AVICULTURAL

MAGAZINE

VOLUME 113
No. 3
2007

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 2007 as for 2006: 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
TNI 3 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: mail2malcolm@amserve.com

RUTH SAWYER (nee EZRA)

June 13th 1919 - August 21st 2007

Our President Ruth Sawyer passed away on August 2 1 st 2007
at the age of 88.

Ruth spent her early years at Foxwarren Park, the home of
her distinguished father Alfred Ezra OBE and her mother Muriel.
Foxwarren Park was a treasure trove of avicultural delights which
of course included the last remaining specimens of the now extinct
Pink-headed Duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea .

After Foxwarren Park was sold, Ruth moved to Chestnut
Lodge in 1956 and Raymond joined her soon afterwards. The
collection grew from humble beginnings and as more aviaries were
built the number of species grew and the collection and garden
developed into the magnificent spectacle they have become today.
Some 1 8 first UK breedings have been achieved and the many
societies and groups that visit the collection and garden each year
is a tribute to the excellence to be found there.

Ruth will be greatly missed by her many friends and
aviculture has lost one of its greatest practioners. Raymond is of
course going to continue with their marvellous creation and I dare
say that new species will be added as and when desired.

I know all members of our society will join me in sending our
sincere and heartfelt condolences to Raymond in his tragic loss.

Christopher Marler
Chairman
The Avicultural Society

Ruth Muriel Sawyer

13th June 1919 - 21st August 2007
President

The Avicultural Society
1986 - 2007

Avicultural Magazine

THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY

Vol. 1 1 3 - No. 3 All rights reserved ISSN 0005 2256 2007

RUTH MURIEL SAWYER (nee EZRA)

Who died on August 21st 2007, aged 88 years
A EULOGY

St Andrews Church, Cobham, Surrey
Thursday August 30th 2007

When Raymond asked if I would say a few words on behalf of Ruth I
accepted with enthusiasm; for I knew it would be an opportunity to discover
far more than I already knew about this wonderful lady; I must say however
that I agreed with some trepidation having only known Ruth since 1992 after
joining Raphael Zorn, the firm of City stockbrokers originally established
by her grandmother’s family, the Raphaels, in 1787.

Ruth was bom on June 13th 1919, the eldest daughter of Muriel (nee
Sassoon) and Alfred Ezra. Ruth and her younger sister Aline grew up at
Foxwarren Park, the family’s large mansion near Cobham, Surrey. Alfred
was a highly respected man whose occupation was noted on his passport
as simply “Gentleman”, whilst Muriel, some 30 years Alfred’s junior was
a prominent society figure. Alfred was awarded an OBE after the war for
services during the war, but was best known and devoted much of his life to
his collection of animals and especially birds. He was an aviculturist of world
renown and President of the Avicultural Society (the oldest of the avicultural
societies) - a post which Ruth also retained until she died. Aviculture, for
those who like me missed it at school, is defined in the Oxford Dictionary
as the rearing of birds, or bird fancying; a rather mundane description I feel
for what is really involved.

Ruth’s upbringing was very much that of an upper class English family
of the time, and from an early age she demonstrated real ability in music -
particularly the piano, and in tennis. Regular visits were made every Tuesday
for piano lessons with Mr Steinway and she continued playing all her life;
I never had the privilege of hearing her but I am told by those who did that
she played especially beautifully. There were also frequent visits to recitals
and concerts, and of course the opera. Tennis lessons at the Hurlingham

100

RUTH MURIEL SAWYER - A EULOGY

Club were a regular feature and Ruth was a good and competitive player;
she particularly enjoyed the Wimbledon fortnight and I soon learnt not to
call her after lunch during those weeks.

During the war Ruth nursed at Weybridge Hospital and in this we see
the beginnings of a service to the community which was to remain with her
for the rest of her life.

In 1956 after Foxwarren Park was sold Ruth moved to Chestnut Lodge,
her home until she died. She moved with her old childhood nanny - a
formidable woman by all accounts who liked to control every aspect of Ruth’s
life, and the nanny’s husband who had also been the butler at Foxwarren.
Now the butler had unfortunately fallen for every butler’s greatest temptation,
and there is a story that Raymond tells of the only time that he ever saw Ruth
annoyed. Dinner was being served one evening when the butler appeared
bearing the wine, and not for the first time considerably the worse for wear.
Beating an unsteady path towards the dining room table it seemed as if he
might fall completely upon it, when recovering at the last moment he put
down a hand, but unfortunately straight into Ruth’s soup scattering the
contents all over her dress. Ruth lifted her voice ever so slightly and said
“This is enough!”

Now I am told that Ruth’s companions upon her arrival at Chestnut Lodge
included her beloved dogs and just six chickens. These were surely humble
beginnings as anybody who has seen the displays of birds now can testily.
Ruth had met Raymond sometime before, as he had known her father through
their shared interest in aviculture; and gradually over the years through their
common interest the collections of animals and birds at Chestnut Lodge
grew. I do not propose to detail their enormous achievements in this area
as these are already well known. However as an outside observer I would
say only this; I have never seen any birds or animals so beautifully kept and
so apparently content as those at Chestnut Lodge.

All her life Ruth took a great interest in everything that went on around her
and like her mother loved to entertain. Ruth was President of the Avicultural
Society, Patron of the Foreign Bird League and the Southern Foreign Bird
Club and her summer garden parties for these and other organisations which
she generously supported were special occasions. In recent years the garden
was also opened as part of the National Gardens Scheme.

Ruth studiously sent out large numbers of Christmas cards - all
handwritten, and with these included gifts of £25 for her godchildren,
continuing a tradition of over 60 years. I wonder how many of us have
godparents like that, or indeed perform with the same due diligence.

Ruth did not cook, she did not drive and she had little interest in
administrative or financial matters or indeed material things. However, she

RUTH MURIEL SAWYER - A EULOGY

101

and Raymond made a marvellous team with shared interests. At Chestnut
Lodge the food was always delicious and guests were beautifully looked after;
even the dogs were allowed to devour a whole bowl of coffee sugar after
lunch. The gardens were a joy to all their many visitors, and the Japanese
garden with its bonsai trees and superb carp ponds is a picture of calm and
simplicity. Their achievements in the world of exotic and domestic birds
are of world renown.

Ruth, in your life you have been kind and generous, you have been
thoughtful and considerate, you have been interested in people and you have
valued friendships. You have been a loyal friend, companion and wife. In
short you have stood out as a very green oasis in the modem world. Your
final days were spent at home as you would have wished surrounded by
those you loved. You have touched us all, and the prints from your fingers
will remain with us all for years to come.

Christopher Jeffreys
(Lord Jeffreys)

FAREWELL

There is so much I would love to say about Miss Ruth, so many memories,
so many good times, so many wise words and so many tears.

She was eccentric in her ways, but you never saw her without her make¬
up or a smile on her face. I had the pleasure and honour of knowing Miss
Ruth for 1 9 years and it Is with sadness in my heart that I say farewell to
her today.

She was one of the most caring, compassionate and loyal people I have
ever had the pleasure to meet. She enjoyed every day of her life and every
day I will miss her, she will always be in my thoughts and prayers. Never
again will I do a garden party without thinking about madam buttering the
bread; go into the chemist without thinking about her long list of make-up;
serve dinner without thinking how much is she feeding to the dogs under
the table; and never again will the signature tunes of her favourite TV
programmes, Coronation Street and Keeping up Appearances , be heard
without a sad heart.

Ruth’s personality was outgoing, outstanding and unforgettable. Her
laugh and sense of humour were unique. They say the stars always shine
bright at night, but you will always shine brighter in my heart.

Goodbye my precious madam.

Sylvia Hall
Housekeeper - Chestnut Lodge

102

END OF AN ERA

With the passing of our President Mrs Ruth Sawyer (nee Ezra), there is
no longer a member of the Ezra family in the society. Its long association
with the Avicultural Society started with Ruth’s uncle Sir David Ezra, who
joined the society in June 1912, followed a few months later by her father
Alfred Ezra. They were sons of Elias David Ezra, a prominent businessman
in Calcutta, India, where Sir David Ezra was several times Mayor of
Calcutta.

Although Ruth’s father had a London house he always preferred the
country so, in 1919, acquired the 300 acre (approx. 120 hectare) estate of
Fox warren Park, Cobham, Surrey, in which he was able to indulge his passion
of keeping birds and mammals under near-natural conditions. The rarest
of all his birds were the Pink-headed Ducks Rhodonessa caryophyllacea
of which, in 1932, he had several males, but only one female. They were
obtained through his brother in Calcutta. He never succeeded in breeding
the Pink-headed Duck, a species which is extinct now, but was first in
the UK to breed a long list of other species including the Superb Starling
Lamprotornis superbus (1924), White-crowned Starling Spreo albicapillus
(1929), Bali Starling Leucospar rothschildi (1931) and Bristle-crowned
Starling Onycognathus salvadorii (1931), Riippell’s Long-tailed Starling L.
purpuropterus (1933), Western Bluebird Sialis mexicana (1937), Mountain
Bluebird S. curnicoides (1938) and White-crowned Robin Chat Cossypha
albicapilla (1939).

Fred Bamicoat wrote recently about the annual garden party at Foxwarren
Park, the first account of which was written by David Seth-Smith. On that
occasion, May 16th 1925, some 40 members accepted the invitation of Mr
and Mrs Ezra, who kindly provided a charabanc (a motor coach) for the party
which departed from Hyde Park Comer. The generous hospitality of Mr and
Mrs Ezra was well known throughout the world and the annual garden party
was the highlight of the year for members of the Avicultural Society.

Jean Delacour met Alfred Ezra for the first time, through his old friend
Hubert Astley, whom Ruth’s father succeeded as President of the Avicultural
Society. Alfred Ezra was, wrote Jean Delacour, a pioneer in keeping nectar¬
feeding birds and had invented the formula - a mixture of honey, Nestles
condensed milk and Mellin’s food - that was used for many years to feed
sunbirds and hummingbirds. Between the two world wars, Jean Delacour
often spent a week or two each month in England with Ruth’s father. His
houses in London and at Foxwarren Park were, wrote Jean Delacour, almost
as much home for him as was Cleres, his own home in France, where Ruth’s
father often stayed. They used to visit bird collections and went to bird
shows and attended meetings of zoological and ornithological clubs and

END OF AN ERA

103

societies. They shared the birds brought back by collecting expeditions
and were constantly giving each other specimens they had obtained or
reared. Jean Delacour wrote that Alfred Ezra’s generosity and unselfishness
were proverbial and he benefited from them more than anyone else. They
enjoyed 20 years of delightful friendship and close association, including a
marvellous visit to India in 1933=1934, where at his Calcutta home, Ruth’s
uncle kept an astonishing number of birds and other animals, many of which
eventually found their way to Fox warren and Cleres. Many of the birds
Delacour brought over from Indochina also went to Foxwarren. Collectors
such as Webb, Cordier, Frost and Shaw Mayer brought over great rarities
for them from around the world, many imported for the first time and, it
was probable, he concluded, that never again would aviculture reach such
a high level.

