G~1 l -&X-I KP AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE VOLUME 109 No. 3 THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY The Avicultural Society was founded in 1894 for the study of British and foreign birds in the wild and in captivity. The Society is international in character, having members throughout the world. Membership subscription rates per annum for 2003 as for 2002: British Isles £18.00: Overseas £21 .00 (plus £6.00 for airmail). (U.K. funds please). The subscription is due on 1st January of each year and those joining the Society later in the year will receive back numbers of the current volume of the AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE.. Enquiries regarding membership should be sent to: THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY, Stewart Pyper, 21, Primrose Hill, Nunney, Frome, Somerset BA11 4NP. Tel: 01373 836293 Subscriptions and other payments can be made direct to The Avicultural Society Account, Lloyds TSB Bank PLC, 83 High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent TNI 3 1LG, UK. 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Tables and graphs will also be used wherever possible but authors should be aware of the constraints of reproduction, particularly regarding the width of the page which is 105mm. ADDRESS OF THE EDITOR Malcolm Ellis, Hon. Editor, The Avicultural Magazine, The Chalet, Hay Farm, St. Breock, Wadebridge, Cornwall PL27 7LL, England. E-mail: editor@avisoc.co.uk Avicultural Magazine THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY VoL 109 - No. 3 All rights reserved ISSN 0005 2256 2003 The Avicultural Society FOR THE STUDY OF BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIRDS IN THE WILD AND CAPTIVITY OFFICERS AND COUNCIL As from August 30th 2003 President MISS R.M. EZRA Vice Presidents J. M. DOLAN, Jr., Ph.D. (USA) The Rev. R. NOEGEL (USA) K. W. DOLTON (Britain) Dr. H. QUINQUE (France) MRS. D. HOLLOWAY (Britain) R.C.J. SAWYER (Britain) C.J.S. MARLER (Britain) Dr. R . WILKINSON (Britain) Honorary Editor M. ELLIS Honorary Secretary - Treasurer P. BOULDEN Members of Council M. CURZON P. CONVY J.A. ELLIS MRS. L. GARDNER A.V. GRIFFITHS W. HARRISON N. HEWSTON S. PYPER V.P. SARGENT P. SCHOFIELD B . TREMLETT J. TROLLOPE MS. R. WISEMAN Chairman C.J.S. MARLER 98 NOTES ON A VISIT TO PAKISTAN by Philip Schofield I visited Pakistan from June 22nd- August 10th 1978, as a voluntary worker with the World Pheasant Association project to reintroduce the Cheer Pheasant Catreus wallichii to the Margalla Hills, and I am indebted to the WPAfor introducing me to this fascinating part of the world. It was intended that I should assist with the rearing and release of Cheer Pheasant poults raised from eggs sent by UK aviculturists, and attempt to survey the bird life of the release site, with particular reference to potential predators. This led to the division of my time between the rearing station at Bansra Gali in the Murree Hills (2,300m (approx. 7,500ft) above sea level, some 50km (approx. 30 miles) north of Islamabad) and the release site in the Dhok Jiwan basin of the Margalla Hills, which border the north side of the capital (500m (approx. 1,650ft) above sea level). Severinghaus et al. (1979) described this early phase of the project in detail and their coverage continued elsewhere. This article is a belated attempt to record my impressions of Pakistan and its wildlife. At the time of my visit, much of the area around the release site consisted of scrub up to about 2m (approx. 6 ft or so) in height. This vegetation was developing following the exclusion of domestic livestock, which had apparently grazed the area until there was just dust. However, the release pen itself was sited in a valley along a stream bed, where some taller trees had survived. The area was very rocky and much hard labour was involved in fixing uprights for the pen. As it was the end of the dry season, with the rainy (monsoon) period just beginning, the stream was reduced to a trickle, with an occasional pool, one of which was included in the pheasant enclosure. The Murree Hills surrounding Bansra Gali were largely covered in mature forest, with scattered terraced cultivation. Murree is a holiday destination and refuge from the summer heat of the plains. One of the hill stations once favoured as a hot weather retreat by the British Raj, it retains much of the architecture of the period. Two of the world’s faunal regions, the Palearctic and the Oriental, meet in Pakistan. There is a blend of the familiar and the exotic, where sparrows and sunbirds are close neighbours. At the time there was no field guide to the Indian subcontinent, so the recently published A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia (Collins, 1975) had to suffice, supplemented by Ali’s and Whistler’s classic works. This combination of a modern field guide format with the older combination of text and a few plates made identification difficult at times, and I am sure many species went unrecognised, the vultures being especially confusing. SCHOFIELD - VISIT TO PAKISTAN 99 The attitudes of local people to wildlife came as something of a culture shock. I was with two wildlife conservation officials in the Murree Hills one day, when one of them dived on a small snake, killed it with his penknife and flung it aside without comment. On reflection, I had come from a country with only three species of snake, of which one is mildly venomous, to a land where deadly kraits and cobras occur, and any snake is viewed with suspicion and killed. Should I ever return to Pakistan, I will take with me a reptile book. As it is, I am still not entirely sure whether the two large snakes (some metres (feet) in length) that were either fighting or mating (but made off in opposite directions when I almost stumbled upon them) on a path in the Margalla Hills were cobras or not! Travelling by bus through Islamabad, I saw an apparent Banded Krait Bunganus fasciatus , dead, on the end of a stick being flicked into the river. Other reptiles noted were agamid lizards (blamed for raiding strawberry beds) on the outside walls of houses in the Murree Hills, and a soft-shelled turtle in a concrete pond at the small zoo at the foot of the Margalla Hills, the turtle presumably having not arrived unaided. Frogs of every size made a lot of noise in the evenings, especially in wet weather, but again I was not in a position to identify them, nor could I put a name to more than a few of the large and colourful butterflies that came to drink at the pool in the release pen. Hornet-sized yellow wasps were said to be very poisonous, and I gave them a wide berth. Less fortunate was an unidentified scorpion-like creature found on the floor of my resthouse bathroom at Dhok Jiwan, which I am afraid I gave the same treatment as that given by locals to snakes. Before dealing with the birds, brief reference to mammals may be of interest. On the edge of Islamabad, domestic buffaloes wandered at will. I tried to keep well away from them, a friend having been attacked by one in Turkey. I was threatened only once, by a tethered (fortunately for me) buffalo cow in a farmyard, whose owner was showing me her calf. I was told that a Chinkara Gazelle Gazelle hennettii in the zoo had been killed recently by a wild Leopard Panther a pardus ; these cats were apparently common in the area and a badly stuffed one was displayed on a pole in a suburban front garden. The hauntingly beautiful howling of jackals was heard every evening at dusk, but they never showed themselves. I saw a mongoose and, although a lot of Rhesus Monkeys Macaca mulatta had been seen earlier in the year, they must have moved on, as I only ever saw one. A pair of muntjac came to one of the valley’s pools to drink in the evenings. The shed quills of porcupines were occasionally found. The municipal zoo on the outskirts of Islamabad held a selection of local wildlife. Hoofstock housed in a series of barbed wire paddocks comprised Chinkara Gazelle, which had bred, Hog Deer Axis porcinus, a male Nilghai Boselaphus tragocamelus and a female Urial Ova vignei (the wild Red Sheep 100 SCHOFIELD - VISIT TO PAKISTAN of the hills) with the latter’s daughter fathered by a domestic ram. A pair of Lion Panthera leo cubs had recently been returned to Lahore Zoo (with which there seemed to be frequent exchanges of stock), having outgrown their accommodation and become expensive to feed. Their place had been taken by a Himalayan Black Bear Selenarctos thibetanus cub, whose cage label had its name in Urdu and English, which in the latter case read ‘Himalayan Black Beer’. When this mistake was pointed out to the management, in this Islamic alcohol-free country, they seemed to find it as funny as I did. When I commented on the bear cub’s lack of bedding and suggested it might like some straw on the concrete floor, the reply was: “ . is a wild animal, doesn’t need any”. A series of small enclosures held porcupines, rabbits and guinea pigs, while several Rhesus Monkeys were tethered or held individually in what looked like secondhand laboratory cages. A series of cages, raised off the ground and each about 1.5m (approx. 