AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE VOLUME 112 No. 2 2006 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 2006 as for 2005: 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. THE HON. SECRETARY AND TREASURER, THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY, ARCADIA, THE MOUNTS, TOTNES, DEVON TQ9 7QJ, UK. 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. In case of difficulty please contact the Hon. Secretary and Treasurer at the address above, or e-mail: Paul@pboulden.fsnet.co.uk 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. 112 - No. 2 All rights reserved ISSN 0005 2256 2006 BREEDING THE WHITE-BROWED COUCAL Centropus superciliosus AT EXMOOR ZOOLOGICAL PARK by Derek Gibson On March 24th 2005, 2.1 White-browed Coucals, captive-bred in 2003 in Europe, arrived at Exmoor Zoological Park from the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Oxfordshire (see Cotswold Wildlife Park Review of 2005 by Louise Peat, Avicultural Magazine Vol. 1 12, Nod, pp. 8-9, (2006)). They were placed in a quarantine aviary in which it became very apparent that we had a matched pair and an additional male. The odd bird was removed and housed in a separate quarantine unit. Aviary The pair was released into an aviary measuring 3.8m x 2.7m (approx. 12ft 6in x 8ft lOin), which is covered on both sides, the back and a quarter of the roof, leaving just three-quarters of the roof open to the elements. At the back of the aviary there is a warm, dry shed measuring approximately 1.3m x lm (4ft 4in x 3ft 4in), that is the same height as the aviary. The outside area has three large clumps of bamboo, which are trimmed at lm- 1.4m (approx. 3ft 3in-4ft Tin) tall and there are three palms Phoenix canariensis , which at present are 1.3m (approx. 4ft 4in) tall. The floor has 5cm (2in) deep pea shingle. Access is at the rear through a safety porch. The perches (cut from Beech Fagus sylvatica) are 5cm- 15cm (2in-6in) in diameter and run continuously throughout the length and width of the aviary. At the rear of the aviary they run the full width to a height of 2m (approx. 6ft 6in) and the full length at a height of 1.5m (approx. 5ft) and 0.8m (approx. 2ft 7in) at the front. The coucals love to run along the perches, often preferring this to flying. The single nest box is situated at the rear of the enclosure at a height of approximately 1.7m (5ft 7in). It is 28cm wide x 42cm long xl5cm deep (1 lin wide x 1ft 4'/2in long x 6in deep), with a wire mesh bottom. The feeding station is also situated at the rear of the enclosure, 50 GIBSON - WHITE-BROWED COUCAL at a height of approximately 1.4m (4ft Tin). No artificial heat or light are provided, as the coucals seem more than capable of thriving all year round here at Exmoor without artificial heat and/or light. Diet Here at Exmoor the coucals receive: Bogena Insectivorous mix Soaked crushed Zoo A Apple, pear, banana, carrot, grapes etc., cut into 5mm square pieces Raw minced (ground) meat Crushed boiled egg Raw sprats The following livefood is offered: Large locusts Field crickets Waxmoth larvae Mealworms All the above are taken readily. At 10.00am- 10.30am the birds receive the softbill mix, then at 3 .00pm-3 .30pm they are given livefood. This regime suits us and the coucals well. In the afternoon, the livefood is scattered about the aviary and enables the keepers to see the birds at their best and most active. It is a wonderful sight to see the coucals scurrying about on the floor searching for livefood and observing just how many insects they can eat before their partner. They then return to perch on a branch and wait for their next meal. A rotten log (which is replaced twice a year) is placed in the aviary, and the coucals spend time excavating bugs from it. Clean water is available for drinking and bathing. Nesting 23.04.05 09.05.05 12.05.05 19.05.05 26.05.05 Both the male and the female were observed carrying bamboo leaves to the nest box. The initial nest was a very loose affair, with a small depression in the middle. The first egg was laid, followed by a further four eggs, which were laid at daily intervals. The eggs were white and fairly uniform in size. Average measurement 30mm x 22mm (from five eggs). Both the male and female sat on the nest. The nest had expanded in size, due to us adding bamboo leaves and coconut fibre, which were woven into the nest, which now filled the box. Broken eggshells were found on the aviary floor and newly- GIBSON - WHITE-BROWED COUCAL 51 hatched coucals were observed. A period of 1 7 days passed from when the first egg was laid to when the first egg hatched. The young The five young were all very vocal, even when the female was brooding them. Eight extra feeds of livefood were given throughout the day between 8.00am-6.00pm. The chicks each had an enormous gape and black and white quills, which made them look like tiny porcupines. 29.05.05 The female was observed feeding the youngsters from the softbill mix, but took only the minced meat and sprats. The quantities of these were therefore increased. The parents were at this time very vocal and protective of the young. The male would “hiss” and flick his tail from side to side when keepers entered the aviary, although at no time did he attempt to ‘dive bomb’ them. The female sat as tight and as still as she could and only left her precious brood when the nest was inspected. 07.06.05 One of the chicks was found dead on the aviary floor. Very little of it was left except the wings and torso. We can only assume that it died in the nest and was promptly eaten by the others. Possibly it had been the youngest, as the remaining four chicks were all very much at the same stage of development. Their eyes were now open, the quills had turned brown and the gape, that was previously a very pale pink colour, was a more muted black, though the tongue remained pink. 10.06.05 Minced meat and fish were no longer being taken, only livefood. They probably got through 10 locusts, 20 crickets, 20-30 waxmoths and handsful of mealworms each day. 13.06.05 The first two young fledged. They looked very different from the adult male and female. Their iris was brown, their feathers were very dark and they had only a short tail. 14.06.05 The male was seen feeding locusts to the two young which had fledged the previous day, while the female continued to brood the two young which remained in the nest. 1 5.06.05 Two bowls of food were now being provided, one at the feeding station and the other on the floor. 16.06.05 The male was very protective of the two fledglings and seemed to be encouraging them to feed themselves. When the oldest of the two begged to be fed, the male appeared to ignore it and fed the others. 18.06.05 The remaining two young fledged. The two that had fledged earlier were observed eating minced meat from the bowl on the 52 GIBSON - WHITE-BROWED COUCAL floor. When they begged for food, they were ignored but the youngest two were fed. The softbill mix was tried, but was quickly discarded. 21 .06.05 All four youngsters were hiding, motionless, in the bamboo. At no time after they had fledged was the female involved in their development, instead she preferred to rebuild the nest. 29.06.05 The male was very vocal. He was calling to the female, who was sitting on the nest. I can best describe his call as a rolling “doodle, doodle, do”. 20.07.05 Nine eggs had been laid. 30.07.05 All nine were clear. Average measurement 32mm x 22mm (nine eggs). No further nesting attempts were made. All four youngsters grew to look identical to their parents. The iris of the eyes slowly turned red and by the turn of the year the juvenile feathers had become like those of the adults. The young were removed from the aviary in March 2006, as it was decided that they might disrupt breeding this year. At the time of writing (April 2006), Exmoor Zoological Park has 2.1.4 White-browed Coucals, and we have our fingers crossed that another successful breeding season lays ahead with these most beautiful and rewarding birds. Derek Gibson, Exmoor Zoological Park, South Stowford, Bratton Fleming, Barnstaple, Devon EX 3 1 4SG, UK. As described above, the White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus, has been bred at the Exmoor Zoological Park. It is believed to be the first breeding of this species in Great Britain or Ireland. Anyone who knows of a previous breeding is asked to inform the Hon. Secretary. SOME NOTES ON OUR EXPERIENCES OF KEEPING AND BREEDING THE YELLOW-THROATED LAUGHINGTHRUSH Garrulax galbanus courtoisi 53 by Martina Reul-Schneider and Holger Schneider The Yellow-throated Laughingthrush is a highly social species. It breeds in flocks in the wild, which is an exception within the genus Garrulax. When fonning new pairs in an aviary, it is necessary to take into account the social behaviour of this species. It is not possible to tell the sex of this laughingthrush by its appearance or its behaviour. Behaviour amongst birds of the same sex is the same as amongst pairs. Although you find two birds of a true pair sitting very close to each other at night, to prove that two birds really are a true pair, DNA-analysis is necessary. In the case of the 2.2 we keep, the two males are very closely attached to each other. If you simply relied upon their behaviour, you would mistakenly place them together as a pair. In our opinion G. galbanus courtoisi should not be regarded as a subspecies of G. galbanus. Their appearances are similar, but their behaviour is quite different. Captive management Because of its social behaviour described above, the Yellow-throated Laughingthrush can easily be kept with many other bird species, even other laughingthrushes. However, breeding success is unlikely in an aviary housing many inhabitants. Young Yellow-throated Laughingthrushes leave the nest very early and helpless and often fall victim to other birds. Small, ground¬ living birds such as ground doves and quail, would probably not unduly affect their breeding success. The Y ellow-throated Laughingthrush will only begin breeding, if it feels safe in an aviary. Such an aviary needs to be fairly thickly planted, but with enough space to fly. It loves to take a bath in a small pond. The aviary needs to have an enclosed shelter into which the birds can retreat during cold weather, as you sometimes see specimens with frost-bitten toes. Our two pairs are the sole occupants of a 23sq m (approx. 269sq ft) aviary, with a 9sq m (approx. 96sq ft) enclosed shelter. The aviary is planted with a Beech Fagus sylvatica , an Apple Tree, hawthorn Crataegus sp., buddleia and bamboo. A clematis is growing on the wall of the shelter. The birds are only fed inside the shelter. They roost inside the shelter all year round and almost always breed inside the shelter. Diet Not much is known about their food in the wild. Dependent on the 54 REUL-SCHNEIDER & SCHNEIDER - YELLOW-THROATED LAUGHINGTHRUSH season and the biotope, they are thought to eat a mixed diet of fruits, berries, seeds and insects. Outside the breeding season our laughingthrushes get the usual softbill food and fruit. Then before the breeding season begins (mid- March-early April) we begin to mix the softfood with a commercial insect food at a ratio of three parts softfood to one part insect food. The birds continue to be fed fruit, plus the addition of some mealworms. A vitamin and mineral supplement (Korvimin) is given all year round. Nest building In the wild nest building mostly starts in mid- April or the end of April. That is when about 200 birds assemble in five known colonies. They always prefer to breed in the same places in big Cinnamon Trees. The nests are built close to each other. In aviaries Yellow-throated Laughingthrushes can be bred in pairs as well as in flocks. The birds build the rather stable nest in a place of their choosing. In contrast to the wild birds, aviary birds choose very different nesting places. In aviaries nests have been built in bamboo, Thuja , conifers, hawthorn and so on. More important is the safety of the nesting site. The birds like little baskets made of bast as the base of the nest. Some nests are used a second time for the next brood. We put the baskets (1 5cm (almost 6in) in diameter) inside at the beginning of April, depending on the weather. Our birds prefer to nest inside the shelter. In the past five years they have built only one nest outside, on that occasion in a clematis. The inside of the shelter is equipped only with branches. The bifurcated (forked), leafless branches are arranged vertically like small, bare trees. The nesting baskets are fixed 1.8m (approx 6ft) high. They become surrounded by juniper or other coniferous leaves, so that a little cave arises. There should be one, or better still, two narrowing openings through which the birds can enter and leave the nest, and a cavity above the nest. We have tested various different nesting materials and found that our birds prefer dry blades of grass. Round blades of grass lmm-2mm in diameter and 15cm- 20cm (6in-8in) long are perfect. They must be flexible. Building usually begins some days after the nesting material has been provided. The birds seem to fly about the aviary with blades of grass in their bills, without any sense of purpose, for two to three days; but then the nest is completed in one and a half to two days. In many cases the first egg is laid the next day. Egg-laying and incubation Yellow-throated Laughingthrushes mostly lay three to four clean white eggs, but can lay as few as two or as many as five. Both partners incubate the eggs. Apparently the female incubates mostly at night and the male during the day. When the birds start sitting, they can very easily be disturbed. Therefore great care must be taken not to disturb them for at least the first REUL-SCHNEIDER & SCHNEIDER - YELLOW-THROATED LAUGHINGTHRUSH 55 six to seven days. The chicks hatch after 16 days. Our two pairs build their nests 2m (approx. 