1060, Columbia, South Carolina 29202-1060, USA. Website : www. riverbanks .or g 22 BREEDING THE HOOPOE Upupa epops AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM by Paul Schutz The Hoopoe Upupa epops is one of the most distinctive birds in the world. A migratory species, it is found in season throughout much of Europe, Africa and Asia and cannot be mistaken for any other bird within that range. The Hoopoe has traditionally been treated as a single species within the order Coraciiformes. Recently, however, various authors have suggested separating the Hoopoe into two or more species and even its own order, Upupiformes (del Hoyo et al. 2001). In the wild the Hoopoe is almost completely insectivorous and uses its long beak to probe in the ground for grubs and other invertebrates (del Hoyo et al. 2001). Paul Schutz Adult pair of Hoopoes. The female is the one reaching out of the nest-box. SCHUTZ - HOOPOE 23 Disney’s Animal Kingdom received a pair of captive bred Eurasian Hoopoes in September 1998. After a 30 day quarantine period, the pair was moved into an acclimation pen in the walk-through Africa aviary. This is a heavily planted enclosure, that features a large waterfall and pool at one end, and houses 20 species of African birds. Upon release, the Hoopoes did well but their activity decreased gradually over a two month period. This culminated in both being injured, though how this happened remains unknown. Both were removed from the aviary and an infection led to surgery and the subsequent removal of one of the female’s eyes, after which both birds spent approximately seven months off-exhibit while they were recuperating. When the birds were finally given a clean bill of health, the decision was made to introduce them into the Asia aviary. This is situated along the Maharajah Jungle Trail at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, along which guests (visitors) can view Komodo Dragons Varanus komodensis , Malayan Tapirs Tapirus indicus , Tigers Panther a tigris , fruit bats and two species of hoofed stock, as well as many species of birds. The aviary measures approximately 120ft long x 65ft wide x 40ft high (36m long x 20m wide x 12m high). It is terraced, so that the aviary is on three levels, with the majority of the exhibit at ground level. It too is heavily planted, with fig trees, banana plants and bamboo, to name just a few. In addition to the Hoopoes, a myriad of other avian species can be encountered, including Great Argus Pheasants Argusianus argus, Indian Blue Rollers Coracias benghalensis, Amboina King Parrots Alisterus amboinensis, Golden-crested Mynahs Ampeliceps coronatus , Golden-backed Wood¬ peckers D inopium javanense. Crested Wood Partridges Rollulus roulroul and Timor Sparrows Padda fuscata. Food is placed at approximately 15 different locations. Diets vary, they include chopped mixed fruits, soaked Mazuri™ brand parrot breeder pellets, chopped greens, seed, Millikin Meats™ brand carnivore diet (mixed with the aforementioned parrot pellets) and pinky mice. Mealworms, waxworms and crickets are also provided, in addition to which a variety of wild invertebrates occur in the aviary. A simple exclusion feeder has been developed for the Hoopoes. This is simply a shallow pan of insect larvae covered with a piece of peg-board. The Hoopoes can fit their beaks through the holes in the peg-board and extract the insect larvae, but other birds are unable to do so. This allows a large supply of livefood to be provided specifically for the Hoopoes without skewing the diets of the other residents of the aviary. After a two day acclimation period, the male was released into the aviary on July 8th 1999, followed the next day by the female. Both birds seemed to adjust well. They initially stayed in the vicinity of the acclimation pen, but within a week they were moving throughout the aviary. Most of their time was spent probing in the ground for insects, grubs and worms. Although 24 SCHUTZ - HOOPOE the Hoopoes were fairly visible, they remained wary and timid, never approaching keepers and retreating when they were approached. The pair remained shy and unobtrusive for several months before any change in behaviour was observed. That occurred in mid-January 2000, when the pair seemed to become more confident and was seen in the open more often, even venturing out onto the pathway. On January 16th, the male was heard for the first time giving his distinctive three-note “hoop- poo-poo”. Fry et al. (1988) referred to this as his “advertisement call”. Two days later, the male was observed pursuing the female throughout the aviary, another behaviour that had not been observed previously. They flew above the highest trees, coming to rest occasionally before beginning again. The next day, the male was observed entering the nest-box, approximately 20ft (6m) above the ground. The female then investigated the same nest-box for a few seconds before she entered it. Constructed of plywood, the box was 1ft 1 lin tall x 8in wide x 9in deep (approx. 58cm tall x 20cm wide x 23cm deep) with a 2in (5cm) in diameter entrance hole. The distance from the bottom of the entrance hole to the bottom of the box was 19in (48cm). Starting on January 20th 2000, the male spent most mornings calling. He chose a high and exposed perch and called, sometimes for hours, with only a few seconds between each set of vocalizations. He also made frequent visits to the nest-box he had selected, calling sometimes from inside or on the top of the box. Two days later, the male began to defend the box from other birds. He routinely chased off Goldie’s Lorikeets Trichoglossus goldiei when they attempted to investigate the box. Besides the advertisement call, two different vocalizations were heard. One was a hoarse rasping call, often heard during the male’s pursuit of the female. The second was a high-pitched trill, similar to a cricket’s chirp. The trilling call was heard only three times and also accompanied the male’s pursuit of the female. Throughout January, the male continued his courtship: advertisement calling, pursuing the female and entering his chosen nest-box. As February began, the male seemed to intensify his efforts to persuade the female to enter the nest-box. He was heard advertisement calling while seen holding a mealworm in his beak for the first time on February 1 st. At this point, he most often called from on top of the nest-box or from inside it, rather than from an open location. The next day the male was observed feeding the female for the first time. Later that day, the female was on top of the nest- box while the male was inside. In his attempts to coax her in, he even reached out and pulled her tail. Courtship feeding and pursuit continued over the next week. On February 5th, the female was in the nest-box and for the first time was observed altering the interior. Over a 20 minute period, she steadily threw out of the box beakfuls of nest substrate (pine shavings). The male periodically flew to the opening and fed her. SCHUTZ - HOOPOE 25 On February 7th, one of the Hoopoes was observed threatening a female Green Junglefowl Callus varius that approached the box. The Hoopoe extended its neck and swayed it back and forth, like a snake threatening to strike. This was seen several times over the next few weeks in response to the approach of other birds. Normally timid, the Hoopoes adopted a more aggressive character when defending their nest. On at least one occasion, the male violently confronted a Goldie’s Lorikeet and slammed into it with his body to drive the lorikeet away from the nest-box. By the second week of February, the calling of the male began to wane and both adults were seen going in and out of the nest-box. On the 9th, what seemed to be pre-copulatory behaviour was observed. The male walked up behind the female and pecked lightly at her nape, and she occasionally turned her head and pecked back at him. It seemed as if he was about to mount her, but she flew off after about 20 seconds of this interaction. This sort of courtship was repeated often over the next three days, with copulation always seeming imminent but never observed. Courtship feeding seemed to change as well. While not passing food items back and forth, the male would hold an item of food in and out of the female’s