AVICULTURAL

MAGAZINE

VOLUME 116
No. 3
2010

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY

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foreign birds in the wild and in captivity. The Society is international in
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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
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ADDRESS OF THE EDITOR

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

E-mail: editor@avisoc.co.uk

Avicultural Magazine

THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY

Vol. 116 - No. 3 All rights reserved ISSN 0005 2256 2010

KEEPING AND BREEDING THE TROPICAL
MOCKINGBIRD Mimus gilvus gracilis

by Gary Bralsford

In 2006, 1 bought three Tropical Mockingbirds Mimus gilvus gracilis from
my friend Bob Jewiss in Kent. Earlier that year he was the first person in the
UK to breed this species. I had the three 2006-bred birds DNA sexed and
found that all three were males. I arranged with Bob that should he breed
any more that year, I would have them DNA sexed in the hope of getting a
female. He did not, however, succeed in breeding any more in 2006.

The following year, I visited the premises of M. A. J. Peckett in Preston to
look at a few softbills he had for sale and, discovered that among them, were
two Tropical Mockingbirds, neither of which had been sexed. I bought both
birds and on returning home with them, released the two into a flight with
one of the males, having first placed coloured split rings (bands) on them and
taken a few feathers from the breast for DNA sexing. Almost immediately
I noticed that the male appeared to be displaying to the two new birds and
was also singing to them. A week later I received confirmation that both of
the new birds were females.

This was great news and meant that I was able to make-up two unrelated
pairs, which I housed in flights 9ft long x 4ft wide x 6ft 6in high (approx.
2.7m long x 1 .2m wide x 2m high). In each flight I placed a Cockatiel nest
box with the section by the hole cut away to create a large, open-fronted
nest box. On the advice of Bob Jewiss I placed some apple tree twigs in
the bottom of each box and provided plenty of coconut fibre for building
the nest. Within two weeks one of the pairs had begun to build in the box,
so I placed some animal hair and sisal string, etc. in the flight. Within four
days the nest was completed. It was a very tidy nest like that of a thrush,
though without any mud having been used. The following week the female
was sitting in the nest, with her long tail just visible. When she came off
the nest to feed, I looked in and saw two eggs. They were pale blue to pale
greenish-blue like Blackbird’s Turdus merula eggs, except that the brown
freckles were less pronounced.

98

BRALSFORD - TROPICAL MOCKINGBIRD

The female sat for approximately 12 days before the first egg hatched,
followed by the second egg the next day. Buffalo worms were used for
the first six days, after which both parents fed the chicks with mealworms
and crickets. The pair went on to rear a total of six young during the 2007
breeding season.

Towards the end of the year, I had a call from Bob Jewiss, who told me
that the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (formerly Jersey Zoo) had been
in contact with him regarding the behaviour of mockingbirds. It had the
opportunity to take into captivity up to three pairs of Galapagos Mockingbirds
Nesomimus parvulus, a species coming under threat from tourism and
introduced rats. Before doing so, however, it wanted to study and record the
behaviour of a commoner species such as the Tropical Mockingbird.

It was suggested that Bob and I provide two unrelated pairs, so that their
behaviour could be studied and recorded. I decided to let them have three
birds, two males and a female, and Bob provided a pair. All five arrived in
time for the 2008 breeding season. I bred a further six that year, and let them
have another female so that they had three pairs. Quite a few were bred at
Jersey that year, which was good preparation for the Galapagos breeding
project. Between Bob Jewiss, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and
myself, about 16 young were bred during 2008. In addition, we knew of
another private aviculturist who had bred at least five young which, so far
as we knew, were unrelated to our birds.

The Tropical Mockingbird is not a colourful bird, but it is lively and
is ideal for a mixed species softbill aviary. Pairs are though best given an
aviary to themselves if a serious attempt is going to be made to breed this
species.

It is 9in-10in (23cm-25.5cm) in length, much of this accounted for by its
long tail, which it sways from side to side when displaying. My birds have
pale yellowish eyes and a blackish bill, legs and feet. The face, throat and
underparts are whitish. They have dusky coloured lores and an indistinct
darkish eye-stripe and, above it, a white eye-brow stripe. Otherwise, the
crown, nape and upperparts are grey. The wings are blackish with the white
tips of the median and greater wing-coverts forming two wing-bars and the
secondaries have a white edge. The tail is blackish with most of the feathers
having a white tip, (It looks very similar to the Northern Mockingbird
M polyglottos , with which it sometimes interbreeds.) On fledging, the
youngsters look similar to their parents, except for the presence of dark
tick-marks on the chest and belly and their short, stumpy tail which, after a
few days, quickly begins to grow longer.

The song is a variety of gruff notes that are often repeated. The alarm
call is a harsh “chek” or “shack.” I have heard my birds trying to copy a few

BRALSFORD - TROPICAL MOCKINGBIRD

99

of the notes of my White-ramped Shamas Copsychus malabaricus.

The Tropical Mockingbird occurs from southern Mexico, down through
Central America and parts of the West Indies to Colombia, Venezuela,
Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil. There are 10 subspecies. M.
g. gracilis occurs from southern Mexico (Oaxaca) to Guatemala, Honduras
and El Salvador.

In the wild this species inhabits arid and semi-arid scrubland, with
scattered bushes and trees, as well as open areas around human dwellings
and agricultural land. The male often perches on the tops of bushes and
on roadside telephone wires. The species is also often seen on the ground,
running or hopping and, when it does so, often cocks its tail at an angle. The
bulky nest of grasses and twigs, with hair or wool in the lining, is built at low
to mid-level in a bush or tree. A clutch of three to five eggs is laid.

I have found keeping and breeding this species very interesting and a
lot different to keeping many other species of softbill. Because it is not
very colourful, it is often overlooked and considered to be boring and with
little to offer. How very wrong those who think this are though, for it is a
fantastic aviary bird.

I plan to keep my two breeding pairs and, hopefully, bring in some new,
unrelated birds in the not too distant future.

* * *

DO YOU KEEP CAPE DOVES?

A further call has gone out for UK keepers and breeders of the Cape
Dove Oena capensis to come together and form a Special Interest Group to
safeguard the future of this dove in UK aviculture.

Jerry Fisher, who made the call, has located 30-40 captive-bred Cape
Doves here in the UK, but suspects that it is only a fraction of the true number.
He particularly wants to locate female Cape Doves, as they are becoming
increasingly scarce, and anyone who is breeding Cape Doves and wants to
exchange birds to establish new pairs and/or new bloodlines and is prepared
to cooperate in a joint breeding project.

If you can help, please contact Jerry whose phone number is: 07974
995304. Alternatively, you can contact David Woolcock at Paradise Park
or John Meek at Newquay Zoo. E-mail: david@paradisepark. org.uk/john.
meek@ne wquay zoo . org.uk

100

REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR OF THE SADDLE¬
BILLED STORK Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis AND
DEVELOPMENTAL BEHAVIOUR OF ITS CHICKS

by J. J. Elston, K. Unger and R. Dunn

Introduction and background

The Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis , with its unique
and colourful bill and black and white plumage, adds beauty and variety to
aviary and savannah exhibits in zoos. Adults are sexually dimorphic; males
are slightly larger than females and have a dark brown iris, whereas females
have a yellow iris. Native to Africa, these birds inhabit marshes and typically
reside singly or in life-long pairs (Kahl, 1973). Although not currently
threatened in the wild, populations could be vulnerable if degradation of
wetlands occurs within their range (BirdLife International, 2009).

Despite the presence of Saddle-billed Storks in zoos worldwide, there
has been relatively limited success in breeding this species in captivity. In
a review of the 2007 ISIS species holdings (ISIS, 2008), 35 institutions
worldwide held at least one male and one female Saddle-billed Stork, but
only two institutions, one of them Fort Worth Zoo here in Texas, reported
the successful hatching of chicks. The female of our pair had produced eggs
prior to 2007, but had not hatched or reared any chicks. Because there is
only limited published information available regarding the Saddle-billed
Stork’s reproductive behaviour in zoos, the objectives of this study were
to document the reproductive behaviour of the pair at Fort Worth Zoo and
detail the developmental behaviour of the chicks.

Materials and methods
Animals and housing

Afull-winged pair of Saddle-billed Storks was housed in a 18.3mx 15.2m
x 6.1m (60ft x 50ft x 20ft) outside aviary at Fort Worth Zoo. The aviary
was covered with 7.6cm (3 in) nylon mesh netting and contained natural
vegetation and an artificial pond. At the time of this study in 2007 each
bird was approximately 14 years of age. The birds were hatched in the wild
but had resided in captivity since 1993 and had lived together at Fort Worth
Zoo since 2003. In September 2007, the pair began building a nest on top
of a 1 .2m x 1 .2m (4ft x 4ft) plywood platform that was elevated 1 .2m (4ft)
above the ground. The completed nest measured approximately 1 .2m (4ft)
in diameter and 22.9cm (9in) deep. It had been made using sticks, leaves,
grasses and reeds found in the exhibit, as well as from brush piles provided
by keepers. In mid-October 2007 the female began laying eggs and in mid-

ELSTON ET AL. - SADDLE-BILLED STORK

101

November two chicks hatched. The birds were fed twice a day a diet of
commercial meat, Capelin Mallotus villosus supplemented with Thiamin E
paste and small mice supplemented with a vitamin and mineral mix. After
the chicks hatched superworms were added to the diet.

With the onset of cold weather in November, with near freezing
temperatures at night, the zoo management determined it was necessary to
move the entire nest inside a heated small bam within the stork enclosure.
This was done successfully and the parents continued to tend the chicks
inside the bam. The move also provided an opportunity for staff to examine
the chicks, weigh them and give them a supplementary meal.

Data collection

Documentation of behaviour began two weeks prior to the female laying
eggs and continued throughout the incubation, chick rearing and post-
fledging stages. The developmental behaviour of the chicks was observed
until they were 1 50 days old (approximately three months after they fledged
from the nest). Behavioural observations were undertaken daily in 20 minute
sessions. All occurrences of selected behaviours by the adults (Table 1)
were documented throughout the study and each bird’s location (sitting on
nest, standing on nest, not on nest) was recorded at one minute intervals (see
Behaviour and Instantaneous Sampling respectively in Martin & Bateson,
1993) until the chicks fledged from the nest. In the case of the chicks, all
occurrences of selected behaviours were documented and each bird’s activity
was recorded at one minute intervals (Table 2). As the chicks began to
perform newly-developed behaviours, some activities were observed more
frequently than others. As a result, during data analysis certain behaviours
were grouped together under the sub-heading: Activity; and certain other
behaviours were grouped together under the sub-heading: Other (Table 2).
A total of 40.7 hours of behavioural data were collected for the adults and a
total of 25 hours of behavioural data were collected for the chicks.

Results

Parental behaviour

Prior to the eggs being laid in the nest, the male frequently carried
materials to the nest (4.7 times per hour) and was often present on the nest,
whereas the female was observed carrying nest materials and was present
on the nest less frequently (Fig.l). The male was also observed filling his
bill with water from the pond and then flying onto the nest and regurgitating
the water from his bill onto the nest (2 times per hour); he was also on
various occasions observed stomping on the nest with his feet. The male and
female performed a wing display throughout the study and, on one occasion,

102

ELSTON ET AL. - SADDLE-BILLED STORK

Table 1 . Ethogram used to document behaviour of adult Saddle-billed Storks

in 2007-2008.

Behaviour

Description ■

Aerial display

Bowing and/or jumping in presence of conspecific; wings
may be extended and bird may pick up item(s) and toss
them in the air.

Wing display

Nest constmction

Walking or running with the wings extended.

Gathering sticks, leaves and grass etc. and depositing
materials on the nest platform.

Nest presence

Sitting or standing on the nest when no egg is present
or standing on the nest when egg(s) and/or chicks are

Incubation

Brooding

present.

Sitting on egg(s) in the nest.

Sitting on chicks in the nest.

Regurgitating food Food is dropped from beak into the nest for the chicks.
Regurgitating water Water is dripped from the beak into the nest.

Table 2. Ethogram used to document behaviour of Saddle-billed Stork chicks
in 2007-2008.

Behaviour

Description

Resting

Sitting

Standing

Activity:

Aerial display

Laying down; the eyes may be open or closed.

Seated in an upright position.

In an upright, vertical position on its legs.

Bowing and/or jumping in presence of conspecific; wings
may be extended and bird may pick up item(s) and toss
them in the air.

Begging

Opening bill and directing it towards an adult in an attempt
to solicit food; it may use its bill to make contact with the
adult’s bill.

Flying

Pecking item
Preening

Walking

Wing display

Other:

Bathing

Beak clapping

Beak gape

Pecking bird
Sparring

Tossing

Airborne movement from one location to another.
Manipulating objects.

Manipulating feathers with the bill.

Movements using legs or hocks.