6ft 6 in) apart from each other and there is never any aggressive behaviour between the two pairs. In one case the first eggs of one pair were infertile. This pair was then attracted by the calls of the newly-hatched chicks of the other pair and began helping to care for them. Again this did not lead to any aggressive behaviour between the two pairs. The four adult birds fed the young and sat on the nest brooding them. It would have been interesting to have observed them for longer, but the pairs were separated from each other in order to get a fresh clutch of eggs from the first pair (the helpers). A pair may produce up to four more clutches if earlier breeding attempts have been unsuccessful. The female may also incubate the second clutch alone, while the male cares for the chicks from the first clutch. The hatching of the chicks There is little detailed information available about the hatching of the chicks and their diet in the wild. In our experience they leave the nest after just 12 days. It is a very young age at which to leave the nest and they remain very dependent on their parents. They can climb well and healthy young birds immediately try to reach the highest branches. They sit close to their siblings. Other birds in the aviary can pose a danger to them, due to the young laughingthrashes’ clumsy behaviour. It is advantageous if the birds nest in the inside part of the aviary, where the young birds can stay for the first few days and are protected from bad weather, such as heavy rain or long-lasting cold or wet weather, which can be harmful to young birds. Rearing the chicks presents the greatest problem: in the first three years only one out of nearly 30 of our chicks survived. All died during the first five weeks, before they had become independent. Others have experienced similar problems: the studbook keeper has reported the loss of chicks in the UK and reading the US studbook, one also finds that only a very small number of chicks survive. Various zoos and private breeders have confirmed this. Attempts to hand-rear the chicks had produced the same result, but recently chicks have been hand-reared in a few zoo collections. The symptoms we observed, leading to the death of the young, were always the same with, in most cases, the chicks dying less than 24 hours after first showing symptoms. The chicks suddenly became lethargic and then their legs were affected. They became stiff and stretched forward and the toes clenched into 'fists5, so that the birds could no longer grip the branches. In addition, the birds developed diarrhoea, which resulted in the feathers around the cloaca becoming stuck together. Some birds also had difficulty breathing. Examination of the birds5 faeces found no coccidia or salmonella, only a sparse growth of coliformes. Examination of the dead 56 REUL-SCHNEIDER & SCHNEIDER - YELLOW-THROATED LAUGHINGTHRUSH chicks failed to establish any single, uniform, cause of death. During these years, the breeding pairs were given different bowls containing different kinds of food, with which to rear their young. There was softfood as described earlier, fruit such as papaya (pawpaw), apple and grapes and livefood (50% mealworms and 50% crickets and waxworms). They were also given a vitamin and mineral supplement (Korvimin). Unfortunately the parents took only the livefood to feed to their young and ignored the other food. After different attempts to optimize the rearing of the young, we made two important changes in the 2004 breeding season. First of all, the food was offered in a different way. The livefood and fruit were cut into very tiny pieces and mixed with each other. The softfood was finely ground and mixed with the livefood and fruit from the third day onwards. The result was that the different elements of food stuck to each other. This meant that the parents were forced to feed the chicks a mixture of foods, instead of just the preferred livefood. The second change we made was that in addition to the vitamin and mineral supplement, we added a dose of vitamin Bi (using pulverized tablets). After we made these changes, all the young grew up without any losses during the following two years. On reaching independence The young begin to feed independently at five to six weeks of age, though the parents continue to care for them for some weeks afterwards. It may be that young of the first clutch assist with the rearing of the young of the second clutch. In the wild the young birds probably live in small groups with their family, and wander around until the next breeding season. We have observed some especially interesting behaviours during the development of the young. In one case, a juvenile which was already independent, took part in brooding the second clutch. It was not clear if the bird was really helping, or if it was just trying to have contact with its parents, which mostly brooded at the same time with it. In another case, a 1 5 day old hand-reared youngster was immediately adopted by the adult birds, which were not breeding at the time. Two seven week old youngsters were housed with a single adult male, in order to let the parents produce a second clutch, and the youngsters were adopted by the male. The above are examples of the extremely social behaviour of this species. Holger Schneider and Martina Reul-Schneider live in Germany. E- mail: schneiderholger@t-online.de 57 YELLOW-THROATED LAUGHINGTHRUSH Laura Gardner, Curator of Birds, Leeds Castle Aviaries and Species Coordinator for the European zoo population, has provided the following facts about the the Yellow-throated Laughingthrush and the Yellow-throated Laughingthrush Project 2004. Bjorn Anderson Yellow-throated Laughingthrush {courtoisi), Wuyuan, China. History of the bird in the wild in China 1919 Two collected in Wuyuan, south-east China. 1923 Birds described as Garrulax courtoisi. 1930 This was changed to G. galbanus courtoisi. 1956 Three were collected at Simao in south Yunnan, south-west China. 1 988 Birds appeared in trade, although until then known only from China as museum specimens, with no subsequent sightings recorded by either Chinese or visiting ornithologists. Aims of 2004 project To visit six known breeding locations in China. Make behavioural observations. Undertake a population census. Collect DNA samples. Renew Memorandum of Understanding with Wuyuan Forestry Department. 58 GARDNER - YELLOW-THROATED LAUGHINGTHRUSH Breeding Nests in tall trees. Trees around villages. Trees adjacent to river. Population overview Year Site 1 Site 2&3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6 2000 45-50 ? ? 50-60 ? 2001 about 40 50-60 4 about 50 ? 2002 40-45 50-60 - about 50 ? 2003 30-40 60-80 - 40-50 about 20 2004 20+ 30-40 _ 30-40 20-30 Significance of Site 6 Close proximity of birds to people. Potential for close sociobiological observations. Different to other breeding sites (lower trees; not adjacent to river; in yard of town government offices). Predators. Success of colonial nesting. Partners in conservation ZGAPS German conservation organisation that initiated support for surveys in the wild. CEPA French conservation organisation. Chester Zoo. Leeds Castle. Also funding from Mulhouse Zoo, France and UK-based Avicultural Society. Status of birds in European zoos Thirty-six birds were held in 1 1 collections at the end of December 2003. Doubts exist over the taxonomy of these birds, which may be courtoisi or simaoensis. Chick mortality remains a problem. Further investigation is needed regarding the birds’ sociobiological needs, e.g. are they best kept communally or in pairs. Proposals for 2004-2007 The use of radio-tracking to help locate wintering sites. To find a Chinese student to undertake behavioural studies and population viability analysis. Continue to search for simaoensis. Investigate taxonomy - DNA-analysis of simaoensis and courtoisi to be undertaken. Circulation of husbandry/veterinary questionaire. Compile and publish Husbandry Guidelines . GARDNER - YELLOW-THROATED LAUGHINGTHRUSH 59 Special thanks to: The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. Leeds Castle Foundation. Prof. He Fen-qi, Academia Sinica, Beijing. Wuyuan Forestry Department. Dr Roger Wilkinson, Chester Zoo. Dr Roland Wirth, ZGAP. Bjorn Anderson. Since the above was written, the Avieultural Society has received a request for funding for a 1 0- day visit to Simao by Prof. He Fen-qi, to again search for simaoensis, which has not been seen for definite in the wild since the three specimens were collected in 1956. Prof. He Fen-qi has made several previous visits to the area including one with Laura in 2004. Hopes were raised early last year when on his third visit he and his colleagues heard and glimpsed a bird they thought was simaoensis. Dr Roger Wilkinson, Mary Richardson and Prof. He Fen-qi visited the area later in 2005; but were unable to find this enigmatic bird. Most or all previous visits to Simao have been in the spring (the season when the type specimen was collected). This time though Prof. He Fen-qi planned to visit the area in August, the main rainy season around Simao. AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE BACK ISSUES The society has a large stock of back issues mostly from 1935 onwards but there are also some earlier issues still available. They are priced £3.00 each (including p&p). Please check availability before placing an order. Overseas members may be able to pay by credit card through a Paypal invoice, but this service is not available in all countries. All enquiries should be addressed to: P. Boulden, Hon. Secretary/Treasurer, Avieultural Society, Arcadia, The Mounts, East Allington, Totnes, Devon TQ9 7JQ, UK or E-mail : admin@avisoc .co.uk 60 ON THE EDGE by Jo Gregson There are about 300 species of pigeons and doves in the world today. Many of them we see each day and take for granted, hardly giving them a second glance. This is odd, because the pigeon more than any other bird, has been important to man in so many ways, e.g. as a source of food, a message carrier, game bird, aviary pet and even magician’s foil. The Dodo Raphus cucullatus and Passenger Pigeon Ectopistes migratorius paid the ultimate price for our adventures, but, for the Socorro Dove Zenaida graysoni , now extinct in the wild, we have a rare second chance. The Socorro Dove was last observed on Socorro (off the west coast of Mexico) in 1972. In captivity, however, this species is thriving and the captive population is being globally managed by aviculturists in many zoos and bird collections. At first glance the Socorro Dove appears to be a rather dull looking bird, that is an overall ruddy brown colour, but when seen close-up and in natural sunlight, it is seen to be delicately marked with shades of brown and to sport a bluish-grey head and nape. This colouring is less pronounced in the female. The extinction of this species in the wild was brought about by the introduction to the island of the domestic cat and habitat changes due to extensive sheep fanning. In recent years, while aviculturists have been busy managing the captive population, fieldwork has been carried out to eradicate feral cats and restore the island’s plant life. It seems that many species of pigeon simply cannot wait to burst skyward in a flurry of feathers, unlike the Socorro Dove which is calm and unfazed by everyday business. It spends much of its time on the ground quietly foraging for food, which must have made it easy prey for feral cats and man. As with most pigeons and doves, this species is fairly undemanding and is in no way difficult to keep in captivity. It is hardy and is a regular breeder, making it an ideal aviary bird. Here at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park on the south coast of Devon, our specimens live outside all year round. They have access to heated shelters in which they can roost during cold weather, though most prefer to brave the elements. Their diet consists of a seed mixture, mixed millets, wheat and cracked maize. In addition, they are fed a small amount of boiled egg and chopped lettuce, lightly sprinkled with SA37. Lime and flint grit are always available. It has been said that these birds can be aggressive to each other and to other species. We have not found this to be a problem. Our two main breeding pairs are housed in mixed exhibits, these are though some 30ft and 40ft (approx. 9.1m and 12.1m) high and do contain a lot of natural plant growth. GREGSON - ON THE EDGE 61 The following birds all live peacefully with our Socorro Doves: Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis Californian Quail Callipepla californica Edwards’s Pheasant Lophura edwardsi Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur Red-crested Turaco Tauraco erythrolophus Green Turaco Tauraco persa Bali Starling Leucopsar rothschildi Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyana Zebra Finch Taeniopygia guttata Male Socorro Doves mature in 12-18 months, depending on the time of the year that they were hatched. We have kept mixed sex groups of young birds in small holding aviaries without any problems until dominant males reach about 14 months of age. At this time they start driving the young females and have to be removed from the aviary. On occasions females have been aggressive to other females when held in small enclosures. Females mature at about the same age as the males. The youngest female here to lay an egg was 12 months old. In an ideal world, young birds should be paired and placed in a large aviary, before they are two years of age. A trait that sets the Socorro Dove apart from most other captive pigeons and doves is its ability to build a nest. Yes, it is true, they build their own nests - and they are good nests at that! Two eggs are laid and are incubated for 15 days, very often with both chicks being reared. The favoured height for nest building is about 6ft-7ft (approx. 