Jean Delacour and Alfred Ezra sat together on the council of the
Zoological Society of London. Ruth’s father had become a Fellow of the
Zoological Society of London in 1909, soon after which he was elected a
member of its council, on which he served for many years. He was a most
generous contributor to the zoo collection, making valuable gifts including
Elephants Elephas maximus , Tigers Panthera tigris and other Asiatic animals,
as well as a pair of Kodiak Bears Ursus arctos middendorffi , which lived at
Whipsnade and bred there.

Ruth was elected to the council of the Avicultural Society in November
1963 and, subsequently was elected a Vice President, and then, on the death
of Jean Delacour in 1985, was elected President of the Avicultural Society.
In 1970, Raymond Sawyer had joined Ruth at Chestnut Lodge and together
they assembled the finest private collection of birds in this country, if not in
Europe. It became world-famous and was, and continues to be, visited by
many notable aviculturists from around the world. To date some 1 8 or so
first UK breedings have occurred there. The President’s Garden Party for
Avicultural Society members and their guests was hosted each year by Ruth
and Raymond. All of the money raised by the garden parties, Ruth most
generously donated to the society’s funds and this in large part, accounts
for the society’s present sound financial footing. When Ruth and Raymond
married in 2004, their many friends were delighted at the news.

Ruth was the ninth President in the society’s 1 1 3 -year history. Her father,
Alfred Ezra OBE, held the office from 1926-1955.

104

HUSBANDRY GUIDELINES FOR HAND-REARING
THE PINK-BACKED PELICAN Pelecanus rufescens

by Michelle Stevens

Introduction

The Pink-backed Pelican is widespread in the Afrotropics, including
south-west Arabia, and formerly bred on the Amirantes, Seychelles and
Madagascar (Hockey et al. 2005). They describe it as locally fairly common
with a global population estimated at 50,000-100,000 birds. However,
in South Africa it is classified as Vulnerable due to the small population
size and ongoing wetland degradation and loss. Zimmerman et al. (1996)
described it as widespread on lakes, rivers and seasonal flood waters, also
coastal estuaries and saltpans. Colonies are often small, widely scattered,
and may be some distance from water. It forages singly, catching fish with
an heron-like snapping action. Snow & Perrins (1998) stated that it breeds
over much of Africa south of the Sahara and on Red Sea coasts north to about
23 °N (they also noted that in Egypt it is an increasingly common, regular
(summer?) visitor to southern parts of Lake Nasser). It nests colonially. Two
to four eggs are laid in a small, unlined, very dirty nest of sticks, high in
a tree, in a bush or even on the ground (Mackworth-Praed & Grant, 1957).

Longleat Safari Park

The group of pelicans at Longleat Safari Park consists of 1 5 Pink-backed
Pelicans and a male Spot-billed Pelican P. philippensis . The pelicans live
on a large lake, which has a small sheltered island, at the front of which
nesting platforms have been constructed (see photo p.113). At Longleat
the pelicans breed from June-September. This study covers the practical
husbandry of the Pink-backed Pelican and describes problems encountered
hand-rearing this species.

Aims and objectives

The aims and objectives of this study were to produce husbandry
guidelines on the hand-rearing of the Pink-backed Pelican, which can be
used by those keeping and breeding this species. Brouwer et al. ( 1 994) stated
that there is a paucity of literature on hand-rearing techniques.

I set out to gather information from collections which keep and breed
this species, and use that information and the information I have acquired
at Longleat Safari Park, to compile an accurate set of husbandry guidelines.
I wanted the information to include details of the diet used to hand-rear the
chicks in other collections and the effect the diet had on their growth rate.
I also wanted to try to find out if other collections experience the same
problems as we do and their management programmes to deal with them.

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

105

Method

To find out which collections were keeping and breeding this species, I
began my research by visiting the ISIS database on the internet. From that
I was able to select five collections which had bred this species in the past
six months. They were:

Tierpark Berlin, Germany

Odense Zoo, Denmark

Vogelpark Avifauna, Netherlands

San Diego Wild Animal Park, California, USA

Zoo Dvur Kralove, Czech Republic

I wrote to these collections and asked if they hand-reared their chicks,
and also asked for information on the diet they used and details of the chicks’
weight gain, so that this information could be used for comparative analysis.
With the letter I sent out a short questionaire.

I received replies from the first three collections on the list. One in
particular, Tierpark Berlin, was especially helpful and provided me with
information on its hand-rearing diet and a list of weights of eight of its
chicks. I have included this information in the study. I have also included
data collected during past hand-rearing attempts at Longleat Safari Park
and information gained through my own experiences hand-rearing this
species.

Through talking to Mike Curzon, an extremely informative and willing
contact and friend, I learned of an article about breeding the Pink-backed
Pelican written by Paul Wexler and published in the Avicultural Magazine
Vol.103, No. 2, pp. 80-84 (1997). This article focused on the rearing of a
pelican chick hatched from an egg laid at Longleat Safari Park, and I was able
to extract some relevant information from it. My Senior Head of Section,
Mark Tye, who has 10 years’ experience of hand-rearing this species, also
provided me with much useful information. I also consulted ornithological
and zoological literature.

Results

Reasons for hand-rearing chicks

There are several reasons why the eggs are removed for artificial
incubation and the chicks are hand-reared. At Longleat Safari Park the
Pink-backed Pelicans have been laying fertile eggs since 1994. However,
when these have been left in the nests, after a period of time, they have
disappeared. It is presumed that unpaired pelicans rolled them off the nest
platforms into the water. Brouwer at al. (1994) stated that unpaired birds,

106

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

especially unpaired males, can disturb the breeding activities of pairs by
seizing their nests and breaking their eggs.

This may have been the cause of problems at Longleat, where the ratio
of males to females at the time of the study was 10:5. Many of the birds
in the colony are hand-reared birds, but without further research it is not
possible to say whether this has had a detrimental effect on their ability to
successfully rear their own young. An advantage of hand-reared birds is that
they are calm and steady around the keepers, which makes nest inspections
relatively stress free. Another problem that was encountered was the death
of a chick at the point of pipping, thought to be due to a problem with the
humidity in the nest (Wexler, 1997). Of the eggs that were left in the nests
to be incubated and the chicks reared naturally in 1999, only 12 of the eggs
hatched and none of the chicks survived past 16 days old. Neglect by the
parents, a retained yolk, leading to a yolk sac infection, and ejection from
the nest (it is not known if this was by the parents or by other members of
the colony) are thought to have led to premature deaths.

Tierpark Berlin has a mixed colony of Pink-backed and Great White
Pelicans P. onocrotalus. The presence of the Great White Pelicans has had
a detrimental effect on the breeding success of the Pink-backed, as they kill
Pink-backed chicks and disturb the adults whilst they are breeding (Kaiser,
2006). These are just some of the problems which make it necessary to
hand-rear this species, in order to achieve breeding success. However, at
Odense Zoo and Vogelpark Avifauna, they prefer to leave the parents to rear
their own young, in order to avoid imprinted birds.

Incubation

The nests are checked for eggs once or twice a day, and any freshly laid
eggs are removed for artificial incubation. All eggs are weighed before being
placed in the incubator and are weighed throughout the incubation period.
They are incubated at a temperature of 37.5°C (99.5°F) and 60% humidity
and should achieve a 1 5% weight loss during the 30-34 day incubation period.
This is plotted on a graph and is carefully monitored. If the weight goes
significantly over either side of the 15% weight loss line, the humidity must
be adjusted accordingly. If an egg is losing too much weight, the humidity
needs to be increased. Similarly, if an egg is not losing enough weight, the
humidity needs to be reduced to create a drier atmosphere in the incubator
(Harvey, 1 990). It can be a good idea to have two incubators set at different
levels of humidity, especially if incubating more than one egg, as individual
eggs may have different requirements.

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

107

Hatching and immediate aftercare

Following the internal pip (on approximately day 30), the egg is placed in
a hatcher at a temperature of 36.5°C (97.7°F) with high humidity to prevent
the egg from drying out. It is left in the hatcher until the chick has hatched
(at approximately day 32). There it remains for a few hours to acclimatise,
after which it is placed in a brooder at a temperature of 36°C (96.8°F).
Again the humidity is kept high to avoid the chick becoming dehydrated
and developing dry, peeling skin (Wexler,1997).

The chicks are placed in plastic bowls 6in (15cm) in diameter and 4in
(10cm) deep. The bowls are lined with hay and lime tree twigs (lime tree
twigs are also placed on the nesting platforms and are used as nesting
material), cut to appropriate lengths to fit into the bowls (see photo p.l 16).
Each morning the chicks are weighed and placed in freshly made nests. It
is important not to use twigs that are too small, as an inquisitive chick may
try to swallow them, and could perforate its gut. Placing the twigs in the
nesting bowls is important, as in the past there have been problems with
foot deformities.

The twigs seem to encourage the chicks to use their feet and gives them
something to grasp hold of, instead of just scrunching their feet together.
They also provide a sturdy platform on which the chicks can move about, as
opposed to being stuck in one area of the bowl, which can happen if only hay
is used. The chicks are taken out of the bowls only to be fed, at which time
they are placed under a heat lamp to avoid a sudden change of temperature.
As the chicks develop, they need to be moved into larger containers to allow
them to move about and build up their strength. We have found that plastic
washing-up bowls and plastic crates are ideal for this purpose.

The chicks are removed from the brooder after two to five days and placed
under a heat lamp set at a height of approximately 3ft (lm). The chicks are
not placed directly under the lamp, but to one side of it, as the heat given
off by the lamp is very hot and dry. We try to maintain the temperature at
approximately 30°C-33°C (86°F-91 .4°F). It is carefully monitored in case
it gets excessively hot or the temperature drops, in which case the placement
of the heat lamp and bowl have to be adjusted accordingly. As the chicks’
down starts to develop, they become less dependent on the heat lamps, which
are then turned on only at night.

Diet and feeding methods

At Longleat we have changed the hand-rearing diet three times since
1 998. The seasonal availability of certain items of food was partly the reason
for these changes, but there was also an element of trial and error to find out
which was the best diet to promote growth and prevent health problems.

108

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

Table 1 details the different diets used at Longleat over the years, including
the current diet. Also included in Table 1 is the diet used at Tierpark Berlin
and the diet of what is thought to have been the first chick hand-reared in
the UK. The egg was laid at Longleat, but the chick was hand-reared for the
first 27 days by Paul Wexler at Birdworld, Surrey. It was then transferred
back to Longleat.

The diets have been tried and tested over the years and have proved
relatively successful. However, it should be remembered that individual
pelican chicks vary and what works for one may not work for others, and
some chicks progress faster than others. The chicks are not fed for the first
12-24 hours. This is to maximise the chance of the yolk being absorbed.
If for any reason the yolk is retained, this can lead to infection (see later).
This is something which has been a problem throughout the hand-rearing
of Pink-backed Pelican chicks at Longleat.