5ft) in length, held a battered Shikra Accipiter badius, a Mottled Wood Owl Strix ocellata, a group of Common Quail Coturnix coturnix and a dozen (12) or so each of assorted parakeets (an Alexandrine Psittacula eupatris. Ring¬ necked P. krameri and Blossom-headed P. cyanocephala ) and doves (Red Turtle Streptopelia tranquebarica , Barbary S. risoria dom., Collared S. decaocto and Laughing S. senegalensis ) respectively. A range of aviaries, each some 15m long x 3 m wide x 3m high (approx. 50ft long x 9 ft 9in wide x 9ft 9in high), housed White-crested Kalij Lophura leucomelanos hamiltoni, Cheer Pheasant, Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus, peafowl Pavo sp., cranes (two Demoiselle Anthropoides virgo and a Common Grus grus ), a flock of domestic pigeons and a group of Black Francolins Francolinus francolinus. The pheasants had been donated by the Pheasant Trust some years previously. All these birds appeared to be in good condition in their unplanted accommodation, but except for the domestic forms, none of them were breeding. Food for many of the zoo animals, including the birds, seemed to consist largely of roasted gram (chick peas). Other captive birds seen included two pairs of Grey Francolins F. pondicerianus . These lived in a large wire cage on the upstairs landing of the home of a wildlife official with whom I stayed, and had apparently been caught using a trained female Goshawk Accipiter gentilis (a baz in local terminology), and did not seem to have been injured by this method of capture. Their morning chorus outside the bedroom door removed the need for an alarm clock. An Islamabad bird shop had a large stock of small wild- type budgerigars, breeding in their overcrowded quarters. To my eyes they appeared much more attractive than the exhibition birds that dominate UK stocks. Nearly as numerous were apparently locally caught Red Avadavats Amandava amandava , Spotted Munias Lonchura punctulata and Silverbills L. malabarica. The only other birds in the shop were a few black domestic SCHOFIELD - VISIT TO PAKISTAN 101 ducks, obviously of Mallard Anas platyrhynchos origin and only slightly larger in size. Domed wicker partridge cages were on sale here and elsewhere in the bazaars. It seemed to be a common practice to catch chicks of the Grey species ( chitta titar) and the Black (kala titar ) (which were called partridges and never referred to as francolins) and rear them as house pets, perhaps also for fighting, as described by Ezra (1934). Prices asked for the birds made the seedeaters relatively cheap, though not in terms of local wages, with budgerigars described to me as “very expensive parrots”. A visit to Rawal Lake late one evening was disappointing, despite producing the only Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax and Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis of the trip. (There appeared to be an absence of waterfowl, for apart from the odd Moorhen Gallinula chloropus , the only waterfowl I saw during the whole trip were two small flocks of Mallard-descended domestic ducks). The Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis was seen beside a river outside Islamabad and the spectacular White-breasted species Halcyon smyrnensis was encountered most days in lowland scrub away from water. White-eyed Buzzards Butastur teesa were among the birds seen daily in the Margalla Hills, and were found in fewer numbers around Murree. A worker at the rearing centre had rescued one from drowning in a water tank and was keeping the bird in a fruit crate, in the hope that he could sell the bird to a falconer. I secured its release on the grounds that it was not suitable for falconry, and would not survive for long in that accommodation, on the scraps he was feeding it. Kalij Pheasants had been seen earlier in the year in the Dhok Jiwan area and were probably still present when I was there. Despite many hours watching the pools for birds coming to drink though, I never saw one; the most certain way to see them is to flush them with dogs, which I was not in a position to do and would not have been appropriate in the breeding season. Grey Francolins were common, and I met a brood of very small chicks crossing a road, whose parents must have been nearby. Black Francolins were even more in evidence, the males challenging each other from dawn to dusk. Laughing and Collared Doves were commonly seen and the Spotted Dove S. chinensis was seen occasionally. Ring-necked Parakeets were usually within earshot, even in town. I had not lived alongside Ring-necked Parakeets in England, and the novelty of seeing wild parrots never wore off. Small flocks of Blossom-headed Parakeets were seen occasionally both outside Islamabad and in the foothills. Around Murree their place was taken by the Slaty-headed Parakeet P. himalayana , which was seen in groups of fewer than a dozen (12), usually feeding high in the trees. The sounds of Ring-necked Parakeets are heard in the background of many of the wildlife television programmes filmed in the Indian sub¬ continent. I also now recognise such calls as the “did-he-do-it” of the Red- 102 SCHOFIELD - VISIT TO PAKISTAN wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus and the duetting of the Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus erythrogenys. Both were frequently heard at the base of the Margalla Hills, the lapwing around scattered puddles and areas of bare ground, and the babbler in thick scrub. It seems that each of a pair of babblers utters part of what sounds like the several-syllabled call of a single bird. This may enable the two birds to maintain contact in dense vegetation. I had expected to see some of the small seedeaters in numbers, but this did not happen, partly perhaps because they were not in flocks at that time of the year, but mainly because I did not visit any grain fields or grassland areas. I therefore missed out on Avadavats and Silverbills, apart from those in the bird shop. However, I came across Spotted Munias twice just outside Islamabad, two birds on each occasion, in roadside bushes. Both times they were located by their distinctive double-note, and allowed me to approach within a couple of metres (yards) of them, before they flew off. A farmyard near Islamabad (the one with the buffalo cow referred to earlier) had a lot of weavers’ nests in a tree. They had been built by Streaked Weavers Ploceus manyar, a few of which were still about though their breeding season seemed to have finished. I was given some of the retort-shaped nests, which are still in good condition. Apparently they are used by the villagers as pot scourers. The ones I brought back had pea- sized lumps of clay in the nest compartment, as described by Ali (1941). Running around the farmyard were a ‘gamey- looking’ cockerel and a few hens, which the farmer described as asil (i.e. noble, pure-bred). While not exactly like the breed known in the West as Aseel, they were tall, ‘reachy’ and broad-breasted, very much a traditional fighting bird in appearance. Throughout my stay, a tall Albezia tree beside the release pen was the daily song post of a male Orange-headed Ground Thrush Zoothera citrina, while Golden Orioles Oriolus oriolus were usually to be heard, and sometimes seen, nearby. A white ribbon floating and waving about against a background of dark foliage or rocks would resolve itself through the binoculars into a male Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi. The brown females were less obvious. Common Mynahs Acridotheres tristis, with a few Brahminy Starlings Sturnus pagodarum, were a daily sight, often amongst short grass of roadside verges in town, like Common Starlings S. vulgaris at home. Common Mynahs were nesting under the eaves of a building at Bansra Gali, while Bank Mynahs A. ginginianus were observed at the roadside when I was travelling by bus between Islamabad and Murree. From the limited identification aids available, I confidently identified Olive-backed Pipits Anthus hodgsoni in the Margalla Hills. My relevant field notes have got lost in the intervening years, which is unfortunate, as this pre-dated the first published record for Pakistan (Barker et al. 