beak repeatedly before finally relinquishing it. By February 13th, the female was seen in or around the nest-box more often than not, with the male bringing her food. A note was made on the 17th that the female was “rarely visible.” From February 17th-28th, she was seen only briefly leaving the box, but on the 29th, an increase in the female’s activity and journeys from the box was noted. That day the male was seen to make five feeding trips to the box within 15 minutes. On March 3rd, for the first time in about a month, the male was heard advertising again. An observation made on March 7th seemed to confirm the presence of chicks: a Golden-backed Woodpecker that was foraging on the wall next to the nest-box, suddenly cocked his head and then jumped to the side of the box and tapped on it lightly; the woodpecker then looked into the entrance of the box, at which point the female Hoopoe emerged and chased him off. The woodpecker certainly seemed to have heard something and indeed both the male and female Hoopoe were making frequent trips to the nest-box with food. The next day, after the female exited the box, keepers were able to check inside by using a mirror on a pole. At least two chicks were present. The height of the nest-box (about 20ft (6m) up) made it difficult to see the exact number. The parents continued to diligently feed their young. Other institutions had warned us that the nest-box might become quite dirty. Therefore, on the morning of the 15th, using a ladder we accessed the nest-box in order to clean it out and at the same time examine and band the chicks. A total of four chicks were present, along with two olive green eggs. Two of the 26 SCHUTZ - HOOPOE chicks were significantly larger (67g and 63. 9g vs 49. lg and 44. 9g) and it was assumed that the two unhatched eggs were the third and fourth. All four chicks were covered in brown-grey down and pin feathers. The pin feathers of the crest were arranged in two parallel rows on the top of the chicks’ heads and the chicks’ fleshly gape flanges were bright white. The smallest chick seemed developmentally behind the other three: its legs were more splayed and it was not as active as its siblings. Several small twigs were added to the pine shavings to give this bird something more substantial Paul Schutz Approximately 14 days old. to grip, but all of the twigs were thrown out over the next few days. Despite the stories of a filthy nest, the substrate seemed to be in good shape. Although the box and its contents were malodorous, overall it appeared fairly tidy but some of the substrate was replaced. When handled the chicks excreted a foul smelling liquid from their uropygial gland. Within about 10 minutes of the completion of the nest check, the parents returned to the nest-box and continued caring for the chicks. One week later, the chicks underwent a brief medical examination at the SCHUTZ - HOOPOE 27 nest and the smallest of the clutch now appeared normal, with no sign of the splayed legs witnessed earlier. Their weights were 69. 9g, 84. lg, 70.7g and 72. 8g. At this time, the female was observed to be undergoing a moult. Several of her primaries were missing and as the moult progressed she began to lose her tail feathers, to a point where she had great difficulty accessing the nest-box. The male seemed to pick up the slack and took over the majority of the feeding of the chicks. He also began advertisement calling again and investigating nest sites. On March 29th, the male was observed on top of the nest-box, holding a mealworm and uttering his rasping call. A chick was looking out of the opening and begging. The male tapped the chick's beak with the mealworm, then resumed calling. This behaviour was repeated several times before the chick was finally fed. The next day, two of the chicks had fledged. Their beaks were about half the length of their parents’ beaks, they had a few tufts of down on their crest feathers and the remnants of the white gape flanges were barely visible. Otherwise, the chicks were difficult to distinguish from their parents. A third chick left the box the next day and the fourth left three days after that. From the beginning, the fledglings were curious and pecked at just about everything. They were seen to investigate items of food and were observed eating ants just five days after fledging. Despite feeding themselves, the fledglings continued to beg from the parents, especially the male. On numerous occasions, all four fledglings were seen chasing the male throughout the aviary, begging for food. The male continued feed them for some time and was last seen to feed them on May 8th, 39 days after the first chick fledged. Only a week after the first chick fledged, the adults began pre-copuiatory behaviour again. The male was observed to feed his mate and call from the nest-box with food in his beak. On April 27th, the female was observed aggressively displacing a juvenile from the vicinity of the nest-box. By May 6th, the female was throwing shavings out of the box and by the 27th, a second clutch of eggs had been laid. Five chicks hatched of which three survived to fledging. Despite some notations about cooperative breeding behaviour (Fry et ai. 1988), the juvenile Hoopoes were not seen to assist their parents with their new clutch. Some time after the chicks of the second clutch fledged, the adult male Hoopoe was discovered with a broken beak. It was so severely broken that only about one-third of its length remained intact. Several procedures were performed in an attempt to save the broken section, but proved unsuccessful. The male, along with Ms mate, was moved to our off-exhibit Avian Research Center, in which we could more closely monitor his health and progress. Despite his obvious impairment, the pair has gone on to raise several more 28 SCHUTZ - HOOPOE successful broods in its new enclosure. Our success with this species can probably be attributed first, and probably foremost, to the birds being such attentive and protective parents that have given remarkable care to their chicks. Secondly, every effort has been made to provide the Hoopoes with a large supply of livefood, which makes up the vast majority of the chicks’ diet, especially in the early days. The male’s beak injury has not seemed to hinder his parenting ability. Acknowledgements I would like to thank the staff of the Aviary Department at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, including Curator Grenville Roles and zoological managers Chelle Plasse and Scott Barton. I would especially like to thank the entire keeper staff, including Jennifer Carney, Marci Cody and Jeremy Taylor and former staff members Ron Fry and Josef Lindholm III, whose hours of diligent observations helped make this paper possible. References Fry, C. H., Keith, S. and Urban, E. K. 1988. Birds of Africa. Vol.III, Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, San Diego and London. del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A. and Sargatal, J. 2001. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol.VI, Mousebirds to Hombills. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Paul Schutz is Zoological Manager, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, PO. Box 10,000, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830-1000, USA. Tel: 407-938-6383/ Fax:502-333-3966. THE FESTIVE AMAZON Amazona f estiva f estiva IN THE WILD AND IN CAPTIVITY 29 by Lars Lepperhoff The Festive Amazon appears to be common in the wild, mainly near rivers, yet it is rarely found in captivity. There are few reports about how it lives in the wild and very little is known about its breeding biology. In the aviaries of the Association Hyacmthinus here in Switzerland we are fortunate in having two pairs of Festive Amazons. Because it is a most beautiful species with a very strong personality I was very keen to observe it in the wild, which I did in April 2002 in the Amazonian rainforest. History This species was given its scientific name by Carl von Linne (1707- 1778) in 1758 - / estiva coming from the Latin language and meaning - festive, magnificent, pretty. The nominate form first came to Europe, to London Zoo in 1865. The subspecies A.f. bodini was first seen here in 1872 at Berlin Zoo. Description The basic colour is a wonderful green; the lores and a narrow frontal band are dark red. There is a nice blue colour above and behind the eyes; there is also a little blue under the lower mandible which gives this species its German name Blaubartamazone (Blue-bearded Amazon). The lower back and ramp are a beautiful scarlet, which can be seen when the birds are flying or when they are preening each other. Subspecies The only subspecies, Bodiei’s Amazon, is a different more yellow shade of green. The head coloration is also different. There is more blue around the eyes and the blue on the cheeks is more extensive. Bodiei’s Amazon comes only from central Venezuela along the Orinoco River and from parts of Guyana. Calls The contact calls of the Festive Amazon are loud and typically Amazon¬ like and are heard when birds are flying in a flock or, in captivity, before feeding and during mornings and evenings. The calls often remind me of laughter. Often the birds fluff out their feathers and dilate their pupils. If disturbed when breeding, they call in the same way very loudly. When they are preening each other or after a shower, they call more quietly and 30 LEPPERHOFF - FESTIVE AMAZON Lars Lepperhoff Bird with red and yellow colouring owned by a woman at Alencar. Lars Lepperhoff Old pair of Festive Amazons at Swiss breeding centre. LEPPERHOFF - FESTIVE AMAZON 31 Lars Lepperhoff The longest surviving 2000 chick at about 69 days old. Shortly afterwards the decision was taken to euthanase it. Lars Lepperhoff Food for pairs with young. 32 LEPPERHOFF - FESTIVE AMAZON contentedly in gutteral tones. They have a variety of carolling notes when they are perched. A flock of five I observed after heavy rain on the top a Cecropia tree had very distinctive and variable calls. Distribution It is found over a large area along the upper Amazon and its tributaries principally in Brazil, west to Rio Branco and Rio Negro and into parts of Colombia, Peru and even Ecuador. It is also known from the upper Rio Orinoco in Venezuela. Status This Amazon seems not to be endangered and in many places occurs still in untouched flooded forest. The Mamiraua reserve and the adjoining reserves of Jau and Amana combined are as large as Costa Rica! This is a wonderful place for the Festive Amazon. In Brazil I flew from Manaus via Tabatinga to Tefe. I enjoyed the flight because I was fascinated to see the endless green sea of the Amazonian rainforest and the rivers (which were carrying a lot of sediment) like enormous snakes floating through the vegetation. I saw the Amazon with its numerous tributaries and the flooded parts of the forest. From Tefe, a typical Brazilian jungle town, it took two hours by boat to reach the Mamiraua Sustainable Development Reserve located between two rivers, the Japura and Solimoes (which becomes the Amazon). I stayed on the Parana do Mamiraua in a floating house built on two trunks of Assacu trees. On my first excursion a Kabokloman took me by canoe through the flooded forest - a unique environment. In April the water level was very high so we were close to the treetops. Back at Mamiraua Lodge in the late afternoon I suddenly heard typical Amazon calls and saw quite close by five Festive Amazons sitting on the top of a Cecropia tree. The birds were preening their feathers and ‘talking’ together. Some flew from the top of one branch to another and behaved very socially. After about 20 minutes, they flew off over the greyish brown water and disappeared among the vegetation. The annual cycle of the varzea (seasonally flooded forest) is variable. Some parts are flooded only during some weeks in June and July, others, such as the Mamiraua, are flooded for more than six months. There is a difference of 12m (approx. 39ft) between June (flooded) and October (dry season). The climate is hot and humid throughout the year. Rain usually falls in relatively short but very heavy tropical showers often accompanied by spectacular thunderstorms. The average temperature ranges from 23 °C- LEPPERHOFF - FESTIVE AMAZON 33 33°C (approx.74°F-91°F) and the humidity was, according to my hygrometer, about 70%-80% during the day and about 100% at night. Because of their preference for flooded forests, Festive Amazons have a large range. According to Olafita, a parrot lover who lives in the flooded forest, the breeding season is in June when the water level is high (over 12m (39ft)). At this time the trees have a lot of seeds and fruits. Despite the fact that many mammals must move to terra firma, many of those able to climb, such as sloths, monkeys and the Jaguar P anthem onca , remain. Some toucans and snakes take eggs from nest cavities. When my guide was showing me the Amazons from the canoe, it sometimes took me a long time to identify these green birds sitting amongst the leaves. They are very active during the early morning when they prefer to sit in the sun. Until 11.00am it was possible to observe them flying and sitting on branches, calling and preening each other. By the early afternoon they were mainly silent, but if there were clouds and a thunderstorm could be heard in the distance, they remained active. In the evenings before the sun set I often saw them moving about again. I never observed them in the company of any other species of Amazon, but often there were Short-tailed Parrots Graydidasculus brachyurus nearby. The Mamiraua reserve is a sustainable development reserve which means that income from tourists helps support the local people and the reserve. The local people receive the profits from the lodge, not a tourist company. This works well for it gives them an added incentive to protect the forest and its inhabitants. I had the opportunity to visit a local village. I was told that some people in Alencar keep Festive Amazons. Our boat found its way through channels, swamps and thick vegetation to a small place with wooden houses on stilts which was not flooded. I liked this little village of some 60 or so inhabitants - a civilisation without cars! As I was walking through the village I suddenly stopped in front of a house with two Festive Amazons in the window and afterwards saw another two in a tree in the neighbourhood. I was allowed to go into the house and spoke with the owner, an elderly woman. One of the Amazons had red and yellow feathers all over its body. It had, she said, been living with her for more than five years. The other bird which was normal in colour had been with her for only one and a half years. The birds had been taken from the nest and hand-reared on a diet of maniok, maize and fruit. Thinking about the bird with red and yellow feathering I was suddenly reminded of an observation of Alfred Russel Wallace, who reported that Festive Amazons were fed by the Indians with fat from a fish that caused their green feathers to turn partially red and yellow. I do not think that the abnormal colouration of the bird at Alencar was produced on purpose, but assume that it was a result of malnutrition, as the younger birds were normal in colour. I was told by other travellers that Festive Amazons are kept as 34 LEPPERHOFF - FESTIVE AMAZON companions by people in many villages and towns along the Amazon. In Switzerland Our parrot collection is privately owned. We can only keep birds in indoor aviaries. Therefore it is important to enrich the world around them with natural things. The Amazon aviaries are located on the first floor of the building. They are about 2.5m long x 1.3m wide x 2.5m high (approx. 