At Birdworld the chick’s food was liquidised and spoon-fed to it, a method
that initially was not successful, as much of the food was voided and left the
chick in danger of suffocation (Wexler, 1 997). Therefore, it was decided
to use small, boned, carp, which had been scalded and then scraped with a
knife to remove the flesh. At Longleat we scald sprats by placing them in
very hot water to soften them. As sprats can be quite rigid and difficult to
digest, this helps the chicks swallow the fish. We choose not to liquidise
the food as the chicks take well to whole trout (lg-5g in weight) during the
first week, and these are digested easily. They then easily progress onto
whole sprats. After observing Sacred Ibis Theskiornis aethiopicus raising
their chicks successfully, it was suggested that we should make a change
to the way in which the pelican chicks are fed. As a result, they are now
encouraged to pick up the food for themselves from a tray or their bedding,
as opposed to being fed by hand.

Until recently the chicks were fed every two hours from 8.00am-8.00pm
and did not always seem keen to feed. Now they are fed on demand, with
the interval between feeds often varying between one to three hours, between
8. 00am- 8. 00pm. The 8.00pm feed is cut out at days 17-20 and by days 36-40
the feeds are reduced to just two a day. The chicks are not mollycoddled, if
they do not take the fish within a short period of time, they are left on their
own for a while with the fish beside them; if they continue to refuse to eat
it, then that feed is withheld. It can be frustrating if a chick does not eat the
food, however it is vital that the chicks learn to help themselves. Force-
feeding is not an option, as it is stressful for all concerned and the chick is
likely to bring the food up (Mike Tye pers. comm.). Chicks can become
lazy when it comes to taking more than one small fish, which is not enough
to attain a healthy weight gain if this is repeated at every feed. One method
of reducing this is to give such chicks a very small piece of fish to start with.

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

109

which will sometimes encourage them to take more.

Chicks at Longleat are offered de- ionised water, kept warm under the
heat lamp and administered via a 2ml syringe. De-ionised water is used,
as it is purer than tap water. Chicks are offered water at every feed, with
care being taken not to ‘fill them up’ with water during the early stages, as
it is important that they get used to taking food. When hand-rearing pelican
chicks in 2005, 1 observed that offering them a small amount of water (lml-
2ml) at the start, can encourage them to take more fish. Towards the latter
stages of being hand-reared, the chicks are allowed as much water as they
want, provided they are eating well.

Supplements

Starting from the first day of feeding, the chicks at Longleat are given a
vitamin and mineral supplement. Collections such as Tierpark Berlin and
Birdworld appear not to give supplements during the first week (Tierpark
Berlin does though give a digestive enzyme), but instead give one from the
second week. At Longleat we use a high calcium multivitamin and mineral
supplement called Avimix. This used to be mixed in the water, but is now
sprinkled sparingly on the food once a day. This is done for approximately
the first 35-40 days, after which they receive one Mazuri fish-eater tablet
per day. The chicks at Longleat are also given a probiotic called Protexin.
This is to help the microflora in the gut, as the chicks are given antibiotics
from an early age (see later).

Average food intake and weight gain

The first graph (p. 114) charts the average food intake of Longleat’s 18
Pink-backed Pelican chicks hand-reared since 1 996 (this figure includes the
one hand-reared at Birdworld). The average food intake for the first 30 days
was worked out originally for males and females, however it was decided
that the results did not differentiate sufficiently to warrant a comparative
chart. I have through my own hands-on experience, observed differences in
the food intake of the sexes at about 50-60 days. At this time the female’s
appetite slows down and she consumes just one or two medium-sized fish
(approx. 500g of food) per day, whereas the male will consume three or four
fish (800g-l,000g of food) per day with ease.

The amount of food a pelican eats varies according to each individual’s
appetite and environmental factors. Pelicans being hand-reared together
at Longleat compete with each other for food and seem to take the food
with more conviction. Chicks hand-reared in captivity have a more or less
unlimited supply of food, so the chance of premature death due to starvation
is highly unlikely. In the wild, however, smaller and younger chicks often
get attacked by their older siblings. The greatest period of chick mortality

110

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

Table 1. Different diets used to hand-rear chicks. The diet given at each
weekly stage can vary according to each individual chick’s progress.

Diet A Tierpark Berlin

Week 1 . Baby mice enriched with Enzynormforte, a digestive enzyme.

Week 2. The addition of small freshwater fish and a vitamin and mineral

mixture.

Weeks 3 & 4. Freshwater fish only and vitamin and mineral mixture.

Diet B

Longleat (1998)

Week 1.

Whole fresh trout fry, whole fresh whitebait and scalded sprats whole or
cut in half, plus Avipro vitamin and mineral supplement.

Week 2.

Week 3.

Whole scalded sprats and Avimix only.

Scalded sprats and small mackerel, whole or half a fish, depending on size
(tail cut off), plus Avimix.

Week 4.

Whole mackerel only complete with tail, plus Avimix and later on Mazuri

fish-eater tablet.

Diet C

Birdworld (1996)

Week 1.

Liquidised sprat, mashed carp and pinky mice spoon-fed to chick, plus
flaked cod and chopped day-old chicks.

Week 2.

Anchovies, chopped sprats and chopped day-old chicks, plus the
introduction of small whole sprats. Avimix.

Week 3.

Week 4.

Scalded whole sprats, plaice fillets and day-old chicks.

Scalded sprats and mackerel.

Diet D

Longleat (2001)

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Scalded sprats cut in half diagonally. Avimix mixed in water.

Scalded whole sprats. Avimix mixed in water.

Scalded whole sprats and mackerel tails. Avimix mixed in water.

Scalded sprats and mackerel. One Mazuri fish-eater tablet per day.

Diet E

Longleat (current diet)

Week 1

Whole fresh carp or trout fry, warmed in hot water and sprinkled with
Avimix. Protexin probiotic once a day.

Week 2

Trout fry and the introduction of scalded small sprats, whole or cut in half.
The chicks are weaned off trout fry during the course of the week. Avimix
sprinkled on food.

Week 3

Scalded whole sprats with their tails on and the introduction of small
mackerel with their tails cut off. Avimix sprinkled on food.

Week 4

Scalded sprats and later mackerel or herring only complete with their tails
plus one Mazuri fish-eater tablet per day.

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

111

is not during the first week after hatching, but later when competition for
food is evidentally severe and the danger of falling from the nest is at its

greatest (Johnsgard, 1993).

Problems during rearing

During the hand-rearing of this species at Longleat, a recurrent problem
has been the premature death of chicks between six to 1 7 days old due to
yolk retention. Of the 26 premature deaths that have occurred since 1998,
1 5 were from suspected yolk sac infection; this included one bird which was
being reared by its parents. Tierpark Berlin did not list this or any other
problems when answering the questionaire.

The symptoms that appear to be synonymous with yolk sac infection
include:

Fits/convulsions.

Regurgitation.

Hanging head over side of nest bowl.

Laboured breathing.

Loss of appetite.

Lethargy between fits/seizures.

Pecking at air in a gulping fashion.

Various methods of managing this infection have been employed over
the years. All chicks are given an antibiotic for the first three weeks of their
life. The antibiotics used have changed over the years. At present Synulox
palatable drops are given three times a day for the first 1 4 days at a rate of
0.2 5 ml/kg. The antibiotic is then changed to Baytril 2.5% oral solution
given at a rate of 0.4ml/kg. The change is to prevent resistance to any one
antibiotic. The new feeding regime that has been implemented is also aimed
at combating yolk retention. One of the chicks reared in 2005 was given
an ultrasound scan at 12 days old to see if the yolk had been retained. This
proved negative. An unobtrusive yolk sac removal operation can be carried
out, however there is an element of risk during anaesthesia and from post¬
operative infection.

Other problems have included regurgitation and deformed legs. The first
can be a symptom of yolk retention, but may also be a sign of overfeeding.
Leg and foot deformities were an issue in 2001, when chicks developed
brittle bones and splayed legs. Husbandry techniques were changed (i.e.
the diet and the proper administration of vitamin and mineral supplements,
plus the use of lime twigs in the nest baskets and crates), since when there
have been no further incidences of this problem.

112

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

Pinioning

Chicks at Longleat are pinioned from two to five days old. We prefer
to do this as soon as possible, not only to minimise stress but also because
at this young age the bones are smaller and softer. Pinioning is used as a
necessary means of restraint. Our pelicans are housed in an open enclosure
and if they were full-winged, they could fly out into the park and could fall
prey to large carnivores. Joost Lammers of Vogelpark Avifauna stated that
there they pinion their birds in the first week or as soon as possible. At
Tierpark Berlin they are pinioned at one week old. At Odense Zoo they are
not pinioned at present, but were in the past.

The move outside and integration into the group

At about days 30-36 the chicks are moved into an outdoor exercise pen
but have access to a heat lamp at night. They are moved outdoors so that they
can acclimatise and have the opportunity to move about more and exercise
their wings. They become increasingly messy if they remain inside. At this
stage they are still covered in thick white down although their scapulars,
wing and tail feathers have emerged. As they get bigger the nest baskets are
changed and the floor is lined with straw and lime twigs. Water is available
ad-lib from a large container. It is important that the young pelicans get the
opportunity to walk about by the age of about one month (Kaiser, 2006). The
nest area is surrounded by a low wooden barrier, which the young pelicans
perch on whilst exercising their wings.

At days 70-80 or thereabouts the young birds are moved from the
exercise pen and introduced to the main group of pelicans in the safari park.
The young birds are placed on the island, which has a small wooden house
incorporated onto it. The low wooden surround (the wooden barrier above)
is put around the house so that the birds have something they are familiar
with. Initially the young pelicans are fed on the island and are then gradually
encouraged to feed on the other side of the lake with the rest of the group.
It is when they start feeding with the other pelicans that they become more
confident about taking to the water, which for some does not seem to come
naturally. The adults tend to show little interest in the new arrivals and will
even permit them to stand on their nesting platforms. Three pelicans raised
in 2005 took over one section of the platforms and used this as their main
roosting site. There does seem to be some imprinting behaviour, especially
at feeding times when they become very vocal and partake in head-wagging
and wing-thrashing. Johnsgard (1993) stated that these movements are a
sign of begging for food. After a couple of months they grow out of this
and start conducting themselves in a more mature manner and become less
dependent on the keepers.

STEVENS - PIMK-BACKED PELICAN

113

Photo Michelle Stevens

The pelican nesting platforms at Longleat Safari Park.

Discussion

There was quite a difference in the average weight gains achieved using
each of the different diets listed in Table 1 (see second graph p. 1 14). Diet C
produced the best daily weight gain. There appeared to be a loss of weight at
day 25, but on checking the records this seems to have been due to the fact
that it had regurgitated fish on day 23 and had not eaten enough on day 24
to make up for this loss. The high overall weight gain may have been due to
the inclusion of day-old chicks (which tend to be a high fat source of food)
from an early age. The second best weight gain was achieved using Diet E,
Longleat’s current diet, followed by Diet B. Diet B (1998) was replaced
by Diet D in 2001 . This may have been due to the unavailabiity of certain
items of food, but the results show there was a distinct difference in growth
rates. They also suggest that this diet was detrimental to the chicks’ health,
as all four hand-reared to adulthood had a calcium deficiency problem. I
believe this was due to the fact that the Avimix powder was mixed with
water and administered via a syringe. Avimix is not water soluble so it is
questionable whether the chicks got enough of this supplement, especially
as chicks drink varying amounts of water each day. Placing twigs in the nest
bowls and crates has also proved beneficial in preventing foot deformities.