1999). SCHOFIELD - VISIT TO PAKISTAN 103 Without the descriptions of the birds I saw, I cannot submit my record of the species to an appropriate ornithological publication. A definite ‘first’ for Pakistan was the Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura. These had been identified earlier in the year, and single birds were observed several times flying the length of the Dhok Jiwan valley, the blue on the wings being the most striking feature when seen from the road above. Most of the time the pittas stayed hidden, a loud whistle the only indication of their presence. The rainy season was just beginning. Atmospheric pressure would build up over a couple of days, until the atmosphere felt ‘heavy’ and people became irritable with each other (The daytime fast practised by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan did not help). Suddenly there would be a torrential downpour, it was my first encounter with tropical rainstorms. When the rain stopped people would be smiling at each other and birds would appear everywhere. Minivets were particularly active at such times, small flocks of them hawking insects through the open areas of scrub often in company with bee-eaters. The forested setting of Murree produced some particularly rewarding birding in the early mornings. I saw my first Yellow-billed Blue Pie Urocissa flavirostris in an apple tree outside the resthouse in which I was staying, before the bird flew off with its long tail floating behind. This and the formerly aviculturally common Red-billed species U. erythrorhyncha are stunning when seen in flight. Of the various flycatchers, the Verditer Eumyias (. Muscicapa ) thalassina was another garden bird. Out in the woods, I met with groups of Russet Sparrows Passer rutilans and Himalayan Greenfinches Carduelis spinoides , and single examples of the noisy Greater Himalayan Barbet Megalaima virens. It was disappointing not to see any wild pheasants, one of my main objectives in going to Asia, but I will just have to try again when circumstances permit. Enduring memories remain of the unexpected brilliance of shrikes and minivets, combined with an awareness of the many small warblers that I never really got to grips with. List of 110 species seen in Pakistan 22.6.1978 - 10.8.1978 Abbreviations: DJ = Dhok Jiwan MH = Margalla Hills I = Islamabad RL = Rawal Lake M = Murree Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (I, MH) Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax (RL) Honey-Buzzard Pernis apivorus (I, MH) Black- winged Kite Elanus caeruleus (I, MH) 104 SCHOFIELD - VISIT TO PAKISTAN Black Kite Milvus migrans (I, MH) White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis (I, MH) Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis (M) Shrikra Accipiter badius (M) White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa (I, MH, M) Common Buzzard Buteo buteo (I, MH) Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus (I, MH) Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax (I, MH) Laggar Falcon Falco jugger (I, MH) Kestrel Falco tinnunculus (I, MH) Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus (I, MH) Black Francolin/Partridge Francolinus franc olinus (I, MH) Grey Francolin/Partridge Francolinus pondicerianus (I, MH) Moorhen Gallinula chloropus (RL) Red- wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus (I, MH) Rock Pigeon Columba livia (I, MH) Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis (I, MH) Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto (I, MH) Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis (I, MH) Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana (M) Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri (I, MH) Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala (I, MH) Pied Crested Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus (I, MH) Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus (I, MH) Common Hawk Cuckoo (Brainfever Bird) Hierococcyx varius (I, MH) Koel Eudynamys scolopacea (I, MH) Sirkeer Malkoha/Cuckoo Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii (I, MH) Common Coucal Centropus sinensis (I, MH) Himalayan Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides (M) Mottled Wood Owl Strix ocellata (I, MH) Franklin’s Nightjar Caprimulgus ajfinis (I, MH) Eurasian Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus (I, MH) Jungle Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus (I, MH) House Swift Apus ajfinis (I, MH) Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba (I, MH) Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis (RL) Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis (I) White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis (I, MH) Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis (I, MH) Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis (M) Hoopoe Upupa epops (I, MH) Great Himalayan Barbet Megalaima virens (M) SCHOFIELD - VISIT TO PAKISTAN 105 Black-ramped Flameback (Woodpecker) Dinopium benghalense (M) Brown-fronted Pied Woodpecker Dendrocopos auric eps (M) Indian Pita Pitta brachyura (DJ) Crested Lark Galerida cristata (I, MH) Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica (I, MH) Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii (I, MH) Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni (I, MH) Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis (I, MH) Short-billed Minivet Pericrocotus brevirostris (M) Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus (I, MH) Red- vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (I, MH) White-cheeked Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys (I, MH) Black Bulbul Hypsipetes madagascariensis (M) Rufous-backed Shrike Lanius schach (M) Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus (I, MH) Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis (M) Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata (I, M) Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea (M) Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata (I, MH) Blue-headed Rock Thrush Monticola cinclorhynchus (MH) Orange-headed Ground Thrush Zoothera citrina (DJ) Plain-backed Mountain Thrush Zoothera mollissima (M) Grey-winged Blackbird Turdus boulboul (M) Tickell’s Thrush Turdus unicolor (M) Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus erythrogenys (MH) Black-chinned Babbler Stachyris pyrrhops (MH) Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus (I, MH) Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus (I, MH) Streaked Laughingthrush Garrulax lineatus (M) Eastern Crowned Warbler Phyllo scopus coronatus (I, MH) Grey-headed Flycatcher Warbler/Grey-hooded Warbler Seicercus xanthoschistos (M) Brown Hill Warbler/Striated Prinia Prinia criniger (I, MH) Franklin’s Wren- Warbler/Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii (I, MH) Greater Brown Wren- Warbler/Plain Prinia Prinia inornata (I, MH) Fan-tailed Warbler/Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis (I, MH) Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius (I, MH) Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni (M) Sooty/Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica (M) Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias ( Muscicapa ) thalassina (M) Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis (M) White-throated Fantail (-Flycatcher) Rhipidura albicollis (M) 106 SCHOFIELD - VISIT TO PAKISTAN Asian Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi (MH) Grey Tit Parus major (I, MH) Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta castanea (M) Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica (I, MH) Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosa (I, MH) Crested Bunting Melophus lathami (M) Himalayan Greenfinch Carduelis spinoides (M) Spotted Munia Lonchura punctulata (I, MH) House Sparrow Passer domesticus (I, MH) Russet Sparrow Passer rutilans (M) Streaked Weaver Ploceus manyar (I (village setting)) Brahminy Starling/Mynah Sturnus pagodarum (I, MH) Bank Mynah Acridotheres ginginianus (M) Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis (I, MH) Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus (MH) Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocerus ( adsimilis ) (I, MH) Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus (I, MH) Black-throated/Lanceolated Jay Garrulus lanceolatus (M) Yellow-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa flavirostris (M) Indian/Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda (I, MH) Raven Corvus corax (M) Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos (M) House Crow Corvus splendens (I, MH) References Ali, S. 1941 . The Book of Indian Birds. Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay. Ali,S.1949. Indian Hill Birds . Oxford University Press, Bombay. Barker, C., Bean, N., Davidson, P., Drijvers, R. and Showier, D. 1999. Some Recent Records of Birds around Islamabad, Pakistan. Forktail, Journal of the Oriental Bird Club No. 15, August 1999. Ezra, A. 1934. Partridge and Bulbul Fighting in India. Avicultural Magazine, Fourth Series, XII ,1:155-156. Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. 1999. The Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Christopher Helm, London. Gruson, E. S. 1976. A Checklist to the Birds of the World. Collins, London. King, B., Woodcock, M. and Dickinson, E. C. 1975. A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. Collins, London. Severinghaus, S. R., Mirza, Z. B. and Asghar, M. 1979. Selection of a Release Site for the Reintroduction of Cheer Pheasants in Pakistan. World Pheasant Association Journal IV, 1978- 1979. Whistler, H. 1949. Popular Handbook of Indian Birds. Gurney and Jackson, London. 107 CAPTIVE BREEDING OF THE WHITE-BELLIED BUSTARD Eupodotis senegalensis AT JACKSONVILLE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS by Allison S. Cox Abstract August 1999-October 2002, 11 White-bellied Bustards Eupodotis senegalensis were hatched at Jacksonville Zoological Gardens, Florida, USA. The mortality rate of chicks within the first 160 days was 45%. Inadequate parental care contributed to three of the five deaths. Nutritional bone disease was suspected in the other two cases of mortality. Musculoskeletal disorders were seen in 100% of chicks that lived over 30 days. Parental neglect stemmed from chick favouritism and dietary factors related to calcium metabolism were identified as risk factors in the successful propagation of these birds. Introduction The White-bellied Bustard is a medium-sized, buff-coloured, terrestrial species usually found in grasslands of central and southern Africa (Bailey et al. 1996a; Collar, 1996). It is sexually dimorphic with the males being slightly larger and having a black crown and throat (Collar, 1996). The precocial chicks are covered in pale down with dark stripes and can stand within hours of hatching (Bailey et al. 1997). In the wild, they are omnivorous and their diet includes insects, snails, lizards, seeds, berries and flowers (Collar, 1996). History and exhibits Jacksonville Zoological Gardens (JZG) received a male White-bellied Bustard in 1999 to be paired with a female already in the collection. August 1999- June 2002, this pair produced eight chicks. In 2002, this pair’s first offspring ‘Tank’ mated with an unrelated female, ‘Amelia’, and sired three chicks. Pair 1 . Our original pair is housed in the Rift Valley Aviary. This is approximately 18m long x 12m wide x 6m high (60ft long x 40ft wide x 20ft high) and has a 3m long x 3.5m wide x 3m high (approx. 10ft long x 12ft wide x 10ft high) ‘howdy’ pen at one end. The pen has large doors at each side, one side giving access to the aviary and the other opening up to the outside. It is covered in fine ZooMesh™ for added security. The howdy pen has been very useful when introducing birds, separating aggressive and injured birds, and recapturing escapees. It also proved beneficial when the bustards began to breed. When the eggs hatched, the sire, dam and chicks 108 COX - WHITE-BELLIED BUSTARD were immediately moved into the howdy pen, in which keepers were better able to observe and care for them. It also allowed for protection from rodent pests, aggressive aviary companions and curious guests (members of the public), while at the same time eliminating competition for the chicks’ food. Having the birds in a confined area also made it easier to catch them so that they could be weighed and undergo medical examinations. Pair 2. Tank and Amelia were placed together in 2000 but did not show any courtship behaviours until July 2002 when they were moved to the Seronera Bat Exhibit. This domed exhibit is 4.5m (approx. 15ft) tall at the peak. The circular base of the exhibit is 6.4m (approx. 21ft) in diameter. Grass in one section was left uncut to provide cover. The pair had previously been kept in several different enclosures in which the two birds showed no interest in each other. However, within days of being moved into the new exhibit, Tank began to show courtship behaviours, e.g. following Amelia around the exhibit very slowly with his beard extended; he also started feeding her with insects. Less than a month after being moved to the new exhibit, Amelia laid her first egg. Reproduction and growth White-bellied Bustards at JZG have laid clutches of one or two eggs between the months of April- August. The nests were shallow depressions in the earth often situated between tall grasses. The incubation period was 17-22 days. The chicks were weighed every three days to monitor their growth. Newly hatched chicks ranged from 30.5g-43.2g, the average weight being 37. 7g. Most of the chicks showed similar growth rates (Fig. 1). The chicks were offered insects (mealworms and crickets) three times a day. Twice a day a lU cup of Mazuri Small Bird Breeder, a lU cup of finely chopped fruit and 60g of a bird of prey mix was placed in the enclosure. Our fruit mix consisted of 20% each of apple, melon and banana, plus 10% each of kale, squash, grapes and papaya or pear. The bird of prey mix was 80% Nebraska Brand Bird of Prey, 10% Formax Egg Ration Crumbles and 10% Aquamax® Starter Brand Fingerling 300. The chicks were first observed picking up insects on their own at about 15 days old. They were usually weaned by 40 days. Social interactions Studies of White-bellied Bustards in the wild have revealed they are monogamous and can be found living in small groups with little aggression within the groups (Mwangi and Karanja, 1989; Collar, 1996). Although group size and sex ratio of our birds have been determined artificially by zoo staff, many of their breeding behaviours mirror those of White-bellied Bustards observed in the wild. COX - WHITE-BELLIED BUSTARD 109 Pair 1. Among bustard genera, Eupodotis bustards are the only group wherein the female is not entirely responsible for the rearing of the young (Collar, 1996). With our original breeding pair we found the role of the sire not only important, but essential. The female selected the nest site, incubated the eggs, and defended the eggs and the young. However, it was the sire that seemed to be solely responsible for feeding the chicks. He would pick up insects and take them to the chicks, allowing them to pick these from his beak. When the chicks were sufficiently mobile, the male would pick up insects and with soft purr-like vocalizations call the young to him. After this feeding technique was mastered, he would turn away from the chicks or hold insects higher off the ground, providing challenges to the young birds. Our dam did not participate in the feeding of the chicks, moreover we discovered that the sire seemed to show favouritism when there was more than one chick to feed. With three of the pairs’ five clutches, two chicks hatched (Table 1). When this occurred the sire would feed the majority of the food to one chick despite active and vocal begging by the other offspring. Keepers attempted to solve this by removing the dam and one of the chicks to another location, but she still would not feed her young. This usually resulted in the hand-feeding of one of the chicks from each clutch. White-bellied Bustards in the wild will often allow a young male offspring from a previous clutch to stay and help defend the territory. In bustards, this trait is unique to Eupodotis spp. The young male is probably not seen as a threat because as with most bustard species, young male White-bellied Bustards can defer maturity for a year or longer (Collar, 1996). Birds acting as ‘helpers’ have also been observed here at JZG. Occasionally, older siblings were seen feeding chicks even long after they had been weaned. One bustard in particular was observed routinely taking insects to his two-month old sibling. He would respond to our morning operant conditioning programme in the aviary, pick up a mealworm and take it to the other bird roughly 25ft (approx. 