1.8m-2.1m) above the ground, in dense vegetation. We have left young from several broods with their parents for up to a year without any problems. Some of our young inexperienced females will use wicker baskets to nest in. Plans for the reintroduction of this species back onto Socorro are shaping up well. A block of aviaries has been erected on the island in preparation for a soft release scheme, due to begin in the near future. Captive-bred birds to be used in this scheme will be selected following health screening and DNA testing. Once the reintroduction begins, I am sure it will not be long before the Socorro Doves ‘find their feef and once more become part of the island’s wildlife. Jo Gregson is Senior Head Keeper of Birds at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, Totnes Road, Paignton, Devon TQ4 7EU, UK. Tel:01803 697500/Fax:01803 523457/Website:www.paigntonzoo. org.uk/ E-mail :jgregson@paigntonzoo. org. uk 62 BREEDING THE WHITE-BELLIED GO-AWAY BIRD Corythaixoides leucogaster AT WADDESDON MANOR by Andrew Owen Description The White-bellied Go-away Bird is a member of the turaco family. It is 50cm (approx. 193/4in) in length, of which approximately 25cm (about 93/4in) is taken up by the tail. The adults have a grey head, breast, back, wings, upper tail-coverts and central tail feathers, the latter becoming darker towards the tip. The median and greater wing-coverts have black tips, which form bars across the closed wings. The white bases of the black primaries are conspicuous when the birds fly. They have a 6cm (approx 2V2in) long, black-tipped crest, which can be raised or lowered onto the head. The lower breast, belly, thighs and under tail-coverts are white. The legs and feet are blackish-grey. It is the only sexually dimorphic member of the turaco family, the male having a black bill, whereas that of the female is a pale greyish- green colour. Distribution and habitat The White-bellied Go-away Bird is found in east and north-east Africa, in north-west, central and southern Somalia, Ethiopia, southern Sudan, north¬ east Uganda, northern and eastern Kenya, south through the eastern plateau of Tanzania. It is a bird of arid habitats, where it favours hot, low-lying acacia savannah and scrub with scattered trees. It occurs from sea level to an altitude of 1,700m (approx. 5,475ft) and is generally common throughout its range (del Hoyo et al. 1997; Stevenson & Fanshawe, 2003). Food This species feeds on a diet of fruits, flowers, seeds, leaves and buds of acacias and other plants, particularly favouring the young green pods of Acacia tortilis (del Hoyo et al. 1997). Our birds Three male White-bellied Go-away Birds were purchased from a dealer in 2002. Following quarantine, the three were moved to one of the on-show aviaries, which also housed a small group of Emerald Starlings Lamprotornis iris. One of the White-bellied Go-away Birds died of septicaemia following an injury to one of its legs. A female, a bird believed to have been bred at VogelPark Walsrode, Germany, was bought from a private aviculturist in September 2003. The female spent the winter months in quarantine and in late spring 2004 was introduced to one of the remaining two males. The OWEN - WHITE-BELLIED GO-AWAY BIRD 63 pair bonded immediately and mating was observed during the pairs’ first day together. Following her prolonged period in quarantine, the females’ condition improved over the next few weeks, in part due to increased exercise and access to an outside aviary. In August 2004, we learned that Birdworld in Surrey had a single female that was laying eggs regularly, so immediately sent our spare male there on breeding loan, in the hope of establishing a second pair. Accommodation The aviary our pair is housed in comprises of an outside flight 14ft long x 12ft wide (approx. 4.2m long x 3.6m wide), with a domed roof that is 15ft (approx. 4.5m) tall at its highest point. Natural branches are provided for perching and the flight is planted with a number of shrubs including Bamboo Pseudosasa japonica, Box Buxus sempervirens , False Acacia Rohina pseudoacacia and palms Trachycarpus fortunii and Spirea. The White- bellied Go-away Birds often eat the leaves and new buds of the acacia and Spirea , but ignore the Box. Bark chippings and leaf litter cover the aviary floor, in the centre of which there is a shallow pool in which the birds often bathe. The roof of the flight is partially covered and provides the birds with protection during inclement weather. In addition the birds always have access to a large indoor shelter which is heated to approximately 20°C (68°F). They often spend a considerable amount of time in the shelter and often do not venture into the outside flight for several days at a time. Feeding When the males first arrived, they would eat little else other than chopped lettuce, banana and a few mealworms. However, over time they began to accept the wide variety ripe fruits offered to our other species of turaco, i.e. diced apple, pear, grapes, mango, papaya (pawpaw), kiwi fruit, plums, peaches and nectarines. Other fruits offered when in season, may include, strawberries, blueberries, apricots, figs and pomegranates. A proprietary brand of low iron softbill food is also provided, to which is added, soaked raisins, grated carrot and boiled egg. Low iron softbill pellets are also added to the mix. All the above items are taken to a lesser or greater degree, however, the birds definitely have a pronounced preference for greenfood, as they do in the wild. This was also noted at Houston Zoo, where this species was first bred (Todd et al. 1985). Therefore, during the summer of 2004, the birds were offered romaine (cos) lettuce, spinach, pak-choi (Chinese celery cabbage), peas and leafy, cut branches of a number of trees and scrubs 64 OWEN - WHITE-BELLIED GO-AWAY BIRD growing in the estate grounds. These included Hawthorn Crataegus nigra , Lime Tilia sylvatica, honeysuckle Lonicera spp., Cotoneaster spp. and willow Salix spp., from which the birds ate the tender young leaves. Breeding Following the initial flurry of activity, which included mating and a lot of calling, when the pair was placed together, there were few further signs of breeding behaviour until July 19th, when the male was seen chasing the female. A few days later, on July 22nd and 23rd, the female was seen carrying fine twigs to a wicker nest basket, attached to a wall high up in the aviary shelter. No further breeding activity was seen until December 18th, when the male was seen sitting for a brief period in the nest basket. This behaviour continued for the next five days, during which time the female was never seen on the nest. On December 22nd the male had been observed feeding regurgitated food to the female. On December 29th the female solicited food from the male by fluttering her wings, before and during feeding, much like a turaco chick would beg for food. An hour later she was sitting in the basket. Over the next week, the pair was often seen sitting together on the nest. On February 7th the birds were seen possibly mating and continued to spend a lot of time in the basket. We were reluctant to disturb them, but during a brief period on February 18th when they were not sitting, a nest inspection revealed a single pale bluish-green egg. During this inspection the birds returned and were calling loudly. After this, disturbance was kept to a minimum. During the next two days, the male incubated throughout the day, rarely coming off the nest to feed. We assumed that the female probably took over incubation during the evening. A second egg was laid on February 21st, but was laid from the perch and smashed. By the end of February we felt the hatching of the egg was overdue, but allowed the birds to continue sitting until March 3rd, when the egg was removed and found to be infertile. There were a lot of feathers in the shelter and the female began to moult heavily. On March 26th the birds were behaving strangely, with both of them making an unusual continuous croaking call, that was very different from their usual rather duck-like nasal call. The male was chasing the female around the aviary floor, but no aggression was observed. On March 28th the nest was checked and found to contain two bluish-green eggs. These subsequently proved to be infertile. From the beginning of April the nest was seldom left unattended and by April 9th the birds appeared to be sitting again. Often both birds would sit together in the basket, but with the male continuing to carry out most of the assumed incubation during the day. Because of our reluctance to disturb the birds it was not until April 28th that we were able to confirm that there were OWEN - WHITE-BELLIED GO-AWAY BIRD 65 two eggs in the nest. When the nest was checked on May 9th it was found to contain an egg and a recently hatched chick. The chick’s head, neck and back were covered with sooty brownish-grey down, with paler creamy- white down on the flanks and underside. Both adults remained on the nest during the inspection. A close examination of the nest revealed that it had been heavily lined with bamboo twigs and leaves. On May 1 1th the second egg, which was infertile, was removed from the nest. Both parents continued to take turns brooding the chick during the day and were seen eating buds and flowers of the acacia tree in the outside flight and feeding the regurgitated buds and flowers to the chick. The chick continued to grow well and by eight days of age it had trebled in size and the dark pin-feathers of the wings and tail were erupting. The adults were offered a large amount of greenfood, in the form of romaine lettuce, pak-choi and spinach, as well as the leafy branches of Hawthorn, Lime, Hazel Corylus avellana, willow and honeysuckle. All of these were taken, with the tender young leaves of the Lime and Hawthorn being favoured. Very little fruit appeared to be taken at this time. By the time it was 1 5 days old the chick had a small crest and a short tail approximately 4cm (just over Vhm) long. The wing feathers were grey with distinctive black barring, similar to that of the adults. The chick left the nest basket on day 1 8 and landed amongst a thick layer of conifer branches that had been placed beneath the nest site a few days earlier. It appeared to be healthy and both parents were in close attendance throughout the rest of the day. The next morning the chick was found on the aviary floor. It was very weak and was chilled, having apparently been abandoned by its parents, which until then had been model parents. The chick was immediately placed in a brooder and after an hour began to warm up. During the day it grew increasingly stronger, but refused to take food from a dish or from tweezers. It was therefore force-fed at two hourly intervals with a variety of fruits, lettuce and soaked T16 turaco pellets. The temperature in the brooder was reduced to 26°C (78.8°F), after which the chick seemed more comfortable. It was decided not to return it to its parents, which showed no signs of distress over losing their chick. The chick, which was placed in a small cage, was beginning to take food from a pair of tweezers and showed a strong preference for greenfood such as lettuce and peas. Other food items had to be hidden behind the lettuce and peas before the chick would eat them. After five days the young go-away bird would avidly take peas and bits of mango from tweezers, but would refuse everything else. Over the following 10 days the young go-away bird’s health declined rapidly, it refused to voluntarily take any food from the dish or tweezers and became increasingly weak. It had to be force-fed every meal and would often 66 OWEN - WHITE-BELLIED GO- AWAY BIRD Andrew Owen Female sitting on nest. Andrew Owen Female, male (with black bill) and chick. OWEN - WHITE-BELLIED GO-AWAY BIRD 67 Eight days old. Andrew Owen Aged 25 days. Andrew Owen 68 OWEN - WHITE-BELLIED GO-AWAY BIRD regurgitate the food as soon as it had been given to it. As it was refusing all food and had become increasingly weak, the decision was taken to euthanase it at 42 days old. A post mortem showed that apart from a large, fatty liver, all the other organs appeared to be normal. On June 8th, four days after the pair had been seen mating, the first egg of a further clutch was laid. Prior to this a CCTV camera had been placed above the nest and this allowed us to make detailed observations of the nesting activity. Incubation commenced following the laying of the first egg, after which two further eggs were laid on alternate days. Three egg clutches are often laid by the grey turacos, unlike the green and blue members of the family, which normally lay only two eggs (del Hoyo et al. 1997). As with the earlier nesting attempts, the birds shared incubation duties, with the male sitting for the majority of the day and the female sitting in the evening. Occasionally both birds would sit on the nest at the same time. Time spent off the nest was infrequent and usually very brief, with the incubating bird coming off to feed for 10 minutes or less. Changeovers would usually take place at the nest and would often involve some quiet vocalisation and bill touching. When the male arrived at the nest, he would occasionally regurgitate food to the female, before taking over incubation duties. Nesting material, usually bamboo twigs and leaves, was added to the nest throughout the incubation period. The first egg hatched at 8.55am on July 6th, 29 days after it was laid. Both parents were on the nest as the egg was hatching and were seen to peck the shell; presumably they could hear the chick calling inside. Once the chick had emerged, the parents ate the remaining shell. The second egg hatched on July 7th, 28 days after being laid and the third egg hatched on July 9th, again after a 28 day incubation period. The chicks begged for food one to two hours after hatching and received their first feeds soon afterwards. The first two chicks to hatch progressed well, but the youngest chick was found dead in the nest two days after hatching. It was still very small and presumably had not been able to complete for food with its two older and stronger siblings. As with the earlier nesting attempts, the parents were again provided with a wide variety of green leaves including Dandelion Taraxacum officinale