Walking or running with the wings extended.

In full body contact with the water in the pond.

Rapid opening and closing of the bill.

Bill is opened and directed at another bird.

Using bill to make contact with conspecific.

Grasping the bill of another bird.

Using the bill to throw an item into the air.

ELSTON ET AL. - SADDLE-BILLED STORK

103

Fig. 1 . Time spent on nest by adult pair of Saddle-billed Storks during three
reproductive stages. Pre-lay and post-hatch stages include time spent sitting
and standing (nest presence and brooding behaviours) and the incubation
stage includes only time spent sitting on the eggs (incubation behaviour).
Post-hatch data were collected until the chicks fledged from the nest.

100

80

63

E

| 60

5J3

2

l 40

Oh

20

0

Pre-lay Incubation Post-hatch

Fig. 2. Average percentage of time Saddle-billed Stork chicks (n=2) spent
performing behaviours during three age stages. The chicks were in the nest
during their first and second months of life.

the male was observed performing an aerial display, after the chicks had
fledged from the nest. The female was not observed performing the aerial
display. No obvious courtship displays, nor any courtship feeding, were
observed. Copulation occurred on the nest, with the male flying onto the
female’s back, balancing himself while standing, then lowering himself to
make cloacal contact. This brief sequence lasted approximately 10 seconds
from start to finish.

; _

L

104

ELSTON ET AL. - SADDLE-BILLED STORK

Fig. 3. Saddle-billed Stork chicks (n=2) activity during three age stages.
The chicks were in the nest during their first and second months of life.

The female produced a clutch of four eggs, which were laid approximately
two days apart. At this time, keepers reported that the storks had become very
protective of the nest and yard, but no aggressive behaviour was observed
by the two birds towards one another at any time during the study. Two
chicks hatched in mid-November, after an incubation period of 3 1-32 days.
The remaining two eggs were placed in an incubator but failed to hatch.
Necropsy revealed that one egg was infertile and the other egg contained a
chick that was malpositioned and had died before pipping.

Both parents shared responsibility for incubation of the eggs and care of
the chicks. However, whereas the male spent more time nest building prior to
the eggs being laid, the female spent more time than the male incubating the
eggs (Fig. 1 ). Both parents took turns brooding the chicks for approximately
five days after the first chick hatched, after which they continued to stand
over them until they fledged from the nest. The female, however, spent
more time than the male on the nest brooding the chicks and standing over
them after they hatched (Fig. 1). Typically, only one adult was observed on
the nest at a time; when both birds were present it was usually because they
were exchanging positions. The parents fed the chicks by regurgitating food
directly into the chicks’ bills and also by regurgitating it onto the bottom of
the nest. Both parents were observed regurgitating food for the chicks well
after they had fledged from the nest and were feeding on their own. Both
parents continued to add materials to the nest even after the two chicks had

ELSTON ET AL. - SADDLE BILLED STORK

105

Richard Dunn

Female standing over two chicks, the older is aged 18 days and the younger chick
is 15 days old.

hatched, the male though did so more frequently (approximately once an
hour) than the female, who did so only occasionally. The male also continued
to regurgitate water onto the nest, though only occasionally.

106

ELSTON ET AL. - SADDLE-BILLED STORK

Chick development and behaviour

The newly-hatched chicks were covered with white down and began
developing black wing feathers within the first month. To allow the parents
the opportunity to rear them with minimal disturbance, staff contact with
the chicks was limited and subsequently they were weighed on only three
occasions. Five days after hatching the chicks weighed 21 8g; at 18 days of
age they weighed 1 .06kg; and at 78 days of age they weighed 4.07kg (these
are an average based on the ages and weights of the two chicks).

The chicks spent their first 30 days alternatively resting and begging
for food and gradually increased their activity during their second month
of life (Figs. 1 & 2). Sitting up, standing and walking briefly, commenced
at an average age of 33 days. The two chicks fledged from the nest on the
same day; the average age of fledging was 60.5 days (the older chick fledged
after 62 days and the younger chick after 59 days). The chicks continued
to beg for food from their parents even after they fledged from the nest and
had been feeding on their own (the chicks were still observed begging for
food at 83.5 days, an average based on the two chicks). They were capable
of short bursts of flight by 76.5 days (again an average based on the two
chicks). Both chicks proved to be females.

Discussion and conclusions

It appeared that the flight capability of the male contributed to his ability
to effectively mount the female and copulate with her. It was necessary
for him to land on top of her and then balance himself on her back, before
lowering himself to make cloacal contact, which he did using his wings to
balance. With another long-legged bird, the flamingo Phoenicopteridae,
there has been speculation that flight capability may be an important
component of successful mating (King, 2008). The presence of full-winged
males is believed to have contributed to the success of the Lesser Flamingo
Phoeniconaias minor breeding programme here at Fort Worth Zoo (Unger
& Elston, 2009).

Kahl (1973) found that in the wild Saddle-billed Storks that had already
established long-term pair bonds did not engage in elaborate displays during
the breeding season. During this study neither the male or female were
observed offering food to one another or performing elaborate breeding
displays prior to copulation and egg laying, perhaps because the pair had
been housed together for several years and likely had established a strong
bond. However, throughout the study both birds engaged in a wing-display
behaviour, which is similar to a behaviour engaged in by the Black-necked
Stork E. asiaticus and the Jabr.ru Jabiru mycteria , and described as a “flap-
dash” by del Hoyo et al(1992). It is believed to be performed to strengthen

ELSTON ET AL. - SADDLE-BILLED STORK

107

the pair bond.

Both parents took part in the rearing of the chicks, however, while the
male contributed more time to nest construction and maintenance, the female
invested more time in incubating the eggs and tending the chicks in the nest.
It is currently unknown whether a similar behavioural pattern will emerge in
subsequent years if, as hoped, the pair breed again, or whether this differential
behaviour occurred as a result of the birds being first-time parents.

The incubation period was within the range reported for the Saddle¬
billed Stork in the wild, i.e. 30-35 days (del Hoyo et al. 1992). The chicks’
behavioural development followed a similar pattern to that recorded for the
Lesser Adjutant Stork Leptopilos javanicus (Maust et al. 2007), with passive
behaviour (resting) occurring first followed by more active behaviours
(preening, sitting, standing) and, finally, locomotion (walking, flying).
However, contrary to the development of Lesser Adjutant Stork, Saddle¬
billed Stork chicks in this study were observed flying approximately 20
days earlier. The chicks in this study were also observed flying at a much
earlier age than that reported for Saddle-billed Storks in the wild, which was
estimated to be about 100-115 days (Kahl, 1973).

It is important for zoos to continue to develop and refine breeding
programmes for birds and other taxon in order to establish self-sustaining
captive populations that maximize genetic diversity and reduce the need to
collect animals from the wild. Successful reproduction in captivity may
also be a factor indicating good animal welfare, which is a high priority for
today’s zoos (Elston & Plasse, 2008). This study provides information on
the reproductive and developmental behaviour of the Saddle-billed Stork,
which may assist other institutions in their efforts to breed this species and
successfully rear the chicks. It may also be helpful to those attempting to
breed other species of storks and closely related species.

Acknowledgements

We thank Fort Worth Zoo’s Bird Department for the excellent care of
the storks.

Products mentioned in the text

Commercial meat: Dallas Crown, Kaufman, Texas, USA.

CaCCB/Vionate vitamin and mineral mix: Gimbom Pet Specialties, LLC, GA, USA& Rep-Cal,
Rep-Cal Research, Labs., CA, U.S.A.

References

BirdLife International. 2009. Species factsheet: Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis . Downloaded
from: http://www.birdlife.org

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ELSTON ET AL. - SADDLE-BILLED STORK

del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A., Sargatal, J. (eds.) 1992. Family Cicoeiidae (Storks). In: Handbook of
the Birds of the World. Vol.l. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Elston, J., Plasse, C. 2008. Bird welfare in zoos: if s not just about having fan. In: Bettinger, T.,
Bielitzki, J. (eds.) The well-being of animals in zoos and aquarium-sponsored research: putting
best practices forward. Scientists Center for Animal Welfare, Greenbelt, MD, USA.
International Species Information System (ISIS). 2008. http://www.isis.org
KaM, M. P. 1973. Comparative Ethology of the Ciconiidae. Part 6. The Blacimecked,
Saddlebill, and Jabiru Storks (Genera Xenorhynchus , Ephippiorhynchus , and Jabiru ). The
Condor 75,1:17-27.

King, C. E. 2008. A hypothetical husbandry point system for breeding flamingos in captivity.
In: Childress, B., Arengo, F., Bechet, A. (eds.) Flamingo , Bulletin of the lUCN-SSC/Wetlands
International Flamingo Specialist Group 16:57-61. Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge,
UK.

Martin, P.} Bateson, P. 1993. Measuring behaviour an introductory guide. Second edition.
Cambridge University Press, New York, N.Y.

Maust, M,, Clum, N., Sheppard, C. 2007. Ontogeny of chick behavior: a tool for monitoring
the growth and development of lesser adjutant storks. Zoo Biology 26:533-538.

Unger, K., Elston, J. 2009. Successful ex-situ breeding of Lesser Flamingos ( Phoeniconaias
minor). In: Childress, B., Arengo, F., Bechet, A. (eds.) Flamingo , Bulletin of the IUCN-
SSC/Wetlands International Flamingo Specialist Group No. 1 7. Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust,
Slimbridge, UK.

Jennifer J. Elston , PhD., Curator of Conservation and Behavior, Fort
Worth Zoo, 1989 Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas 76110, USA. Tel:(+1)
81 7 759- 731 5 /E-mail :jelston@fortworthzoo. org

Katy Unger, Curator of Birds, Fort Worth Zoo. Tel:(+1) 817 759-7170/
E-mail: hunger (afbrtworthzoo, org

* * *

LEARNING MORE ABOUT INDXGOBIRDS

A new website - www.indigobirds.com - has been created to collect and
disseminate information about the brood parasitic indigobirds Vidua spp.
(formerly known as combassous). The multimedia website summarises
research on these birds and includes locality records, range maps and sound
recordings. One of the primary objectives is to increase our knowledge of
these birds by collecting information, photographs and recordings of their
songs. Because indigobirds all look so similar and are difficult to identify in
the field, the songs of the males, mimicking those of their host species, help
identify the different species and the host species that raised them.

109

DIARY OF A WEEK SPENT PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS AT
WELTVOGELPARK WALSRODE

by Pierre de Chabannes

Visiting Weltvogelpark Walsrode, as it was recently renamed, is always an
amazing experience. I have been fortunate enough to visit it on six occasions,
beginning in 2006 during the bird flu scare. In 2007, following two visits as
an anonymous visitor, I got the opportunity to meet Simon Bruslund Jensen,
the Danish aviculturist who had returned to Walsrode to take charge of the
collection. Simon was already well-known to the international avicultural
community for his work with birds-of-paradise Paradisaeidae and Spix’s
Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii at A1 Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) in
Qatar. It was wonderful meeting Simon and I am happy to say that we have
remained good friends ever since.

In 2008, Simon asked me to photograph some of the birds showcased
in the park to help complete its photographic database for the park’s bird
identification panels and various publications. As a result, the following year
I was lucky enough to spend an entire week at this bird extravaganza, taking
photographs and seeking out new species I had not seen before. I spent time
with people working there, including Simon and his two new enthusiastic
biologists, Julia Gottschlich and Anne Hoppmann (the present Curators), as
well as many of the keepers, who kindly answered my questions and allowed
me to photograph their daily activities.

Here, my main goal is to provide members with an insight into life at
Weltvogelpark Walsrode and the some of the many birds kept and bred
there. I also want to say something about some of the many achievements
that have earned this park in northern Germany the reputation as one of the
world’s leading bird collections, and the conservation projects around the
world that it supports.

Day 1

The train from Hanover to Walsrode, being diesel rather than electric, is
quite noisy, but is very comfortable and passes through forest, agricultural
land and other attractive countryside in which Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus ,
storks Ciconia sp., herons Ardea sp. and other wildlife can be seen. On
arriving at Walsrode railway station, a taxi can be booked by those, who like
me, are travelling with heavy bags full of clothes and cameras. Otherwise,
a very pleasant 30 minute walk along a road, which goes deep into forest,
leads one to the park entrance.