114

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

Average daily food intake to achieve a
healthy weight gain

Average daily weight gain using the diets
described in Table 1

Numbers of chicks on which averages are based: Diet A = 8; Diet B = 10;
Diet C = 1 ; Diet D = 4; Diet E = 3. Note: Diet A (Tierpark Berlin) is for

the first 27 days only.

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

115

The chicks fed on Diet A at Tierpark Berlin started off following a similar
growth curve as the others but later their growth slowed down.

Conclusion

The hand-rearing techniques used by the collections in the study appear
to be working to a degree, as a number of birds have been hand-reared using
them. The techniques currently being applied at Longleat, look promising but
the diet and feeding regime needs to be tested on a larger number of chicks
to get more accurate results. This also applies to the results shown on the
first graph (p. 1 1 4). The problem experienced at Longleat with yolk retention
does not seem to have occurred in the other collections and is something
which needs further research on a wider scale (i.e. the participation of more
collections). Given more time and the cooperation of other collections, I
feel that answers to the above questions can be found. As I was writing up
this study a lot of other questions occurred to me and in hindsight I wish 1
had produced a more in-depth questionaire.

Recommendations

I feel that the following points should be addressed in the future, so that
the breeding programme for the Pink-backed Pelican can move forward and
achieve greater egg viability and survival of the young:

Research into yolk retention: its causes, management and most
importantly its prevention.

The introduction of more female birds into the existing group at Longleat,
to increase genetic variation and level out the uneven ratio of males to
females. This may also improve the likelyhood of the group producing
parent-reared chicks.

Research into how other collections manage to hatch and raise parent-
reared birds.

Greater analysis of diets to determine which produces the best food
intake to growth ratio.

Greater cooperation between collections which have successfully bred
this species, so that a clear set of guidelines can be produced, that are
scientifically accurate and can be used by other collections.

Acknowlegements

I would like to thank Mark Tye, my Head of Section at Longleat Safari
Park, for sharing with me his knowledge of hand-rearing Pink-backed
Pelicans and for his support throughout the study. I would also like to
thank Mike Curzon MBE for his help and guidance when I was researching
relevant reference material. Without their help, guidance and support, this

116

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

Photo Michelle Stevens

The hand-rearing set-up.

Photo Michelle Stevens

Examples of types of containers used at Longleat. The chick at the back is 15 days old.
It is 10 days older than the chick in the foreground. The chicks’ down starts to develop

at seven to 10 days old.

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

117

Photo Ian Turner, Longleat

The chicks are encouraged to pick up food themselves.

Photo Michelle Stevens

Ultrasound being used to check a 12 day old chick for retained yolk.

118

STEVENS - PINK-BACKED PELICAN

study would not have been possible. I also wish to thank Martin Kaiser of
Tierpark Berlin, Joost Lammers of Vogelpark Avifauna and staff at Odense
Zoo for their help and cooperation.

References

Brouwer, K., Hiddinga, B. and King, C. E. 1994. Management and Breeding of Pelicans in
Captivity. International Zoo Yearbook 33:24-39.

Harvey, R. 1990. Practical Incubation. First edition. Rob Harvey, Birdworld, Holt Pound,
Nr Farnham, Surrey GU10 4LD.

Hockey, P. A. R., Dean, W. R.J. and Ryan, P. G. 2005. Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa.
Seventh edition. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa.
ISIS. 2005. International Species Information System database - http:www.isis.org - accessed
15/12/05.

Johnsgard, P. A. 1993. Cormorants, Darters and Pelicans of the World. First edition.
Smithsonian Institution Press, London.

Mackworth-Praed, C. W. and Grant, C. H. B. 1957. African Handbook of Birds, Series one.
Birds of Eastern and North Eastern Africa. Vol. 1 . Second edition. Longman Group Ltd, London.
Snow, D. W. and Perrins, C. M. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Concise Edition.
Vol. 1. Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York.

Wexler, P. 1997. Breeding the Pink-backed Pelican. Avicultural Magazine 103,2:80-84.

Further reading

Ober, S. H. and Verkade, R. 1998. Hand-rearing the Eastern Great White Pelican at Vogelpark
Avifauna, Alphen. International Zoo Yearbook 36:171-173.

The above study by Michelle Stevens was undertaken as part of the
Advanced National Certificate in the Management of Zoo Animals. Michelle
works at Longleat Safari Park, Longleat Park, Warminster, Wilts. BA 12 7NJ,
UK. Website :www. longleat. co. uk/E-mail: safariojfice@longleat. co. uk

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119

BREEDING LAYARD’S BLACK-HEADED WEAVER
Ploceus cucullatm nigriceps1

by Graham Thurlow

In the spring of 2004 I transferred a pair of Layard’s Black-headed
Weavers into a new outdoor flight measuring 14ft x 8ft x 7ft high (approx.
4,2m x 2.4m x 2.1m high). The birds also had access to an indoor flight
measuring 8ft x 3ft x 6ft high (approx. 2.4m x 0.9m x 1.8m high), that
forms part of my birdroom which is heated to a minimum of 60°F (15.6°C).
During the previous three years the birds had been housed in a large indoor
flight of similar dimensions to the new aviary and, although the male had
diligently built nests throughout this period, the female had taken little
interest in them.

During their first year the weavers shared the new aviary with two pairs
of Java Sparrows Padda oryzivora and, once they were given access to
the outside quarters, the male weaver immediately started nest building.
Much to my surprise his preferred site was in the inside aviary, in which
he suspended his nest from branches placed in the flight. The birds were
offered raffia as nesting material and within three days the male weaver
built a very solid globular structure with a short, downward pointing tunnel.
Once it was complete, and whenever the female approached the nest, the
male would suspend himself from the nest entrance, flapping his wings and
swaying from side to side, “fuzzing and buzzing” in what with Layard’s
Black-headed Weaver passes for a song.

At that point I went on holiday assuming that, as previously, nothing
would come of the attempt. When I returned a week later, however, the
female weaver was nowhere to be seen. It was not until I opened the door
to the indoor flight, that she flew out of the nest and into the outside aviary.
A careful examination of the nest revealed two eggs. I therefore retreated
quickly to allow the female to return to the nest. During the incubation period
I did my best to see to all the birds in the birdroom without disturbing the
female, which usually sat tight, until I came to renew the food and water
in her flight. She would then beat a retreat, but always returned once I had
left the birdroom. The male took no part in the incubation process or in the
rearing of the chicks.

Approximately 1 0 days later an eggshell was found on the floor of the

1 Recent field guides follow Clancy (1970) and use the name P. c. paroptus
rather than R c. nigriceps which he regarded as being restricted to areas
south of Tanzania . - Ed.

120

THURLOW - BLACK-HEADED WEAVER

Photo Graham Thurlow

Male and female Layard’s Black-headed Weaver.

flight and an examination of the nest revealed a chick and an unhatched egg,
which subsequently proved to be clear. The eggs of Layard’s Black-headed
Weaver are rather elongated in shape and pale blue in colour, with the broad
end slightly darker and decorated with dark spots and squiggles; the extent
of these markings is variable, however.

The chick thrived initially on a diet of black field crickets, then as it
grew bigger, it graduated onto waxworrns and mealworms. It fledged after
approximately 21 days, but continued to be fed by the female for some
weeks, even during periods when she took a break from incubating her
second clutch of eggs. Within 24 hours of the chick leaving the nest the

THURLOW - BLACK-HEADED WEAVER

121

male dismantled it and started to build a new nest in the same position; this
has proved to be the norm.

Within a couple of weeks the female was again incubating two eggs and
this time hatched and reared two chicks to fledging. There was an obvious
age difference between the fledglings, the younger of which was ignored
by its parent. This again has proved to be the norm with this species, with
only the eldest chick being fed once the youngsters have left the nest. This
even happened on the single occasion when three eggs were laid and three
young fledged; attempts at hand-rearing at this stage have, to date, been
unsuccessful. Others breeding Village Weavers suggest this is normal, with
only one chick per clutch reaching independence.

In the first season two chicks were reared to independence, which
subsequently proved to be a male and female. The pattern was similar the
following year, with two chicks being reared, which again proved to be a
male and female.

Although considered to be seedeaters, I have found that these weavers
are really omnivores with a marked preference for livefood. They also take
a significant amount of fruit in the form of soft pear, melon and pawpaw
(papaya). Seed is taken only in relatively small quantities and then only
plain canary seed, millet sprays and small striped sunflower seed; the various
forms of loose millet are ignored.

This year (2007) has been disappointing in that the old pair have produced
three clutches of eggs to date (the end of June) and all have proved to be
infertile, despite mating having been observed. I therefore assume that the
old male is no longer fertile. The birds appear to reach sexual maturity
and full colour in their second year and the young birds from the first
successful season have now formed a pair and have two chicks - a less than
ideal situation - and I fear that unless I can find new stock this small colony
is doomed. I would be pleased, therefore, to hear of anyone keeping this
species of weaver.

The author, an Avicultural Society Council Member, lives in Yorkshire.
He can be contacted through the Hon. Editor.

122

NOTES ON A TRIP TO SRI LANKA

by Colin Scott

Until I was asked if I fancied joining an organised trip to Sri Lanka, I had
never given any thought to visiting this tropical island just off the south-east
coast of India. A quick look on the internet revealed that it has just over 400
species of birds - including 26 endemic species and just over 70 endemic
subspecies - a large range of mammals including the Asian Elephant Elephus
maximus and the Leopard Panthera pardus , and is decribed as a “global
hotspot” for reptiles. In addition, it has a rich culture and a long history and
many World Heritage Sites.

Departure day, February 3rd, earlier this year, finally arrived and after
a nine hour delay at Heathrow, we were on our way. Eleven hours later we
landed at Colombo Airport, where we were met by Prasanjith Caldera, our
guide. There followed a five hour drive to Sigiriya Village Hotel, the first of
nine different hotels we stayed at. On the way we saw: Little Egret Egretta
garzetta , Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia , Cattle Egret Bubulcus
ibis , Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii, Asian Open-billed Stork Anastomns
oscitans , White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis, Stork-billed
Kingfisher H. capensis. Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus ,
Honey-Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus , Ashy Wood-Swallow Artamus fiuscus ,
White-bellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens leucopygialis , Spotted Dove
Streptopelia chinensis ceylonensis, Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis ,
Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis. Tri-coloured Munia Lonchura malacca
and Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis melanosturnus . Another species
we saw was the Indian Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri, one
of five species of parrot found on Sri Lanka. We were quite tired by the
time we arrived at the hotel, so took a short rest and had something to eat,
before we took a walk around the garden and in the surrounding woodland
beside a large lake, to which the famous Sigiriya Rock Fortress provided
a stunning backdrop. Among the birds we saw over the next few days
were: Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica. Pheasant-tailed
Jaqana Hydrophasianus chirurgus, Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus,
Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus. Striated Heron Butorides striatus , Yellow
Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea. Crimson-fronted
Barbet Megalaima r. rubricapilla , Brown-headed Barbet M. zeylanica,
Coppersmith Barbet M. haemacephala , Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Cyornis
tickelliae jerdoni , Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi. White-
rumped Shama C. malabarica leggei , Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica
robinsoni, Pompadour Green Pigeon Treron p. pompadora , Indian Nightjar

SCOTT - TRIP TO SRI LANKA

123

Caprimulgus asiaticus eidos, Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura and Alexandrine
Parakeet P. eupatria. We also saw a remarkable bird called the Grey-rumped
Treeswift Herniprocne longipennis , which with its upright crest, grey colour,
orangish cheek patches (of the male) and size - 9in (22cm) - reminded me
of a Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus.