leaves. The two chicks grew well on this diet and at 1 8 days old, resembled miniature versions of the adults, though with short crests and tails. Most of their plumage was downy, as the body feathers had not yet fully developed. As the nest basket was relatively high up, a thick layer of wood shavings was placed below the nest to provide a soft landing and prevent injury to the chicks when they left the nest. Like the young of other turacos, young go- away birds are unable to fly properly on leaving the nest, but are able to ran along the floor and scramble among branches placed below the nest. OWEN - WHITE-BELLIED GO- AWAY BIRD 69 One of the young left the nest at 1 8 days old, but was returned to the nest before the end of the day. Both young eventually left the nest at 24 days old, by which time they were able to perch properly and would sit together quietly on one of the low branches in the aviary shelter. Unlike with the first nesting attempt, both parents continued to care for the young after they left the nest, with one or both of them sitting close to the young, which would solicit food from their parents in a typical turaco manner, i.e. by flapping their wings and emitting a high-pitched call. On August 7th both juveniles, one aged 30 days old and the other aged 28 days old, were seen for the first time eating greenfood from a dish placed on the aviary floor. However, they continued to beg for and receive food from their parents, while starting to take larger quantities of food from the dishes provided. Due to their fibrous, leafy diet, pellets of indigestible material were regurgitated by all of the go-away birds. The two young birds grew steadily and after a few weeks began to spend more time in the outside aviary, where on hot sunny days they were seen sunbathing. At four months of age they were fully-grown and virtually indistinguishable from the adult male and like him both possessed black bills. In November 2005 the adults nested again. Only one egg was laid in the nest basket, the second egg was laid from a perch and smashed on the ground below. The juveniles were left in the aviary with their parents to see if cooperative breeding occurs in this species. Although neither of the juveniles were seen in the nest basket on their own incubating the egg, one or occasionally both of them were often seen sitting in the basket with an incubating parent. They were clearly interested in the egg and all four birds were in attendance and pecking at the egg as it hatched. The chick progressed well and on several occasions was observed being fed by the juveniles. It seemed to be healthy, but sadly, died at only four days old. There was no indication that the juveniles had played any part in its death. Unfortunately it was not possible to send it for post mortem. Perhaps it was lost as a result of having hatched during the English winter, when we were unable to provide it with a large variety of greenfood, particularly leaves. By the end of December, the two juveniles, then aged five months, became aggressive towards the adult female and were therefore removed to a separate aviary which, unfortunately, brought to an end our experiment in the cooperative breeding of this species. Conclusion The White-bellied Go-away Bird was bred at Waddesdon Manor during 2005 and we believe this to have been the first time this species has been bred in the UK. 70 OWEN - WHITE-BELLIED GO- AWAY BIRD The White-bellied Go-away Bird is a charming member of the turaco family and although not brightly coloured like many of its relatives, it is nevertheless a beautiful bird. It is confiding and relatively straightforward to keep, as long as it is provided with plenty of greenfood. In our experience it has a relatively gentle nature, unlike many other turacos, and apart from the harassing of the female by the juveniles, no other aggression has been observed. Although it is not rare in the wild, it would be nice to establish this delightful species in captivity. The difficulty may be that there seems to be very few of them being kept. A small number of wild-caught birds were imported by a UK dealer during 2005, but their location is unknown to us. We would like to hear from anyone who keeps this species. The author can be contacted by telephone at: 01296 653286 or e-mail: Andrew. Owen@nationaltrust.org.uk References del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A. and Sargatal, J. (eds.). 1997. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol.4. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Stevenson, T. and Fanshawe, J. 2002. Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa. T & A D Poyser, London. Todd, W., Grubbs, D. C. and Lahera, H. 1985. A successful breeding of the White-bellied Touraco Corythaixoides leucogaster at the Houston Zoo. Avicultural Magazine 91,3: 120-123. Product mentioned in the text Nutribird T16 low iron pellets: Versele-Laga NV, Kapellestraat 70, B-9800, Deinze, Belgium. Waddesdon Manor (website: www. waddesdon. org. uk), near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP 18 OJH, was built (1874-1889) by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild on a hilltop overlooking Aylesbury Vale. It has one of the finest Victorian gardens in the UK, at the heart of which are 10 aviaries, four of which house African birds, including the White-bellied Go-away Birds, and six of which house Asian species. Mr James de Rothschild bequested Waddesdon to the National Trust in 1957 and, a family charitable trust, under the chairmanship of Lord Rothschild, now manages it for the National Trust. As described above, the White-bellied Go-away Bird Corythaixoides leucogaster , has been bred at Waddesdon Manor. It is believed to be the first breeding of this species in Great Britain or Ireland. Anyone who knows of a previous breeding is asked to inform the Hon. Secretary. BREEDING THE GREATER FLAMINGO - THE FIRST SUCCESS IN 15 YEARS 71 by Walter Mangold Here at the World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary, Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa, the colony of Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber roseus consisting now of 58 birds, was obtained when the birds were young chicks 1 5 years ago, during a dramatic rescue operation, when thousands of chicks died at Etosha Pan in Namibia, when the water dried up at the crucial hatching/ development stage. Greater Flamingo on nest mound. Greater Flamingos may reach 40-60 years of age; breeding probably starts at four to six years of age or a little later. Greater Flamingos are not known to breed in the Western Cape and there are only isolated, sporadic records of them breeding or attempting to breed in the Northern Province. Over the past years there have been many breeding attempts at the World of Birds, sometimes they have even attempted to breed two or three times in a year. Every time success seemed to be close though, there was a drastic change in the weather and their efforts ended as abruptly as they had started. 72 MANGOLD - GREATER FLAMINGO Was the weather the problem or could it have been that our colony had no experienced breeding pairs to teach the other birds by example? Having been obtained when still young chicks, our birds had never witnessed the collective breeding frenzy in a huge colony of wild flamingos. We tried everything we could think of to assist them. We added more water to the potential nesting area. We dug and loosened the soil to make it easier for them to build their nest mounds and added clay to bind the soil and scattered leaf litter to help hold it together. We also added rock salt to the water in the hope it would provide extra stimulation. We even filled buckets with wet clay and then turned the buckets upside down and tipped it out onto the ground to create potential nest mounds. It was though all to no avail. Then in November 2004, summer started much earlier than usual, with very favourable mild and warm and even hot conditions right through to the end of December. We found we no longer needed to waste time helping them, for they were building their first nest mounds on raised land which was high and dry. It was a mystery to us how they managed to use their beaks to scrape the surrounding diy soil into small mounds and, we wondered, if they used saliva to bind it together. Soon we had fluctuating numbers of very high nest mounds in the small wetland area through which water trickled from a higher to a lower pond. Was this activity, we wondered, due to perfect weather conditions or the change of food, to the commercially prepared, locally produced, Avi-plus flamingo mash, which had recently become available to us, or was it a combination of both? Nests were abandoned and new ones built. There was a maximum of 20 at one time; then the first eggs appeared. Some fell out of the nests and some were broken by scavenging, free-flying Sacred Ibises Threskiornis aethiopicus. We collected some of the fallen eggs and put them in an incubator, and put dummy eggs in those nests to keep the activity going in the colony. Most of the early eggs were infertile, but new eggs kept appearing. The nest mounds kept growing in height and becoming wider around the base, and we were amazed to see how huge some of them became. The flamingos incubated the single egg, by balancing on top of the mounds, with their folded legs sticking out behind. Every now and then an incubating bird would suddenly rise, examine and fondle and turn the egg, then cautiously lower itself down again, wriggle from side to side to get comfortable and then quietly continue brooding the egg, which rested in a dip on the top of the mound. There was great excitement just before Christmas when the first dark grey down-covered chick, with a pink beak and dark pink legs, hatched. The next morning though it was gone presumably having been snatched and eaten by ibises. MANGOLD - GREATER FLAMINGO 73 It was interesting to observe the flamingos’ reaction when a turkey hen or a peacock approached. The turkey caused the entire colony to abandon its nests in fear for a moment, whereas the peacock was collectively confronted and challenged. The usually very timid and panicky flamingos also changed mood drastically when staff tried to sneak in to replace fallen eggs. The birds fearlessly faced the staff and violently pecked at them, while the incubating birds refused to rise from their nests. On December 29th another newly-hatched chick was seen. It was on a nest close to where the visiting public were only a few metres (yards) from the colony and had the privilege of observing the intimate behaviour of the flamingo family and other members of the colony, something that would have been an impossibility in the wild. In the afternoon the chick had fallen from the nest and was found lying in the shallow muddy water. It was another critical moment between success and failure. A member of staff had to go in and rescue the chick and replace it on the nest so that it was safe from being eaten by the ibises. Later the same afternoon, another newly-hatched chick had fallen from its nest mound and was seen trying frantically to scramble back up again. It too had to be replaced. The continued presence of the Sacred Ibises walking freely within the colony was a great worry. Our management team of Hendrik Louw and his wife Claire stayed until late in the evening to make sure that all was well and returned again very early the next morning. On January 1st there were three chicks, one of which never seemed to develop quite as well as the other two. It always looked dirty and clumsy, so we were not surprised when a few days later, it could not be accounted for in the morning. The remaining two were monitored each day. They were often viciously pecked when walking amongst the incubating adults, but they continued to progress well. In the evenings they climbed to the tops of their nest mounds to be kept warm and safe. It was the most wonderful feeling to see their heads sticking out from under or above the parents’ wings and to watch them gently being fed life-giving liquid from the adults’ beaks. After 1 0 days we stopped worrying about them, as by then they were too large to be at risk of being eaten by the ibises. At that stage there were still up to 20 occupied nests and a maximum of 16 eggs were counted. No more eggs hatched though and gradually the nests were abandoned, with the last two birds remaining with their eggs until the end of January. A start has been made and experience gained. We have what we expect will in future develop into a very productive breeding colony of Greater Flamingos. Our flamingos have demonstrated that they really cJo not need our help. We must just provide them with the right food and leave the rest to nature. That is all that is needed. 74 MANGOLD - GREATER FLAMINGO Part of the colony that was obtained as young chicks. Two chicks were reared during the 2004-2005 breeding season. The author is Director of the World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary, Valley Road, Ho at Bay 7806, Cape Town, South Africa. Website: www.worldofbirds.org.za/ e-mail:worldofbirds@mweb.co.za BREEDING AND DIET OF THE CROAKING GROUND DOVE Columbina cruziana 75 by Jack Clinton Eitniear The Croaking Ground Dove Columbina cruziana is a 15cm (approx. 6 in) long sexually dimorphic Columbina ground dove that inhabits arid and semi-arid areas along the Pacific coast of South America at altitudes of up to 3,230m (approx. 10,600ft) (Henry, 2005; contra Baptista et al. 1997), from northern Ecuador to northern Chile and east in northern Pern to the Maranon Valley (Baptista et al. 1997; Dickinson, 2003; Ridgely & Greenfield, 2001). Typical of ground doves, it can be found on farmland and in gardens and parks, as well as in scrub and riparian thickets. Breeding is said to be stimulated by rainfall with nesting starting four to six weeks after the first good rains (Baptista et al. 1997; Goodwin, 1983). Despite this nesting has been recorded in most months with multiple nests in a single season likely (Johnson, 1 967). Nests have been located in bushes and trees, on the ground and on ledges of buildings. According to egg data slips at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology (Rene Corado pers. comm.) nests have been collected from June- March. They have been discovered from 1.5m-3m (approx. 