There I was greeted by Julia Gottschlich and taken to the well maintained
and welcoming guest room by the park’s main office. Having unpacked

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my photographic equipment, I headed into the park and, while waiting for
Simon, decided to pop into the free flight Indonesian hall to look for the
Sulawesi Crested Mynah Basilornis celebensis a bird I had tried, but failed
to photograph, during the previous five years. I had failed to see this striking
bird in 2005, during my first visit to a number of south-east Asian zoos. This
was despite having spent three days in Jurong Birdpark, a good portion of
which was spent in the aviary housing south-east Asian birds. I was similarly
frustrated a few days later when visiting Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical
Gardens, which had a male in a large outside aviary. In late. -2006. 1 made
another unsuccessful attempt to photograph the male in Jurong Birdpark,
Singapore. A further opportunity occurred in mid-2008, when Walsrode
received a male. Unfortunately, however, the bird became sick and was
taken behind the scenes in order to be treated. Luckily, it recovered but I
was left frustrated when it proved impossible to get a single photo of it. One
can, therefore, imagine my excitement when, a few days before setting off
on this photographic assignment, I learned from Simon that the park had
acquired a pair of Sulawesi Crested Mynahs and the pair was living in an
aviary in the Indonesian hall.

So there I was, anxiously looking around the hall for one of the main
targets of my visit and - there it was - a beautiful male sitting on a branch in
a perfect position for me to take a nice photo of it. Altogether I took about
60 photographs. The aviary also housed Javan Hill Partridges Arborophila
javanica and a pair of Pink-spotted Fruit Doves Ptilinopus p, perlatus.

In order to see as many as possible of the birds in the Indonesian hall
one must, of course, carefully examine the various layers of vegetation
and pay attention to any sound which may betray the presence of an avian
rarity. Unusual scratching sounds coming from behind the Eclectus Parrot
Eclectus roratus aviary attracted my attention and when I pinpointed the
source of the scratching, I came face to face with a male Misool Wattled
Brush-Turkey Aepypodius arfakianus misoliensis displaying on his newly
built nest mound. This species is rare in captivity and seeing a captive male
displaying is quite an event and for me, was extra special, because I had first
seen the male in Artis Zoo in Amsterdam, where he was in poor condition,
living in a small aviary with little or no vegetation. I later learned from
Simon that the female was obtained from Poland and her introduction to
the male had gone perfectly. Simon was amazed how quickly the male had
recovered and began building mounds and displaying.

My first day ended all too soon with some nice views of the usually very
shy Elegant Quail Callipepia douglasii , housed in one of the parrot aviaries
along with Blue-headed Macaws Primolius couloni and Elegant Crested
Tinamous Eudromia elegans. There was one final highlight that day when

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one of the Kagus Rhynochetos jubatus in an aviary in the pheasantry began
to call loudly, followed by other individuals in different parts of the park.
The Kagu’s melodious “barking” is usually heard each morning at about
5.45am and during my stay acted as a wake-up alarm for me.

As I headed back to my room, some of the birds, including an old female
Arfak Wattled Brush-Turkey A a. arfakianus , were already roosting, the latter
having flown up onto a perch about 2m (6ft 6in) above the ground.

Day 2

Having been awake since just before 6.00am, thanks to the Kagus, I
had to wait an hour-and-half before Simon arrived with the list of birds he
wanted me to photograph - it filled four pages! I wanted to make an early
start before the first visitors arrived. Up to about 10.00am is the best time
to visit the oldest building in the park, the Paradise Hall (. Paradieshalle ). It
is divided into three different areas, the first of which is a small exposition
hall usually used for exhibitions, then there is a long corridor on either side
of which are beautifully landscaped medium-sized aviaries with appropriate
habitat for the species housed in them and, thirdly, there is a free-flight hall,
with luxuriant vegetation and two ponds.

I spent most time in the aviaries section, with its rich variety of species.
Although it was not on Simon’s list, I took the opportunity to take some
more photos of the last remaining Long-tailed Ground-Roller Uratelornis
chimaera in a zoological collection outside of Madagascar. The park used
to display two species of ground-rollers but, unfortunately, at the beginning
of 2009, lost its last Pitta-like Ground-Roller Atelornis pittoides. Other
gems housed in the aviaries included the last known Madagascan Sakalava
Weaver Ploceus sakalava in a European collection, a newly arrived pair
of African Grey Hombills Tockus n. nasutus, an enormous group of Sudan
Golden Sparrows Passer luteus and two pairs of Stone Partridges Ptilopachus
petrosus, all species that were new to me. It was interesting to note that one
of the pairs of Stone Partridges was housed in a rainforest-type exhibit, along
with Sunbittems Eurypyga helias, a pair of Sumatran Trogons Harpactes
mackloti and Orange-headed Ground Thrushes Zoothera citrina melli and,
the other pair was kept in a drier environment, along with the Sudan Golden
Sparrows, Carmine Bee-eaters Merops nubicus , a Copper Sunbird Cinnyris
cupreus , an Egyptian Plover Pluvianus aegyptius - a species becoming
increasingly rare in captivity in Europe - and a pair of Spot-flanked Barbets
Tricholaema lachrymosa.

The colony of Sudan Golden Sparrows occupied me for a long time.
Simon wanted me to take as many photos as possible showing different
types of behaviour, such as nest building by both sexes, males singing and

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Pierre de Chabannes

Sulawesi Crested Mynah,

displaying with their wings spread, females at the nest and parents feeding
their young. These highly social birds are a delight to observe as, at almost
any time of the day, one can witness different activities within the group.
It was the first time I had seen this species in a European collection and, I
think, more attention should be paid to it, as the bright colours of the males
and the fact that the species is so active, make it an interesting addition to
a public collection.

Attempting to describe all the species in the Paradise Hall is quite
a challenge, so I am just going to pick out some of the other birds that
caught my eye. Birds such as the pair of the rarely kept Black-necked
Weavers P nigricollis that was building a tightly woven new nest against
the roof of the aviary, alongside remnants of previous nests. There were
some beautiful but shy Red- and- while Crakes Laterallus leucopyrrhus , a
pair of Red- fronted Barbets T. diademata and a pair of Snowy-crowned
Robin Chats Cossypha niveicapilla with two young. There were three
species of miela: Minla strigula , M. cyanouroptera and M. ignotincta ,
each represented by a single old individual, the now rarely encountered
Rtippelfs Glossy Starling Lamprotornis purpureopterus and a pair of Congo

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113

Pierre de Chabannes

Male Misool Wattled Brush-Turkey.

Peafowl Afropavo congensis. The aviaries house an amazing collection of
tropical Columbidae, including Superb Fruit Doves P. super bus, Mindanao
Bleeding-Hearts Gallicolumba crinigera , a breeding pair of Beautiful Fruit
Doves P. pulchellus , numerous Golden-Heart or Cinnamon Ground-Doves
G. rufigula , the beautiful Pink-headed Fruit Dove P porphyreus - one of
the park’s finest specialties with many breeding successes recorded - and
two species of American quail-dove: the Jamaican Crested Quail-Dove or
Mountain Witch Dove Geotrygon versicolor and the rarely seen Ruddy
Quail-Dove G. montana.

With the arrival of a new male from the birdpark at La Londe-les Maures
in France, it is hoped that the Great Blue Turacos Corythaeola cristata in
the free-flight hall will breed very soon. Other birds in the free-flight hall
include Southern Red Bishops Euplectes o. orix , Orange-bellied Fruit Doves
P. iozonus burner alis. Cinnamon Homero (Ovenbird) Furnarius leucopus
cinnamomeus and, most important of all, a breeding group of Madagascar
Blue Pigeons Alectroenas madagascariensis . This striking looking bird is

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among a number of Madagascan species brought into captivity by the park
in an attempt to establish viable captive populations and, so far, in the case
of this species, has been a great success.

Along with the Zoologischer Garten Berlin and the zoo in Plzen in
the Czech Republic, Weltvogelpark Walsrode houses one of the largest
collections of small seed-eating birds. Its impressive collection built up over
the past few years, includes Dybowski’s Twinspot Euschistospiza dybowskii ,
Madagascar Munias Lonchura nana, various waxbills Estrilda spp., the Blue¬
billed or African Firefinch Lagonosticta rubicata. Tri-coloured Parrotfinches
Erythrura tricolor , Black Mannikins L. stygia from New Guinea and both
types of Zebra Finch, the Australian Taeniopygia guttata castanotis (7
castanotis ) and the Timor Zebra Finch T g. guttata (T. guttata ), as well as
lots of other Australian finches.

Day 3

I stopped briefly to look at the ostriches Camelus sp. and then moved
on to the Shoebill Balaeniceps rex enclosure, before heading to the main
ratite area, which consists of four grassy enclosures, each with a pond and
a small night shelter. The Greater Rheas Rhea americana were already
busy foraging, but frequently raised their heads in the early morning sun,
which enabled me to take some nice portraits of them. I was also able to
get some nice portraits of the Emus Dromaius novaehollandiae and the
recently arrived Lesser or Darwin’s Rheas R. (Pterocnemia) pennata. The
rarer of the two rheas in zoological collections, it is now being bred regularly
at Parc Zoologique et Botanique at Mulhouse in France and in some other
parks, so is likely to become a more familiar sight in European collections.
Living in the fourth enclosure was a Northern, Single-wattled or One-
wattled Cassowary Casuarius unappendiculatus ( rufotinctus ). At the time
it was believed to be the last remaining one in Europe, but earlier this year
on March 9th, a male was acquired from a private collection in Spain, and
the two have turned out to be a pair. Although this species has never been
common in European zoos, it has been bred in a few parks, including at
Walsrode in the early 1980s.

I next headed for the raptor aviaries. Most of the birds were out and
some of them, such as the Harpy Eagle Harpia haryja (for which a male
hatched at Nuremberg Zoo in 1991, was recently acquired as a potential
mate) and the newly-arrived African White-backed Vultures Gyps africanus,
were sunbathing. I then spent time watching the pair of Steller’s Sea
Eagles Haliaeetus p. pelagicus , Andean Condors Vultur gryphus, Bateleurs
Terathopius ecaudatus and Griffon Vultures G. fulvus. Simon pointed out
the two corvids sharing the aviary with the Griffon Vultures, one an albinistic
Carrion Crow Corvus c. corone and the other the only known example of a

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115

leucistic Rook C. frugilegus.

Weltvogelpark Walsrode has a good reputation for breeding raptors such
as the Andean Condor and, more recently, the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Cathartes hurrovianus. The next step in the park’s breeding programme is
the get the Harpy Eagles to breed.

Towards midday I moved on to the crane section. Most of the species
are exhibited in large, grassy enclosures, either side of a large pond in which
European Pond Terrapins Emys orbicularis breed. All of the species of cranes
at Weltvogelpark Walsrode have bred there on several occasions, including
rarer species such as the Hooded Crane Grus monacha , Brolga G. rubicunda ,
Black-necked Crane G. nigricollis and Siberian Crane G. leucogeranus .
The park has always done well breeding cranes, with almost all taxa apart
from the Whooping Crane G. americana , having been kept and bred there.
Except for the Hooded Cranes which are now housed behind the scenes, all
of the other cranes are on view to the public. The aviary that used to house
the Hooded Cranes, now houses the Siberian Cranes, as well as two Black¬
faced Spoonbills Platalea minor and a breeding flock of Asian Open-billed
Storks Anastomus oscitans. At the time of my visit, the female White-naped
Crane G. vipio was sitting on two eggs and Simon showed me Brolga and
Hooded Crane chicks being reared off-display. Other species, such as the
Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus , Grey Crowned Crane Balearica
regulorum gibbericeps and Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo, are housed
in enclosures nearer the park’s entrance, which they share with birds such as
Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus, Red-billed Ducks Anas erythrorhynchus
and Yellow-billed Storks Mycteria ibis.

Day 4

The next group of birds on the list to be photographed were the Anatidae.
These make nice photogenic subjects, but are often sleeping during the
morning when the light is at its best and only become active later when there
is bright sunshine, which often makes it difficult to get really interesting
photographs.

With nearly 80 taxa of ducks and allied species, Weltvogelpark Walsrode
has (along with Tierpark Berlin, Ker Anas Park at Saint- Andre-des-Eaux,
La Baule on the Atlantic coast of France and Blackbrook Zoological Park
in England), one of the largest collections of captive waterfowl in Europe
and, not only are almost all of them on exhibition, but a significant number
of them are breeding.

I chose to begin with the ducks in the largest enclosures, along with the
pelicans and flamingos. My first targets were the South American species,
such as the Speckled (Chilean) Teal A. flavirostris oxyptera , Black-necked
Swans Cygnus melanocoryphus, Coscoroba Swans Coscoroba coscoroba

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Pierre de Chahannes

Golden Mynah.

and the rarely seen Andean Goose Chloephaga melanoptera . Getting good
photos of the latter is always a challenge because the male is so aggressive
towards photographers and often comes right up to the fence, where he is
joined by the female.

I took several photos of the Peruvian Pelicans Pelicanus thagus , a species
shown and bred for the first time in Europe at Weltvogelpark Walsrode
and now to be seen at Blackbrook and Hanover and elsewhere. I then
moved on to a nicely landscaped rocky enclosure that houses a breeding
colony of Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus humboldti . Up until 2008, the
second part of this installation housed sea ducks such as Spectacled Eiders
Somateria fischeri, King Eiders S. spectabilis , Harlequin Ducks Histrionicus
histrionicus and a Ganeet Moms bassanus, but due to refurbishment work,
most of the ducks were housed behind the scenes and only the Gannet
remained on show.