9ft long x 4ft 6in wide x 9ft high). There are walls on three sides, with wire elsewhere. I have painted the walls green (leaves/plants), blue (sky) and yellow (sun), three dominant colours in nature. These help avoid the appearance of comers and make the room look bigger. They also make the birds more relaxed than they were before when all the walls were white. As we cannot get sufficient daylight through the windows in the roof the birds are in artificial light all day. We use neon lights (Trulight) which give about 95% of the natural light spectrum. On the advice of the Curator at Zurich Zoo we have also installed a special lamp of the kind that is often used by gardeners. It gives UV-light as well, and is like the sun sending its warm light down on the earth. Visitors often believe that the light is coming from the sun through a window. Just one lamp gives enough light for eight Amazon aviaries. It is on for eight hours a day, from late morning and into the afternoon and therefore helps simulate the natural environment. It also makes it possible to grow plants in the parrot house. I give the birds fresh branches at least once a week. The Festive Amazons like to gnaw the wood and remove the leaves. Branches of fir trees and pine trees are provided during the winter, even though the birds do not gnaw them or the cones. Because plants are so important in the wild, I try to use them to create a naturalistic environment for our Amazons. The building is quite high, so I put branches over the aviaries and over the path and fix them in place with chains. On these branches I cultivate epiphytic plants, such as species of Bromelia and Til lands ia. I also grow Platycerium mdAsplenium ferns. Other easily-grown tropical plants such as Monster a. Philodendron and Chlorophytum are grown in pots standing on the top of the aviaries. These enrich the lives of our birds and create a more sympathetic atmosphere in the house. During the summer when the temperature often reaches 25 °C (77 °F) I spray the plants every second day. During the winter we maintain the temperate at 10°C (50°F) and I spray them just once a week. Without the special lamp the plants would not grow so well. As the floor is tiled, I offer the birds sand in a separate tray. During the warm weather the aviaries are cleaned daily and are cleaned every second day during the winter. This is done with water and they are kept very clean and to date we have never had any diseases. In each aviary there is a shower and a round bowl in which the Amazons can bathe. They prefer the shower, LEPPERHOFF - FESTIVE AMAZON 35 and when I turn on the water, it ‘rains’ throughout the building and the sound of it stimulates the birds. Normally I spray them twice a week, but in the summer only once a week. Feeding Each day the birds are given a variety of fruits and vegetables which I cut into small pieces. From spring to autumn they also receive sprouted seeds. I also use CeOe Eggfood for Parrots and sometimes feed eggs with it. In addition, I regularly give vitamins and trace elements. I use different products, such as Totalin, Vitakalk, Biotopic and Eiverdin, in a rotation system. When the birds have chicks I also offer them cheese and dry seed. Each day during the winter the birds get fruit and vegetables, plus dry seed and one peanut per bird. I usually feed the birds once a day in the late afternoon. Breeding Made from birch wood, the nest-boxes measure 58cm x 39cm x 50cm (approx. 1ft 1 1 in x 1ft 3 72m x 1ft 73Ain). The entrance hole is 12cm (43Ain) in diameter. Wood shavings are placed in the bottom of the boxes and in the spring I add rotten wood, which I collect from the forest. The Amazons like to gnaw this prior to laying. It is possible to inspect the inside of the nest- boxes from behind the wall. We keep two pairs of Festive Amazons. One is an unrelated pair bred in Switzerland by Peter Buser, Altdorf UR and David Rothlisberger, Rohrbach BE. Peter Buser was, in 1991, the first person to breed this Amazon in Switzerland. The male of our pair was parent reared in 1994 and the female was parent reared in 1995. They have been together here since autumn 1995. In summer 2000 this pair for the first time showed an interest in the nest-box; they also displayed. The other pair are imported birds and have been living here since 1984. They get very excited when they hear children’s voices. They have damaged wings, so cannot fly. I believe and so does Peter Buser, that these Amazons need to be several years old before they start to breed. This older second pair first had eggs in 1992. All three were infertile. In 1994 the female laid two infertile eggs. In 1999 she again laid three eggs that were infertile. It was not until 2000 that two chicks were hatched by this pair, after it had been together for 16 years! This shows how patient you must be. My philosophy is to remain patient if the pair is compatible. Before the female lays the pair become very aggressive towards people. The male hangs on the wire at the front of the aviary, dilating his pupils, calling loudly and trying to bite me. At this time of the year, mainly June- July, I have to use a board to protect my hands from the risk of injury, when 36 LEPPERHOFF - FESTIVE AMAZON I put them into the aviary to change the food. The female normally runs towards the nest-box calling, and then suddenly runs to the wire and joins the male in his attack. After some weeks of this behaviour the female usually lays two to three eggs, at two day intervals. It is difficult to inspect inside the nest-box, despite the fact that this can be done from behind so that the birds cannot see me. Whenever the two birds are feeding - the female always comes out for a short time to eat - and I attempt to approach the nest-box, both birds always run back to it. I approach it very quietly but somehow they always seem to know exactly what is going on. There is dark glass through which I can just see inside the nest-box. When both are inside, they look suspiciously at the dark glass, dilating their pupils and making very little noise. Sometimes they show aggression towards the glass. 2000 breeding season On July 5th I found an egg in the nest-box. On July 9th there was still only one egg. On July 20th there were three eggs! On July 29th when someone was talking to the birds at the front of the aviary and they were busy defending their territory, I took the opportunity to check the eggs. Two were fertile but the third was damaged. One chick hatched August 10th and the other on August 12th. Through the dark glass I could see that the chicks were always lying on their backs and this continued to be the case during the following days and weeks. On August 22nd I tried to put the chicks on their feet but they fell straight back. On September 5th their feathers started to grow and the following day the older chick looked at me. Two days later the youngest chick was dead in the nest-box. By September 10th the remaining youngster had feathers on its head (I could see red on its forehead), cheeks and back, and the parents were spending more time outside the nest- box. The youngster was fully feathered September 24th. On several occasions I observed it on its belly near the entrance and could see that it had a problem. Therefore, on October 18th I decided to remove the chick from the nest-box. It appeared to be paralysed and on the following day when I was hand-feeding it, the youngster was quite tame but incapable of standing. I constructed a bed for it in which it appeared quite comfortable. I consulted two veterinarians, Willy Hafeli and Peter Sandmeier, who specialise in parrots. It was confirmed that the youngster was paralysed and the decision was taken to euthanase it. Dr Sandmeier found that its skeleton was normal and it remains unclear why it was paralysed. Another Amazon breeder, Hans Butler, Miihlau AG, has had the same problem with young Tucuman Amazons A. tucumana. Later I consulted many other breeders, particularly Amazon breeders, but most of them had never encountered this problem. I was sad that after such a long time what looked like being our first breeding success with this remarkable pair ended in the way it did. LEPPERHOFF - FESTIVE AMAZON 37 2001 breeding season I observed a much higher degree of aggression on July 1st . On July 21st the female went into the nest-box but stayed only a short time. On July 23rd she remained inside for a long time. Then from July 25th the female left the box only if there was a disturbance in the house. On July 28th I found two eggs and a few days later there was a third. Unfortunately, all were infertile. They measured: 36mm x 28mm, 36mm x 27mm and 35mm x 28mm. Postscript: 2002 breeding season The female of the old pair laid three infertile eggs. The female of the young pair laid for the first time. She laid two eggs, both were fertile and two chicks hatched and were raised successfully. The male did not feed the female in the nest-box during the breeding time, including when the female was raising the two chicks. Interestingly, the latter do not yet (at the time of writing) have the red rump. They flew from the box at 64 days of age. At present they are quite tame with me but are very shy with strangers. After the two young flew the male became aggressive towards the female. Therefore I placed it in a separate cage from which it can see the rest of the family. We are very pleased about this success with a species of Amazon which is very rarely bred. Acknowledgements The Swiss breeding centre of the Association Hyacinthinus is funded by Mr Walter and Mrs Esther Squindo, whose generosity in running this centre is very much appreciated. Many thanks also to Rosemary Low who helped me put the above article into proper English. Bibliography George, U. 1987. Regenwald, Geo, Hamburg. Juniper, T. and Parr, M. 1998. Parrots. A guide to the Parrots of the World. Pica Press, Sussex. Lepperhoff, L. 2000. Die Blaubartamazone (Amazona f estiva). DieVoliere 10:311-314. Robiller, F. 1990. Papageien Band 3. Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart. Seibert, P. 1996. Farhatlas Sudamerika. Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart. Stranden, H. 1984. Papageien einst und jetzt. Horst Muller Verlag, Walsrode. The main purpose of Association Hyacinthinus is to observe, describe and breed endangered parrots, especially Neotropical species. The breeding centre is normally not open to the public but members may visit it by appointment. If you wish to know more you should write to: Lars Lepperhoff, Association Hyacinthinus, Lutschenstrasse 15, 3063 Ittigen, Switzerland. 38 COTSWOLD WILDLIFE PARK REVIEW OF 2002 by Louise Peat Last year was a hectic year for the Bird Department, with several high points and one or two disappointments. Among the highs was the successful breeding of five species that had not previously been bred at the park. The first of these was the Black-faced Ibis Theristicus melanopis, of which two chicks were hand-reared by Jamie Graham (see Avicultural Magazine Vol.108, No. 2, pp. 110-1 12 (2002)), who also hand-reared four Demoiselle Cranes Anthropoides virgo, though unfortunately despite all our research and efforts only one survived. We did, however, learn much from the experience and will be better prepared this year. Jamie also hand-reared our first Red-crested Turaco Tauraco erythrolophus . As described earlier (pp. 9-11), after several years of trying we were finally successful with our Wonga Pigeons Leucosarcia melanoleuca, eventually raising six chicks, three of which were reared by Barbary Doves Streptopelia risoria dom., two were parent reared and one, (‘Willy Wonga’) was reared by my own fair hands. The fifth species to be bred here for the first time was the Red- winged Starling Onychognathus mono, again a species kept at the park for many years. In this instance, we were forced to remove two chicks from the nest after the female attacked and killed the male. Nathan Crockford used an enormous number of crickets to rear the chicks. We have since obtained another nine Red-winged Starlings and are studying the group in the hope that the birds may remain together and become a breeding colony. We bred two Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus humboldti and two White Storks Ciconia ciconia; our Black Storks C. nigra laid two fertile eggs but disappointingly, these failed to hatch. All our four species of ibis bred: Scarlet Eudocimus ruber , Waldrapp Geronticus eremita , Sacred Threskiornis aethiopicus and the aforementioned Black-faced. Other species we were successful with included Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis (5), Eyton’s Tree Duck Dendrocygna eytoni , Ringed Teal Callonetta leucophiys, Lesser Magellan Goose Chloephaga picta, European Eider Somateria mollis sima, Striated Caracara Phalcoboenus australis , Vietnamese Pheasant Lophura hatinhensis, Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea, Red Turtle Dove S. tranquebarica and Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes. The last species produced a stunning total of 10 young. Violaceous Turaco Musophaga violacea and White-cheeked Turaco Tauraco leucotis (our female is 28 and still going strong) bred, as did Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia , White¬ faced Scops Owl Otus leucotis , Spectacled Owl Pulsatrix perspicillata and Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosa lapponica , though unfortunately in the case PEAT - COTSWOLD WILDLIFE PARK REVIEW OF 2002 39 of the latter, the two chicks did not survive. We also bred Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus , Olive Thrash Turdus olivaceus , Blue-winged Minla Minla cyanouroptera and Black-headed Weaver Ploceus cucullatus bohndorffi. In all a total of 81 birds of 29 species were bred. There were also several new additions to the collection, including six Little Egrets Egretta garzetta , which have been placed in our large Stork Aviary. Other additions include a pair of Spix’s Guan Penelope jacquacu , a group of White-shouldered Starlings Sturnus sinensis , Citron-crested Cockatoos Cacatua sulphured citrinocristata and a pair of Blue Magpies Urocissa erythrorhyncha. We also obtained two Blue and Yellow Macaws Am ararauna and two Scarlet Macaws A . macao, which are housed on our new Macaw Island and are being trained by Senior Keeper Darren Fellowes for educational parrot displays. Darren’s enthusiasm to educate the public about the plight of parrots is highly commendable, and I am sure that the displays will be a big success. Work also started on relocating the pheasant aviaries. Built shortly after the park opened in 1970 this row of aviaries is now in a state of disrepair. Although wonderful aviaries in their time they were somewhat out of the way and even on busy days only a handful of visitors would wander down to see them. Much thought went into ways to improve the existing site, but it was decided that moving the aviaries into the heart of the park would provoke more interest. A wooded area behind the large Stork Aviary provided the inspiration for a themed area through which visitors will be able to walk. In the summer the foliage of the trees lets in dappled light which along with the bird song gives the area a relaxing atmosphere. It will be left as natural as possible, with a walk-way and aviaries scattered about the area, which will be enclosed within a perimeter fence that will also allow us to have a few free-range pheasants roaming amongst the public. This year we would love to breed Great Hombills Buceros bicornis again. The present female arrived in 2001 following the death of our old female, which was a parent of the first of these hombills bred in the UK (which is now paired-up at Chester Zoo). The new female spent 2002 bonding with our male, and the signs are looking good. We also hope to breed our Black Storks again, and have better luck with our Demoiselle Cranes. I am sure that whatever happens it will be another season of challenges, hard work and lots of excitement, after all is that not what being a bird keeper is all about? Louise Peat is a keeper at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford, Oxon. 0X18 4JW, UK . Tel:01993 823006/ Fax:01993 823807 / Website : www. cotswoldwi Idlifepark. co.uk 40 PRESIDENT’S GARDEN PARTY 2002 by Nigel Hewston On Sunday, July 14th over 100 members and guests gathered in glorious sunshine at Chestnut Lodge, the home of our President Ruth Ezra and Vice President Raymond Sawyer. The gardens as always looked wonderful with their sweeping lawns, magnificent mature trees and interesting borders. In particular the many hemerocallis in full bloom made a brilliant display and a recently planted scree garden added fascinating detail. The giant tortoises shone in the sun and took a shine to some of the visitors - particularly those with handbags - while the white wallabies watched warily from their basking area. Can Koi possibly grow bigger than this? Among the birds themselves there were as usual old favourites and new delights. Red-billed Choughs were present in some numbers having bred well in recent years, and there were waders in variety: stilts, avocets, ja£anas and at least four species of plover, though early broods of waders had been lost in poor weather. A colony of 20 Carmine Bee-eaters made a spectacular show in the waterfall aviary and no doubt give rise to a spectacular bill for mealworms, which they are adept at catching on the wing. Spangled Cotingas still graced the tropical house but had made no further nesting attempts since the previous year. The small covered aviaries housed a wide variety of smaller gems including Golden Bush Robins and Large Niltavas, and were also home to a pair of Pompadour Cotingas. New to me were some impressive south-east Asian woodpeckers, which I think were the Greater Yellownape and the Checker-throated Woodpecker. There are always so many rare and beautiful birds at Chestnut Lodge that many which would be noteworthy elsewhere escape mention here, not only in the aviaries but among the waterfowl, cranes and flamingos which roam the grounds. Members and their guests enjoyed a splendid tea and the superb weather made it easy to linger and exchange avicultural news and views. The event raised a record £800 (approx. US$1,280) which was generously donated by our hosts to the society. This year’s garden party will be held in July. Details are included with this magazine. 