5ft-9ft 9in) above the ground in cactus, small trees (acacia), citrus and banana plants. Eight eggs averaged 3.89g (3.53g-4.52g) with dimensions of 21.5mm x 1 7.2mm-24.6rnm x 18.3mm (n=9). Nesting in considerable numbers has been noted in the isolated fruit growing desert oasis of Pica, Chile, Johnson (1967) gave the average measurement of nine eggs as 23.2mm x 17.9mm. Captivity During 2003 a shipment containing Croaking Ground Doves was imported from Peru into the USA, through the port of Miami, Florida. Three pairs were obtained during March 2004 and placed in a 1m x 1.5m x lm (approx. 3ft 3in x 5ft x 3ft 3in) holding cage and fed a commercial dove mix with a finch mix added, supplemented with fresh diced fruit and lettuce and with vitamins, water and oystershell also provided. Breeding On April 1st 2004 a pair was visually sexed and placed in a planted aviary measuring 2m x 4m (approx. 6ft 6in x 13ft), that housed a single pair of Black and White Seedeaters Sporophila luctuosa. On April 20th two pure white egg, one measuring 23mm x 18mm and the other 24mm x 1 8mm, were discovered in a nest lined with grasses in a 24cm (9V2in) wicker basket, fixed in a comer, 2m (approx. 6ft 6in) above the aviary floor. On May 1st 76 EITNIEAR - CROAKING GROUND DOVE the eggs hatched and the two young fledged on May 13th. In 2005 all three pairs were placed in a large L-shaped aviary (the second portion of which measured 2m x 4.5m (approx. 6ft 6in x 13ft 8 in)) with Black and White Seedeaters and Elegant Quail Lophortyx douglasii. No breeding activity was noted in 2005. This year two pairs were removed in the hope that the remaining pair would breed. On April 10th a nest was discovered in a dead conifer. The nest was 1 .5m (approx. 5ft) above the ground. The pair had chosen this site despite having several baskets and nest boxes available. The nest contained two eggs that were being incubated at the time of the discovery. This nest was of more significant construction than the previous one. On April 17th the two eggs hatched and the young fledged on May 2nd (after 1 5 days). At the time of writing, the pair has re-nested in the basket. Nest construction is similar to the previous basket nest. They currently have two chicks in pin¬ feathers. Of the four fledged, three were males, which supports the finding of Bosque et al. (2004), who noted that the wild population contains a higher proportion of males. Diet Upon receipt of the doves they were fed the dove and finch mixes described above. Concerned that the seeds in these mixes were too large for this species, I proceeded to review the literature on the subject and subsequently applied the information to developing a more appropriate diet. As a precursor to the development of the diet, I obtained samples of the three most readily available mixes (finch, canary and dove). Dissection of the mixes indicated that cumulatively they were composed of 14 types of seeds and grains etc. (Table 1). These were measured using an Alan Gordon Enterprises® hand-held lenscope with a 7 x 1 Div. 0.1 scale. Seeds were measure to 0.1mm. Results and discussion Breeding Jeffrey Trollope (1974) discussed the breeding and behaviour of this species. I would like to note areas not included in his article, as well as aspects that contrast with his experiences. In chronological sequence I should note that even in a large aviary this species appears to breed best in single pairs and not in group situations. Given that the first pair bred in one section of the L-shaped aviary, before the dividing door was removed, one could conclude that a pair would be successful in each section of the aviary, if the dividing door remained closed, but this proved not to be the case. Nest site selection and composition varied significantly. Unlike in Trollope’s aviary, no nests or nest sites were re-used. It would seem plausible EITNIEAR - CROAKING GROUND DOVE 77 Jack Clinton Eitniear Nest removed from conifer after young fledged. Note faecal material on rim. that if a nest failed prior to incubation, it would likely be re-used. After the eggs have hatched and there are growing chicks in the nest, however, faecal material accumulates on the rim of the nest, and to re-use such a nest would likely encourage parasites. In my aviary all three nests were newly constructed. While the nest of this species is generally described as not being “a substantial structure” or a “flimsy platform” (Ingels pers. comm.) in my experience nest construction depends on the structure on which it is built. For example, two of the three nests were built in small, oval-shaped baskets. In these instances the nests were approximately 1 1 cm wide x 2.5cm deep (4V2in wide x lin deep) and were made of fine and coarse grasses and some feathers. The second of the three nests was 16cm wide x 5.5 cm deep (approx. 6V2in wide x 272in deep). It was a considerable structure. It was tucked inside the middle of the previous year’s Christmas tree, that had been placed in a comer of the aviary. As the pair constmcted another smaller nest, after this larger one, it is likely that the nest site chosen, determines the size and stmcture of the nest. A nest built in a conifer needs to be a much larger nest than that required when the birds nest in a sturdy basket mounted on a wall. Evidence of such variation in nest construction was not found in the literature, although in the account of the closely related Ecuadorian or Buckley’s Ground Dove C. buckleyi, it is stated that it builds a very “substantial nest” in captivity (Baptista et al. 1997). One has to wonder if the same variation in nest constmction is found in that species as well. Trollope (1974) mentioned that the bill was hom coloured at age 21 78 EITNIEAR - CROAKING GROUND DOVE Jack Clinton Eitniear This nest is smaller than the previous nest that the same pair built in a conifer. Jack Clinton Eitniear Recently hatched young. days. With our birds here, all four had typical adult-like black and yellow bills at 26 days (see photo opposite). This may or may not be consistent with Trollope, as considerable development can occur in five days. In addition, I found considerable differences in the sizes of the nest-mates in EITNIEAR - CROAKING GROUND DOVE 79 Jack Clinton Eitniear Fifteen days old. Jack Clinton Eitniear Twenty-six days old. Note that the iris and bill colour have changed and that the plumage now resembles that of the adult. This species is also known as the Gold-billed Ground Dove. 80 EITNIEAR - CROAKING GROUND DOVE all three nests. At day 30, however, both fledglings had reached the same developmental stage. In the two broods I observed, the young did not associate closely with the adults after fledging. In fact, the adults went back to nesting within one week of the young having fledged, requiring the young ground doves to be quite independent. Diet Trollope (1974) stated that the species fed on various millets, hemp, rape, niger and small canary seed, yet he was able to produce only two young from six clutches (a total of 12 eggs). To rule out nutrition as a problem, I investigated the diet of this species in the wild and developed a captive diet that is as close as possible to the natural one. I was fortunate to be able to turn to some field data Perez & Bulla (2000) had recently published in their study of granivorous doves in Venezuela. They studied four species: Plain-breasted Ground Dove C. minuta, Common Ground Dove C.passerina , Ruddy Ground Dove C. talpacoti and Scaled Dove Scaradafella squammata. They concluded that all four species prefer seeds in the same size range. As doves do not dehusk seeds, but swallow them whole, seed size is related to bill and gape size rather than bill shape. With the four species studied, bill length ranged from 14mm in C. minuta to 16mm in S. squammata. The bill length of C. cruziana is 15mm (between that of C. passerina 14mm and C. talpacoti 1 5.2mm). Given that the Croaking Dove is clearly within the size range of the ground doves studied by Perez & Bulla (2000), I felt their data was relevant. In short, they concluded that the ground doves fed on seeds from over 120 plant species but preferred plants with seeds up to 2.5mm in length. In fact, the mean seed length preferred ranged from 1 .75mm-1.95mm. The total range of seeds consumed ranged from 0.8mm-6.4mm. Given the hundreds of different seeds to choose from, the four species of ground doves preferred seeds approximately 2.0mm in length. Table 1 shows the sizes of the seeds, etc., in typical cage bird mixes. The greatest size variation, from 2.0mm-7.0mm, is found in the dove mix. However, there is only one type of seed in this mix within the preferred seed size range of ground doves. Surprisingly, most finch mixes commercially available in the USA contain very little variety. With seeds from 1.7mm- 5.0mm, finch mixes appear to be formulated to provide nourishment for finches with various seed size preferences. Canary mixes contain the greatest variety of different types of seeds, with more smaller seeds than the other mixes. Croaking Ground Doves tend to choose smaller seeds and leave the larger ones in the dish. Though certainly they would feed on the larger ones (up to 7mm perhaps) rather than starve. EITNIEAR - CROAKING GROUND DOVE 81 Table 1. Composition and size of ingredients in three standard mixes. Type Size Finch Canary Dove Niger1 1.7mm X X Rape1 1.7mm X Red proso millet1 2.0mm X Yellow millet (small)1 2.0mm X White millet 3.0mm X X X Sesame seed (hulled) 3.5mm X Milo 4.0mm X Flax seed 4.0mm X X Hemp seed 4.0mm •x Popcorn 5.0mm X Canary grass seed 5.0mm X X Rice 6.0mm X Oat groats 6.0mm X Safflower (hulled) 7.0mm X 1 Indicates seeds within optimum foraging size of ground doves. As a result of the above findings, I switched from finch and dove mixes to a canary mix, which I augment with red proso millet. While cage bird mixes may vary, the point here is if you purchase or formulate a mix, the greatest percentage of seeds should be under 2.0mm. The same size rule should apply to pelleted and granulated diets. As well as getting the size right, it is undoubtably also important to provide a variety of types of seeds. In their analysis of the 51 types of seeds available to the (North American) Tree Sparrow Spizella aborea Kendeigh & West (1965) noted significant variation in the caloric content of seeds between species within the same family and between different families. These differences can amount to as much as 1 ,000 calories per gram of seed. Optimum foraging theory tells us that birds feed on the seeds that provide the greatest nutritional benefit for the least amount of effort. This choice is often passed on to the young through observing the feeding habits of their parents (Cadieu et al. 1995). Wild caught birds not only have to adjust to a captive diet but then communicate the appropriate choices to their offspring. Therefore, providing a variety of seeds within the proven preferred seed size range seems prudent. Of course such a mix should be accompanied by vegetative material, vitamins and grit. 82 EITNIEAR - CROAKING GROUND DOVE Conclusion Although Trollope (1974) mentioned that this ground dove could be a “free breeding species in captivity” his rearing of two chicks from 12 eggs was hardly a cause for optimism. The advanced age and variation in the size of the dead chicks in nest three support the theory that his birds lacked sufficient nutrition. However, considering the small sample size and lack of details about his dietary regime this statement is, at best, speculative. In the USA both the Croaking and Ecuadorian Ground Doves were imported and bred during the late 1960s and early 1970s (Hanover, 1970). During that time there was little interest in them and they apparently died out in captivity and were not bred again for another 30 years. A number of individuals possess them currently, so hopes are high that these interesting ground doves will finally become established in captivity. Postscript (August 2nd 2006) When I was writing the above article, the pair was incubating its second clutch of eggs this year. Following the fledging of those two young the pair nested again and fledged a further two young on July 1 7th. On July 1 9th the pair built yet another nest and on August 1 st- August 2nd laid another two eggs. These are currently being incubated. So far this year, eight eggs have been laid and six young fledged. However, one chick from the first nest perished. Upon examination it was found to have a severely malformed leg. The result of the detailed autopsy is pending. . Acknowledgements I wish to thank Lloyd Kiff (Library, World Center for Birds of Prey) for providing copies of the Handbook of the Birds of the World species account and Rene Corvocado for egg slip information held at the Western Foundation for Vertebrate Zoology. I would also like to express my appreciation to John Pire for information on the history of the species in captivity and to Danny Gonzalez (Penguin Inter.) for importing these fascinating birds. References Baptista, L. F., Trail, R W. and Horblit, H. M. 1997. In: Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 4. del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A., Sargatal, J. (eds.). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Bosque, C., Pacheco, M. A. and Garcia- Amado, M. A. 2004. The annual cycle of the Columbina ground-doves in seasonal savannas of Venezuela. Journal of Field Ornithology 75:1-112. Cadieu, J. C., Cadieu, N. and Lauga, J. 1995. Local enhancement and seed choice in the juvenile canary, Serinus canarius. Animal Behaviour 50:793-800. Dickinson, E. C. (ed.). 2003. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist to the Birds of the World. Third edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. Goodwin, D. 1983. Pigeons and Doves of the World. Third edition. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, USA. EITNIEAR - CROAKING GROUND DOVE 83 Hanover, D. G. 1969. First importation into the U.S.A. and first breeding of Buckley’s Ground Dove. Avicultural Magazine 75,5:179-180. Henry, P-Y. 2005. New distributional records of birds from Andean and western Ecuador. Cotinga 23 (in press). Johnson, A. W. 1967. Birds of Chile and Adjacent Regions of Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. Vol. II & supplement. Platt Establecimientos Graficos S. A., Buenas Aires, Argentina. Kendeigh, C. S. and West, G. 1965. Caloric values of plant seeds eaten by birds. Ecology 46,4:553-555. Perez, E. M. and Bulla, L. 2000. Dietary relationships among four granivorous doves in Venezuelan savannas. Journal of Tropical Ecology 16:865-882. Ridgely, R S. and Greenfield, P. J. 2001. The Birds of Ecuador. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, USA. Trollope, J. 1974. The breeding and behaviour of the Gold-billed Ground Dove ( Columbina cruziana). Avicultural Magazine 80,5:181-188. Jack Clinton Eitniear, Center for the Study of Tropical Birds, Inc, 218 Conway Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78209-1716, USA. E-mail: jce@cstbinc. org D. H. S. RISDON AWARD Preliminary findings on reproduction of captive Marabou Storks Leptoptilos crumeniferus by C. W. Kuhar, L. M. Heinandez and K. Amos- Mongiello {Avicultural Magazine Vol. 1 1 1, No. 2, pp. 56-63), based largely on research carried out at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Florida, USA, was, in the view of the council, the best (most informative) article published in the magazine last year, and the worthy winner of the D. H. S. Risdon Award for 2005. * * * DULCIE COOKE AWARD The council considered the best photo or photos used to illustrate an article in the magazine during 2005, to have been the photos of the Red- and-Yellow Barbet Trachyphonus e. erythrocephalus taken by Colin Scott, showing a chick aged 1 5 days, a female chick at 22 days, a 28 day old male and female and, a juvenile female with the parents, used to illustrate Colin’s account of breeding this colourful East African barbet {Avicultural Magazine Vol.l 11, No. 1, pp.21-25). 84 A FLYING VISIT TO COSTA RICA by D. Grenville Roles In mid-January I was privileged to attend a conference entitled the Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative (WHMSI) in San Jose, Costa Rica. The focus of the conference was the development and structuring of an organisation which addresses the evermore urgent need for safe and permanent corridors of habitat for migratory species in the Western Hemisphere; from the Bering Sea to the tip of Tierra del Fuego and beyond. The needs addressed included those of ariel, terrestrial and aquatic/pelagic species. So obviously the scope and complexity are huge. My role was that of an observer of the initiative and to let attendees know that the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund can be a source of funding for conservation projects. These notes do not address the laudable ambition and altruism of the fledgling organisation and its international partners, but are an account of my shameless self indulgence in using the trip to view some of the world’s most beautiful bird species in their natural habitat. Costa Rica is a beautiful, small Central American country, westernised enough to seem entirely familiar and comfortable, but exotic enough to be novel and exciting. English is widely spoken and even out in the countryside I could successfully communicate with my mucho poquito (incredibly small to miniscule) knowledge of Spanish, with the universally friendly and attractive people. With an easy connection from Orlando to Miami and onto San Jose, I arrived at my hotel early in the evening to find that due to overbooking, I had been assigned the Presidential Suite for the first two nights (it was such a tough start to my visit!). The hotel, part of an international chain, boasted every luxury and, had it not been for the birds in the grounds, I could have been almost anywhere in the world. As it was, at breakfast, Rufous-collared Sparrows Zonotrichia capensis were on crumb-pick-up duty around the dining area, while a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl sampled the chilly early morning nectar from the flowers in front of the dining table. A Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphur atus awoke in the courtyard and started shrilly yelling its name while high overhead Black Coragyps atratus, Turkey Cathartes aura and Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures C. burrovianus were already into the morning patrol looking for road kill. White-winged Doves Zenaida asiatica , still sounding drowsy, were calling from a partially completed nest in a nearby small palm tree. I had planned to keep my first day free to acclimate myself somewhat and get used to driving in Costa Rica. However, I discovered there was a ROLES - COSTA RICA 85 zoo in town and decided to try to visit it. It was much easier said than done. With a paucity of street signs, alternating roads of one-way traffic, huge congestion and defective drivers, I feared my life was at risk, so found a hotel close to the zoo, parked, and walked the rest of the way. With an interesting topography, the zoo was clearly not flush with funds, but was definitely trying hard with very limited resources. The animals all looked healthy and well cared for. The broken concrete floors were all spotlessly clean as were the battered tin dishes from which the animals ate. The most remarkable feature of the zoo, to my mind, was the seemingly disproportionate attention focused on the education programme. Clearly of huge concern to the staff is the need to convey information and appreciation for wildlife and wild places, which is entirely appropriate and encouraging. It seemed disproportionate only in the amount of attention lavished on it. I do not wish to diminish the effort, but it would have been nice to have seen a few exhibits that were equally well developed. My best moment occurred when, as I was admiring the Green-winged Macaws Ara chloroptera , a Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota flew down onto their perch, wagged its tail a few times, posed for me like a catwalk model, and then flew off. I was flabbergasted- it was so casual. Of course it did not know it was spectacular, beautiful and gorgeous and was the first wild motmot I had ever seen and, it had left me, breathless. The zoo is, by the way, close to the city centre, so that particular motmot, at least, was an urban dweller. So common that I almost forgot them, were the superabundant Clay- coloured Robins Turdns grayi , whose name just about says it all. These drab greyish-brown birds, which look like a washed-out version of a female European Blackbird T. merula, raided the animals’ food bowls for fruit. Another superabundant species was the Blue-grey Tanager Thraupis episcopus. It seemed as so every street tree had at least two of these birds searching the branches and chasing each other through the foliage. My second ornithological treasure du jour was a White-eared Ground Sparrow Melozone leucotis, a pretty, greenish little bird, with a blackish face and chest and striking white ‘ears’. Two days later I made day-long field trips to two locations. The first entailed a long drive through an elevated national park to the Research Station at La Selva. Up on the side of a volcano, through the constant rain and mist of the early morning, we spied precipitous drop-offs at virtually every turn. The landscape seemed utterly devoid of bird-life, but nonetheless I could appreciate the monstrous ferns and immense leaves of Gunnea insignis growing at the ends of astonishing snake-like trunks, and the virtual cascade of palms and grasses which covered the steep slopes. This disappointing visit was compensated for by our next location, the Sueno Azul Hotel in Sarapiqui. 86 ROLES - COSTA RICA The weather cleared as we left the mountainside and descended to a lower altitude and I was thrilled to see first, five Northern Jaqanas Jagana spinosa at a little pond at the side of the road ; then, tumbling and swooping over a hillside nine or more Chestnut-headed Oropendulas Psaracolius wagleri , their golden outer tail-feathers flashing as they twisted and turned over the hill. Things were definitely looking up. Next I caught a glimpse of a male Military Starling Sturnella militaris in a patch of stubble. It was accompanied by a number of fossicking Inca Doves Columbina inca. The cryptically plumaged doves were almost invisible on the bare ground, in contrast to the Military Starling whose scarlet chest flashed like a beacon as he stretched up on his toes. As this is a social species, he was probably accompanied by others of his kind, but any males with their backs to me would have been utterly invisible, as would any of the sparrowy-feathered females. We eventually lurched to a stop at an unimpressive driveway, from where we set-off on a 1/2-mile (approx. 1km) hike to our next destination. My choicest moment en route was seeing a flawless pair of Ruddy Ground Doves C talpacoti sitting on a piece of deadfall. It looked like a Robin Hill portrait. The brightly coloured brown male contrasted nicely in the midday sun with the duller female. I unfailingly get ‘choked up’ when I see a species, relatively common in aviculture, free in its native habitat. I have been a professional aviculturist all my working life and love the close-up and personal experience of working with my charges, but nothing equals the thrill of viewing a flawless wild bird ‘behaving’ in its natural habitat. I also have a special admiration for Columbiformes, so that particular moment in time was especially beautiful. Balancing upon a fence post was a Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani, black and featureless as a silhouette, only its profile giving it away. In the distance Great-tailed Crackles Quiscalus mexicanus paddled at the edge of a small pond. At the buffet lunch, surrounded by a wonderful collection of extraordinary Heliconia spp. and cultivars, Blue and White Swallows Notiochelidon cyanoleuca together with Mangrove Swallows Tachycineta albilinea could be seen swooping over a large retention pond upon which a pair of Northern Jaqanas were busily chasing bugs. A White-ringed Flycatcher Coryphotriccus albovitatus looking like a miniature kiskadee (it has cinnamon upperparts, is buttercup yellow below and has a stripey head), perched upon the telephone wires alongside neighbourly Grey Kingbirds Tyrannus dominicensis. After lunch we toured part of the property, many of us as we did so brushing against a shrub at the side of the path in which a pair of Olive- backed Euphonias Euphonia gouldi could be observed feeding chicks. Then, as we approached a stand of large trees, a Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata ROLES - COSTA RICA 87 flashed overhead as our guide identified the sound of toucans calling nearby. Anyone who has kept toucans for any length of time would have recognised the familiar, montononous (and endless) “kronking” sound and, sure enough, there were three Chestnut-mandibled Toucans Ramphastos swains onii looking strangely unnatural to me, posed on the perimeter of a tall tree. Vividly coloured, they looked like mechanical toys, with their jerky movements and odd posturing and I had some difficulty absorbing that they were truly wild birds. We had not travelled more than 10ft (approx. 3m) into the forest when we saw a flawless pair of Rufous Motmots Baryphthengus martii, just a short distance away. What a privilege it was to see them. Calm and still, apart from the ‘ticking’ of their tails, they watched quietly as we passed by. The only other species we observed below the canopy was a pair of Slaty¬ tailed Trogons Trogon massena. In the gloom of the forest, I could not get a really good look at them, which was frustrating for a possibly once in a lifetime experience, but I did see them, though mostly in silhouette. Beneath them a wild agouti Dasyprocta sp. was feeding on fruits the birds had either discarded or knocked down. One other once in a lifetime experience was being shown an incredibly rare species of palm tree. Rare because its developed buttress roots are anatomically correct, phallus-like structures, which are harvested for their supposed aphrodisiac properties! A little disappointed in the number of species I had seen, I did have one lovely experience in store as I headed back to the bus. It was getting gloomy as I detected a repeated “squeaking” sound and, looking around, spied a male Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarini repeatedly leaping into the air from the top of a fence post. His white pectoral tufts flashed in the gloom and he “squeaked” as he hit the high point of his 1ft (30cm) leap into the air. That cute little creature (hey, I can say cute!) was an absolute delight to see. Saving the most thrilling experience until last, on my final afternoon I headed for the La Paz Waterfall gardens. They were supposed to be only 45km (approx. 