Two other species of pelican, the Great White P. onocrotalus and the
Dalmatian Pelican P crispus , together with Goosander Mergus merganser
and Greater Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis , live in a beautiful,
large enclosure nearby. When I first visited the park, a Peruvian Pelican used
to cross the low fence of its enclosure and visit the other pelicans. The public
feeding sessions are the best time to get good photos of these birds, especially

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117

Pierre de Chabannes

Male Dark-throated Oriole.

the Goosander, which often steal fish from the pelicans. The first of two
nearby ponds is home to a mixed flock of Caribbean Phoenicopterus ruber
and Chilean Flamingos P chilensis, together with Brazilian Teal Amazonetta
b. brasiliensis and Hooded Mergansers Lophodytes cucullatus , and the
second pond is occupied by Australian Pelicans P. conspicillatus , Maned
Geese Chenonetta jubata and Paradise Sheiduck Tadorna variegata.

Many more ducks live in the crane and ratite enclosures, but there are far
too many to name them all here. Some of the rarer ones include Freckled
Ducks Stictonetta naevosa , Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri , New Zealand
Scaup A novaeseelandiae , New Zealand Shoveler A. rhynchotis variegata ,
Blue-winged Goose Cyanochen cyanopterus and Australian Pochard A.
australis.

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Left with a little time to spare, I decided to investigate the nocturnal
birds, most of which are housed in medium-sized aviaries in front of the
penguin enclosure. The most unusual species is the Ashy-faced Owl Tyto
glaucops , a bird found in only a few other European collections. There
are a pair of Brown Wood Owls Strix leptogrammica bartelsi from Java, a
pair of Spectacled Owls Pulsatrix perspicillata , one of which is a leucistic
bird, some Oriental Bay Owls Phodilus b. badilus , Southern White-faced
(Scops) Owls Ptilopsis grand , Tawny Frogmouths Podargus strigoides and a
breeding pair of Verreaux’s (Milky) Eagle-Owls Bubo lacteus, the female of
which often lays her eggs right up by the wire, in preference to the sheltered
nest site provided by the staff.

Most of the Eurasian owls are housed in the Old Castle ( Uhu-Burg ), a
huge replica of a medieval castle. These include Eurasian Eagle-Owls B. b.
bubo and Bam Owls T. a. alba. It also houses Ravens C. corax. A breeding
colony of Blue-eyed Ibis Threskiornis b. bernieri, a species specially brought
over from Madagascar, African Open-billed Storks A. lamelligerus , Meller’s
Duck A melleri , Madagascar Teal A. bernieri and a colony of Madagascar
Pond Herons Ardeola idae live in one of two large aviaries on the side of the
replica castle. The other houses European waterbirds such as Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus and Eurasian Spoonbills P leucorodia.

Day 5

I woke up at 5.00am in order to be at the park’s kitchens by 6.00am
to take photos of the keepers preparing the food for all the different birds.
Then, after a short break, I set off for the pheasantry and the parrot section.
The pheasantry houses a rich variety of birds, many of which are rarely
seen in zoological collections. The buildings are basically divided into
four main areas, each with 1 0 smaller aviaries with both indoor and outdoor
accommodation. They are very nicely landscaped, which sometimes made
it difficult to get good photos, because the birds remained hidden away.

During the last three days of my stay a number of changes were made and
some European species, previously housed elsewhere, were transferred to
these aviaries. These included a Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes ,
some Rosy or Rose-coloured Starlings Sturnus roseus, a pair of Ringed
Plovers Charadrius hiaticula , some Yellowhammers Emberiza citrinella
and Black-winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus. The partitions dividing
some of the aviaries were removed to create more space for larger birds
such as Sulawesi Red-knobbed Hombills Aceros cassidix , Great Hornbills
Buceros bicornis and Javan Rhinoceros Hombills B. rhinoceros silvestris.
During the past few years Weltvogelpark Walsrode has recorded a number
of breeding successes with the Sulawesi Red-knobbed Hombills. I noticed
that it no longer keeps species such as the Wreathed Hombill A. undulatus ,

DE CHABANNES - WELTVOGELPARK WALSRODE

119

Blyth’s or Plicated Hombill A. plicatus and the White-crested Hombill

Berenicornis comatus.

Smaller aviaries are used to keep and breed some of the park’s specialities
such as the Cuckoo-Rollers Leptosomus discolor , also known as Courols, and
other Madagascar endemics such as the Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis,
Madagascar Turtle Dove Streptopelia picturata, Crested Coua Coua cristata,
Blue Coua C. caerulea and, most recently, the impressive Giant Coua C.
gigas, which could be seen close to the wire sunbathing early in the morning.
Walking along the row of aviaries, other colourful birds that caught my
eye included a Golden Mynah Mino a. anais and a Golden-crested Mynah
Ampeliceps coronatus - both of which are quite rare in zoos, even in Asia - a
breeding pair of Papuan Mountain Pigeons Gymnophaps albertisii, a nice
group of Crested Mynahs Acridotheres cristatellus , a pair of Great Argus
Pheasants Argus ianus a. argus , Green Magpies Cissa chinensis , replacing
the Yellow-breasted species C. hypoleuca which lived there until 2009,
Black Francolins Francolinus francolinus, Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus,
a recently arrived Omei Shan Liocichla Liocichla omeiensis and the only
known Piapiacs Ptilostomus afer in a European zoological collection.

The pheasantry is, of course, also home to several species of Galliformes
such as the beautiful Malayan Peacock-Pheasant Polyplectron malacense ,
Swinhoe’s Pheasant Lophura swinhoii , White Eared Pheasant Crossoptilon
crossoptilon drounyi, two Tragopan spp. and (Jones’s) Silver Pheasant L.
nycthemera jonesi. A pair of Elliot’s Pheasant Syrmaticus ellioti and a
surplus female were also housed in the pheasantry.

I could easily have spent two days making sure that I had seen everything,
but it was time to move on to the equally impressive parrot section. First
on my list was the house built initially to house large and delicate species
of parrot. Inside are three large central aviaries with a dozen smaller
aviaries at the sides. This hexagonal building was in 2009 transformed into
a Brazilian house, with fewer parrots and a greater emphasis on endemic
Brazilian birds. The central aviaries now house two female Golden-headed
Quetzals Pharomachrus auriceps, Toco Toucans Ramphastos toco , a
Nocturnal Curassow Nothocrax urumutum , an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
Rupicola peruviana aequatorialis and a pair of Razor-billed Curassows
Mitu tuberosum.

Some parrots continued to occupy some of the smaller aviaries, the
most interesting of which included a Plain Parakeet Brotogeris tirica , the
rarely kept Burn Racquet-tail Prioniturus mada , a pair of oddly-coloured
Vinaceous Amazons Amazona vinacea , the beautiful Purple-bellied Parrot
Triclaria malachitacea, Hawk-headed Parrots Deroptyus a. accipitrinus,
some Cobalt-winged Parakeets B. cyanoptera and the Golden Conure

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Pierre de Chabannes

Madagascar Blue Pigeon.

Guarouba guarouba. A pair of Masked Crimson Tanagers Ramphocelus
nigrogularis , a species which has almost disappeared from European
zoological collections, a pair of White-tailed Trogons Trogon viridis, the
White Woodpeckers Melanerpes candidus that used to live in the Paradise
Hall, a pair of Silver-beaked Tanagers R. carbo and a rare subspecies of the
Pale legged Homero Furnarius leucopus longirostris, are among a number
of other birds that have been moved into the house since 2009 and now
occupy some of the smaller aviaries.

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Pierre de Chabannes

Collared Imperial Pigeon.

The outside aviaries house larger parrots such as Scarlet Macaws Am
macao , Green-winged Macaws A. chloroptera, Keas Nestor notabilis ,
Palm Cockatoos Probosciger aterrimus , which are not as rare as they used
to be, and a lone male Gang-gang Cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum.
The Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw A. glaucogularis is bred
regularly as part of Weltvogelpark Walsrode’s conservation and breeding
programme.

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Most parrots are housed in smaller aviaries on the right-hand side of a
large floral display in the centre of the park. Species in these aviaries are
mostly grouped geographically and, at the beginning of 2009, Simon decided
to keep other species with the parrots to show visitors the variety of birds
which can be found living alongside each other in countries around the
tropics. Perhaps the most interesting of these is the New Caledonian aviary,
which Kagus share with a breeding group of Homed Parakeets Eunymphicus
cornutus. Australian finches, doves and pigeons, share an aviary with
Elegant Parakeets Neophema elegans , Bourke’s Parrots Neopsephotus
bourkii, Barraband Parakeets Polytelis swains onii and Princess of Wales’
Parakeets P. alexandrae. Two South American aviaries house Blue-headed
Macaws, an Hispaniolan Amazon A. ventralis , Blue-throated Conures
Pyrrhum cruetata , Elegant Crested Tinamous, Red-crowned Conures P.
(picta ) roseifrons , Illiger’s Macaws P. maracana and Plush-crested Jays
Cyanocorax chrysops. Other interesting birds include a male Samar Tarictic
Hombill Penelopides affinis samarensis, a pair of Red-browed Amazons
A. rhodcorytha, a breeding colony of Black-cheeked Lovebirds Agapornis
nigrigenis, a pair of Blue-eyed Cockatoos Cacatua ophthalmica and, in
the largest of the parrot aviaries, a breeding group of Hyacinth Macaws
Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus . Other parrots, such as the Red-tailed Black
Cockatoos Calyptorhynchus banksii , that hatched their first chick in early
2009, are kept in off-display breeding aviaries.

The Lori Atrium welcomes visitors to the colourful and noisy world of
lories and other Australasian fruit-eating birds. The one-storey facility is
divided into many small aviaries either side of the pathway used by visitors.
In addition, some larger aviaries have been built in three different places in
the centre of the building. With almost 30 different species and subspecies
of lories and lorikeets Weltvogelpark Walsrode has, along with Loro Parque
in Tenerife, one of the largest public collections of Loriinae. The most recent
addition is a pair of the New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands subspecies of the
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus deplachii. Many of the lories
and lorikeets are quite rare in captivity and some of them are not displayed
anywhere else in continental Europe. These include the Blue-eared Lory
Eos semilavata , Purple-bellied Lory Lorius hypoinochrous , Musk Lorikeet
Glossopsitta concinna , Edward’s Lorikeet T. capistratus , Goldie’s Lorikeet
Psittenteles goldiei, the unusual Yellow-and-green Lorikeet T. f. fiavovirdis.
Emerald Lorikeet Neopsittacus pullicauda , Rajah Black Lory Chalcopsitta
atra insignis , the beautiful Collared Lory Phigys solitarius and the incredible
Tahiti Blue Lory Vini peruviana , which has so far proved almost impossible
to breed because the birds are so aggressive towards each other.

Some of the others, such as the Purple-capped Lory L. domicella ,

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Duyvenbode’s Lory C. duivenbodei, the Cardinal Lory C. cardinal is, the
beautiful Steller’s Lorikeet C. papou goliathina, a breeding group of Blue-
crowned Lories V australis and the Mount Apo Lorikeet T. johnstoniae, are
a more familiar sight in European collections.

Two rarely seen fig parrots, the Orange-breasted Psittaculirostris
gulielmitertii and the Double-eyed Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma are
also kept and bred in this building. Two others, Edwards’s P. edwardsii and
Desmarest’s P. desmarestii, have been moved to one of the large aviaries
in the Indonesian hall. Species such as the tiny Whiskered Lorikeet
Oreopsittacus arfaki are now kept behind the scenes for breeding purposes
and the last remaining Striated Lorikeet C multistriata died recently of old
age.

The first large aviary, which once housed Tahiti Blue Lories and Squatter
Pigeons Geophaps scripta, now houses a male Pesquet’s Parrot Psittrichas
fulgidus. This unusual species has never been well represented in zoological
collections, even in Asia, because of the difficulties in feeding and breeding
it. The second large aviary houses a breeding group of Western Crowned
Pigeons Goura cristata minor cohabiting with Blue-faced Honeyeaters
Entomyzon cyanotis. The third large aviary houses Blue-crowned Hanging
Parrots Loriculus galgulus with Beautiful Fruit Doves P. pulchellus and
Golden-Heart or Cinnamon Ground Doves.

Just outside the building are two small aviaries that used to house two
rare subspecies: (Riedel’s) Eclectus E. r. riedeli and (Cornelia’s) Eclectus E.
r. Cornelia. The first of these now houses Swift Parrots Lathamus discolor
and Gouldian Finches E. gouldiae and the second aviary houses Purple-
bellied Lories.