On the second day, our first full day there, we climbed the Rock Fortress
and got stunning views in all directions. On the way up we stopped to
visit the world famous frescoes of the Heavenly Maidens of Sigiriya. We
got great views of Shikra Accipiter badius and Shaheen Falco peregrinus
peregrinator , the latter a subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon F. peregrinus.
We also saw a Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus , a species
previously unrecorded in the area.

The next day, after visiting Dambulla Cave Temple, another World
Heritage Site, this one dating from the first century AD, we moved on to
Kinjou Safari Village in Wasgomuwa National Park. During an afternoon
jeep safari we saw: Spot-billed Pelican Pelicanus philippensis , Darter
Anhinga melanogaster, Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus , Woolly¬
necked Stork Ciconia epis copus, Asian Open-billed Stork, the beautiful
Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala. Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus
cirrhatus. Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela, Grey-headed Fish Eagle
Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus , Sri Lanka Junglefowl Gallus lafayetti , Indian
Peafowl Pavo cristatus and Chinese Painted Quail Coturnix chinensis. Other
birds seen included: European Bee-eater Merops apiaster , Little Green Bee-
eater M. orientalis ceylonicus. Blue-tailed Bee-eater M. philippinus. Streaked
Weaver Ploceus manyar , Baya Weaver P. philippinus. Cotton Pygmy Goose
Nettapus coromandelianus , Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis , Blue-faced
Malkoha Phaenicophaeus viridirostris, Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea ,
Malabar Pied Hombill Anthracoceros coronatus and Black Drongo Dicrurus
macrocercus minor. We also saw a number of mammals including: Sambar
Cervus unicolor. Axis Deer or Chital Axis axis. Wild Boar Sus scrofa, Black-
naped Hare Lepus nigricollis. Water Buffalo Bubalus bubalis. Grey Langur
Semnopithecus entellus and a herd of 60-70 wild Asian Elephants.

On day four we moved to Kandy, travelling there via the Knuckles
Mountain Range, with its breathtaking scenery. In the afternoon we visited
the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kandy, which was a real treat for the green
fingered amongst us. There we saw: Indian Hill Mynah Gracula religiosa.
White-bellied Sea Eagl q Haliaeetus leucogaster. Black Bittern I.flavicollis,
Purple S unbird Nectarinia asiatica. Long-billed A. /. lotenia, Purple-rumped
Sunbird N. z. zeylonica , Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons and
Spicebird L. punctulata. We also experienced the noise and commotion of
a fruit bat roost with an estimated 10,000 occupants.

124

SCOTT - TRIP TO SRI LANKA

Photo © Colin Scott

Layard’s or the Emerald-collared Parakeet is among a number of species found only

on Sri Lanka.

Day five involved an early morning visit to Udawallakelle Forest Reserve
in the city. There we saw two more parrot species, both of which are endemic
to Sri Lanka. One was the Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot Loriculus beryllinus and
the other was Layard’s Parakeet P. calthorpae. We also saw the Sri Lanka
Grey Hornbill Tockus gingalensis and Yellow-fronted Barbet M. flavifrons ,
both endemic to the island. Other birds we saw included: Greater Flameback
(Woodpecker) Chrysocolaptes lucidus stricklandi, Red-backed Woodpecker
Dinopium benghalense psarodes , Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus ,
Black-headed Yellow Bulbul Pycnonotus m. melanicterus and Black Bulbul
Hypsipetes leucocephalus humii. In the afternoon we visited Pinnawala

SCOTT - TRIP TO SRI LANKA

125

Photo © Colin Scott

Another species found only on the island of Sri Lanka is the Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot.

Photo © Colin Scott

Coppersmith Barbet.

126

SCOTT - TRIP TO SRI LANKA

Elephant Orphanage, one of Sri Lanka’s biggest tourist attractions, which
has a herd of over 80 elephants that take part in a daily parade, travelling
from their grazing pasture through the streets to the river to cool off. It is
quite a spectacle. Just up the road is the Millennium Elephant Foundation
which rescues elderly, sick and mistreated elephants. There it is possible to
get ‘hands on’ experience and it is well worth a visit.

After spending two nights in Kandy, it was time to move again but
before we left we visited the Temple of the Sacred Tooth. Then we set¬
off for Nuwara-eliya situated in the highlands at about 2,000m-(6,500ft).
On the way we stopped to visit a tea plantation and a tea factory. In the
afternoon we visited Hakgala Gardens which were established in 1 860. The
following endemic species were seen there: Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon Columba
torringtoni , Sri Lanka White-eye Zosterops ceylonensis , Dull Blue Flycatcher
Muscicapa sordida, Yellow-eared Bulbul P. penicillatus , Sri Lanka Whistling
Thrush Myophonus blighi and the Purple-faced Leaf Monkey Semnopithecus
vetullus. Other birds seen were: Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa
ceylonensis , Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis , Brown Shrike Lanius
c. cristatus , Scaly-breasted Rail Rallus striatus and Hill Swallow Hirundo
tahitica domicola.

The next day we made an early start, returning at first light to Hakgala
Gardens, before travelling onto Horton Plains National Park situated at
2,500m (approx. 8,200ft). On day eight we made another early start, this
time travelling to Yala National Park, Sri Lanka’s most famous park, which
is situated on the south-east coast, which bore the brunt of the Boxing Day
2004 tsunami. Yala is a very large park situated in the dry zone, with a
diversity of habitats ranging from scrub forest to reservoirs, a brackish lagoon
and an estuary. We saw more elephants and had good views of the elusive
Leopard in this park, which is well-known for its species of mammal. Birds
not previously seen included: Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator, Eurasian
Thick-Knee Burnhinus oedicnemus , Rosy Starling Sturnus roseus, Black¬
winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus and Orange-breasted Fruit Pigeon T.
bicincta leggei. On the morning of day nine we visited the Bundala Ramsar
Wetland National Park, which comprises scrub jungle and coast, with large
saltpans which are flooded and then sealed to allow the water to evaporate and
leave behind the salt which is collected by hand. It is very labour intensive
work carried out in extremely hot temperatures. Large numbers of waders
and other coastal birds were present. After lunch some of us went on a jeep
safari to Udawalawa National Park, an area of scrub jungle and tall grass,
where we saw: Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus, Plaintive Cuckoo
Cacomantis merulinus, Yellow-crested Woodpecker Picoides mahrattensis
and the fifth and final parrot species found on Sri Lanka, the Plum-headed

SCOTT - TRIP TO SRI LANKA

127

Parakeet P. cyanocephala.

On day 10 we set off to spend two days at one of our most eagerly
anticipated destinations - the rainforest. Sinharaja Man and Biosphere
Reserve is a World Heritage Site and has been an area of intensive study.
The following birds are all endemic to Sri Lanka and were new to us: Sri
Lanka Blue Magpie Urocissa ornata , White-faced Starling S. senex , Ashy¬
headed Laughingthrush Garrulax cinereifrons , Orange-billed Babbler
Turdoides rufescens, Sri Lanka Mynah G. ptilogenys , Sri Lanka Spurfowl
Galloperdix bicalcarata, Sri Lanka Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger,
Red-faced Malkoha P. pyrrhocephalus. Spot-winged Thrush Zoothera
spiloptera and White-throated Flowerpecker Dicaeum vincens. Altogether
we saw 15 endemic bird species at Sinharaja, as well as: Malabar Trogon
Harpactes fasciatus , Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus , Golden-fronted
Leafbird, Common Iora Aegithina tiphia , Dark-fronted Babbler Rhopocichla
atriceps, Asian Brown Flycatcher M. daurica , Black-naped Monarch
Flycatcher Hypothymis azurea ceylonensis , Crested Drongo D. paradiseus
lophorhinus, Yellow-billed Babbler T. affinus taprobanus , Oriental Bay
Owl Phodilus badius assimilis and Spot-billed Eagle Owl Bubo nipalensis
blighi.

On day 12 we left Martin’s Lodge in Sinharaja Forest and headed for
the coast. The beach at Bentoto is a breeding area of several species of
turtle and there was a turtle hatchery less than 1 00yds (90m) from our hotel.
Hundreds of young Green Turtles Chelonia mydas were awaiting their release
and injured turtles, including Ridley’s Green Turtles Lepidochelys olivacea
and Hawksbill Turtles Eretmochelys imbricata, were being nursed back to
health. We were invited to return after dark to assist in the release of about
150 young turtles. On the way back to the hotel we learned that two adult
females were hauling themselves out of the sea and would shortly commence
egg laying. These immense creatures estimated to weigh 300kg (approx.
6651bs) are so vulnerable at this time. Local fishermen eager to supplement
their income collect the eggs as they are laid. Some are sold to hatcheries
and others are sold as food.

We spent days 13 and 14 at Ranweli Holiday Village, which is situated
on a small island. We took a boat trip around the mangrove lagoons, where
we had good views of Yellow Bittern and various kingfishers and saw lots
of other waterbirds. Otherwise we spent the time relaxing before the long
journey home.

It was the best trip I have ever been on. We managed to pack in so much
over the 1 5 days, thanks to the meticulous planning of Prasanjith Caldera, our
guide. The food, accommodation, the mix of culture, wildlife, scenery and
attractions, were all excellent. I would have no hesitation in recommending

128

SCOTT - TRIP TO SRI LANKA

Photo © Colin Scott

Indian Pitta.

Photo © Colin Scott

Painted Stork.

SCOTT - TRIP TO SRI LANKA

129

Photo © Colin Scott

Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus.

Jith, as he is known, as a guide to anyone planning a visit to this beautiful
island. You can visit his website: www.walkwithjith.com

Colin Scott is a UK member who lives in north Devon.

130

THE MISTLE THRUSH’S FEET, AN OVERLOOKED
ADAPTATION

by Derek Goodwin

Nearly everyone who has written about the habit of the Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorus of guarding berried trees and shrubs, especially berry¬
bearing Holly trees Ilex aquifolium and clumps of Mistletoe Viscum album ,
driving from them other berry-eating birds, especially other species of thrush
Turdus spp., have emphasised how like a Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus it is in
the way it flies to attack them, singling out one individual and trying to come
on it suddenly round the side of the guarded Holly tree or Mistletoe clump.
The fear felt by these birds being often so great that they make no attempt
to feed from them afterwards unless they see the Mistle Thrush is being
kept away by the presence of humans. Although in hard weather, with snow
cover and all unguarded fruit already eaten, other thrushes and Waxwings
Bomby cilia garrulus, when starving, form flocks and overwhelm the guarding
Mistle Thrush which can only attack one individual at a time.