28 miles) away, but it took me a nerve-wracking lV2-hours to get there. It is a beautiful modem park, way out in the sticks, which I visited because the advertising blurb said - “27 species of hummingbirds”. Okay, I read it, and should have been prepared, but I was not. I do not know if anything could have prepared me for what was the closest I have come to a spiritual experience. I was blinded by the colour, activity, noise and the sheer diversity of species. I quickly gave up trying to identify the different species and just watched, both numbed and uplifted by the glory of the spectacle. There were so many birds: Purple-crowned Fairies Heliothryx harroti , Green Thomtails Popelairia conversii, Purple-throated Mountain Gems Lampornis cinereicauda , Violet Sabrewings Campylopterus ROLES - COSTA RICA hemileucurus and many, many more. I felt breathless, drained and a little sick - kind of like I feel after I have pigged out on ice cream and chocolate cake. I never knew you could have a surfeit of joy! The most singular vision in my mind from that time is of two Violet Sabrewings, which are quite large hummers - totally glittering violet/ruby/ amethyst with mostly pure white tails - twirling slowly around each other about 2ft (60cm) in front of my face with their tails spread, each giving vent to their “sizzling” call, before disappearing in a flash. My second most wonderful experience lay a little further along the path, where a buffet of fruit was staked out on an accumulation of deadfall. The sight of so many tanagers was less overwhelming, but still oh, oh, so awesome. They were mostly the exquisitely elegant Silver-throated Tangara icterocephala, given a perfect foil by the presence of the superabundant Blue-grey species. Then there was a sudden flush of Golden-hooded T. larvata, with some punctuation by Scarlet-rumped Ramphocelus passerinii and a single Palm Tanager Thraupis palmamm. With so many Clay-coloured Robins also in the mix, I almost missed a single Common Bush Tanager Chlorospingus ophthalmicus and the (duller) local subspecies of the Bananaquit Coereba flaveola. I still had one more magical experience to come - duty bound I went to look at a magnificent waterfall and completed the tour at an ‘early settler’s’ house, where you could sample homemade cheese and suchlike. Wandering outside afterwards into the little valley I heard shrill screaming, screeching approaching. Hurtling in my direction, about 50ft (approx. 5m) up, was a flock of about 30 huge, White-collared Swifts Streptoprocne zonaris. Screaming like banshees, they passed overhead like a whirlwind and I could feel the rush of the disturbed air - it was quite incredible. On my day of departure, I took a walk down the street to a couple of small ponds and some nice Australian flowering Bottlebush Trees. There was nothing exceptional there, but it was still satisfying to see 40 or more Black-bellied Whistling Ducks Dendrocygna autumnalis , numerous Northern Orioles Icterus galbula, a Chestnut-naped Wren Campylorhynchus rufinucha and a ‘swarm’ of Tennessee Warblers Vermivora peregrina. To help me identify the birds, I took with me A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica by Stiles, Skutch and Gardner, published by Cornell University Press in the USA and by Helm in the UK. D. Grenville Roles is Animal Operations Manager/Curator of Birds at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, PO Box 10,000, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830- 1000, USA . 89 BOOK REVIEWS SEVENTH EDITION First published in 1940, Austin Roberts’s Birds of South Africa has been in print continuously ever since and is said to have sold well over 300,000 copies, in the process undergoing changes of title, first to Roberts Birds of South Africa and then Roberts ’ Birds of Southern Africa. The latest edition, the seventh, now restyled Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa , is quite unlike any of the previous editions. For a start, it is far bigger, it measures 9V2in x 123/4in (24cm x 32.5cm), it is almost 23/4in (7cm) thick and as a consequence is far too weighty to take out into the field. The text has been completely rewritten, with contributions from more than 50 authors, drawn from the best of southern Africa’s ornithologists, coordinated by an editorial team of three experts - Phil Hockey, Richard Dean and Peter Ryan - of the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town. Similarly, it has 80 brand-new colour plates painted by leading southern African bird artists Graeme Amott, Chris van Rooyen, Ingrid Weiersbye, Penny Meakin, Ronald Cook, A. Barlow and A. Clarkson. The best known of these being Graeme Amott, whose paintings in Shrikes of Southern Africa (1988) and Robins of Africa (1998), will be familiar to many members. All that seems to remain from the previous editions is Norman Lighton’s original frontispiece. The Tmstees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, say that the old format, a combination of a field guide and a handbook, was inadequate to accommodate the wealth of information that is now available, besides which southern Africa is now well served by excellent field guides, therefore the decision was taken to change the format, scope and intent of this work. It certainly contains a mass of information on the 95 1 species recorded in the region, namely South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique south of the Zambezi. The modem taxonomy that is followed is also very different from that which has gone before and will take some getting used to. It is surprising, for example, to find the penguins towards the middle of the book and the shearwaters coming immediately before the African Pitta and the broadbills. The sequence adopted is said to be broadly based on Sibley and Ahlquisf s ‘tapestry of avian evolution’, with modifications where there is clear evidence that this is flawed. The changes to this classic work have not been to everyone’s liking. A letter to a South African newspaper complained that its price puts it beyond the reach of the average birdwatcher and the libraries of all but a few private schools. He helpfully pointed out that weighing as it does, 5.5kg (approx. 90 BOOK REVIEWS 12V2lbs), an 1 1-year old schoolboy is likely to suffer a hernia carrying it from the library to his classroom. He also complained that whereas the previous artwork had been chosen to aid identification, the new paintings seem to have been chosen for their artistic value. His advice was to buy a copy of one of the earlier editions, something which I gather a lot of South Africans have been doing. He might have asked, why when this present volume is so different from Roberts’s original format, has the name been retained? Despite the letter writer’s forebodings and a price tag of R800, this latest edition has proved an amazing success in South Africa. The first print run of 10,000 copies quickly sold out and a second print run of a further 5,000 copies is awaited. Some more copies may be available shortly here in the UK - price £110 (according to one advert). Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa Vllth Edition, 1,296 pages, 81 colour plates, numerous distribution maps, etc., edited by P.A.R. Hockey, W.R.J. Dean and P.G. Ryan, was published in 2005 by the Trustees of the John Voelcker Book Fund, Cape Town. AVIAN MISCELLANY Described as “The perfect gift for birdwatchers and literary ornithologists everywhere”, The Bedside Book of Birds - An Avian Miscellany , is a collection of writings about birds and the relationship between humans and birds by, among others, Aristotle, Henry Walter Bates, William Beebe, The Venerable Bede, Lewis Carroll, Bruce Chatwin, Charles Darwin, T.S. Eliot, Thomas Hardy, W. H. Hudson, Peter Matthiessen, Edgar Allan Poe, Siegfried Sassoon, Walter Scott, Henry David Thoreau, Laurens van der Post, Alfred Russel Wallace, John Wesley and Gilbert White. The writings were collected over a period of 15 years by Graeme Gibson, an acclaimed novelist and avid birdwatcher living in Toronto, Canada, who has travelled around the world in search of birds. Over 100 illustrations, most of them in colour, decorate the pages of this most attractively designed book. They range from early cave paintings to Inuit folk art and other art from around the world, to paintings by Audubon, Elizabeth Gould, Joseph Wolf and H. C. Richter (who illustrated works by John Gould), J. G. Keulemans and others. There are sketches by J. Fenwick Lansdowne, a line drawing of the extinct Stephens Island Wren by David Reid-Henry, and a Red Bird of Paradise by T. W. Wood, illustrates Wallace’s account of his unsuccessful attempts to keep this species alive in captivity. The Bedside Book of Birds - An Avian Miscellany , 370 pages, more than 100 illustrations, collected together by Graeme Gibson, is published in the UK by Bloomsbury. Price £20. Malcolm Ellis 91 NEWS & VIEWS ENCOURAGING NEWS ON THE GOULDIAN In northern Australia Gouldian Finches Erythrura gouldiae have reappeared in flocks of hundreds in places they had not been seen for up to 15 years. The highest number of sightings in years have been reported in Kakadu, Arnhem Land and Cape York. It may be a result of better fire management. CHOOSING A PARTNER The young male Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii , which with its parents, was imported into Germany from Switzerland last year (see News & Views Vol.l 12, No.l, p.44 (2006)), has been transferred from Berlin to the Loro Parque Fundacion’s breeding station on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The young male underwent veterinary examinations, virus tests and several months’ quarantine while in Germany, which meant that on arrival there it could immediately be placed in a newly equipped 1 1m (approx. 36ft) long aviary with Loro Parque’ s two females that were hatched there in 2004. The male will be allowed to choose which of the two females he will eventually be paired with. * * * CONVINCED BY THE EVIDENCE Scientists at Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology have completed a second in-depth analysis of David Luneau’s woodpecker videotape shot on April 25th 2004, in eastern Arkansas, USA, and are sure that it shows an Ivory¬ billed Woodpecker Campephilus principalis in flight. To judge for yourself you can visit the Cornell website:www.birds. comell.edu/ivory/rediscovery/ support * * * EFFECTIVE AND HARMLESS ALTERNATIVE The Indian Government has ordered a halt to the production and sale of the veterinary drug diclofenac. The deaths of millions of vultures were traced to diclofenac, a veterinary drug used widely in south Asian countries to treat domestic cattle and buffalo for a variety of illnesses. During treatment and for a short period afterwards the tissues of the treated animals contain the drug and if treated animals subsequently die during this time the carcasses can be toxic to vultures and have fatal consequences. The phasing out of diclofenac came shortly after a team of scientists at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, reported that the drug meloxicam is an effective and harmless alternative to diclofenac. 92 NEWS & VIEWS ESTABLISHING MADAGASCAN BIRDS IN CAPTIVITY It seems that prior to 2004 the Madagascar Blue Pigeon Alectroenas madagascariensis had never been kept in captivity. That year VogelPark Walsrode, Germany, imported seven. Six had been caught in mist nets and the other had been taken from the nest and hand-reared. In March 2005, the hand-reared bird, a female, paired with one of the males and they incubated a single egg in half of a coconut. Incubation took 17 days and the chick fledged after another 17 days. The squab resembled those of Ptilinopus fruit doves. At Walsrode the Madagascar Blue Pigeons receive the mixed fruit and pellet diet for frugivores fed to all its fruit doves and cotingas. Together with the pigeons, Walsrode received nine (7.2) Blue Coua Coua caerulea. So far, one pair has produced three eggs, which is the usual size clutch, from which three chicks hatched but, unfortunately, only one of them was reared. Luckily it is a female. In 2004 Walsrode also imported 10 Madagascar Pond Herons Ardeola idae, a species that is becoming increasingly rare due to habitat changes and replacement by the rapidly increasing Squacco Heron A. ralloides. The two species may hybridize and, indeed, one of the 10 looks as so it may be a hybrid. In 2005 Walsrode received a further 10 Madagascar Pond Herons and hopes to establish a captive breeding population. It also imported 20 young Madagascar Sacred Ibis Threskiornis bernieri, a blue-eyed species that is listed as Endangered because of destruction of its mangrove habitat, the hunting of the adults and the collecting of juveniles and eggs for food. Between 1998-2001 Walsrode imported 11 Madagascar Crested Ibis Lophotibis cristata. Since the first captive breeding there in 2001, the population has increased to 39 birds, 27 of which were bred in captivity. Birds hand-reared at Walsrode have also bred successfully at Zurich Zoo and San Diego. This species has also bred at Parc Botanique et Zoologique Tsimbazaza (PBZT) on Madagascar. Walsrode’s efforts to establish Madagascan species in captivity are part of a cooperative endeavour between the German bird park, PSZT and the Madagascan Ministry of Higher Education. Called Project Tsimbazaza, it is now in its seventh year. * * * BRED IN THE USA Dallas Zoo, Texas, the first zoo in the world to breed the Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis - it has produced hand-reared and parent-reared young that have been raised successfully to adulthood - has opened a new exhibit in which visitors can see these birds flying. NEWS & VIEWS 93 IMPRESSIVE LIST OF BREEDINGS The 2005 Zoological Society of San Diego Physical Inventory included an (as always) impressive list of birds bred in the two collections. Two Superb Birds of Paradise Lophorina superba (subspecies unknown) and three Raggiana Paradisaea raggiana (subspecies unknown) were raised at San Diego Zoo and two Magnificent Diphyllodes magnificus hunsteini at the Wild Animal Park. Micronesian Kingfisher Todiramphus c. cinnamomina bred in both collections and White-fronted Bee-eater Merops bullockoides, European Coracias garrulus and Blue-bellied Roller C. cyanogaster bred at the Wild Animal Park, as did both ground hombills Bucorvus abyssinicus and B. leadbeateri , Great Hombill Buceros bicornis , Red-knobbed Aceros cassidix and Yellow-casqued Ceratogymna elata; Southern Sulawesi Tarictic Hombill Penelopides exarhatus sanfordi bred in both collections. Two Golden-headed Manakins Pipra e. erythrocephala were hatched at the Wild Animal Park, one of which survived. Other species bred at San Diego Zoo included five Collared Finchbills Spizixos semitorques , a Yellow-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax galbanus simaoensis , four Fukien Niltavas Niltava davidi, two Orange-billed Sparrows Arremon aurantiirostris and a Black- striped Sparrow Arremonops conirostris richmondi. Fifteen Social Weavers Philetairus socius , 19 Reichenow’s Weavers Ploceus baglafecht reichenowi, 26 New Guinea Metallic Starlings Aplonis metallica , 10 Grosbeak Starlings Scissirostrum dubium and 10 White¬ breasted Wood Swallows Artamus leucorhynchus amydrus were also among the birds bred at San Diego Zoo. Other species bred in the collections included Turquoise Tanager Tangara mexicana , Spotted Tanager T. punctata , Blue-necked T. cyanicollis caeruleucephala, Swallow Tanager Tersina viridis occidental™, Double-eyed Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta d. diophthalma, Edwards’s Fig Parrot Psittaculirostris edwardii, Blue-eared Lory Eos semilarvata, Papuan Mountain Pigeon Gymnophaps a. albertisii , imperial pigeons Ducula spp., fruit doves Ptilinopus spp. and crowned pigeons Goura spp. * * * AUSTRALIAN PIED IMPERIALS Several resident urban breeding populations of the Pied Imperial Pigeon Ducula bicolor have been discovered recently in Australia, including one at Darwin and another at Caims. It is believed that over 100 pairs nest at Caims, mainly in palms, some of which grow adjacent to busy streets. Robert M. Alison, writing in the Birds Australia quarterly publication Wingspan Vol.16, No.2, pp.30-33, June 2006, described the return of this familiar avicultural subject, which used to occur in immense flocks in Australia, until a widepread population collapse in the nineteenth century, due to hunting and habitat destmction. 