Day 6

It was a bright sunny morning and I decided to begin by visiting the
temperate bird area, which basically consists of two rows of beautifully
landscaped aviaries that fit nicely into the wooded surroundings. The first
aviaries house two leucistic Carrion Crows, two White-throated Magpie-Jays
Calocitia formosa , which may belong to different subspecies, a Eurasian
Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes, which occupies a small aviary that
previously housed a male Greater Prairie-chicken Tympanuchus cupido
and, finally, a pair of Himalayan Snowcocks Tetraogallus himalayensis
kozlowi, hatched at Tierpark Berlin, sharing an aviary with Desert Finches
Rhodopechys obsoleta. The other side of the pathway is a nice grassy
enclosure housing a pair of Greater Magellanic Geese Chloephaga picta
leucoptera, the subspecies most commonly seen in European zoos. Then
there is a much larger aviary, also nicely landscaped. It used to house a
number of species, including a pair of Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus ,

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DE CHABANNES - WELTVOGELPARK WALSRODE

but is now shared by a pair of Reeves’s Pheasants S. reevesi and three Red¬
billed Blue Magpies Urocissa erythrorhyncha, possibly belonging to more
than one subspecies.

After passing the Wattled Crane enclosure, there are aviaries which until
recently housed smaller European birds such as Crossbills Loxia curvirostra ,
Bramblings Fringilla montifringilla and Corncrakes Crex crex. Today, the
first of these aviaries houses Waxwings Bombycilla garrulus, Stock Doves
Columba oenas, Goldfinches Carduelis carduelis , Bullfinches Pyrrhula
pyrrhula and Golden Pheasants Chrysolophus pictus. Living in the second
aviary are Azure-winged Magpies Cyanopica cyana swinhoei and Red-
legged Partridges Alectoris rufa.

Then there is an enormous aviary imaginatively landscaped to replicate
a stream flowing through a grassy area of northern Europe where dozens of
waterbirds and other species come to feed and breed. There were a pair of
GarganeyA querqueula, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata , Pied Avocets
Recurvirostris avosetta and Ruffs and Reeves Philomachus pugnax , along
with some Grey Partridges Perdix perdix and a group of European Rollers
Coracias garrulus. During my stay, however, the aviary was emptied in
order to be prepared for a breeding group of Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni ,
housed elsewhere in the park. Once the kestrels have settled in, the waterbirds
will be reintroduced, which should result in a unique and very interesting
mix of species.

The European zone ends with an aviary housing European Starlings S.
vulgaris and European Rollers, a Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica and
an Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus which is, so far as I know, the only
specimen of this species displayed in a European zoo.

It was time to enter one of the larger structures in which the birds and
visitors come in close contact with each other. The most amazing of these
is a cylindrical structure that is one of the largest outdoor walk-through
aviaries housing tropical birds in Europe. At the time of my visit, it was
gradually being emptied, so that it could be renovated. However, I was
fortunate enough to see a number of interesting species that were still
living in it. These included a small group of Montezuma Oropendolas
Psarocolius montezuma , the only such group in Europe and a Renauld’s
Ground-Cuckoo Carpococcyx renauldi that would approach visitors for
mealworms, which visitors can buy for €0.50 (approx. £0.60 or IJSSO. 95)
at the entrance. Other species still present in the aviary included Speckled
Pigeons C. guinea , a large group of recently arrived wild Turkeys Meleagris
gallopavo, a breeding group of Hamerkops Scopus umbrella, a pair of Kori
Bustards Ardeotis kori , two Secretary Birds Sagittarius serpentarius , Green
Peafowl Pavo m. muticus, a large group of White-faced Whistling Ducks

DE CHABANNE8 - WELT V OGELP ARK WALSRGBE

125

Pierre de Chabannes

Asian Open-billed Stork,

Dendrocygna viduata , a number of Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber and Abdim’s
Storks Ciconia abdimii . I liked the atmosphere in this exhibit and the close
proximity of the birds. When the visitors went off to the main restaurant to
eat, I took a little nap on one of the benches, and was awoken 30 minutes
later by a Hamerkop tugging at my jacket.

At the end is a smaller walk-through aviary devoted to shorebirds such
as Inca Terns Larostema inca , Brown Pelicans P occidentalis carolinensis ,
Boat-billed Herons Cochlearius c. cochlearius , Eurasian Oystercatchers
Haematopus ostralegus , Lesser Pied Cormorants P. melanoleucos , Pied
Avocets and the last known captive specimen of the Guanay Cormorant P
bougainvillii in Europe, A wave machine has been installed and it is a joy
to watch the terns flying low above the waves trying to catch the small fish
thrown into the water by keepers.

I spent the afternoon in the Indonesian hall looking for any birds I might
have missed, I was there for quite a time, as the size of the hall and the
thick foliage, mean that birds can easily hide away. My favourite spots for
photographing them are around the three main feeding points, which most
species visit at least once a day, I station myself nearby and then it is mostly
a matter of patiently waiting for the birds to appear. I especially wanted

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DE CHABANNES - WELTVOGELPARK WALSRODE

to photograph each of the Victoria Crowned Pigeons G. victoria and each
of the Scheepmaker’s or Southern Crowned Pigeons G. scheepmakeri, so
that Simon could identify each bird and decide which subspecies it belongs
to. All of the Scheepmaker’s I have seen in Europe, south-east Asia and
Indonesia have belonged to the southern New Guinea subspecies G. 5.
sclaterii , recognisable by its conspicuous white wing patch, purplish-red
lesser and median wing-coverts and purplish breast shading into grey blue
on the lower breast and belly. Two subspecies of pheasant pigeons live in the
hall, the Green-naped Otidiphaps n. nobilis and the rarer White-naped O. n.
aruensis. Smaller species living on or near the ground include the last known
Giant Pitta Pitta caerulea in a European collection, a pair of Javan Whistling
Thrushes Myophonus glaucinus and Javan Orange-headed Ground Thrushes
Z. c. rubecula. Living in the hall are also a number of Columbidae from the
rainforests of Indonesia. These include the White-bibbed or Jobi Ground
Dove G. johiensis, Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica , the beautiful and
rarely seen Elegant Imperial Pigeon Ducula concinna , Pied Imperial Pigeon
D. b. bicolor , the rare Reinwardt’s Cuckoo-Dove Reinwardtoena reinwardtsii
and the equally rare White-throated Pigeon C. vitiensis halmaheira.

The last remaining Dark-throated Oriole Oriolus xanthonotus and a
number of other interesting species such as the Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena
puella crinigera , Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus a. atriceps, Thick-billed
Ground Pigeon Trugon terrestris, the unusual Chestnut-backed Scimitar
Babbler Pomatorhinus montanus , Bar-shouldered Dove G. humeralis
gregalis and Black-hooded Oriole O. xanthomas share an aviary with
Crested Firebacks L. ignita macartneyi. Among the many other species are
the Salawati King Parrot Alisterus amboinensis dorsalis , Golden-fronted
Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons inornata, Helmeted Friarbird Philemon
buceroides , the rare and beautiful Collared Imperial Pigeon D. m. muellerii ,
Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush Garrulax mitratus , Sulawesi Black-naped
Oriole O. chinensis celebensis , White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus
leucorhynchus , a large group of Grosbeak Starlings Scissirostrum dubium
and some Green Pygmy Geese Nettapus pulchellus.

Day 7

On my way back to the guest room on my last day I took time to visit three
further aviaries - those nearest the entrance. The largest of these currently
houses a breeding colony of Northern Bald Ibis or Waldrapp Geronticus
eremita , together with Eurasian Spoonbills and a pair of recently arrived
Ring-necked Pheasants Phasianus c. colchicus. Of the two remaining
slightly smaller aviaries, the first houses one of Weltvogelpark Walsrode’s
rarest exhibits, the beautiful yet weird looking Homed Guan Oreophasis
derbyianus. The park has two pairs, one of which is on exhibition sharing

DE CHABANNES - WELTVOGELPARK WALSRODE

127

an aviary with a pair of Crimson-rumped Toucanets Aulacorhynchus
haematopygus , while the other pair is kept behind the scenes in the breeding
section. These are the only representatives of this species in captivity in
Europe. Living in the other aviary are birds from Madagascar, such as Crested
Ibis Lophotibis c. cristata , the Madagascar Fody F. madagascariensis and
Greater Vasa Parrot Coracopsis vasa.

Finally, I returned to the free-flight area of the Paradise Hall to see some
Layard’s (Common) Bulbuls P, barbatus layardi which had been released into
the exhibit early that morning. I also wanted to see the new pair of Green
Woodhoopoes Phoeniculus purpureus senegalensis in one of the aviaries.
There had also been a few changes made in the Indonesian hall, with the
pair of Sulawesi Crested Mynahs being released into the free-flight area and
the arrival of a group of Short-tailed Starlings Aplonis minor.

On my next visit to Weltvogelpark Walsrode, I will probably see a whole
lot of new birds and find some nice surprises awaiting me.

Acknowledgements

My deepest thanks to Simon, Nicole, Julia, Anne and everybody at the
park for their kindness and for their helpfulness, and for making themselves
available to answer my questions and for providing me with a wealth of data
and information, which made my stay in 2009 among the most memorable
times I have spent visiting a zoological collection. I would also like to
thank Josef Lindholm, Senior Aviculturist at Dallas World Aquarium, whose
many articles in the AFAWatchbird (American Federation of Aviculture)
magazine, encouraged me to write about my visits to zoological collections
around the world.

Pierre de Chabannes lives in Le Chesnay in France. E-mail:
pedroyayadrums@yahoo. com

* * *

SOCIAL MEETINGS 2011

On Saturday, May 7th, the society will visit Richard Abrey’s collection
at Edwardstone, Sudbury, Suffolk.

The President’s Garden Party will be held on the afternoon of Saturday,
July 16th, at Chestnut Lodge, Cobham, Surrey.

The Autumn Meeting will be at Paultons Park, Ower, Romsey,
Hampshire, probably on Saturday, September 24th, but this date has still
to be confirmed.

128

A NEW PARROTLET FROM COLOMBIA, Forpus flavicollis
by Paola Bertagnolio and Luigi Racheli

Abstract

A new species of parrotlet of the genus Forpus, from Colombia, is
described based on a colour photograph of a group of caged individuals of
different ages and of both sexes.

Resumen

Se describe una nueva especie de perico del genero Forpus , procedente
de Colombia, en base a una fotografia en color de un grupo de ejemplares
de sexo y edad diferente.

Introduction

Twenty years ago during a trip from extreme northern Colombia and
Venezuela to Paraguay and Argentina, the senior author and Francesco
Nardelli, at the time Curator of Mammals at Howletts and Port Lympne Wild
Animal Parks in the UK, stopped briefly at Melgar (430m (approx. 1,400ft)
above sea level), some 100km (62 miles) south-west of Bogota, at a local
market where parrots and passerines were displayed for sale.

On being asked about uncommon parrots species in central Colombia,
a dealer/trapper who proved to be very familiar with the Golden-plumed
Parakeet Leptosittaca branickii, Yellow-eared Parrot Ognorhynchus icterotis,
Rusty-faced Parrot Hapalopsittaca amazonina and Fuerte’s Parrot H. fuertesi ,
mentioned Pericos de cuello amarillo (the Yellow-necked Parrotlet). At the
time we thought he was referring to the Black-headed Parrot (or Caique)
Pionites melanocephala or perhaps the Saffron-headed Parrot Pionopsitta
pyrilia and pursued the matter no further. However, on January 23rd 2010,
in the course of a regular worldwide survey of less well known websites
carrying parrot data, we came upon a colour photograph of some parrotlets
which brought back to mind the incident in Colombia 20 years earlier.

The photograph by an unnamed photographer dates back to January
1st 2005. It shows a group of 32 parrotlets in a small cage lying on the
ground. It appears very likely that the birds were on sale in a local open air
market. Some Yellow-hooded Blackbirds Chrysomus icterocephalus can be
seen in another cage nearby. The caption mentioned: “Perico Cascabelito
Forpus conspicillatus”. There is no doubt the birds are cascabelitos (the
name commonly used for Forpus parrotlets in Colombia), however, with
the possible exception of the bird marked by the arrow, they are definitely
not F. conspicillatus (Spectacled Parrotlets). Their colour pattern does not
correspond with that of any known species.

BERTAGNOLIO & RACHELI - NEW PARROTLET SPECIES

129

The photo found on the internet showing a cage of parrotlets which, with the possible
exception of the bird marked by an arrow, have a colour pattern that does not
correspond with that of any previously described species.

Description

Forpus flavicollis Bertagnolio & Racheli sp. nov.

Type material: syntipic series depicted in photograph.