See especially two excellent and well-written books, Birds and Berries
by Barbara and David Snow ( 1 988) and the monograph The Sparrowhawk by
Ian Newton (1986). In a recent issue of Bird Watching , Cousens (2007) also
made no mention of leg and feet colour, although the colour plate p.45 clearly
showed the yellow legs and feet and black claws of the Mistle Thrush.

I phoned David Snow, a long-time friend and nearly as long an ex¬
colleague of mine and he said that, unlike me he had never seen an attacking
Mistle Thrush from in front and only a little above him unobscured by
branches. I had and it was a very memorable experience, though it occurred,
I think, in the 1 970s. It was a fine and relatively mild day in late winter and
I had been walking along a track near a wood where a pair of Sparrowhawks
usually bred, when I saw what I at first thought was some Accipiter spp.
unknown to me, its bright yellow legs and black-clawed feet were stretched
down but then upwards and forwards. It was terrifying as I thought it was
going to strike my face and only when it swerved past me and round the
berry-laden Holly bush did I realise it was, in fact, a Mistle Thrush.

Consulting photographs in books later I realised that the odd-looking
breast pattern, which had made me think it was an unknown hawk, is in fact
very like that of an immature Sparrowhawk.

The only other kind of thrush I have been able to find described as having
similar coloured legs and feet is the Yellow-legged Thrush Platycichla
flavipes. As its generic name suggests, this species has a stouter bill and
wider gape than typical thrushes. The male of a pair I saw close when in
Brazil in 1972 had a bright orange bill and orange-yellow legs, I did not

GOODWIN - MISTLE THRUSH

131

notice the colour of his claws. His plumage was mainly black with a slaty
grey area on the back. The brown female had a bright yellow bill and legs.
As many fruit-eating tropical birds drive away other fruit-eaters from the
trees they are feeding on or guarding against an expected future shortage it
seems highly likely that the Yellow-legged Thrush also uses its legs and feet
to enhance its threatening flight chase as the Mistle Thrush does.

References

Cousens, D. 2007. The Mistle Thrush. Bird Watching May 2007.

Newton, I. 1986. The Sparrow Hawk. T. & A. D. Poyser, Calton.

Snow, B. and Snow, D. 1988. Birds and Berries. T. & A. D. Poyser, Calton.

JUST FINCHES AND SEED-EATERS

Finches ‘08, the Third International Finch and Seed-eater Convention,
organised by the Queensland Finch Society, will be held from May 2nd-
May 4th 2008, in Brisbane, Australia. Among the speakers will be Jugal
Tiwari from Gujarat, who will talk about a study of the Green Avadavat
Sporaeginthus formosus ( Amandava formosa) in India; Howard Robinson
from the UK, who will describe his experiences of keeping and breeding
the more unusual estrildids; and Simon Espley from Cape Town, South
Africa, who will talk about breeding African finches the African way.
Further information is available from: The Convention Registrar, PO. Box
219, Capalaba, Queensland 4157, Australia. Tel:+61 7 3822 3826/Fax:+61
7 3822 65 65/E-mail :flash lpalm@ozemail.com.au

132

HORNBILLS IN THAILAND - 2006

Through the Hombill Research Foundation, Hombill Family Adoption
Programme in southern Thailand, the Avicultural Society in 2006 again
adopted two pairs of hombills, a pair of Great Hornbills Buceros bicornis and
a pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills B. rhinoceros. Both pairs again succeeded
in each fledging one chick. The Great Hombill chick fledged on August 1 st
and the Rhinoceros Hombill chick fledged on June 30th. The female Great
Hombill entered the nest hole on March 22nd and emerged on May 20th and
assisted her mate find food for the chick. The female Rhinoceros Hombill
entered the nest hole on March 14th and emerged on June 12th and helped
her mate find food to bring to the nest for the chick.

Courtesy Rolex/Tomas Bertelsen

Rhinocerus Hornbill at nest hole.

The pair of Great Hornbills nested on Budo Mountain (part of Budo
Sungai-Padi National Park), Raman District, Yala Province. First found
in 1998, the nest cavity is 29m (approx. 95ft) above the ground in a 44m
(approx. 1 45ft) tall Shorea faguetiana. Food brought to the nest by the male
consisted of fruits of Ficus spp., Oncosperma tigillarium , Dysoxylum sp,
Polyalthia sp, Sterculia pexa , Litsea sp, C a nth ium sp, Aglaia spectabilis ,
Knema sp, Syzygium sp and Aphanamixis polystachya. The list of animal
foods brought to the nest consisted of centipede, lizard, skink, spider, walking

HORNBILLS IN THAILAND - 2006

133

stick insect, millipede, locust, scorpion, leaf insect and snake. The data was
collected by Mr Haseng Karija of the Jakoa Group.

The pair of Rhinoceros Hombills nested on Budo Mountain (part of Budo
Sungai-Padi National Park), Bacho District, Narathiwat Province. First
found in 1999, the nest cavity is 1 1m (approx. 36ft) above the ground in a
67m (approx. 220ft) tall Shorea faguetiana. The nest entrance measures 33
cm x 12 cm (approx. 1ft lin x 5in). Due to unrest in Narathiwat, Yala and
Pattani Provinces and prolonged heavy rain, the feeding data is incomplete,
but would probably not have differed greatly from that of previous years.

In Budo Sungai-Padi National Park, 19 female Great Hombills were
known to have been sealed in nest cavities, with 15 of the nests having
been successful. Eleven female Rhinoceros Hombills were known to
have been sealed in nest cavities, with eight nests having been successful.
In addition, two female Helmeted Hombill Rhinoplax vigil , three female
Wreathed Hombills Aceros undulatus , one female Bushy-crested Hombill
Anorrhinus galeritus and one female White-crowned Hombill Berenicornis
comatus were known to have been sealed in nest cavities, with all of the
nests having been successful.

In Khao Yai National Park, 26 female Great Homhills were sealed in
nest cavities, but only 17 of the nests were successful. All 14 Wreathed
Hombill nests were successful, 15 out of 1 7 White-throated Brown Hombill
Ptilolaemus tickelli austeni (or P. austeni ) nests were successful and 25 out
of 27 Oriental Pied Hombill Anthracoceros albirostris convexus nests were
successful.

The Great Hombills in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary were the
least successful, with young fledging from only nine of the 15 nests. A
success rate of 60%. Seven of the eight Rufous-necked Hombill A. nipalensis
nests were successful and all five Plain-pouched Hombill A. subruficollis
nests, all six Tickell’s Brown Hombill P. tickelli nests and all 10 Oriental
Pied Hombill nests were successful.

On behalf of the Hornbill Research Foundation, Secretary-General,
Prof. Dr Pilai Poonswad, has written to thank the Avicultural Society for its
continued support in 2006. The foundation can be contacted: c/o Department
of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road,
Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Tel:66-2201-5532/Fax:66-2644-541 1/E-mail:
scpps@mahidol.ac.th or hombill_project2003@yahoo.com

Note: Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World , Sixth Edition,
published earlier this year, uses the following names: Helmeted Hombill
Buceros vigil , White-crowned Hombill Aceros comatus , Brown Hombill
Anorrhinus austeni and Rusty-cheeked Hombill Anorrhinus tickelli.

134

BOOK REVIEWS

“THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF A COLOSSAL FRAUD”

When a friend asked if I had heard of Colonel Meinertzhagen, I was able
to respond that not only had I heard of him, I had slept in the same bed as him
- though not at the same time, of course. When I first visited the Bamleys in
the Cherengani Hills in western Kenya, I was boarded with Tim’s mother,
who put me in a bedroom in an annexe, telling me that the last person who
had slept in the bed had been Colonel Meinertzhagen, when he was there
studying African cuckoos.

A few weeks earlier, I had been on a birdwatching safari with Leslie
Brown and Derek Wood, during which Leslie had cast doubt on some of
Meinertzhagen’s observations on, I think, the Lammergeier. “How can you
trust the word of a man who shot a German officer in bed, ” asked Leslie?
He also alleged that Meinertzhagen had shot his wife. Ever since then I
have wondered about the truth behind Leslie’s startling allegations. Now,
American author Brian Garfield has written The Meinertzhagen Mystery : The
Life and Legend of a Colossal Fraud , in which he examines Meinertzhagen’s
life and attempts to answer these and many other questions. According to
Meinertzhagen, on a raid into German East Africa during the First World
War, he shot dead a German officer as he lay on his camp bed in his tent.
Then, with another member of the raiding party, he sat down and ate the
German officer’s “excellent Xmas dinner.” It was, he wrote, “one of the
best though most gruesome dinners I have ever had, including an excellent
Xmas pudding.” However, Brian Garfield’s research has revealed that the
other officer in the raiding party was hundreds of miles away at the time of
the alleged incident and Meinertzhagen according to his official reports was
behind his desk in Nairobi.

Brian Garfield has consulted a vast number of books, official reports,
papers and other documents, and from information in these is able to show
that many of Meinertzhagen’s daring exploits could not have taken place
when he said they did, or in the way he described.

To quote from the dust jacket: “Col. Richard Meinertzhagen was an
acclaimed British war hero, a secret agent, and a dean of international
ornithology. His exploits inspired three biographies, his life has been the
basis for movies and Jerusalem dedicated a city square to his memory.
Meinertzhagen was trusted by Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George,
Chaim Weizmann, David Ben Gurion, T. E. Lawrence, Elspeth Huxley,
and a great many others. But he bamboozled them all. Meinertzhagen was
a fraud.”

BOOK REVIEWS

135

His second wife was shot in the head and died in 1928. He was the
only eyewitness to the event and in the absence of compelling evidence
to the contrary, the death was ruled an accident. Others though are not so
sure. One theory is that his wife, an accomplished ornithologist, who had
accompanied him during a birding trip to south Asia in 1925 and 1926, may
have been shot by him, when she threatened to expose the fact that many
of the rare birds he claimed to have collected during that trip, an account
of which he published in Ibis , were in fact not his own, but had been stolen
from other collections.

As far back as 1919, he had been caught stealing bird skins from the
British Museum (Natural History) and had been banned from the Bird Room,
but was allowed back after Lord Rothschild intervened on his behalf, even
though he, too, is said to have suspected Meinertzhagen of stealing birds
from him. It has been suggested that individuals at the museum may have
been afraid of accusing him of stealing, fearing that his collection, said to
have been the finest private collection of birds in existence, might go to the
USA, as Lord Rothschild’s collection had. Meinertzhagen had threatened
to bequeath his collection to the American Museum of Natural History,
but eventually donated his 20,000 or so bird skins to the British Museum
(Natural History), together with nearly 600,000 specimens of Mallophaga
(bird lice), fleas, flies and mites.