94 NEWS & VIEWS TWELVE SPIX’S MACAWS BRED In a Press Release dated June 6th 2006, A1 Wabra Wildlife Preservation announced that it has to date this year, bred seven Spix’s Macaws Cyanopsitta spixii. These represent almost 10% of the known world population. Together with offspring reared in 2004 and 2005, it has now successfully reared 12 Spix’s Macaws. All of the chicks have been hand-reared by specialist staff at A1 Wabra Wildlife Preservation, owned by Sheikh Saoud Bin Mohammad Bin Ali Al-Thani in Qatar. It is hoped that further clutches will follow shortly and that eventually pairs will be allowed to rear some of their own young. The aim is to one day re-establish this species back in the wild in Brazil. If you would like to learn more about A1 Wabra Wildlife Preservation and its efforts to save Spix’s Macaw and other rare and endangered species, you are invited to visit its website: awwp.alwabra.com * * * ANDEAN COCK-OF-THE-ROCK REARED In 2005 Wuppertal Zoo in Germany, succeeded in rearing a male Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Rupicola peruviana. The zoo also bred two Hooded Pittas Pitta sordida, two Bam Swallows Hirundo rustica, two Southern House Wrens Troglodytes musculus, two Pale-legged Homeros Furnarius leucopus, four Painted Finches Emblema picta, 1 0 Bali Starlings Leucopsar rothschildi and four Ravens Corvus corax. Other noteworthy breedings included two King Penguins Aptenodytes patagonicus, 22 Elegant Crested Tinamous Eudromia elegans, two Magpie Geese Anseranas semipalmata, four Madagascar Teal A nas bernieri , a Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica , 16 Common Goldeneye B. clangula , 19 Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus , a Smew Mergellus albellus , three Goosander Mergus merganser , 13 European Eider Somateria m. mollissima , two Pacific Eider A m. v-nigra, 10 Spectacled Eider S. fischeri , three Black-headed Ruddy Ducks Oxyura jamaicensis, a Black Vulture Aegypius monachus , two Bateleurs Terathopius ecaudatus , a Red-legged Seriema Cariama cristata , an East African Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum gibbericeps , a White-naped Crane Grus vipio, 22 Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta, seven Northern Lapwings Vanellus vanellus, nine Stock Doves Columba oenas , a Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae, four White-cheeked Turacos Tauraco leucotis and a Guira Cuckoo Guira guira. A number of new birds were added to the collection, the most important of which included a male Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja , a female Red-crowned Crane Grus japonensis, a pair of Kagu Rhynochetos jubatus (a gift from the Zoo Supporters’ Association in celebration of the association’s 50th anniversary (2005)), two male Horned Parakeets Eunymphicus cornutus and a male King Bird of Paradise Cicinnurus regius (bred at VogelPark, Walsrode). NEWS & VIEWS 95 GUEST SPEAKER The Bird Keeping in Australia Newsletter , July 2006 Edition, Vol.5, Issue 7, official publication of The Avicultural Society of South Australia Inc., advertised that the guest speaker at its next meeting would be Tim Nielsen, Adelaide Zoo’s Head Birdkeeper, who would be talking about the Orange- bellied Parrot Neophema chrysogaster and how the zoo is progressing with the breeding of this species. Apparently it has been breeding the Orange- bellied Parrot for some time now and has overcome many of the problems associated with breeding it. * * * BREEDING THE GOLDEN ORIOLE A few years back, John Lovett sought information on whether the Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus had been bred in captivity and whether any breeding accounts had been published. No record seemed to exist (and still does not) of it ever having been bred in captivity in the UK and no articles about the breeding of it seemed to have been published in the magazine. Following Dr Herbert Schifter’s correspondence on the breeding of the Black-naped Oriole O. chinensis in captivity (see Avicultural Magazine Vol.l 1 1, No. 3, p.144 (2005)), I asked him if he knew of any records of the Golden Oriole having been bred in captivity in Europe? Dr Schifter has written to say that Helmut Kramer in his very detailed compilation Bruten europdischer Vogelarten in Gefangenschaft (Breeding of European bird species in captivity), published in Zoologischer Garten N. F. Vol.50, pp.89-137 (1980), listed (p.90) the Golden Oriole among the species of European birds that had not been bred in captivity. In Das gross e Lexikon der Vogelpflege, published in 2003 by Verlag Ulmer, Stuttgart, Germany, Dr Franz Robiller recorded that shortly afterwards in 1 982, it had been bred for the first time by Rudiger Neff of Fichtenberg, Germany, and had been bred again later by him. Unfortunately Neff had obviously not published an account of his success, as the German avicultural journal Gefiederte Welt Vol.l 14, pp. 363-364 (1990), published a paper by Heinz Graff, Mannheim, Germany, entitled Welterstzucht des Pirols Oriolus oriolus (L.) hei Hermann Greulich, Rauenberg gegliickt? (First successful breeding of the Golden Oriole by Hermann Greulich, Reuenberg?), who had reared three young. In 1 99 1 two more Golden Orioles were bred by the same man. This was recorded by Graff in Pirolzucht erneut gegliickt (Golden Oriole bred again), published in Gefiederte Welt Vol.l 15, p.365 (1991). It was not, of course, the first success, as it had been bred earlier by Rudiger Neff. It was not until 2003, that Neff published a paper entitled DerPirol - ein Exot in unserer Vogelwelt (The Golden Oriole -an exotic bird in our avifauna) in Gefiederte Welt Vol.l 27, pp.326-329 & 366-368 (2003). Unfortunately it 96 NEWS & VIEWS lacked detailed information about his first breeding and subsequent successes, but he did mention a male hatched on June 16th 1982, that was hand-reared by him from the eighth day, after the breeding female died. This male was kept by Neff for almost 19 years, until it died suddenly on May 21st 2001. The male and the female with whom he had been paired since 1 986, had the year before (2000) produced a clutch of fertile eggs. In an earlier paper entitled Zum Alter von Kdflgvogeln by Zarth in Geflederte WeltV ol.92, p. 140 (1968), the best longevity record was that of a hand-reared male Golden Oriole that was stated to have lived for 20 years. Neff suggested that Golden Orioles may reach 25 years of age in captivity but provided no records. In his account mentioned above, Neff described how his Golden Orioles were kept and bred in aviaries 10m x 5m x 3.5m high (approx. 32ft 6in x 1 6ft 3 in x 1 1 ft 6in high). Unfortunately the birds were unable to build suitable nests with the materials he offered them, but finally bred successfully using artificial nests, one of which was shown on p. 327 of his paper. Neff made notes on 18 breeding efforts when young were hatched. Usually three or four eggs were laid and the female was observed sitting on the nest for 14- 1 5 days after the second egg had been laid. The nestlings were fed on moths, mealworms, ant pupae, locusts and other livefood. Neff also hand-reared some of the young, when the parents failed to do so. There are relatively few records of orioles having been bred captivity. One of the African species, the Black-headed Oriole O. larvata, was bred in 1964 in the Edward Marshall Boehm Aviaries, Trenton, New Jersey, USA (. Avicultural Magazine Vol.7 1 , No. 2, pp.50-5 1 ( 1 965); see also Vol.7 1 , No. 1 , pp. 1 0- 1 3 ( 1 965)). The species most often bred has probably been the Black- naped. According to the breeding records that used to be listed in the International Zoo Yearbook , it was bred at Jurong Bird Garden, Singapore, in 1 977 and again later. This species was also bred at Harewood Bird Garden, near Leeds, here in the UK, in 1985 (see News & Views Vol.lll, No. 3, p.144 (2005)). The Crimson-breasted Oriole O. cruentus was listed in The Foreign Bird Federation Register of Birds Bred in the UK under Controlled Conditions for the Years 1999-2002, as having been bred in 2000, but no further details or the name of the breeder have been forthcoming. The Olive- backed Oriole O. sagittatus bred in 1986 at Taronga Zoo, Sydney, Australia, but the youngster was not reared. In 1990, four young were hatched there, one of which was reared. The Southern Figbird Sphecotheres viridis vieilloti nested there in 1 973, when two young were hatched, but were not reared. In 1989 this species bred at the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary in Queensland and the same year, the Timor Figbird S. v. viridis , bred for the first time at Adelaide Zoo, which later succeeded in breeding a second generation of this species. GEORGE A. SMITH It is with great sadness that I report to death on June 22nd 2006 of George Smith of Peterborough. George joined the Avicultural Society in 1960 and for many years was an active member. As a veterinarian and as a writer he greatly advanced our knowledge of parrots, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. He was unique among avicultural writers in making important contributions to peer reviewed ornithological literature, his special interests being parrot taxonomy, systematics and morphology. Many members will recall his excellent articles in the Avicultural Magazine, especially those on what were at the time little- known species that he was breeding. These included the Long-tailed Parakeet, Red-capped Parrot, vasa parrots and caiques. His Encyclopedia of Cockatiels and Lovebirds and Related Parrots , both published in 1978, were important contributions to parrot literature. He carried out extensive research into parrot incubation and donated countless skin and skeleton specimens to The Natural History Museum collection at Tring. Unlike most aviculturists, he realised the value to science of dead birds. He had an exceptionally deep and wide knowledge, although birds and botany were his primary interests. The value of his articles and books lay in the fact that he was an original thinker with an enquiring mind and had an extraordinary ability to propose ideas no one had previously entertained. This original thinking was especially evident in his letters which encapsulated his humour and his knowledge. Often outspoken and sometimes deliberately provocative, with a wicked sense of humour, he could be misunderstood by those who did not know him well. In fact he was one of the most generous people I have ever encountered in aviculture, carrying out hundreds of post mortems free of charge, lending or giving parrots to countless breeders and helping many parrot people in other ways. His wit was legendary (though sometimes acerbic!). He was a rare personality in the world of aviculture. George had travelled widely overseas speaking at conventions and observing parrots in their natural habitat. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family, especially his widow Olive and his daughter Kathryn. Donations in memory of George Smith may be made to Cambridge University Botanical Gardens, Cory Lodge, Bateman Road, Cambridge CB2 1 JF, UK. Cheques should be made payable to University of Cambridge and you should state “In Memory of George Smith”. Rosemary Low DIANA HOLLOWAY The council was saddened to learn of the death of Avicultural Society Vice President Diana Holloway. It is hoped to include an obituary in the next issue of the magazine. CONTENTS 3 9088 01174 4513 Breeding the White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus at Exmoor Zoological Park by Derek Gibson . 49 Some notes on our experiences of keeping and breeding the Yellow-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax galb anus courtoisi by Martina Reul- Schneider and Holger Schneider . 53 Yellow-throated Laughingthrush . 57 On The Edge by Jo Gregson . 60 Breeding the White-bellied Go-away Bird Corythaixoides leucogaster at Waddesdon Manor by Andrew Owen . 62 Breeding the Greater Flamingo - the first success in 1 5 years by Walter Mangold . 71 Breeding and diet of the Croaking Ground Dove Columbina cruziana by Jack Clinton Eitniear . 75 A flying visit to Costa Rica by D. Grenville Roles . 84 Book Reviews Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa . 89 The Bedside Book of Birds - An Avian Miscellany . 90 News & Views 91 Published by the Avicultural Society, England. Produced by Data Publishing Service, Cheddar.