7.6m) across the aviary. During the time the chicks and parents were in the howdy pen, the offspring from the previous clutch was usually left in the aviary, separated from the rest of the family by 12mm (Van) mesh chicken wire. This did not prevent the helper birds from participating in the rearing as they would bring items of food from the aviary and feed the hungry chicks through the wire. At times older siblings were found to be more of a distraction than a help. In May 2001 , our pair only had one chick hatch. The chick, parents and juvenile were all moved into the howdy pen. The sire chose to feed the juvenile rather than the chick, so the older sibling was moved into the main aviary. Unfortunately, the sire continued to concentrate primarily on feeding the juvenile through the wire, so the bird was moved to another enclosure on the other side of the zoo. After being removed from the group, the juvenile 110 COX - WHITE-BELLIED BUSTARD started to grow black feathers on the crown and throat, indicating that it was a male. Three months later, keepers attempted to reintroduce the young male back into the group, but the sire aggressively rejected it. Pair 2. The inexperienced sire, Tank, repeatedly pecked at his first chick as it attempted to hatch and the chick died from its injuries the following morning. A little over a month later, two chicks hatched successfully. Tank had been separated behind a wire fence a few days before they were due to hatch and was reintroduced when the chicks were three days old. The social interactions between the new parents and their chicks were very different from those of our original pair. Both parents fed the chicks equally and showed no favouritism. However, as soon as the chicks could feed on their own they had to be removed to another location due to excessive plucking by the parents. Morbidity and mortality August 1999-November 2002, 1 1 White-bellied Bustards hatched at JZG (see Table 1). Our study focused on the first 160 days of life as previous research determined complete ossification of the long bones and thus skeletal maturity is reached at this age (Naldo et al. 1998). Of the chicks that survived over 30 days, all showed some form of musculoskeletal disorder. The most common problem was ‘dropped wing’, an extension of the elbow and carpal joint with an apparent inability to maintain the wing in a flexed position (see photo p.l 1 1). This condition was encountered with all seven chicks that lived longer than 30 days. With six of these chicks, the dropped wing was accompanied by an outward rotation of the wing tips. This is commonly referred to as ‘angel wing’ (Naldo et al. 1998). To correct these abnormalities, the growing primary feathers were pulled out in an attempt to decrease the weight on the joint. If the deformity was more severe, the wings were taped up in the correct position until they began to grow normally (see p. 112). This was an effective treatment protocol and little or no evidence of skeletal deformities were seen in adulthood. In an effort to prevent the heavy primary feathers from growing too early, the amount of protein in the diet was reduced by removing Aquamax® from their pellet diet. We continued to encounter angel wing in subsequent clutches and may further reduce the protein component. One bird in the study was found to have nutritional bone disease. This was discovered in August 2000 in our second clutch when a 39-day old chick with a dropped wing was found to have a palpable fracture of the left humerus. Radiographs revealed very poor bone mineralization of the long bones, folding fractures of the right humerus and ulna, and recent fractures of the left humerus and ulna. The compound fracture of the left humerus COX - WHITE-BELLIED BUSTARD 111 Ten-day old parent reared White-bellied Bustard chick with ‘dropped wing’ at JZG. was so severe that the left wing had to be amputated. To improve bone mineralization in the chicks, we began dusting their food, including insects, with XU teaspoon of Osteoform. The addition of this was made permanent after which we saw no further evidence of poor bone mineralization until June 2002 when a necropsy examination on a 23-day old chick found unexpected soft and flexible bones. As a result the food will in future be dusted with ground oyster shell, which may be more easily absorbed than Osteoform. Of the 1 1 chicks that hatched during the study, five did not survive to 112 COX - WHITE-BELLIED BUSTARD Sixteen-day old parent reared White-bellied Bustard chick with taped wings at JZG. 160 days (see Table 2). The chick that had a wing amputated seemed to be thriving but died spontaneously at 104 days. In 2002, our original pair had another chick die spontaneously and no abnormalities other than poor bone mineralization were found. Inadequate calcium levels are suspected as having contributed to these deaths. One chick from our first clutch in 1999 died at six days old. It was being ignored by its parents and was found away from the family and had mud in one of its eyes, which led to an eye infection. The chick was treated for the infection and fed by hand, but did not survive. Another chick died at seven days of age after getting separated from its parents and becoming cold and muddy, which led to it getting pneumonia. As stated earlier, the first chick to hatch to our second pair, expired after being injured by the sire during hatching. COX - WHITE-BELLIED BUSTARD 113 Bustard weights -*-699048 12/08/1999 —*—600344 22/07/2000 —*—600345* 22/07/2000 -*-601355 30/07/2001 -*-602362 07/10/2002 -♦-602363 07/10/2002 -*-600345* Chick with wing amputated Fig.l. Growth curves of six parent reared White-bellied Bustard chicks hatched at JZG. Discussion This study has greatly expanded our knowledge of breeding the White- bellied Bustard in captivity. Most previous research on rearing the chicks of this species in captivity has involved hand-reared birds. In an effort to allow the birds in our collection to raise their own young, it was important for us to observe the social interactions between the chicks and the rest of the family. Based on these observations, we were able to quickly adjust our husbandry protocol to reduce the likelihood of deaths due to environmental factors following parental neglect. However, the medical issues have been more difficult to overcome. The two most common instances of morbidity in our collection, angel wing and fractures, were also the most prevalent conditions found at the National Avian Research Center (NARC) . It reported 83.3% of its White-bellied Bustards showed musculoskeletal disorders and noted that angel wing was more common in the White-bellied Bustard than in the other three bustards in its study (Naldo et al. 1998). All of the musculoskeletal deformities found at JZG were diagnosed within 1 3 weeks of age. Researchers at NARC noted that long bone growth rates are at their peak during this period of time (Naldo et al. 2000). Nutritional deficiencies, early growth of heavy primaries and high protein diets were all causes of musculoskeletal deformities noted by Bailey et al. (1996b) and Naldo et al. 114 COX - WHITE-BELLIED BUSTARD ( 1 998) . It is encouraging to find that the frequency of nutritional bone disease seen in bustards at NARC was reduced after changes were made to calcium and vitamin Ds levels in the diets (Bailey et ah 1996a; Bailey et ah 1997). Hopefully, with further diet modifications, we will also succeed in decreasing the occurrence of skeletal deformities in our White-bellied Bustards. Although we continue to face obstacles when rearing White-bellied Bustard chicks, the data collected during the rearing of previous clutches helps us anticipate such difficulties. Keepers are now watchful for signs of musculoskeletal disorders as well as parental behaviours that are not conducive to raising healthy chicks. Early recognition of these problems allows us to react quickly and correct the conditions, until through diet and environmental modifications we can prevent the problems from occurring. Table 1. Reproduction of White-bellied Bustards at JZG from 1999-2002. Clutch size Hatch date % survival to 30 days % survival to 160 days Pair 1 2 12 & 14 August 1999 50 50 2 22 July 2000 100 50 1 13 May 2001 100 100 2 29 & 30 July 2001 50 50 1 31 May 2002 0 0 Pair 2 1 29 August 2002 0 0 2 6 October 2002 100 100 Table 2. Causes of mortality of captive-hatched White-bellied Bustard chicks at JZG. ISIS# Age at death (days) Cause of death Parental factors 699049 6 Eye infection/septicemia Parental neglect 600345 104 Poor bone mineralization/ amputation of left wing None 601354 7 Pneumonia Parental neglect- 602356 23 Poor bone mineralization None 602359 1 Compound fracture of right humerus Parental injury Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr Andrew Teare, Dr Nick Kapustin and the members of the Bird Department for contributing to the data reported here. I am also grateful to Karl Kranz for commenting on an earlier version of the manuscript. COX - WHITE-BELLIED BUSTARD 115 References B alley , T. A . , Samour, J . H . , N aldo , J . , Hewlett , J . C . and Tarik , M . 