Many years later, when investigating the taxonomy of redpolls, Dr Alan
Knox discovered that specimens Meinertzhagen claimed to have shot at the
same time had been stuffed using totally different techniques. He was able
to show that some of Meinertzhagen’s skins had come from other collections
and had been relabelled with fictitious data. Hundreds of his other skins
were X-rayed and fibres from specimens of forest owlets were sent to an
FBI laboratory for analysis, enabling it to be shown that all 14 of his unique
records for species and subspecies collected on the Indian subcontinent, and
many more rare birds in his collection, had also been stolen and fraudulently
relabelled. It has been suggested that 5,000 skins in his collection could
turn out to be fraudulent.

The Giant Forest Hog Hylochoerus meinertzhageni , the first example
of which was shot by him in Kenya in 1904, is obviously genuine, as is, it
seems, the Afghan Snowfinch Montifringilla theresa. The latter was named
for Theresa Clay, his cousin, who when she was still a teenager, helped look
after him and his three small children, following the death of his second wife,
and was his constant companion until his death in 1967.

It is a fascinating book of which his bird thefts and deceptions are just a
small part (one chapter). These are though surely destined to be the subjects
of further books and articles.

136

BOOK REVIEWS

The Meinertzhagen Mystery: The Life and Legend of a Colossal Fraud
by Brian Garfield, 385 pages, several black and white photos, is published
by Potomac Books, Inc., 22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, Virginia 20166,
USA. Price $27.50 in the USA.

Malcolm Ellis

ALBATROSSES, PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS

Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World by Derek Onley
and Paul Scofield is a recent addition to the very useful and well respected
Helm Field Guides. It is a 240 page guide with 45 colour plates illustrating
the 137 species of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, diving petrels and
storm-petrels that comprise the order Procellariiformes.

It is clearly aimed at the keen birdwatcher but would be useful for any
cruise participant with more than a passing interest in seabirds. Greater travel
opportunities and the availability of field guides such as this are resulting in
more people taking an interest in the identification of seabirds.

Although most species are predominately black and white, the colour
plates are valuable in allowing the portrayal of coloured bills, brown washes
and subtle shade differences that are important aids to identification. The
plates are a main feature of the guide and illustrate the range of plumages of
juvenile, immature and adult birds, as well as showing differences between
recognised subspecies. In addition, for the polymorphic species, also shown
are their dark, light and, where this occurs, the intermediate colour phases.
The level of detail is such that for some species fresh and worn plumages
are also illustrated. Seabirds at sea can look very different under different
light conditions and this and other difficulties of identification are addressed
in an introductory chapter.

The publication of this guide is timely in that albatrosses are becoming
increasingly threatened by 1 ong- 1 ine fishing and the survival of many of the
smaller seabirds, all of which are largely dependent on fish, is increasingly
threatened by the reduction of fish stocks through overfishing and for some
species may also be impacted by climate change.

Many of the petrels, shearwaters and albatrosses breed on small islands
from which predators were previously absent, but on which introduced cats
and rats may play havoc. However, predator control and habitat restoration
are now aiding their recovery, so there can be some optimism for seabird
conservation.

Recent field and taxonomic work has resulted in a greater number of
species being recognised than in the past, this being largely the result of a
number of taxa that were previously considered as subspecies being now

BOOK REVIEWS

137

treated as full species. However, the taxonomy and evolution of these
fascinating birds is not fully understood and is not static. I recently had the
opportunity to visit Round Island (a small island to the north of Mauritius),
where recent studies suggest the Round Island Petrel may be a complex
of three interbreeding types of petrels that are currently recognised as
three separate species. I applaud the restoration and scientific work being
conducted there by the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation.

Closer to home, the seabird islands of Skomer and Skokholm off the
south-west coast of Wales are fully protected as home to many thousands
of pairs of breeding Manx Shearwaters. These birds like most other
members of the Procellariiformes disperse widely when not breeding and
an important feature of this guide are the maps showing the locations of the
breeding islands and the normal non-breeding ranges. Care may be needed
though regarding the latter, as vagrancy is not unusual amongst these ocean
wanderers.

More and more previously unrecorded albatrosses and petrels are now
being identified by keen birdwatchers. An immature Atlantic Yellow-billed
Albatross was rescued in late June 2007 and released after being found
stranded at a coastal location in Somerset, here in the UK, only to be seen
a few days later on an inland fishing lake in Lincolnshire, also in the UK,
before what was considered to be the same individual was subsequently
reported from near Malmo, Sweden.

Much remains to be learnt about these birds and books as well researched
and as well illustrated as this will certainly encourage and promote a greater
interest in these wonderful birds.

Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World (\SYPS\ 978 07 1 36 4332
9) by Derek Onley and Paul Scofield is published in the UK by Christopher
Helm. Price £19.99 (paperback). In the USA, where it is published by
Princeton University Press, it is available as a Princeton Field Guide. Price

US$29.95 (softback).

Roger Wilkinson

138

LATEST FBF BREEDING REGISTER

The Foreign Bird Federation Register of Birds Bred in the UK under
Controlled Conditions for the Years 2002-2005 has been available for a while
now (A summary of the previous edition, which covered 2001-2004, can be
found on the inside back cover of the Avicultural Magazine Vol.l 12, No. 1
(2006)). The number of birds listed as having been bred in 2005, 8,858, is
considerably lower than the totals for 2002, 2003 and 2004, but is higher
than that for 2001.

Partridges, pheasants and quail bred in 2005, included 37 Black Francolins
Francolinus francolinus, five Madagascar Partridges Margaroperdix
madagascarens is , 10 Mountain Bamboo Partridges Bambusicola Jytchii,
1 7 Chinese Bamboo Partridges B. thoracicus , 1 8 Temminck’s Tragopans
Tragopan temminckii and two Mountain Peacock-Pheasants Polyplectron
inopinatum.

The waterfowl numbers, which look as so they may have been
under reported, include two African White-backed Ducks Thalassornis
leuconotus, four Blue-winged Geese Cyanochen cyanoptera, 3 1 Marbled
Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris and 1 8 Hooded Merganser Lophodytes
cucullatus. Only two species of penguin, 1 6 Humboldt Spheniscus humholdti
and 24 Jackass S. demersus, are listed.

Seven Giant Wood Rails Aramides ypecaha are listed as having been
bred in 2005 and a Buff-breasted Rail Gallirallus philippensis. Fourteen
Pied Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta and nine Blacksmith Plovers Vanellus
armatus head the list of waders bred in 2005. An impressive 2 1 Inca Terns
Larosterna inca were bred, a Common Guillemot Uria aalge, a Pigeon
Guillemot U. columba and a Tufted Puffin Fratercula cirrhata. I believe
the Common Guillemot and Tufted Puffin are UK first breedings, while the
Pigeon Guillemot was the second to be bred in the UK.

Pigeons and doves bred in 2005 included eight Socorro Doves Zenaida
graysoni , three Sulawesi Ground Doves Gallicolumba tristigmata
bimaculata and a Mindanao Bleeding-Heart G. cringera, but no Luzon
Bleeding-Hearts G. luzonica. Four Rose-crowned Fruit Doves Ptilinopus
regina were bred. The number of parrots listed as having been bred is well
down on the previous three years. Hopefully, this was just a blip, due to under
reporting, for some reason. Those listed include two Moluccan Red Lories
Eos rubra rubra , two Burn Red Lories E. r. cyanonotha , three Black-capped
Lories Lorius lory erythrothorax, 2 1 African Grey Parrots Psittacus erithacus
erithacus (compared to 736 in 2002, 523 in 2003 and 389 in 2004) and no P
e. timneh . It is hard to believe that just three Blue and Yellow Macaws Ara
ararauna , four Military A militaris militaris and four Red-fronted Macaws

FBF BREEDING REGISTER

139

A. rubrogenys were bred.

Turacos appear to have bred better than usual, with 2005 breedings
including 26 White-cheeked Tauraco leucotis, 13 Schalow’s T. schaiowi , a
Black-billed 7 schuetti and five Ross’s Musophaga rossae. The number of
owls bred appears to have been roughly comparable to the number bred in
each of the previous three years. Forty-seven Speckled Mousebirds Colius
striatus, five Lilac-breasted Rollers Coracias caudatus and 1 0 Blue-bellied
Rollers C. cyanogaster are listed as having been bred. Just three hombills,
one Crowned Tockus alboterminatus and two Von der Decken’s I deckeni ,
are listed, followed by three Toco Toucans Ramphastos toco (no aracaris)
and just a solitary Bearded Barhet Lybius dubius.

Six Hooded Pittas Pitta sordida were bred, 39 Azure- winged Magpies
Cyanopica cyana, 12 Omei Shan Liocichlas Liocichla omeiensis , 28 Pekin
Robins Leiothrix lutea and 1 3 White-collared Yuhinas Yuhina diademata.
Eleven White-shouldered Starlings Sturnus sinensis were bred, 1 1 Emerald
Starlings Lamprotornis iris , 24 Superb L. superbus and 16 Scissor billed
Starlings Scissirostrum dubium , but just three Bali Starlings Leucopsar
rothschildi.

The breeding of 45 Brown Twinspots Clytospiza monteiri is especially
noteworthy. One hundred and five Red-billed Firefinches Lagonosticta
senegala were bred, 102 Golden-breasted Waxbills Amandava subfiava,
68 Blue-capped Waxbills Uraeginthus cyanocephala and 65 Red-cheeked
Cordon- bleus U. bengalus. Australian Estrildidae remain as popular as
ever, though as with Australian parakeets, colour mutations seem to be more
popular than the normal-coloured forms.

Sixty-nine Cuban Finches Tiaris canorus were bred, five Blue-necked
Tanagers Tangara cyancollis, one Burnished Buff T cay ana, one Opal-
ramped T. veiia and two Thick-billed Euphonias Euphonia laniirostris.

The full list of 8,858 birds of 452 species reported as having been bred in
the UK in 2005 can be found in this latest FBF Breeding Register, available
from FBF Registrar, Reuben B. Girling, 11 Deramore Drive, Badger Hill,
York YO10 5FIW, UK. The Avicultural Society continues to provide
generous financial support towards the cost of distributing the Breeding
Register , which is priced £5 (post free). Cheques (sterling only please)
should be made payable to the “Foreign Bird Federation”.

140

NEWS & VIEWS

ATTEMPTING TO SAFEGUARD PACIFIC PARROTS

A record £215,000 (approx. US$430,000) was raised by Birdfair (The
British Birdwatching Fair) 2006 to support BirdLife International’s effort to
conserve parrots and other threatened birds in the South Pacific region.

Earlier this year, as part of the project, a group of Rimatara Lorikeets
Vini kuhlii was translocated from Rimatara in French Polynesia to Aitu in the
Cook Islands. The multidisciplinary project team, which included members
of the BirdLife International Partnership in French Polynesia and the Cook
Islands, San Diego Zoo and community members from Aitu, arrived on
Rimatara in April 2007. Two teams used mist nets to trap the birds in their
favoured feeding areas around flowering trees and bananas. This proved
unexpectedly successful and 27 were caught in the first week. The birds
were housed in preconstructed aviaries and cared for by the staff from San
Diego Zoo. All of the birds adapted well to confinement and were examined
by a vet and given a clean bill of health.