Although the birds are crowded together and are partly obscured by the

wire and by each other, it can clearly be seen that, except for the bird marked
by the arrow (seemingly a female F. conspicillatus ), they are green with a
broad yellow collar. The forehead is yellowish-green, yellow or orange; the
area surrounding the eye is blue or bright green; the bend of the wing and
carpal edge are cobalt blue or green. Although the birds have their wings
closed, it is possible to see that at least two of them have a cobalt blue rump
and a few others have a bright green rump. They have a pale horn coloured
bill and pinkish-flesh coloured legs and feet. The underside of one bird can
be seen and the rectrices (the main tail feathers) appear to have a yellow or
creamy-yellow tip.

Based on the secondary sexual characteristics which are typical of
members for the genus Forpus , the blue colouring of some of the yellowish-
green, yellow and orange fronted individuals, would seem to indicate that
the different colouring in this area is a trait linked to age (in chronological
order) rather than sex. To this end, it is worth recalling that Forpus females

130

BERTAGNOLIO & RACHELI - NEW PARROTLET SPECIES

have no blue and that juvenile males resemble the adult, though they may
possibly be a little duller.

While the blue eye-ring denotes the close relationship to F conspicillatus ,

the broad yellow collar and distinctive yellowish-green, yellow or orange
frontal band clearly distinguish it from all other Forpus species.

As far as body size is concerned, considering the relative uniformity in
size of members of the genus Forpus , it seems reasonably safe to assume
that F. flavicollis is no exception and is similar in size to F. conspicillatus ,
which measures 12cm- 13cm (approx. 4%in-5%in) in length.

Distribution

The photograph appeared on the website of the Ibague Wildlife Recovery
Centre (Centro de Atencion y Valoracion de Fauna Silvestre de Ibague),
Tolima, Colombia, together with photos of other species of rescued birds and
mammals, all of which are known to occur in central Colombia. Our attempts
to contact the Ibague Centre for further information proved unsuccessful and
the site disappeared from the internet shortly after we discovered it. The fate
of the birds shown in the photo remain unknown. It is likely that being freshly
captured birds, they were confiscated and released soon afterwards.

For such a distinctive looking bird to have been overlooked for so long
is probably due to it having a small range and/or it being restricted to an
inaccessible area, not yet visited by ornithologists (see Mayr & Vuilleumier,
1983).

There are a few probablities to take into consideration when trying to
define its geographic origin. Firstly, wild birds are usually offered for sale
close to where they were captured. Secondly, as the photo was posted
on the website of the Ibague Wildlife Recovery Centre, a reasonable
hypothesis would seem to be that the birds (although not mentioned by
Parra-Hemandez et al. 2007) came from Quindio or the surrounding area,
likely within the range of the Yellow-hooded Blackbird, the other species
in the photograph.

Discussion

The description of a new species based on one or more type specimens
preserved in a museum, has for many years been the standard procedure
(LeCroy & Vuilleumier, 1992). Today, however, at a time of rapidly
improving electronic storage of data and communications, such a process may
no longer be strictly required and a colour photograph of a group of birds,
such as the photograph reproduced here, may prove sufficient to establish
the existence of a new species.

Dubois and Nemesio (2007), however, doubted the utility of photographs
and other materials for the description of a new taxa, while Donegan (2000,
2008), though underlining the importance of a type specimen, supports the

BERTAGNOLIO & RACHELI - NEW PARROTLET SPECIES

131

use of descriptions and other techniques (c/Gentile & Snell, 2009; Donegan,
2009; Mendes Pontes et al. 2009; Nemesio, 2009).

On the other hand, the ICZN (1999) does not state that a dead or
live specimen is required to name a new taxon. Article 73.1.4 declares:
“Designation of an illustration of a single specimen as a holotype is to
be treated as designation of the specimen illustrated; the fact that the
specimen no longer exists or cannot be traced does not of itself invalidate
the designation.”

This clearly means that when other specimens of this parrotlet are found,
a type specimen can be properly designated. The procedure also fulfils the
philosophy of modem naturalists of conserving animal species and avoiding
scientific killing.

We hope in the near future to travel to central Colombia in search of
more definite information on this parrotlet’s area of distribution, or that
someone else will succeed in discovering this based on the data we have
presented here.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr Alfredo Guillet (Referee for the Environment
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome) for the critical reading of the
manuscript and for his suggestions.

References

Donegan, T. M. 2000. Is specimen-taking of birds in the Neotropics really “essential”? Ethical
and practical objections to further collections. Ornitologia Neotropical 1 1 :263-267.

Donegan, T. M. 2008. New species and subspecies descriptions do not and should not always
require a dead type specimen. Zootaxa 1761: 37-48.

Donegan, T. M. 2009. Type specimens, samples of live individuals and the Galapagos Pink
Land Iguana. Zootaxa 2201:12-20.

Dubois, A. and Nemesio, A. 2007. Does nomenclatural availability of nomina of new species
or subspecies require the desposition of vouchers in collections? Zootaxa 1409:1-22.

Gentile, G. and Snell, H. 2009. Conolophus marthae sp. nov. (Squamata, Iguaniae), a new
species of land iguana from the Galapagos Archipelago. Zootaxa 2201:1-10.

ICZN. 1999. International Code of Zoological Nomenclature , Fourth Edition. International
Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London.

LeCroy, M. and Vuilleumier, F. 1992. Guidelines for the description of new species in
ornithology. Bull. B. O. C., Centenary Suppl. 112A: 19 1-198.

Mayr, E. and Vuilleumier, F. 1983. New species of birds described from 1966 to 1975. Journ.
Ornithol. 124:217-232.

Mendes Pontes, A. R., Malta, A. and Asfora, P. E. 2009. A new species of Capuchin Monkey,
genus Cebus Erxleben (Cebidae, Primates): found at the very brink of extinction in the
Pernambuco Endemism Centre. Zootaxa 1200:1-12.

Nemesio, A. 2009. On the live holotype of the Galapagos Pink Land Iguana, Conolophus
marthae Gentile & Snell, 2009 (Squamata: Iguanidae): is it is an acceptable exception? Zootaxa
2201:21-25.

132

BERTAGNOLIO & RACHELI - NEW PARROTLET SPECIES

Parra-Hemandez, R. M., Caranton-Ayala, D. A., Sanabria Mejia, J. S., Barrera Rodriguez, L.
F., Sierra Sierra, A. M., Moreno Palacios, M. C., Yate Molina, W. S., Figueroa Martinez, W.
E., Diaz Jarmillo, C., Florez Delgado, V. T., Certuche Cubillos, J. K., Loaiza Hernandez, H.
N. and Florido Cuellar, B. A. 2007. Aves del Municipio de Ibague, Tolima, Colombia. Biota
Colombiana 8(2): 199-220.

Paolo Bertagnolio and Luigi Racheli, Centro per lo Studio e la
Conservazione degli Psittaciformi, Rome, Italy. E-mail: p.bertagnoliocscp@
gmail. com/luigi.gi. racheli@alice. it

* *

*

CONSERVING PRINCE RUSPOLI’S TURACO

Recent field work on Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco Tauraco ruspolii in
southern Ethiopia organised by Addis Ababa University and funded by
a number of organisations, including the Avicultual Society, Chester Zoo
and the International Turaco Society (ITS) and led by CEPA (Conservation
des Especes et des Populations Animales, France), suggests that the rate of
habitat change has been rapid in the northern part of its range, where large
areas have been converted to agriculture and plantations of exotic trees. It
is in this part of its range that hybridization with the White-cheeked species
T. 1. leucotis occurs.

Thankfully, in the central part of its range, the woodlands bordering Sede
and Lela Lemu forests remain largely intact and support high densities of
Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco. Clearly, this area is a key site for the conservation
of this species, as it probably supports the most important surviving sub¬
population of Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco. However, the survey also found
increased illegal logging and agriculture in the area and habitat destruction
is bound to increase as the road system is shortly to be upgraded to support
the expansion of mining, which is already flourishing in the area.

Alazar Daka, Luca Borghesio, Jean-Marc Lemould and Afework Bekele
say that urgent action is necessary to improve the conservation of Sede and
Lela Lemu forests and the woodlands surrounding them.

Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco was the emblem of this year’s British
Birdwatching Fair, which was raising funds in support of a BirdLife
International project to help conserve the birds of Ethiopia’s Southern
Highlands.

THE RUFOUS-LEGGED OWL Strix rufipes

by Peter Stocks

133

The South American Rufous-legged Owl Strix rufipes is, compared to
other members of the genus Strix, a comparative newcomer to aviculture.
The nominate subspecies S. r rufipes is found in central Chile and west-
central Argentina down to Tierra del Fuego and S . r sanborni is confined to
Chiloe Island off the Pacific coast of Chile (Clements, 2007). There used
to be a third subspecies S. r. chaoensis. In Birds of Southern South America
and Antarctica del la Pena and Rumboll (1998) noted that it was likely there
were in fact two species, S. chaoensis in the north and the typical form in
the Patagonian Andes. They added that their measurements and calls are
noticeably different, though not their plumage. Nowadays, they are in fact
treated as two separate species, with the northern birds that inhabit the Chaco
or Gran Chaco of southern Bolivia, western Paraguay and northern Argentina,
called the Chaco Owl S. chaoensis (Clements, 2007).

Both are small to medium-sized owls measuring 1 3in 1 5 in (33cm-35cm)
in length and are therefore slightly smaller than their supposed close relative
the Tawny Owl S. aluco (and the North American Barred Owl S. varia and
Spotted Owl S. occidental is). I say supposed relative, as very little is known
about them outside of captivity and, I suspect, that following detailed studies
they may, along with the Rusty-barred Owl S. hylophilia , one day be placed
in a new and separate genus of their own.

Although predominately brown, the Rufous-legged and Chaco Owls are
strikingly handsome birds with strong, contrasting, colours. The head and
upperparts are rufous/deep brown with fine white horizontal barring and the
underparts are orange-buff with cream and dark brown cross-barring. The
eyes are dark brown and the facial disc is barred dark brown and white and
may be suffused with deeper rusty brown or dark orange. A white or creamy
coloured V-shaped line runs down between the eyes to the horn-coloured
beak, just below which is a creamy- white crescent-shaped collar. The colours
of the juveniles are more muted and, subsequently, until they moult into adult
plumage they lack the visual impact of the adult birds.

Here is the UK the initial founder stock was imported from Germany in
1983 by the Hawk Conservancy in Hampshire. However, seven years later
they had still failed to breed successfully and were sent on breeding loan
to Bernard Sayers, who went on to record the UK first breeding in 1992.
(Dave Coles’s additions and corrections (2001) listed the UK first breeding
of chaoensis as having occurred in 1998.) Although the initial stock took
some time to begin breeding, this owl eventually became established in the

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STOCKS - RUFOUS-LEGGED OWL

UK and regularly nested in its second year, with some pairs even laying in
their first year, though not always going on to nest successfully.

A modest-sized, open-fronted aviary approximately 9ft x 6ft (2.7m x
1.8m) should be provided, with at the front and in the middle a choice of
approximately 4in-5in ( 1 Ocm- 1 2.8cm) diameter posts of varying heights for
the birds to perch on and, preferably at the rear under the covered portion of
the flight, a horizontal perch and adjacent to it a nest box.

The latter should measure approximately 1ft x 1ft x lft 9in high at the
front and 2ft high at the back (30.5cm x 30.5cm x 54.5cm high at the front
and 61cm high at the back), with a sloping roof. The nest hole should be
approximately 5 in (12.8cm) in diameter. The bottom of the box should be
filled with a substrate of wood shavings some 4in-5in (10cm- 12.8cm) deep
(do not use peat as it has a tendency to become very dry and powdery and
can cause respiratory and eye problems). The female lays a clutch of one
to four eggs (the average number is three). They are slightly elliptical in
shape and measure approximately 38mm x 32mm and, as with most hole
nesters, are chalky white.

Unlike some other members of the genus Strix, especially the Tawny

Owl, the Rufous-legged Owl has proved to have a placid nature and can
therefore safely be described as non-aggressive, even when breeding. This
attribute, combined with its contasting colours, make it an attractive species

to keep.

References

Clements, J. F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World Sixth Edition.
Christopher Helm, London.

Coles, D. 2001. Additions and Corrections to UK First Breeding Records. Avicultural
Magazine 107,3:125-135.

de la Pena, M. R. and Rumboll, M. 1998. Collins Illustrated Checklist, Birds of Southern
South America and Antarctica. lA&rperCollmsPublishers, London.

Peter is the new Hon. Secretary and Treasurer of the Avicultural Society.
His contact details can he found on the inside of the front cover of the

magazine.

According to the most recent Foreign Bird Federation Register of Birds
Bred in the UK under Controlled Conditions, covering the period 2005 -
2008, three Rufous-legged Owls were bred in 2005 and three in 2007, but
none in 2006 and 2008. During the same period a total of 14 Chaco Owls
were bred.