41 A BRIEF NOTE ON THE FEEDING BEHAVIOUR OF TWO Agapomis SPECIES by Luigi Racheli Studies on the behaviour in captivity of species of the Afrotropical genus Agapornis have been extensively conducted by Dilger (1960, 1962). Nine species are currently recognised within this genus (e.g. Juniper & Parr, 1998). Both Moreau (1948) and Dilger (1960) stressed the close relationship between the Black- winged Lovebird A. taranta and the Red-faced Lovebird A. pullarius. More recently, phylogenetic analyses of the genus Agapornis confirmed this hypothesis (Eberhard, 1998; Racheli, 1999). Here I describe preliminary observations on an unusual shared behaviour by these two species, briefly described elsewhere (Racheli, 2002). During the past five years, we have had the opportunity to study several pairs of captive-bred Black-winged Lovebirds and wild-caught Red-faced Lovebirds. A wide range of vegetables and fruits were offered to both species. When a vegetable is swaying on an unstable support, both species use their feet to grasp it and then to feed on it. Although the use of feet when feeding is common in medium and large parrots, it was not previously recorded for Agapornis species. Furthermore, it has been noticed that Black- winged Lovebirds bite off a small piece of chicory and hold it firmly between the foot and the perch. Only when this small piece of food is firmly held, do they feed 'on it. Other Agapornis species (except perhaps A. swindernianus which is not available in captivity and has not been studied) use their feet but not for feeding behaviour. For example, the species of the ‘eye-ringed group’ (A. fischeri, A . personatus, A, lilianae and A, nigrigenis ) use their feet in order to obtain materials for nest construction. This behaviour does not seem so well developed though and often the material is lost before the bird goes back to the nest. Although the unusual shared behaviour described above has been observed only in captivity, it further corroborates the close relationship between these two species. It would be of interest should this evolutionary trait be confirmed in the field. References Dilger, W. C. 1960. The comparative ethology of the African parrot genus Agapornis. Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie 17: 649-685. Dilger, W. C. 1962. The behaviour of Lovebirds. Scientific American 206: 88-98. Eberhard, J. R. 1998. Evolution of nest-building behaviour in Agapornis parrots. The Auk 115,2:455-464. Juniper,1 T.& Parr, M. 1998. Parrots - A guide to the Parrots of the World. Pica Press, Sussex. 42 Moreau, R. E. 1948. Aspects of evolution in the parrot genus Agapornis. Ibis 90: 206-239 & 449-490. Racheli, L. 1999. A cladistic analysis of the African genus Agapornis. Papageienkunde 3, 1:9- 19. Racheli, L. 2002. Uso delle zampe per fini alimentari in due specie del genere Agapornis. Uccelli 41, 12:44. Luigi Racheli, Via G. Valmarana 66, 1-00139 Rome, Italy or E-mail: racheli@tiscalinet.it NEWS & VIEWS MOST NOTEWORTHY BREEDING The most noteworthy breeding during 2002 at San Diego Zoo was the hatching of a Fawn-breasted Bowerbird Chlamydera ceiwiniventris, a species that had never previously been bred in North America. Other species bred during 2002 at San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park included Kori Bustard Ardeot is kori , Secretary Bird Sagittarius serpentarius, Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus , Indian Cotton Teal or Pygmy Goose Nettapus coromandelianus, Hyacinth Macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, Pesquet’s Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus, Great Hombill Buceros bicornis and Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae. * * * BIRDS OF PARADISE AND PARROTS IN THE DESERT Writing in International Zoo News Vol. 49/8 (No. 321), pp. 482-486 about His Excellency Sheikh Saoud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali A1 Thani’s private facility, A1 Wabra Wildlife Preservation, in Qatar, Catrin and Sven Hammer provide a full list of the species kept there. The birds include Greater Paradisaea apoda. Lesser P. minor , Red P. rubra , King Cicinnurus regius. Magnificent C. magnificus and Twelve- wired Bird of Paradise Seleucidis melanoleuca. Flamed Bowerbird Sericulus aureus ardens , Bulwer’s Pheasant Lophura bulweri , Red-tailed Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus hanksii. Yellow¬ tailed Cockatoo C.funereus , Blue-headed Macaw Am couloni , Blue-throated Macaw A. glaucogularis, Hyacinth Macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus , Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii , Pesquet’s Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus and Long-wattled Umbrellabird Cephalopterus penduliger. Some of the birds, such as birds of paradise, macaws, cockatoos, umbrellabirds and pheasants, are housed in huge aviaries with air-conditioned indoor rooms and computer-controlled irrigation systems, connected to a freshwater osmosis unit. A large walk-through free-flight aviary (75m x NEWS & VIEWS 43 30m x 7m (approx. 246ft x 98ft x 23ft)), with a rainforest-like atmosphere, has recently been completed. It accommodates male birds of paradise, starlings, pheasant pigeons, turacos and cranes. Another is under construction, in which it is planned to keep flamingos, Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber and macaws. The four species listed as having been bred there so far are, Greater and King Bird of Paradise, Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon Otidiphaps n . nobilis and Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus ellioti. In the important, but still young, collection of parrots, the first pairs had just started to lay. * * * SAVING SUMATRA’S RAINFOREST BirdLife International is appealing for help to save the lowland rainforests of Indonesia, home to birds such as the Rufous-collared Kingfisher Halcyon concreta. Rhinoceros Hombill Buceros rhinoceros , Critically Endangered Sumatran Ground-cuckoo Carpococcyx viridis and Endangered Storm’s Stork Ciconia stormi. Logging, much of it illegal, is destroying Indonesia’s rainforests at the rate of almost 2 million hectares (something like 5 million acres) per year. Over 15 million hectares (38 million acres) were logged between 1985 and 1997, an area equal in size to England and Wales. Much of the timber is pulped and used to make paper and the land is then used for oil palm plantations. Indonesia has 117 globally threatened bird species, more than any other country. The crisis is most severe on Sumatra, where 90 species are listed as globally threatened or near threatened - three times more than in 1994. Unless action is taken now, virtually all of Sumatra’s lowland rainforest could be logged-out by 2005. BirdLife International wants to secure the lease on a large intact area containing lowland rainforest and has identified on Sumatra, a 61 ,000 hectare (roughly 150,000 acre) logging concession of mainly secondary rainforest, with some primary rainforest remaining. One of the last remaining pieces of lowland rainforest on the island, it is known to be home to many threatened bird species and more are expected to be found by a survey currently being conducted by BirdLife International. It also supports an important population of Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae, estimated at 15-20 individuals, Malayan Tapir Tapirus indicus. Sun Bear Helarctos malayanus, Agile Gibbon Hylobates agilis and Siamang H. syndactylus. Donations can be sent to: Sumatra Appeal, BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 ONA, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1223 279853/Website:www.birdlife.org/sumatra. 