1 996a . Causes of morbidity in Bustards in the United Arab Emirates. Avian Diseases 40:121-129. Bailey, T. A., Nicholls, P. K., Samour, J. H., Naldo, J., Wemery, U. and Howlett, J. C. 1996b. Postmortem findings in Bustards in the United Arab Emirates. Avian Diseases 40:296-305. Bailey, T. A., Naldo, J., Samour, J. H., Sleigh, I. M. and Howlett, J. C. 1997. Bustard pediatric diseases: A review of clinical and pathological findings. Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery 11,3:166-174. Collar, N. J. 1996. Family Otididae (Bustards). In: Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol.3, Hoatzin to Auks, del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. and Sargatal, J. (eds.). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Mwangi, E. M. and Karanja, W. K. 1989. Home range, group size and sex composition in White-bellied and Kori Bustards. Bustard Studies 4: 1 14-121 . Naldo, J. L., Bailey, T. A. and Samour, J. H. 1998. Musculoskeletal disorders in Bustard pediatric medicine. Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery 12,2:82-90. Naldo, J. L., Bailey, T. A. and Samour, J. H. 2000. Radiograph analysis of the growth rate of long bones in Bustards. Research in Veterinary Science 69:233-240. Allison S. Cox, Jacksonville Zoological Gardens, 8605 Zoo Parkway, FL 32218, USA. E-mail: gatorbirdgirl@peoplepc .com NEW HON. SECRETARY & TREASURER Members are reminded that future subscription renewals and general (non-editorial) enquiries and correspondence, etc., should be sent to: Paul Boulden, Hon. Secretary & Treasurer, The Avicultural Society, Arcadia, The Mounts, Totnes, Devon TQ9 7QJ, UK. E-mail: Paul @ pboulden .f snet .co .uk 116 THE CAPTURE OF EIGHT MONTSERRAT ORIOLES AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT ESTABLISHMENT AND BREEDING AT JERSEY ZOO by Andrew Owen Introduction The small island of Montserrat in the eastern Caribbean has experienced volcanic activity from the Soufriere Hills volcano since July 1995. Irregular eruptions, heavy ash falls and pyroclastic flows have caused severe damage to the infrastructure of the island and to much of its remaining forest (Arendt et al. 1999) The island’s only endemic bird species is the Montserrat Oriole Icterus oberi, whose primary habitat before 1995 was in the mountain forests and gullies (ghauts) in the south of the island. The majority of this forest has been destroyed by the volcanic activity. Following research undertaken by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and staff from the Montserrat Forestry Department, it was found that the oriole still survived in remaining forested areas and that its numbers were still reasonably high, within the region of several thousand birds. Despite the relatively high number of birds still surviving at the time and the reduced activity from the volcano, the Montserrat Alliance (a working group comprising members of the Montserrat Ministry of Agriculture, Trade and the Environment (MATE), Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Fauna and Flora International (FFI) and The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew), decided that because of the unpredictable nature of the volcano, it would be prudent to collect from the wild a small number of orioles. Therefore, an expedition was mounted to collect four pairs and establish them at Jersey Zoo, in order to carry out trials into the husbandry and captive breeding requirements of this aviculturally unknown species. The Montserrat Oriole The Montserrat Oriole was first described by G. N. Lawrence in 1880 (Jaramillo and Burke, 1999). It was declared the national bird of Montserrat in 1982. It is a member of the family Icteridae, which comprises some 103 species, 49 of which belong to the genus Icterus , the New World Orioles. Description Adult male, 20cm-22cm (approx. 8in-8V2in). The eyes are dark reddish- brown and the bill is black with the base of the lower mandible pale grey. The head, mantle, breast and wings are black. The black breast ends abruptly, OWEN - MONTSERRAT ORIOLE 117 Andrew Owen Male Monserrat Oriole captured at Woodlands, Centre Hills. Andrew Owen Female Monserrat Oriole captured at Blackwood Allen, Centre Hills. 118 OWEN - MONTSERRAT ORIOLE the lower breast and belly to the vent being a rich yellow colour; these feathers being faintly tinged with tawny brown. The lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts are lemon yellow. The tail is black. The legs and feet are bluish grey and the claws are black. Adult female, 20cm -22cm (approx .8in-8 Van). The eyes, bill, legs and feet are the same colours as those of the male. The crown is yellow-olive, becoming olive on the nape and mantle. The rump is olive with a yellow wash. The lores are black and the face is yellowish with a chestnut wash on the cheeks. The underparts are entirely olive-yellow. The wings are olive- brown. The greater wing-coverts, tertials, secondaries and primaries are edged with tawny. The lesser and median wing-coverts are tipped olive- yellow, and the tail is olive with a yellowish wash. Distribution and status The species is sedentary and, prior to 1995, was widely distributed in suitable habitat (moist tropical forest and bamboo forest) across the island’s three main interior mountain ranges, the Soufriere Hills, the South Soufriere Hills and the Centre Hills. Since 1995 the oriole and its habitat in the Soufriere and South Soufriere Hills has been lost (Arendt et ah 1999). The species was previously considered Near Threatened (Collar et ah 1994) but as half to two-thirds of its former range has now been lost, Arendt et al. (1999) recommended that it be classified as Globally Threatened (endangered) due to the loss of breeding habitat since 1995. Capture and maintenance of orioles on Montserrat Construction of holding aviaries On arrival in Montserrat the first task was to find a suitable site for the establishment of temporary holding cages or aviaries for the birds that were to be trapped. On the advice of ministry personnel, a site was chosen at the Ministry of Agriculture’s plant nursery in St Peters. This location offered shade and seclusion for the birds, and was situated relatively close to areas of forest in which the trapping would take place, and was within walking distance of my accommodation. Two possible sites were available in the plant nursery. The first, a range of low chainlink cages which had been used to house dogs prior to their evacuation from the island, was dismissed immediately as the cages would require a large amount of modification before they would be suitable for accommodating small passerines. Furthermore, the cages were being used by a local farmer to house pigs and chickens and hygiene standards were very poor. Therefore, we chose to build the holding aviaries in a large wooden-framed structure, which was being used for growing local forest plants. OWEN - MONTSERRAT ORIOLE 119 The decision was taken to build eight individual aviaries within the existing structure, as it was not known whether the orioles would behave aggressively towards each other once in captivity. The eight aviaries (3m long x 1.5m wide x 2.5m high (approx. 9ft 9in long x 5ft wide x 8ft Sin high)) were constructed using a timber framework with the walls and roof made from black shade cloth. The latter was chosen because it would give the birds some protection from the intense sunshine and would reduce any interactions between birds in adjacent aviaries. Using this material, rather than wire mesh, also facilitated the quicker construction of the aviaries, which were built within four days. Access to each aviary was through small interconnecting doors, built into the shade cloth. Thick cover for the birds was provided using cut leafy branches. Plastic trays were attached to each aviary frame for food and water receptacles. The floor substrate was soil and leaf litter. Capture of Montserrat Orioles As there were ongoing studies of the Montserrat Oriole taking place along several transects within the forest of the Centre Hills, many of the most suitable areas could not be used for trapping. Therefore, alternative locations were chosen by Forest Department rangers. Mist netting attempts took place at various locations between July Ist-July 10th 1999. These began early in the morning, when the temperature was cooler and the birds were most active. Each of the sites was a known oriole site or an area which appeared to be suitable oriole habitat. These were normally in an area with a number of stands of Heliconia carihaea plants, the favoured nest site for this oriole. If located in an area of thick vegetation, a strip approximately 2m- 3m (some 6ft 6in-9ft 9in) wide, and the length of the nets, was cleared. Up to four three-shelf mist nets were used, depending on the steepness of the terrain. Each net was 15m (approx. 