135

BOOK REVIEW

INTERNATIONAL ZOO YEARBOOK

Earlier this year I was sounded out about the possibility of perhaps
devoting a special issue of the magazine to pigeons and doves. My response
was that while I am happy to publish more articles about pigeons and doves,
if they are forthcoming, I feel that special issues devoted to a single group,
such as pigeons and doves, although of great interest to the many pigeon and
dove enthusiasts, might well, understandably perhaps, leave those whose
interests lie elsewhere feeling short-changed.

What can happen was illustrated a few weeks later, when the latest
International Zoo Yearbook Volume 44 (the subject of this review) arrived
and I discovered that the first 15 articles (175 pages) are devoted to bears
and canids (wolves and foxes) - groups I have never taken a great interest
in. It has only one article about birds, an evaluation of hand-rearing records
of Spix's Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii at A1 Wabra Wildlife Preservation
(AWWP) in Qatar.

The feeding and growth rates of 14 Spix’s Macaws hand-reared at AWWP
from 2005-2007, all of which survived and were weaned successfully, are
evaluated. The average weight of the chicks, the mean brooder temperature,
the number of feeds per day, the formula used, the ratio of the total amount
fed per body weight and the number of times chicks regurgitated per day
were analysed.

In contrast to other macaws hand-reared at AWWP, the authors conclude
that a strictly controlled feeding strategy is crucial for hand-rearing Spix’s
Macaw (which is, of course, not a true macaw but is believed to be more
closely related to the Aratinga group). Of the four hand-rearing protocols
evaluated, it was decided to follow the one used to rear the four chicks
hatched in 2007 (Group 4), who were fed Nutribird A21 until day 99 and
then Nutribird A19 until weaned at the age of 120 days. In addition, apple
baby food and mixed vegetable baby food were added to the formula from
day 26 until they were weaned.

Volume 44 has the usual reference section at the end. The lists of
associations and international studbooks for rare species can also be found
online at:http://blackwellpublishing.com/izy

The International Zoo Yearbook Volume 44, paperback, 464 pages, is
published on behalf of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) by Wiley-
Blackwell, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford 0X4 2DQ, UK. For further
information visit:www.interscience.wiley.com/joumal-info

Malcolm Ellis

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NEWS & VIEWS
CONFUSION IN THE PAST

On seeing Simon Matthews’s photo of the Moustached Laughingthrush
lanthocincla cineracea (Vol.116, No. 2, p. 60 (2010)), I was immediately
reminded of two unidentified birds that arrived in the Bird House at London
Zoo towards the end of 1956. The two were part of a consignment of birds
presented to London Zoo by Dr K. C. Searle, who was living in Hong Kong.
J. J. Yealland, Curator of Birds, eventually identified them as Trochalopterum
sukatschewi and gave them the English name Kansu Babbler, in preference
to the more difficult to pronounce Sukatschew’s (or Sukatschev’s) Babbler.
He wrote that there was only one skin of this species in the British Museum
(Natural History). A further two were sent from Hong Kong to London Zoo
by Dr Searle in 1966 and there may have been others.

In 1970, however, Colin Harrison wrote a note in the magazine (Vol.76,
No. 3, p. 194) saying that after examining some museum skins, he had come
to the conclusion that most, perhaps all, the birds which had in recent years
appeared in collections of live birds as the Kansu Babbler, were in fact the
Grey-headed Garrulax cineraceus (i.e. the Moustached Laughingthrush).
He went on to give fairly detailed descriptions of both species pointing out,
for example, that the former lacks black on the wings and tail and its bill is
more slender, tapered and very slightly decurved.

In the course of going through my back issues and checking and noting
down the above information, I re-read Ken Simmons’s description (Vol.68,
No. 6, pp. 182- 188 (1962)) of how, when offered acorns, his pair of Rufous-
chinned Laughingthrush G. rufogularis almost collided in their eagerness to
reach them. They either buried them in the leaf mould covering the aviary
floor and retrieved them later, or proceeded to bring down their bill “like a
pickaxe” as they hammered them open and then consumed the contents. They
also hammered open the shells of peanuts and dealt with sunflower seeds
in a similar way. He kept the birds mainly to study their anting behaviour.
When Ken Simmons’s went to Ascension Island he gave the two Rufous-
chinned Laughingthrushes to Colin Harrison, who published his observations
on their general behaviour, excitement and aggression, vocabulary, food
and (unsuccessful) nesting in the same issue of the magazine (Vol.68, No. 6,
pp.188 -197 (1962)).

In a postscript to his article, Simon wrote to say that the pair of
Moustached Laughingthrushes in the off-show aviary at Waddesdon
Manor raised four young this year. Corolux is the trade name of a brand of
corrugated PVC sheeting.

NEWS & VIEWS

137

AROUND UK COLLECTIONS

At Leeds Castle Aviary nest-cams enabled staff and visitors to follow the
progress of two young Bali Starlings Leucopsar rothschildi and two young
Channel-billed Toucans Ramphastos vitellinus. Another new arrival was a
young Brown Wood Owl Strix leptogrammica .

More than 50 owl chicks were reared, most of them by their parents, at the
World Owl Trust collection at Muncaster Castle, near Ravenglass, Cumbria,
which enjoyed a record breeding season. Spectacled Owls Pulsatrix
perspicillata had not bred for several years, so the rearing of a chick this
year was especially pleasing. Pairs of Southern White-faced Owls Ptilopsis
grant i, Mackinder’s (Cape) Eagle-Owls Bubo capensis. Western Screech
Owls Megascops ( asio ) kennicotti and Eurasian Scops Owls Otus scops all
bred for the first time. Most are young pairs, with the notable exception
of a 22 year old male Mackinder’s (Cape) Eagle-Owl which is paired with
a five year old female. Clutches of five Long-eared Owls Asio otus , five
Northern Hawk Owls Surnia ulula , four Great Grey Owls Strix nebulosa
and four Little Owls Athene noctua were hatched and reared.

The World Owl Trust now has 51 species, having recently added to the
collection a female Vermieulated Fishing Owl Scotopelia bouvieri , for which
a possible mate has been located in Belgium.

Two Northern Bald Ibis or Waldrapp Geronticus eremita were bred at
Colchester Zoo in Essex. The chicks hatched on June 12th. The parents, an
1 1 year old male and a 10 year old female, originally came from Twycross
Zoo nine years ago. Colchester Zoo now has a colony of 12 Northern Bald
Ibis, five males and five females and the two 2010 birds which have yet to
be sexed. As part of European breeding programmes the zoo has received a
pair of Rhinoceros Hombills Buceros rhinoceros , a pair of Rufous Hornby. Is
B, hydrocorax and a pair of Victoria Crowned Pigeons Goura victoria from
the Rare Species Conservation Centre at Sandwich, Kent.

Having lost its old male Fairy Bluebird Irena puella , who was 1 8 years
old, Paradise Park at Hayle, here in Cornwall, borrowed a 2006-bred male
from Waddesdon Manor Aviary to pair with its young female and the pair
produced two chicks, one of which fledged successfully. Paradise Park
also succeeded in breeding the White-crested Turaco Tauraco leucolopkus ,
a species it bred for the first time in the UK back in 1982. Two Ross’s
Turacos Musophaga rossae were raised earlier in the year at the Cotswold
Wildlife Park.

Madagascar Partridges Margaroperdix madagarensis , four Madagascar
Turtle Doves Strepfopeiia picturata, a Madagascar Red Fody Foudia
madagascariensis and five Madagascar Munias Lonchura nana have gone on
show at Tropiquaria, at Watch et in Somerset, after being donated by a vet.

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NEWS & VIEWS

ANOTHER EXCELLENT BREEDING SEASON

Loro Parque Fundacion’s Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii hatched on
March 11th, which was hand-reared and became independent 135 days later,
is a female. She was raised by Curator Dr Matthias Keinschmidt in his office
where, during the latter stages, she was kept with her older sister hatched in
2004, whose role was to act as a “socialization partner,” By August, Loro
Parque Fundacion’s two breeding pairs of Lear’s Macaws Anodorhynchus
leari had hatched five chicks, bringing to 15 the total number of Lear’s
Macaws bred since 2007.

Almost twice as many lory chicks as last year had been ringed (banded)
by August, The most important of the 25 species and subspecies reared
were three Red-and-blue Lories Eos his trio, eight (Fergusson Island Lories)
Lorius hypoinochrus davit tains, the subspecies of the Purple-bellied Lory
from south-east New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and adjacent
islands, five Collared Lories Phigys solitarius and two Mount Apo Lorikeets
Trichoglossus johnsioniae.

The Ouvea Parakeets Eunymphicus cornutus uvaeensis , whose chicks had
previously had to be hand-reared because they failed to feed them, surprised
staff by rearing two chicks for the first time.

* * *

NEWS FROM WUPPERTAL ZOO

I recently received a copy of Wuppertal Zoo’s 2009 Annual Report (Zoo
Wuppertal, 128, Jahresbericht 2009), which helpfully includes an English
summary.

During 2009 the zoo had 626,808 visitors, a considerable increase on the
previous year. The most important new birds included: 6. 1 0 Geetoo Penguins
Pygoscelis papua , 0.1 Shoebill Balaeniceps rex , 2.2 Snowy Owls Nyctea
scandiaca , 1.0 White-tailed Trogon Trogon viridis , 0.1 Spangled Gotinga
Cotinga cayana and 1.1 Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio.

Birds bred during 2009 included: nine Elegant Crested Tinamous
Eudromia elegans , six Black-footed or African Penguins Spheniseus
demersus , three Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber, three Northern Bald Ibis
or Waldrapp Geronticus eremita , various species of waterfowl, four Cape
Dikkops or Spotted Thick-knees Burhinus capensis , 1 .0 Red-crowned Crane
Grus japonensis , 0.1 White-naped Crane G. vipio , a Bateleur Terathopius
ecaudatus, a Victoria Crowned Pigeon Goura victoria , a Hyacinth Macaw
Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus , six Yellow-ramped or Golden-ramped
Tinkerbirds Pogoniulus bilineatus, a Bam Swallow Hirundo rustica (the zoo
has been breeding this species since 1975), 0.1 Purple-throated Fraitcrow

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139

Querula purpurata , three Vermillion Flycatchers Pyrocephalus rubinus , two
Brown-breasted Bulbuls Pycnonotus xanthorrhous , four Brazilian Tanagers
Ramphocelus bresilius , 12 Timor Zebra Finches Taeniopygia g. guttata
(or T. guttata ), two Gouldians Erythrura gouldiae and three Bali Starlings
Leucopsar rothschildi .

The Avicultural Society is planning a trip to Germany over the weekend
of September 9th-September 1 2th 2011, Members will have the opportunity
to visit Wuppertal Zoo, Ludger Bremehr 5s collection and Koln Zoo. Further
details are available from: Karli Lisiecki, Howard Travel, 12/13 Church
Walk, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8DX. Tel:01225 777227/E-mail:karli@
ho wardtravel . com

* * *

NEW BOOK ON BIRDS-OF-PARADISE

Clifford and Dawn Frith, who some members may recall giving an
illustrated talk on the birds of Aldabra Atoll at one of our meetings at the
Lineean Society in Piccadilly, have written and published a new book on
the buds -of paradise to go alongside their previous book on the bowerbirds,
published by Oxford University Press in 2004. Their lavishly illustrated
new book about these spectacular birds covers not only their natural history,
but their place in human art and culture, the history of their discovery and
the people, art and artefacts involved. There are references to the birds -
of paradise in aviculture, the men who collected them and the Avicultural
Magazine. I was surprised to find a picture of a pair of King Birds of Paradise-
brought to the UK by Walter Goodfellow and painted by H. Goodchild for
the Avicultural Magazine in 1908 and a most attractive picture of a pair
of Magnificent Birds-of-Paradise brought to the UK by Goodfellow and
painted by the same artist for the Avicultural Magazine in 1912, neither
of which I can recall having seen before. The many fascinating old black-
and-white photographs include one of Fred Shaw Mayer with a Pesquet’s
Parrot. Birds of Paradise: Nature, Art & History can be purchased from the
authors price £68.00. Websiteiwww.FrithBMBooksAndPhotos.com/E-mail:
frithandfrith@bigpond.com It can be purchased in the UK from Natural
History Book Service, Totnes, Devon. Websiteiwww.nhbs.com

* * *

WINGZ BIRD SANCTUARY

Earlier this year Grenville and Anita Allen opened their bird collection to
the public. Wingz Bird Sanctuary at Moorlands Park Farm, Treesmill, Par,

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NEWS & VIEWS

near St Austell, Cornwall has some 300 birds. There are just over 70 species,
these include the Lesser Vasa Parrot Coracopsis nigra , Double Yellow¬
headed Amazon Amazona ochrocephala oratrix. Chattering Lory Lorius g.
garrulus and a number of other species of parrot, Hawaiian Goose Branta
sandvicensis, Red-breasfBd Goose B. ruficollis , Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps
lophotes , Violet Turaco Musophaga violacea , White- crested Laughingthrush
Garrulax leucolophus and Bali Starling Leucopsar rothschildi. Grenville
and Anita also have a female Crimson-ramped Toucanet Aulacorhynhus
haematopygus for which they are anxious to find a mate.