44 NEWS & VIEWS HELP FOR THE ST VINCENT PARROT Last year, with the support of several international organisations, St Vincent Forestry Department took a number of positive steps towards the conservation of the St Vincent Parrot Amazona guildingii — the national bird of St Vincent & the Grenadines. In support of these conservation initiatives, Roger Sweeney, Associate Director, Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, Worthing, Christ Church, Barbados, made several visits to St Vincent on behalf of the sanctuary, with partial funding of his travel expenses provided by the Loro Parque Fundacion. The year began with major structural renovation work being carried out at the Calvin Nicholls Wildlife Complex, where a large captive population of St Vincent Parrots is housed. The first major renovation since the initial construction over 16 years ago, it has significantly improved the physical environment of the captive population. Funding for this work was provided by the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary and Zoologische Gesellschaft fuer Arten-und Populationsschutz e. V. (ZGAP) in Germany. At the same time as the work was being carried out, the Forestry Department was preparing to undertake the latest census of the wild population. This was made possible thanks to the World Parrot Trust (WPT) which donated field equipment worth approximately US$1,500 (£950). The census was completed during the months March - April and suggested that the wild population numbers about 550 birds and therefore remains stable, though there is some concern about the distribution of the population and patterns of disturbance to its primary habitat across its range. Following the completion of the renovation work to the Calvin Nicholls Wildlife Complex, the next area of husbandry that was identified for review was the diet of the captive population. The captive birds had been receiving a diet mainly of fruits and vegetables, supplemented with crushed calcium carbonate tablets and poultry pellets. It was decided it would be beneficial to replace the poultry pellets with good quality parrot pellets and a broad spectrum vitamin, mineral and amino acid supplement. Mark Hagen of Rolf C. Hagen, pet food and care products, generously offered a free supply of food products for the captive populations present on St Vincent and Barbados. The three products being supplied on an on-going basis are: Tropican - pellet diet for parrots. Tropi-mix — a low fat diet made from the above pellets, dried fruits and low fat cereals, etc. for obesity-prone parrots. Prime — vitamin, mineral and amino acid supplement powder. All interested parties involved with the conservation management of the St Vincent Parrot were consulted to ensure that there was general agreement that these products are suitable and will be of benefit to the birds. The costs of shipping them to the West Indies will be borne by the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary. NEWS & VIEWS 45 There was also the need to provide improved information for visitors to the wildlife complex, which is in the National Botanical Gardens in Kingstown. This was made possible by the Education Department of Chester Zoo, England, which generously donated individual signs providing basic information about the species exhibited in each enclosure. These include the Red-footed Tortoise Geochelone carhonaria, Green Vervet Monkey Cercopithecus aethiops pygerythrus and Agouti Dasyprocta punctata , as well as the St Vincent Parrot and others. A two week veterinary workshop was conducted in July by the field veterinary programme of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Dr Sharon Deems and Emily Ladwig, a senior keeper at Bronx Zoo, conducted a thorough health review of all the St Vincent Parrots on the island, examining those at the wildlife complex, as well as specimens held by private custodians. Emily also spent a significant amount of time working with the aviary staff and reviewed their husbandry routines and the practical implementation of the dietary changes. The staff greatly enjoyed the opportunity to interact with other animal care professionals and plans have been made to send some of the staff abroad to receive additional training. At the invitation of the Loro Parque Fundacion, the Principal Government Veterinarian, Dr Hachshaw, is to travel to Tenerife to participate in practical training in avian surgery techniques at the veterinary clinic there and, at the invitation of the World Parrot Trust (WPT), some of the aviary staff will undertake training at Paradise Park, Cornwall, England. Later in the year some additional signs were installed. The first is a renovated version of the old sign that describes the St Vincent Parrot and its role, and the need to protect this species. The second is a newly commissioned sign illustrating a wide variety of the unique forms of wildlife found on St Vincent, with a message about the need to protect the island’s unique biodiversity. Work on both signs was funded by the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary. In the next issue of the magazine, Roger Sweeney, the author of the above report, will describe the hand-rearing of a St Vincent Parrot and illustrate his account with photos of the chick at one day old, 15 days old, 33 days old and aged three months. * * * HELPING SAVE HORNBILLS In an attempt to dissuade indigeous people from killing hombills for their tail feathers (see News & Views Vol.108, No.l, p.47 (2002)), the first 400 hornbill feathers collected from US collections by Bronx Zoo Ornithology Curator Christine Sheppard, have been handed over to the District Chief of West Kutai District in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, for use in traditional dances. 46 NEWS & VIEWS ALBINO PENGUIN What is believed to be the first albino penguin hatched in captivity, hatched at Bristol Zoo Gardens in November 2002, and was hand-reared there. The African Penguin Spheniscus demersus is a true albino, with a pale coloured beak, pink eyes, pink feet and entirely white plumage. * * * LONG LOST SPIX’S MACAW REPATRIATED Rumours of the existence of a Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii somewhere in Colorado, USA, proved to be true when the bird’s owner living in a Denver suburb phoned a vet’s surgery to seek advice about caring for the bird, after its long time companion, an Amazon parrot Amazona spp. died, and the macaw became listless. The owner, who told authorities that the Spix’s Macaw was left with her in the late 1970s, was put in touch with the World Parrot Trust (WPT). Director, James Gilardi, pushed for the macaw, identified as a male following DNA tests on some feathers and a blood sample at San Diego Zoo, to be repatriated to Brazil. Eventually arrangements were made to return it and it was flown from Denver to Miami, where it was handed over to a Brazilian official, who took it back to Brazil where it will join a breeding programme. In a letter to the Editor of Cage & Aviary Birds (March 22, 2003), former dealer Gordon Cooke, wrote saying he is certain that this bird is one of a young pair he exported to Colorado in the mid-1970s. Apparently the buyer’s whole family came to England and resided in Leicester for the required 90 days which allowed the birds to be carried to the USA. Gordon Cooke thinks the bird must now be about 28 years old. * * * RON OXLEY The death of Ron Oxley, aged 62, on March 8th following two brain hemorrhages, came as a great shock. I leamt of his sudden illness on February 15th, when I tried to phone him at Cage & Aviary Birds. A first class aviculturist, Ron had kept birds most of his life. He joined the Avicultural Society in 1960 and in 1967 became a Life Member - back when this cost the princely sum of £25 (approx. US$40). Ron was elected onto the council in 1980 and had remained a member of the council ever since. In recent years Ron