50ft) in length and attached to aluminium poles and supported by guy strings. The nets were set from ground level to 4m (approx. 13ft) high. Up to three lines of nets were set in one area to maximize the chances of catching the orioles. Once the nets were set, all personnel sat quietly at one end of the net, and a tape recording of a calling male Montserrat Oriole was played at intervals in an attempt to attract orioles defending territories in the vicinity into the nets. The forest rangers also imitated calling orioles. During the mist netting procedure a number of other bird species were inadvertently caught. These were photographed and released. If after one to two hours there were no signs of orioles in the area, one of the rangers searched for a more suitable area. If such an area was located, the nets were closed and moved to the new area. No more than two orioles were caught on any one day. During 10 full days of mist netting (approximately nine hours per day), on three days no orioles were caught. 120 OWEN - MONTSERRAT ORIOLE Table 1 . Birds caught during mist netting. Bridled Quail-Dove Geotrygon mystacea 3 Antillean Crested Hummingbird Orthorhyncus cristatus 3 Purple-throated Carib Eulampis jugularis 5 Pearly-eyed Thrasher Margarops fuscatus 1 2 Scaly-breasted Thrasher Allenia fuscus 1 Forest Thrush Cichlherminia Iherminieri 8 Bananaquit Coereba flaveola 5 Montserrat Oriole Icterus oberi 8 Establishment in the holding aviaries Upon being caught, each oriole was ringed with a coloured split plastic ring, and the skull, bill, tarsus, wing and tail measured using adjustable callipers. The bird was then placed in a cloth bag and weighed using a Pesola 3Q0g spring balance, accurate to 2g. The bag with the bird inside was then placed in a shady area and mist netting continued. If, after an hour, no further orioles were located or caught, the nets were closed and the captured bird or birds taken to the holding aviaries and given a brief examination before being released into an aviary. The orioles were kept in pairs, one pair in each of four of the eight aviaries. Close observation was kept on each pair to ensure no aggression occurred. Water for drinking and bathing was provided in shallow dishes. Food was provided in a number of receptacles, shallow ceramic saucers and plastic D-pots at various locations around the aviaries, to ensure that the birds had no difficulty finding food and that individual birds would not dominate favoured feeding stations. Although several authors and observers had stated that the Montserrat Oriole feeds almost exclusively on insects and other invertebrates (Arendt and Arendt, 1984; Raffaele et al. 1998; Jaramillo and Burke, 1999), I decided to offer the captive birds as varied a diet as possible in order to encourage them to feed. A variety of proprietary brands of dry insectivorous mixtures were offered: Witte Molen Low Iron, Universal and High Insect, as well as Witte Molen Low Iron Mynah pellets which had first been soaked in water. Although little or no fruit is thought to be taken by Montserrat Orioles in the wild, to the dishes of dry insectivorous food, I added finely diced apple, grape and banana, and large slices of mango or papaya were spiked on branches in the aviaries. Small mealworms, house crickets and waxmoth larvae brought from Jersey were offered in the food dishes. All insects offered, as well as mango and papaya, were readily taken by the birds. Little or none of the proprietary brands of insectivorous food was taken during the holding period. The birds were fed and watered early each morning, usually at 6.00am prior to further mist netting in the forest. They were checked at midday and OWEN - MONTSERRAT ORIOLE 121 again late in the afternoon, when they were given a second insect feed. During the midday check, the aviaries were given a thorough soaking using a hose pipe. This helped the cut branches retain their leaves and seemed to be appreciated by the birds, which bathed in the freshly replenished water dishes. Whenever the aviaries were approached or entered the orioles became nervous and flew from end to end, or attempted to hide amongst the foliage. When observed from a distance they remained calm, and were seen feeding, bathing or sitting quietly in amongst the foliage. No interactions were seen between birds sharing aviaries or in adjoining aviaries. Andrew Owen One of eight holding aviaries in Montserrat. 122 OWEN - MONTSERRAT ORIOLE Transportation from Montserrat to Jersey Once all eight orioles were caught and established in the holding aviaries, there was some urgency to transport them to Jersey Zoo as soon as possible as food supplies, particularly of insects, were running low. Following health clearance by the local veterinarian and the completion of all permits and transportation arrangements, the birds were caught on July 13th 1999 and placed in two wooden travelling crates 77cm wide x 30cm deep x 25cm high (approx. 2ft 6in wide x 1ft deep x lOin high). These were divided into four compartments per crate, each 19cm x 30cm x 25cm (approx. 7V2in x lP/rin x 93Ain). One bird was placed in each compartment, and provided with food and water in small plastic drinking tubes. Once crated, the orioles (and nine Mountain Chicken Frogs Leptodactylus fallax also collected on the trip) were transported by road the short distance to the island’s helipad. From there they were flown to Antigua, where they were inspected and given clearance by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Chief Veterinary Officer. They remained there for 1 1 hours awaiting the connecting flight to London, during which time I was able to visit them regularly to ensure they remained fit and well. They were flown to Gatwick Airport and then travelled by road to Heathrow Airport, finally arriving in Jersey on July 14th after spending over 30 hours boxed and in transit. Establishment in Jersey Housing and husbandry On arrival at Jersey Zoo, the birds were taken to the zoo’s quarantine facility. There they were removed from their travelling crates and given a brief physical examination by the zoo veterinarian. All eight birds appeared to be in good physical condition. The orioles were then placed in small indoor aviaries in the quarantine facility. Each aviary measured 2m long x 2m high x lm wide (approx. 6ft 6in long x 6ft 6in high x 3ft 3in wide). The birds were kept in the same pair combinations as they had been in the holding facility in Montserrat. Each aviary was furnished with a variety of branches for perching and cut leafy branches of Holm Oak Quercus ilex to provide cover amongst which the birds could hide. They were checked and fed three times a day, when in addition to the diet they were given in Montserrat, they were offered a shallow dish containing the same softbill mixture as that offered to all the zoo’s insectivorous and omnivorous softbills. This is a mixture of Witte Molen Low Iron, High Insect and Universal feeds, finely grated carrot, wholemeal bread, hard-boiled egg and soaked Witte Molen Low Iron Mynah pellets. The complete mixture is dusted with Nutrobal multivitamin powder. A shallow dish of water was provided for drinking and bathing. OWEN - MONTSERRAT ORIOLE 123 The quarantine building was kept at a minimum temperature of 20°C (68°F) and was fitted with a timer clock to provide the birds with 12 hours of light. The latter was in addition to natural daylight provided by windows along one side of the building. Health Whilst in isolation the orioles completed a mandatory quarantine period of 45 days. During this period they underwent regular faecal examinations for bacteriology, parasitology and Chlamydia testing. Bacteriology and parasitology tests revealed a number of parasites or their ova in all individuals. Cestodes were treated using the injectable drug Droncit. Nematodes, Histomonas and flagellates were treated using the three-day course of 10% Panacur, administered by injecting the drug into waxmoth larvae, a favourite food item. Samples taken for Chlamydia testing from two individuals, initially proved positive. However, a second sample was tested before any treatment was administered, and this was negative. Some concerns were expressed over the sensitivity of the method of Chlamydia testing, and, despite the negative result, these individuals completed a 45-day course of Aureomycin (2.5g administered ad libitum in 1 litre of drinking water), after which a third test again proved negative. As the end of the quarantine period coincided with the onset of winter in Jersey, it was