* * *

AT RISK OF EXTINCTION

Analysis of monitoring data collected by the Australian Orange-
bellied Parrot Recovery Team, which is made up of government, zoo and
non-government representatives, indicate that the Orange-bellied Parrot
Neophema chrysogaster is in more serious decline than was previously
thought. In January 2010 a survey of its known Tasmanian breeding sites
showed that breeding is now restricted to the Melaleuca area and that the
wild population is estimated to number only 50 or so birds. The number of
breeding females appears to have declined to a very low level and modelling
suggests that the risk of extinction in the wild is very likely in the next three
to five years.

The captive-breeding population, established to safeguard the species
against such an eventuality, numbers approximately 160-170 birds, housed at
Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, a Tasmanian Government breeding facilty
in Hobart and Adelaide Zoo. The breeding success of the captive population
has remained stable over the past 12 years. There is a high number of nesting
females, but egg fertility is about 30% below that of the wild population,
which may be a sign of inbreeding. The current captive-breeding population
can be traced back to just six original birds. Bird Australia’s genetics experts
recommend a founder population of some 25-30 birds. Therefore, there is
an urgent need to introduce some fresh new birds into the captive-breeding
population.

Despite the failure of an attempt to establish a second viable breeding
population of released captive-bred birds (at Birch’s Inlet in south-western
Tasmania), the release programme has taught the team some valuable
lessons for the future. It has shown, for example, that captive-bred birds can
successfully become established in the wild, and can pair and breed within
weeks of being released. They have also successfully undertaken the trans-
Bass Strait migration in both directions, survived through the winter and
returned to their release site in subsequent years to breed again. There is,

NEWS & VIEWS

141

therefore, a good case to be made for future releases of captive-bred birds.

While preservation of the Orange-bellied Parrot or Parakeet in captivity is
important to ensure its survival, Birds Australia believes that the conservation
of the species in the wild is paramount. Earlier this year Federal Minister for
Environment Protection Peter Garrett announced funding until the end of this
year to assist the Recovery Team implement a new Action Plan. Addressing
the decline in the number of females breeding in the wild, where some do
not nest every year, will be a key part of this.

* * *

FURTHER SUCCESS WITH BLUE MACAWS

Six Spix’s Macaws Cyanopsitta spixii , one male and five females, have
been raised this year at A1 Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) in Qatar.
Two of the young are the first in the international breeding programme to
be bred from a second-generation parent, in this case their mother. Their
father is 36 years old and one of only a few surviving founders. He is said to
be the oldest Spix’s Macaw ever to reproduce and the oldest Spix’s Macaw
ever recorded. The Spix’s Macaw International Studbook now has 73 birds,
29 males and 44 females, of which 56, 22 males and 34 females are held at
AWWP. Two Lear’s Macaws Anodorhynchus leari , both females, were also
raised this year at A1 Wabra Wildlife Preservation.

* * *

MADAGASCAR’S THREATENED DUCKS

Amidst fears that delay might jeopardise the survival of the Critically
Endangered Madagascar Pochard Aythya innotata - rediscovered as recently
as 2006 by researchers working for the Peregrine Fund - three clutches of
eggs were collected in 2009, from which 24 ducklings were hatched in
captivity. One died but all of the others, seven males and 1 6 females, are
doing well. Avicultural staff from either the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
(WWT) or the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (formerly Jersey Zoo)
have been continually present on the island to oversee their care. They will
all be housed in a conservation breeding centre on Madagascar, where it is
hoped to breed this species in captivity. In the past, the Madagascar Pochard
was bred successfully by Jean Delacour in France, and was bred in the
UK and the Netherlands, so there should be a good chance of success. Of
Madagascar’s other endemic species of duck, Meller’s Duck Anas melleri
remains under considerable threat, while the Madagascar Teal A. bernieri
is probably the most secure. There are now well over 200 in captivity and
an estimated population of 1,500-2,500 in the wild.

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OBITUARIES

FRANK WOOLHAM

Members will be saddened to learn of the death of Frank Woolham, who
took over the editorship of the magazine from Prof. J. R. (Bob) Hodges and
edited the magazine during the society’s Centenary Year and the first three
issues of Vol. 101 (1 995). Frank died on October 4th, a few months after his
79th birthday, having been in poor health for quite a time.

In his early days Frank worked as a keeper at Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester
(a zoo that no longer exists), and it was while working there that he met his
wife Meg. Frank later went into industry, working for such industrial giants
as General Motors and the Shell Oil Company at Ellesmere Port, where for
some 30 years or more he edited and oversaw the production of a variety
of industrial publications.

Like many other members, especially those here in the UK, I think I first
got to know of Frank from his articles in the weekly magazine Cage & Aviary
Birds and his book Aviary Birds in Colour (first published in September
1974). For a great many years, it seemed that barely a week went by when
Cage & Aviary Birds did not include at least one or two articles by Frank.
He also compiled a review of UK zoos and bird gardens, that the magazine
published each year around about Easter time. Frank wrote three books, the
best known being the aforementioned Aviary Birds in Colour (with photos
by Dennis Avon & Tony Tilford) and later The Handbook of Aviculture (both
published in the UK by Blandford Press).

I first met Frank almost 30 years ago and we immediately became firm
friends, often talking on the phone three or four times or more a day. Frank
was reluctant to talk about himself and would usually say, “Let’s talk about
something more interesting.” To jog my memory and fill in one or two gaps
I have re-read two articles he wrote for the Avicultural Magazine. I began
with his article entitled Aviculture’s Golden Age ( Vol. 103, No. 3, pp. 126-129
(1997)) - which Frank suspected was in the years between the two world wars
and perhaps extended into the early post- 1 945 era. Surprisingly, Frank began
(and ended) with a reference to cricket (another of his great loves), before
going on to some of the great collections and eminent aviculturists of the
time and the handful of collectors, whose expertise they relied on to obtain
many of their choicest birds. Frank met two of these men - Cecil Webb and
Wilfred Frost. He wrote of travelling from Manchester down to London
(then a five-hour train journey) with Gerald Durrell (who I sure he told me he
worked with at Belle Vue Zoo) and visiting London Zoo, where they bumped
into Cecil Webb and talked with him for several hours, “attempting to soak

OBITUARIES

143

up some of his enormous knowledge of the care and management of exotic
birds in the critical period after capture.” At the time, Durrell was planning
his first expedition to West Africa (with John Yealland), so this must have
been before December 1947. Frank wrote of becoming aware of Frost’s
impending arrival via cables with brief details of what birds he would have
for sale - with birds-of-paradise invariably high on the list.

I could not recall Frank mentioning his childhood, but re-reading Another
Bird-Keeping Cleric (Vol 104, No.3, pp. 118-123 (1998)), I found that it was
his father who first instilled in him an interest in bird keeping and later he
came under the influence of Jack Lowe (Canon Lowe), who he first met
in the early 1960s. Frank wrote that at the time, he (Frank) kept foreign
softbills and seed-eaters, a few British finches, Light Sussex bantams, the
odd pheasant and wader, some small doves and quail and several hemipodes.
Canon Lowe, it seems, kept an even more varied collection with, like Frank,
little or no attempt at specialisation. However, as time went by Frank
tended to concentrate on small softbills and seed-eaters, and was extremely
knowledgeable about both groups. There are very few species you could
mention that Frank had not at some time kept. He had a remarkably wide
knowledge of birds and aviculture and his knowledge was by no means
confined to birds, he was also remarkably knowledgeable about the zoo
world and took a keen interest in wildlife conservation. There seems to be
few people in the bird world and the zoo world who Frank did not know.

He is survived by Meg and their sons, John, Mark, Michael and Andrew,
two of whom, Michael and Andrew, work in zoos. Michael is Animal
Manager at Banham Zoo (having previously worked at the Cotswold Wildlife
Park) and Andrew is part of the birdkeeping team at Chester Zoo, Frank and
Meg having moved from Manchester to Chester (just across the road from
the zoo) in the early 1960s.

CLAUDE PAYNE QBE

Claude Payne died on October 20th aged 96. He joined the Avicultural
Society in 1950 and was awarded the society’s medal for the first breeding
in the UK of the Knysna Turaco, Spotted Towhee and Evening Grosbeak.
He was President of the Foreign Bird League from 1970-1971 and also
acted as its solicitor, was legal consultant to the NCA (National Council of
Aviculture) and was a member of The Parrot Society UK and a Fellow of
the Zoological Society of London.

Avicultural Society President Raymond Sawyer remembers the lovely
aviaries in Claude’s garden in Warwickshire and his large collection of
parakeets, including the Derby an, and his cranes. He also kept fancy pigeons

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OBITUARIES

and racing pigeons.

He studied law and became senior partner of Claude M. Payne & Co.,
solicitors, in Coventry, where he was bom. Claude Payne was a lover of
the countryside and, whenever possible, spent time on his farm, on which
he bred Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle.

At the outbreak of the Second World War he joined the RAF and served
in Burma and the Far East until 1946. Claude Payne was for many years
Chairman of Coventry Area Health Authority and was instmmental in the
building of Walsgrave Hospital. In 1970 he was awarded the OBE (Order
of the British Empire) for his voluntary work and later received the Queen’s
Silver Jubilee Medal.

He retired to Little Shrewley, near Warwick, where he enjoyed his large
garden and continued to keep and breed birds, and built two greenhouses
for his orchid collection.

He is survived by his son, Martin.

* * *

AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE BACK ISSUES

The Avicultural Society is keen to reduce its large stock of back issues.
These have been sorted by year into complete sets and are being offered for
sale at £10 per set, per year, plus postage at cost.

Complete sets are available for the years: 1928, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936,
1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951,

1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965,

1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980,

1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992,

1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,

2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Before sending any money, it is advisable to check that the magazines
you require remain available. To do so, please contact Stewart Pyper, 21
Primrose Hill, Nunney, Nr. Frome, Somerset BA11 4NP, UK. Tel: 01373
83 6293/E-mail : stewartpyper@yahoo .co.uk

SAVING THE GOULDIAN

During the past three years, researchers working for the Save the Gouldian
Fund in Australia have been busy making and installing in suitable habitats
specially designed nest boxes for Gouldian Finches Erythrura gouldiae , that
are modelled on the natural tree cavities used by the birds. The number of
suitable natural nest sites is limited, so the idea is to increase the number of
nest sites and thereby also reduce the effects of competition for these sites
from Long-tailed Grassfinches Poephila a. acuticauda. In just a few years,
there has already been an increase of over 200% in the breeding densities of
Gouldian Finches in areas in which the boxes have been installed, a result that
has surprised even the reseachers. It has also been found that the number of
offspring produced by each pair each breeding season in these high quality
predator-proof nest sites has nearly doubled. It is evidence that the shortage
of suitable nest sites has restricted the number of birds. A secondary benefit
is that the researchers can easily gain access to the nests and offspring,
enabling them to collect important data and gain a greater insight into the
Gouldian Finches’ reproductive biology in the wild.

The more boxes that can be built, the more nest sites the fund can
provide for Gouldian Finches, to help boost the numbers of these iconic
birds. It costs A$35.00 (roughly £23.00/US$35.00) to provide a nest box
for a pair of Gouldians. For further details on how to sponsor a nest box or
make a donation members can visit the Save the Gouldian Fund Website:
http://savethegouldian.org or post a donation to: Save the Gouldian Fund,
PO Box 147, Cooranbong, NSW 2265, Australia.

* * *

ACCESS TO EARLIEST ISSUES OF MAGAZINE

As a reseach scientist associated with the University of Michigan
Museums of Zoology and Paleontology, Janice L. Pappas has access to a
complete set of the Avicultural Magazine. If at any time a member needs
a copy of an article published in some of the earliest issues that may not be
readily available, Janice will, if requested, be happy to obtain a photocopy
of the required article. Requests should be addressed to: Ms J. L. Pappas,
Museum of Paleontology, The University of Michigan, 1109 Geddes Road,
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079, USA.

CONTENTS

Keeping and breeding the Tropical Mockingbird
Mimus gilvus gracilis

by Gary Bralsford . 97

Reproductive behaviour of the Saddle-billed Stork
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis and developmental behaviour
of its chicks

by J. J. Elston, K. Unger and R. Dunn . 100

Diary of a week spent photographing birds
at Weltvogelpark Walsrode

by Pierre de Chabannes . 109

A new parrotlet from Colombia, Forpus flavicollis

by Paola Bertagnolio and Luigi Racheli . 128

The Rufous-legged Owl Strix rufipes

by Peter Stocks . 133

Book Review

International Zoo Yearbook . 135

News & Views . 136

Obituaries

Frank Woolham . 142

Claude Payne OBE . 143

Published by the Avicultural Society, England.