invariably drove his close friend, fellow Council Member, the late Bob Grantham, to council and social meetings and pushed him around in a wheelchair, when Bob was no longer able to walk. RON OXLEY 47 Ron kept a varied selection of birds, specialising in his early days in softbills and nectar feeders. At one time he kept a quetzal and in recent years kept birds such as peacock pheasants, Red- winged Starlings and Black- naped Fruit Doves, and bred the last three. In 1975, he succeeded in breeding the Chinese Bulbul (see Avicultural Magazine Vol. 82. No. 3, pp. 124- 126 (1976)), but does not appear to have been awarded the society’s medal. Bryan Peck was also successful with this species that year and this may be the reason why. Ron had been a top showman, whose birds were always meticulously staged in large clean cages. He, in partnership with his first wife Linda, in 1973 at the National Exhibition of Cage and Aviary Birds, then staged at Alexandra Palace, won the award for the Best Foreign. The bird, a Spangled Tanager, went on to be judged Best in Show, the only occasion a tanager has won this award at the UK’s top show. Ron was also an excellent judge, who used to be very much in demand. On numerous occasions he judged at the National Exhibition and was selected as a judge to place the Supreme Award for Best in Show. Ron joined the Foreign Bird League in 1956 and last year was made an Hon. Life Member. He was one of the last remaining founder members of the Southern Foreign Bird Club. In 1984, Ron was elected Chairman of the Foreign Bird Federation, a position he held for nearly a decade. Later he was FBF Breeding Registrar and was responsible for collating the FBF Breeding Register. Ron was also an active member of the International Touraco Society. He started his working life as a compositor in the print trade but, when he became redundant, made the transition to journalism. He joined the editorial staff of the UK weekly magazine Cage & Aviary Birds , where his knowledge of birdkeeping and contacts with individual birdkeepers and avicultural organisations quickly made him an indispensable member of staff. At the time of his death, Ron was Assistant Editor. Universally liked and described as a “nice person” and a first rate aviculturist, Ron will be greatly missed by his many friends and colleagues, and the large silent majority of aviculturists. Our deepest sympathy go to his widow, Shirley, and family. Stewart Pyper AVICULTURAL MAGAZINES BACK ISSUES A large stock is available including some early issues. Further details are available from: The Membership Secretary, Stewart Pyper, 21, Primrose Hill, Nunney, Frome, Somerset BA11 4NP, UK. Tel: 01373 836293 48 Straights Aniseed £5.50 kg Brown Perilla £2.50 kg £11.50 5kg Black Lettuce £5.50 kg £12.00 2.5kg Blue Maw £2.50 kg £11 .50 5kg Buckwheat £1.50 kg £4.95 5kg Chicory Seed £3.50 kg £15.00 5kg Chillies £2.50 500g Evening Primrose £5.50 kg Fonio Paddy £6.95 500g £13.00 kg Fresh Water Shrimps £5.00 500g £9.50 kg German Thistle £4.50 kg £8.50 2.5kg Groats £1.50 kg £5.00 5kg Juniper Berries £4.00 500g£15 2.5kg M. Sprays Chinese £3 kg £14.00 5kg M. Sprays French £3.50 kg £16.00 5kg Mountain Ash £3.25 500g £12.50 2.5kg Mung Beans £2.00 kg £8.00 5kg Niger Seed £2.50 kg £9.50 5kg Paddy Rice £1.50 kg £4.95 5kg Pine Seed Medium £3.50 500g Plantain £4.00 500g £8.00 kg Safflower £1.50 kg £4.95 5kg Seasame Seed £2.50 kg £10.00 5kg Sunflower Striped £1.95 kg £6.00 5kg Sunflower Kemals £2.95 kg £10.00 5kg Teasel Seed £4.50 500g £9.00 kg White Lettuce Seed £6.95 kg White Perilla Seed £3.00 kg £13.50 5kg Whole Rosehips £2.50 500g £5.00 kg Vitamins & Minerals Sunbird Nectars Livefoods Soak Mixes Nuts Eggfoods Softbill Diets Straights Seed Mixtures Parrot Mixes Frozen Foods Lorikeet Nectars Supplements Handrearing Formulas Mynah Pellets Dried Fruits Berries Moist Eggfood WITTE MOLEN Eggfood is a complimentary food enjoyed by all seed¬ eating birds. This food contains the correct amount of vitamins, minerals and the essential amino and fatty acids to keep your birds in good health. Witte Molen Eggfood is composed of light digestable egg products, bakery products and various seeds. This food is made from the highest quality products to ensure your birds are maintained at their optimal standard. 5kg Tub £16.95 2 Tubs 10kg £28.50 25kg Sack £39.95 Prices include Delivery Softfood With Fruit WITTE MOLEN Softfood with fruit is a complete food for insectivorous and fruit eating birds such as thrushes, blackbirds, starlings, turacos, toucans, green magpies, birds of paradise and jays. This ideal, balanced diet has a uniquely low iron content of less than 70ppm. It contains the right proportion of proteins, vitamins, minerals and all the essential amino acids and fatty acids. This food is enriched with berries and pieces of papaya, pineapple, figs and apricots. It also contains honey, brewers yeast and vitamin C. 5kg Tub £ 1 9.95 2 Tubs 1 0 kg £34.95 25kg Sack £53.95 Prices include Delivery P&P only £4.95 up to 45kg unless included in price (for most postcodes). Rob Harvey Specialist Feeds, Kookaburra House, Gravel Hill Road, Holt Pound, Famham, Surrey, GU10 4LG. Tel: 01420 23986 Fax: 01420 23078 E-mail: rob@robharvey.com Website: www: robharvey.com Sole UK agent for Witte Molen & Avi-Plus All major CC taken WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL RELEASE PROJECT During the 2002 breeding season, 16 captive pairs of San Clemente Loggerhead Shrikes Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi produced 55 young, 1 1 of which were hand-reared, while the remaining 44 were raised by their parents. Of the 55, 39 were later released onto this fog-shrouded island about 50 miles (80km) off the coast of San Diego, California. It was part of the cooperative effort by the Zoological Society of San Diego, US Navy, PRBO Conservation Science and the Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS) to save this shrike from extinction. In 1 99 1 , fewer than 20 remained in the wild. Thankfully, the population has increased dramatically since 1999, when the present release effort began. Since the beginning of that breeding season, when just 19 remained in the wild, 122 chicks have been successfully hand-reared in the zoological society’s captive-rearing facility on the island and 184 have been raised by the shrikes themselves. By the end of 2002 there were more than 80 breeding birds, two-thirds of them captive-bred. f¥¥\ Ackroyd’s Australian Avitours RAY ACKROYD'S AUSTRALIAN BIRDWATCHING AND NATURALHISTORYTOURS * We offer adventure tours of the highest standard led by Ray Ackroyd a knowledgeable and enthusiastic bush guide with 50 years outback experience. * Our tours are well priced and we travel with small groups for that exclusive personalised service that is so hard to find in today’s tourist industry. * Everybody has a window seat and our accommodation is modern and spacious. * So come down and discover Australia’s unique fauna and flora, the tour of a life time: Cockatoos, Parrots, Reptiles, Waterfowl, Kangaroos, Koalas, Wildflowers, Landscapes. Many overseas aviculturists have travelled with us to date, all completely satisfied. So please join Ray and our Hostess Beryl on the Australian Outback Tour of a Lifetime. Enquiries for itineraries: Ray Ackroyd’s Australian Avitours, PO Box 44, Bringelly N.S.W., Australia. Tel: 0247 748471 Email: cockatoosgalore@hotmail.com Fax: 029 8261639 CONTENTS SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES 3 9088 01769 6493 Management of bustards in captivity by Tom Bailey and Sara Hallager . 1 Wonga success by Louise Peat . . . 9 Breeding the Chestnut-tailed Minla Minla strigula by Neil Owen . 12 Breeding and hand-rearing the Blue- winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden by Angela Hardy . 14 Breeding the Hoopoe Upupa epops at Disney’s Animal Kingdom by Paul Schutz . 22 The Festive Amazon Amazonaf estiva f estiva in the wild and in captivity by Lars Lepperhoff . 29 Cotswold Wildlife Park Review of 2002 by Louise Peat . 38 President’s Garden Party 2002 by Nigel Hewston . 40 A brief note on the feeding behaviour of two Agapornis species by Luigi Racheli . 41 News & Views . 42 Obituary - Ron Oxley 46 Published by the Avicultural Society, England. Produced by Data Publishing Service, Cheddar.