decided to maintain the orioles in these warm conditions until the following spring. One pair though was moved to an annexe, where the birds had a warm indoor building, but also had the option of using an attached outdoor planted aviary. This gave us the opportunity to undertake research (Williams, 2000) and also acclimatise this pair, which continued to use the outdoor aviary during fine weather, although the pair remained inside during very cold or wet spells and always roosted inside. Breeding All eight birds adapted to life in captivity remarkably well and have since bred. Six young were reared in the first year (2000), eight in 2001 , 10 in 2002 and seven this year (2003). Two pairs of Jersey bred birds were sent to London Zoo, which subsequently lost a male and will be getting another male. Pairs have also been sent to Edinburgh Zoo and Chester Zoo. To date the species has bred only at Jersey Zoo. Acknowledgements Many thanks to all the staff at the Montserrat Ministry of Agriculture, Trade and the Environment who helped me during this project, and Gerard Gray who helped on an earlier visit. Particular thanks to forest rangers, Lloyd Aymer and Philamon ‘Pie’ Murraine for their kindness, expertise and 124 OWEN - MONTSERRAT ORIOLE companionship in the field; without their help and hard work the success of this trip would not have been possible. Many thanks to DFID ‘Mr Fix-it’ Tony Hill for all his help in logistics, sorting out vet visits, permits, flight arrangements and generally smoothing the way whenever possible. Thanks to Eluned Price and Anna Feistner for their suggestions, encouragement and gentle persuasion during the writing of this paper. Thanks to Geoff Hilton, RSPB, who provided the figures. Products mentioned in the text Pesola spring balance: Pesola AG, Rebmattli 19, CH-6340 Baar, Switzerland. Witte Molen Universal Food, High Insect Food, Low Iron Mix, Low Iron Mynah Pellets: Witte Molen BV, Moleneind 2, 4268 GD, Meeuwen, The Netherlands. Nutrobal multivitamin powder: Vetark Animal Health, PO. Box 60 Winchester, Hampshire S023 9XN, UK. Plastic coloured split rings: Lamboumes Bird Rings Ltd., Ryelands Road, Leominster HR6 8NZ, UK. Droncit (praziquintel): Bayer PLC, Animal Health Business Group, Eastern Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 7 AH, UK. Aureomycin (chlortetracycline hydrochloride): Cyanamid UK, Animal Health Division, Gosport, Hampshire, UK. Panacur (fenbendazole): Hoechst-Roussel Vet Ltd., Walton Manor, Walton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK7 7AJ, UK. References Arendt, W. J. and Arendt, A. I. 1984. Distribution, Population Size, Status and Reproductive Ecology of the Montserrat Oriole Icterus oberi. US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Institute of Tropical Forestry. Arendt, W. J„ Gibbons, D. W. and Gray, G. 1999. Status of the volcanically threatened Montserrat oriole Icterus oberi and other forest birds in Montserrat, West Indies. Bird Conservation International 9:351-372. Collar, N., Crosby, M. and Statterfield, A. 1994. Birds to Watch 2: The World List of Threatened Birds. Birdlife International, Cambridge. Jaramillo, A. and Burke, P. 1999. New World Blackbirds. Thelcterids. Christopher Helm/A & C Black, London. Raffaele, H., Wiley, J., Garrido, O., Keith, A. and Raffaele, J. 1998. Birds of the West Indies. Christopher Helm/ A & C Black, London. Williams, T. 2000. A Behavioural Study of Montserrat Orioles Icterus oberi at Jersey Zoo. Unpublished report, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey. The above account is based on an article by Andrew Owen which was published in Dodo 36:51-61 (2000), to which information has been added about the breeding of this species at Jersey Zoo. Andrew is at present in the process of writing guidlines for the Montserrat Oriole and has offered to describe the breeding of this species in a future issue of the magazine. After six years at Jersey Zoo, he has recently left the Channel Islands and moved to Oxfordshire. 125 A HISTORY OF THE GENUS Picathartes IN CAPTIVITY, 1948-2002 by Marvin L, Jones The genus Picathartes consists of two species both of which live in West Africa. Picathartes areas (Reichenow 1899) (the first of the two to be kept in captivity) is known under a variety of vernacular names; Grey-necked Picathartes, Grey-necked Rockfowl, Blue-fronted Rockfowl, Blaustirn Stelzenkrahe, Blauwkap Picathartes and Red-headed Rockfowl. P. gymnocephalus (Temminck 1825) is also known under a variety of vernacular names: White-necked Picathartes, White-necked Rockfowl, White- winged Rockfowl, White-headed Rockfowl, Bald Crow, Yellow-headed Bald Crow, Weisshals Stelzenkrahe, Kaalkopkraai, Witnek Picathartes, Hvidstmbet KragedrosseL Picathartes areas painted by Roland Green Both species have been exhibited in a number of collections. They were primarily taken as nestlings and hand-reared in Africa and brought to captivity by only a few animal suppliers, who have never written about how they were collected and how they were reared. They have bred in a few of these collections, often successfully. As few were banded (ringed), there are few accurate records of the longevity of the longest surviving birds. Moreover, few of them were sexed, even after death, and few were saved for zoological museums. The following list has been prepared from reports to the International Species Information System (ISIS). Other data was received from many of the exhibiting collections or was in articles written by zoo staff. All this will be summarized later by my good friend Josef Lindholm. Also included is census information from the International Zoo Yearbook (hereafter abbreviated to IZY). The yearly census 126 JONES - GENUS PICATHARTES T3 £ O G £ ~ o O <3 £ £ c x g c 3 & § 22 c £ O *a y G y X X G O & y X *G „ X G G G _y X G Oh .22 >> x X G 22 y 1 j* G y c Oh Oh +-1 G X H_J I— I G 30 2 X G y G > X 03 £ g G y y a G X >> ^ G C a « X > y ^ X o ^ a C« 03 G x 8 x .2 a y g Oh ^ S" y H-> X 03 '4_> X 2 1 1 > O G y a o X X X £ x y G y x 2 ° y ^ d) ^ GO 3 2 M G S ° " •a £ o y i/s X X tS 03 y ax G o « G o Co a /3 y y — i y > O Oh X X 03 3h G ^ G X y y S c 2 03 X G X 03 03 _ o u X y G y x ° Vh G y y o o G _ n G (D x e x ^ 2 y * < o N G 3 O N h-n G s a 2 3 2 1 £ £ O '3b 03 03 fcj — ^ § m § 1 >, 43 ’ Oh ^ OO^ 30 03 +H O 8 ^ o o G X .3 43 8 8 N N a B 2 § £ So g3 2 £ S o T3 -O O O H X O -H A o |l c/5 6 x o •5 N «D u w o >, ’g X § C j §4 o a o £ PQ ^ 3 *§ 1^5 c > t?c§ I *8 M "c o e N 2 c « 2 x Gh O o o Q\ o — N C/3 tn 3 03 c« cd C C 2 2 Gh 03 £ oo & £ x r- S oo d g2 o X 03 c3 cd X X .2 S3 x jB d >, o PQ c n ’’O ^ ’"O Q x Q d x Q Q ^ d d — i JONES - GENUS PICATHARTES 127 o o ts ts a a M -M § § a £ Oi Om < < o o Ala PM ^J, r- r-> os os &o m 3 3 < < Q O © N hS tJ N a n m a 1 1 £ 2 "'t OS I'- ^ OS o "O o "d O E^N 13 ^ £ <-> 3 O 1-9 tn eo -o p -d p T3 p T3 P cd 3 r- as *2 -a p 43 C 43 a 43 s 43 d C3 •r? 43 o cd 43 "O O 5t o d p cd 43 T3 p st o d P cd 43 *d _P £ o c O "3 43 T3 _P .2 o •d .2 .2 tS p GQ C PM P T3 O 3 43 -d .2 -3 1 H 'O 1 ’S 1 o| 'S ,p cm -d

N ti £ tN l> Os r~- OS T j§ <2 «n cm p p © &, p W ® 43 d> ^ * 04 so o 2 £ © 1 P 00 OS m S o 1.1 _ -a o - p © -a * O o • . Cv3 CNS O, Si <» S if ° a kN ’{3 sy -s ■o I p rt JZF census 1973: Frankfurt Zoo 1.1.3 (cb 0.1 .2); *0.0.1 hatched 12 Aug 1975 Frankfurt Zoo Wasseeaar Zoo 0 .0 . 1 0 .0 . 1 died 1 9 Aug 1975 Frankfurt Zoo IZY census 1974: Frankfurt Zoo 1.1.1 (cb 1 .0.1); cd infection associated Walsrode Bird Park 0.0.2; Wassenaar Zoo 0.0.1 /ZE census 1976: Frankfurt Zoo 1 .2.0 (cb 1 .1 .0). *0.0.1 hatched 23 Apr 1979 Frankfurt Zoo 0.0.1 died 30 Apr 1979 Frankfurt Zoo *0.0.1 hatched 7 Mar 1976 Frankfurt Zoo cd unknown 0.0.1 died 16 Mar 1976 Frankfurt Zoo cd unknown *1.0.1 hatched 27 Dec 1979 Frankfurt Zoo 128 JONES - GENUS PICATHARTES o o o N C .© d O o N o o “ d O o N O o o N O N N ts ts a a x o ts a N ts X O X o ts a ts a © c4 ts ,3 ts a a x CO o X a .X X X G 3 »H X G 3 X •3’ G C 3 O c4 o o 1 X o X G 3 X o a NO o 05 £ !§ g o ^ | d °. I oH.-o — CO CO ON ON C/5 C/5 G 3 CO CO C G O O X X N N o ^ I I § hH "O X o’ "S i d ® "d * o o O G -§ | .§ _< T3 > • — G O • a) O ^ "O * © O bH NO NO i"- on ON 7 el < •s.l t ^ d 1 § X Q — o o o o N N tS tS 3 ^3 X X c c 2 2 x x NO NO r" r- On ON X X < < O NT) o > 3 I § _ © X 0^3 8 o N N ts 2 3 N_ s a c X cd G £ I on r~ T— I ON 3* G S 5 x .2 — < "O d a d Q o o o o N N ts ts .3 .3 TJ X ^ G O O O O N N tS IS a a X X CO i— < X3 X. X Ct5 a N , 3 > o Z > o Z A £ & S X s~» d d 3 < < «2 33 5 « < < < 1 ON On >— i cn O M n—N *— 1 1 . 3 Cn! Ph 3 3 § | i2 -3 33 pq « g a .2 o -g W -Q 5m O « On -2 x 33 d c3 43 -O d cd On „g H -2 5 o t o M 3 (O G So § ^ ffi o 8 I O 5 s § 33 -a £ 1 © O o O ■is o 3 N <3 o On O « N