The birds, accompanied by the project team and community members
from Rimatara, were flown to Aitu on April 24th, on two aircraft generously
provided by Air Rarotonga. Since their release small groups of birds have
been seen regularly moving around the island and early indications are that
they are settling in well. Evidence of breeding is eagerly awaited.

* * *

HELP FOR GURNEY’S PITTA

In 2005, the Birdfair raised £200,000 (approx. US$400,000) towards
the long-term conservation of Gurney’s Pitta Pitta gurneyi in the lowland
forests of Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand.

Activities in Burma have focused on securing a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Forest Department, promoting the gazetting of Lenya
National Park, securing co-financing from other donors and undertaking
research on Gurney’s Pitta. In Thailand an Action Plan has been agreed and
activities there have resulted in improved forest protection, which has almost
succeeded in stopping illegal forest clearance in the most important areas.
The intensive guarding of nests has also led to increased breeding success.
Furthermore, a tree nursery has been established to replant illegally cleared
land. The population of Gurney’s Pitta in Thailand now numbers 20 pairs
and is continuing to grow steadily but the situation remains critical.

NEWS & VIEWS

141

SUCCESS WITH SOFTBILLS

Among the birds bred this year at Waddesdon Manor, which the society
visited in April, were seven Rufous-bellied Niltavas Niltava sundara, 1 0
Chestnut-backed Thrushes Zoothera dohertyi (with six more in the nest
(September 19th)), seven Orange-headed Ground Thrushes Z. citrina , four
Blue-crowned Laughingthrushes Garrulax c. courtoisi , four Fairy Bluebirds
Irena puella and eight Pekin Robins Leiothrix lutea. Over 70 birds had been
bred by late September, most of which were softbills.

* * *

EUROPEAN PARROT BREEDING PROGRAMME

Dutch aviculturist Jose Appels, who has been keeping Blue-rumped
Parrots Psittinus cyanurus for 1 4 years, last year started a European breeding
programme for the species. So far she has traced about 1 8 breeders and 70
birds. If you keep this species or have any information about it, she would
like to hear from you. She would specifically like to know whether you breed
this species, how many you keep, what type of accommodation you keep
them in and any other relevant information. To find out more you can visit
her website: www.psittinus-cyanurus-cyanurus.com or you can join the group
by contacting her via e-mail:info@psittinus-cyanurus-cyanurus.com

* * *

FLAGSHIP PROJECT FOR 2008

Built originally as a Reptile House, using money received from the sale
of Jumbo the African Elephant Loxodonta africana to the famous American
showman Phineas Bamum, and opened to the public in 1883 and then in
1 927-1 928 converted to house birds, ZSL London Zoo’s dilapidated old Bird
House is undergoing major renovation work and is due to reopen next Easter.
The project will cost £2.3 million (approx. US$4.6 million).

It is planned to preserve many of the building’s charming Victorian
features. Visitors will enter the building through the original, restored,
foyer or entrance porch, in which there will be interactive displays, setting
the Victorian theme and giving visitors a sense of anticipation of the tropical
experience which awaits them when they enter the atrium. They will be
able to continue through a door and into a 30m (approx. 98ft) long free-
flight aviary. As they walk along the Victorian Promenade by a stream and
transverse the path over a bridge towards a small waterfall, visitors will see
such birds as Victoria Crowned Pigeons Goura victoria and Bali Starlings
Leucopsar rothschildi. The door at the end will take visitors into the Avian

142

NEWS & VIEWS

Jewels area, with sunbirds and hummingbirds, orchids and bromeliads.
Individual aviaries will house female hummingbirds. Hummingbirds have
not been kept at the zoo since the late 1970s and ZSL London Zoo will be
the only zoo in the UK keeping these birds.

ANOTHER GOOD BREEDING SEASON

Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary at Hayle, here in Cornwall, enjoyed
another good breeding season. Species bred included Humboldt Penguin
Spheniscus humboldti , Black-cheeked Lovebird Agapornis nigrigenis ,
Yellow-shouldered Amazon Amazona barbadensis, Roseate Cockatoo or
Galah Eolophus roseicapillus , Black-headed Caique Pionites melanocephalus ,
Green-naped Lorikeet Trichoglossus h. haematodus , Swainson’s Lorikeet
T. h. moluccanus and Northern White-faced Scops Owl Ptilopsis (formerly
Otus) leucotis.

Other species bred included a Military Macaw Ara militaris , two
Grey-necked Crowned Cranes Balearica regulorum gibbericeps, an

Photo Kir sty Jenkin

Bali Starling at 15 days old. It hatched on August 14th 2007.

Argus Pheasant Argusianus argus , two Temminck’s Tragopans Tragopan
temminckii , four Roulrouls or Red-crested Wood Partridges Rollulus roulroul ,
five Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrix , a Baikal Teal A.formosa , seven Avocets

NEWS & VIEWS

143

Photo Alison Hales

Widowed Superb Starling feeding one of her two young.

Recurvirostra avosetta , four Violet Turacos Musophaga violacea, three Red-
crested Turacos Tauraco erythrolophus, four Von der Decken’s Hombills
Tockus deckeni , six Speckled Mousebirds Colius striatus , five Red-billed
Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax , at least 12 Gouldian Finches Chloebia
gouldiae and six Spice Birds Lonchura punctulata.

Two pairs of Superb Starlings Lamprotornis superbus produced seven
young between them. Sadly the male of one pair died unexpectedly, leaving
the female with two chicks close to fledging. The female did well caring for
them, bringing food in response to their begging calls. Their favourite food
was waxworms. A pair of Bali Starlings Leucopsar rothschildi produced
two clutches of infertile eggs before hatching a single chick from the three
eggs of the third clutch.

Three members of staff did a sponsored parachute jump to raise funds for
a proposed new penguin enclosure and the Free Flying Bird Show has now
raised over £50,000 (approx. US$1 00,000) for the World Parrot Trust (WPT)
and, as Curator David Woolcock said, “that is an awful lot of collecting that
the cockatoos have done in the last eight years.”

144

NEWS & VIEWS

ASSESSING THE STATUS OF THE GREY PARROT

The African Bird Club Conservation Fund has allocated £900 (approx.
USS 1 ,800) to enable Irene Madindou and Ronald Mulwa to assess the current
status of a small population of Grey Parrots Psittacus erithacus, probably
numbering fewer 1 0 pairs, which survive in the Kakamega Forest in western
Kenya, close to the border with Uganda. Irene Madindou and Ronald Mulwa
will attempt to assess the effects of the pet trade and habitat destruction on
this, the last remaining population in Kenya. They will seek to document the
current population in the Kakamega Forest, to develop a monitoring protocol
for population trends, and examine habitat quality and trade activities. They
will question local people, to assess the extent of their involvement in and
attitude towards the (presumably illegal) trade in Grey Parrots. This species
previously occurred also in the Nandi Forest in western Kenya.

* * *

WORLD’S LARGEST FREE-FLIGHT AVIARY

In International Zoo News Vol.54, No. 5 (2007), pp. 272-275, Isabel
Wentzel wrote about the new Birds of Eden Free Flight Sanctuary (website:
www.birdsofeden.co.za) outside Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape, South
Africa, said to be the world’s largest free-flight aviary (the world’s largest
free-flight aviary was previously said to have been the one in the KL (Kuala
Lumpur) Bird Park in Malaysia). The South African structure spans an entire
forest valley and consists of 70% indigenous forest, with the remainder made
up of planted garden, lawns, grassland and several ponds formed by the
damming of a watercourse. The walkway starts close to the forest floor and
winds its way up towards the forest canopy, passing behind a waterfall on the
way. A 48m (approx. 150ft) long suspension bridge - bathed in mist from a
special misting system - spans the gorge and there is a 200-seat amphitheatre
for special functions, two restaurants, a wine bar and a curio shop, etc.

The aviary houses approximately 2,000 birds of 180 different species,
including various species of parrots, hornbills, toucans, turacos, doves,
starlings, thrushes, cranes, flamingos, ibises, swans and other waterfowl,
along with tamarins and fruit bats. The inhabitants include previously caged
pet birds that went through a process of rehabilitation before being released
into the aviary.

REARED IN TEXAS

Two Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Rupicola peruvianus chicks were reared
earlier this year at The Dallas World Aquarium, reports Josef Lindholm.
One was hand-reared from the day it hatched and the other was parent-
reared. Josef believes it is the first time two different females in the same
collection have hatched chicks the same year. For the first time an Ornate
Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus ornatus was hatched and parent-reared at The Dallas
World Aquarium. Several pairs of Pale-mandibled Aracaris Pteroglossus
torquatus erythropygius , Green Aracaris P. viridis and Ivory-billed Aracaris P.
azara hatched young, as well as Crimson-ramped Toucanets Aulacorhynchus
haematopygus and Guianan Toucanets Selenidera culik. More than 20
Ocellated Turkeys Meleagris ocellata were bred, two Yellow-knobbed
Curassows Crax daubentoni and two Hawk-headed Parrots Deroptyus
accipitrinus were parent-reared.

* * *

COOPERATIVE BREEDING PAYS OFF

Cooperative breeding is most common amongst species of African
starlings that inhabit savannahs, where the rainfall varies greatly from one
year to the next, according to a report by Dustin Rubenstein and Irby Lovette
quoted in Birdscope Autumn 2007, Vol.2 1 , No.4, p. 1 . “When you don’t know
what conditions you will be facing in the next breeding season, it pays - in
an evolutionary sense - to live and breed in family groups because more
chicks survive over the long haul,” said Rubenstein, who initiated the study
as part of his graduate work at Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Rubenstein
and Lovette say that it is not the amount of rainfall that really matters, but
rather whether the rainfall pattern is predicatable. The Superb Starling
Lamprotornis superbus is a prime example of an African starling that lives
and breeds in family groups.

A

J CONTENTS

Ruth Sawyer (nee Ezra) - June 13th 1919-August 21st 2007
by Christopher Marler . 97

Ruth Muriel Sawyer

President, The Avicultural Society - 1986-2007 . 98

Ruth Muriel Sawyer (nee Ezra) - A Eulogy

by Christopher Jeffreys (Lord Jeffreys) . 99

Farewell

by Sylvia Hall . 101

End of an era . 102

Husbandry guidelines for hand-rearing

the Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens

by Michelle Stevens . 104

Breeding Layard’s Black-headed Weaver
Ploceus cucullatus nigriceps

by Graham Thurlow . 119

Notes on a trip to Sri Lanka

by Colin Scott . 122

The Mistle Thrush’s feet, an overlooked adaptation

by Derek Goodwin . 130

Hornbills in Thailand - 2006 . 132

Book Reviews

The Meinertzhagen Mystery:

The Life and Legend of a Colossal Fraud . 134

Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World . 136

The Foreign Bird Federation Register of Birds Bred in the UK
under Controlled Conditions for the Years 2002-2005 . 138

News & Views . 140

3 9088 01383 0914

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