Australian Birdkeeper 08.09 2021

THE BEST WORDS ON BIRDS, PET & AVIARY PARROTS, FINCHES, SOFTBILLS & MORE

VOL 34 ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 0 1

VINI
LORIKEETS
Finches

Munias • Livefoods

WHITE-BELLIED
CAIQUES

GLOSSY BLACK

Mutation i COCKATOO
QUAKERS, PRINCESS & HOODED PARROTS

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contents

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2021 VOLUME 34 ISSUE 10

FEATURES THE BEST WORDS ON BIRDS, PET & AVIARY PARROTS, FINCHES, SOFTBILLS & MORE
VOL 34 ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 0 1
545 568
THE WHITE-BELLIED CAIQUE URGENTLY NEEDED—RED-EYED TANYGNATHUS VINI
By Jade Welch By Rosemary Low LORIKEETS
Jade speaks to breeders across three Australian states, Probably less than 250 Blue-backed Parrots exist in Finches
comparing their experiences with this intriguing species. the wild, making the discovery of this member of the
Tanygnathus genus in aviculture vital to their survival. Munias • Livefoods
552
570 WHITE-BELLIED
PARBLUEBLUE PRINCESS PARROTS CAIQUES
Anonymous with VINI LORIKEETS—JEWELS OF THE SOUTH
Comments by Dr Terry Martin PACIFIC—PART 1 GLOSSY BLACK
This combination opens the door to more developments. By Peter Odekerken
Peter reports on three green species of this Endangered 0XWDWLRQí Lè COCKATOO
554 genus, which he believes comprise some of the world’s QUAKERS, PRINCESS & HOODED PARROTS
most beautiful birds.
MUNIAS & MANNIKINS ON THE COVER
By Peter Odekerken 574
Despite not being the fanciest of birds, these finches BLUE-CROWNED
deserve their place in our aviaries regardless of what term RESCUE, REHAB AND FOREVER HOMES IN LORIKEET
we use to classify them. ‘SIN CITY’
By Vickie Lillo PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN
562 It’s not known as a nature capital, but having a flutter
means more than just gambling in Las Vegas, as Vickie 596
THE OPALINE PALLID QUAKER discovers four bird and animal sanctuaries.
IN AUSTRALIA
By Greg Paull 577
After success with this mutation, Greg encourages other
breeders to ‘dream big…have faith in what you know and VALE TOBY MARTIN
just go for it’. By Sheryll Steele-Boyce

564 578
THE JAVAN MUNIA A LIFE OF NATURE AND ART
By Noah Till By Vida Pearson
The majority of Javan Munias today are not pure The Victorian artist’s work has been chosen for the
birds. Noah explains how to determine purity, and his prestigious international Birds in Art exhibition held
experiences breeding this ‘forgotten species’. annually in the USA.

REGULARS CLASSIFIEDS

549 567 584 590 • For Sale
MUTATION PET PARROT CONSERVATION: • Wanted
FINCH CHARM MUTTERINGS • Avicultural Organisations
Bugs and Birds The Hooded Parrot BEHAVIOUR • WPT: Ten years of • Avian Veterinarians
By David Pace
Anthropomorphism—Does ‘Macaws in Freedom’ NEXT
558 ISSUE
By Paul Court & It Help or Hurt Our Pets? By WPT &
BREEDER Ray Chapman By Hillary Hankey Macaw Mountain Released
PERSPECTIVE 15 October 2021
The Enigma of the • LPF: Ecuador’s
Glossy Black Cockatoo BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 543
By Andrew Rankmore 580 586 Biodiversity Calls
By Dr David Waugh
561
HOOKBILL HOBBYIST ABOUT BIRDS
WILD CORNER
Ross, the Wompoo What is Parrot 594‘Love’ and Intelligence in the
Fruit Dove ‘Socialisation’?
By Dr Claude Lacasse Bird World
By EB Cravens By Kit Prendergast BIRD TALK

• Ramping Up the Fight for

582 588 the Night Parrot
By Bush Heritage

AVIAN HEALTH THE WISE OWL Australia

WITH DR BOB The World’s Cleverest Birds • The African Lovebird Society
Grooming Your Bird
in Our Own Backyards of Australia Show is Back

By Dr Bob Doneley By Dr Milton Lewis By David Horn

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

welcome WE LIVE IN AN EVER-CHANGING in ornithology and primatology. She is a professor
world. Just when you thought bird sales emeritus in animal behaviour at the University of New
FROM EDITOR & PUBLISHER SHERYLL STEELE-BOYCE were making a comeback—border closures, England, and honorary professor of the Queensland

lockdowns and freight restrictions rear again! It is certainly Brain Institute, University of Queensland. Kit quotes Prof

testing everyone’s patience, including making it hard for Kaplan saying, ‘love, sex and mate choice are topics that

breeders trading interstate. Some I know have been paid never go out of fashion……choosing the right partner is

for birds and had them ready to ship, only to have the a driver of evolution’.

doors shut. Books authored by Kaplan include Australian Magpie:

The message, I guess, is get vaccinated, so as not to add Biology and Behaviour of an Unusual Songbird; Tawny

to the statistics and ramifications. Frogmouth; Bird Minds: Cognition and Behaviour of Australian

A special tribute to ABK author and respected Native Birds; and Famous Australian Birds. If readers

aviculturist and friend, Toby Martin, appears on page 577. are interested in any titles, we can arrange copies on

Sincere condolences to his wife Jacki and family. demand—email birdkeeper@birdkeeper.com.au or phone

Finch keepers should be pleased with this issue’s 07 5568 0011.

offerings from Peter Odekerken on munias/mannikins— Putting all this research into context in aviary and

see page 554. Noah Till details his work with the Javan pet bird life helps us as breeders and pet keepers to

Munia over the past few years on page 564. This species ‘think outside the square’ in our bird management. Let’s

is in danger of extinction in its Normal pure form in consider an incompatible pair…and future pairings.

Australian aviculture—largely due to hybridisation Some breeders allow mate choice in communal housing

with the Bengalese Finch in an attempt to increase low before introduction to individual pair aviaries. Others

numbers and develop mutations. David Pace discusses may house some breeders away from distractions to

the importance of providing live food to specific breeding successfully breed. You may have tried swapping males

finches and softbills, detailing some distinct differences in and females that were not breeding and found—voila—

success in some species—see page 549. breeding success from a more compatible pair/change

On page 585 Hillary Hankey explores human of environment? Considerations also important are the

assumptions in animal psychology and behaviour analysis, species’ original wild environment, diet, wild breeding/pair

in a comparative context. Humans are different to habits and family structures—social, communal or small

animals and maybe we misinterpret and have unfound family groups.

expectations in our animal/human relationships? In this issue we also have three articles on mutations

Kit Prendergast takes a different slant on bird developed by Australian breeders. First cab off the rank,

intelligence, discussing what causes some birds to on page 552, is an article detailing the breeding history

be ‘super brainy’, and others less so? From page 586 of the development of the ParblueBlue in the Princess

Kit considers evolutionary scenarios—territories, Parrot. The breeder is in ill-health and cannot progress

environment, food supply, mate choice, long-term much further with the opportunities that this and other

Shery monogamous bonds—as factors that can be associated mutations in the Princess present. He is offering the entire

with levels of intelligence in birds—and humans. collection for sale—see advertisement in the Classifieds.

Taking this a step further, Milton Lewis focusses on An avid parrot mutation breeder spanning some years

some of the cleverest birds in our backyards on page 588. is Greg Paull, who is thrilled with the development of

Milton’s focus is on forms of play—solitary, object and the Opaline Pallid Quaker Parrot—see page 562, and the

social and the correlation between brain size and play mutations in other species he has listed in the Classifieds.

complexity. He states, ‘Globally, 13 of 40 Orders of birds Regular columnists Paul Court and Ray Chapman present

have been documented with play behaviour, and more on the Hooded Parrot, focussing on the Recessive Pied

than half the species mutation on page 567.

are parrots/cockatoos (Psittaciformes) and songbirds We hope you thoroughly enjoy this wealth of knowledge

(Passeriformes) primarily found in Australia. The most and ideas as you look towards the future with your birds.

complex form of play, social play, is almost solely confined Successful Breeding!

to Australia and New Zealand’.

Both Kit and Milton reference the research of Professor

Gisela Kaplan, an Australian ethologist who specialises

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Peter Dr Bob Dr Terry
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Odekerken Doneley Martin

SUB- ART

EDITOR DIRECTOR

Dr Milton EB Jade Hillary Kit Andrew Dr Claude David Paul Ray Alison Melinda
Welch Hankey Prendergast Rankmore Lacasse Pace Court Chapman Houston Leu
Lewis Cravens

THE TEAM ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Sheryll Steele-Boyce PUBLISHED BY ABK Publications advertising it deems to be detrimental
WRITERS Jade Welch, David Pace, Peter Odekerken, Andrew Rankmore, Postal Address: PO Box 1252 to the integrity of the publication,
Dr Claude Lacasse, Greg Paull, Noah Till, Paul Court & Ray Chapman, Bongaree QLD 4507 Australia Australian Birdkeeper Magazine
Rosemary Low, Vickie Lillo, Sheryll Steele-Boyce, Vida Pearson, EB Cravens, International Standard Serial Number COPYRIGHT It is an offence under the
Dr Bob Doneley, Hillary Hankey, Kit Prendergast, Dr Milton Lewis, ISSN 1030-8954 Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968 to
Dr David Waugh, World Parrot Trust & Macaw Mountain, DISCLAIMER While every care is taken, reproduce any part of the contents of this
Bush Heritage Australia and David Horn. the publisher accepts no responsibility publication, including advertising artwork
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE MOST WELCOME. for the content of advertising or editorial and photography without prior written
SUBSCRIPTION, ORDER & ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES material published. Articles represent the consent of the publisher.
Telephone: 07 5568 0011 Email: birdkeeper@birdkeeper.com.au views of the authors and not necessarily ©2021 ABK Publications.
www.birdkeeper.com.au those of the publisher. ABK Publications All rights reserved.
also reserves the right to refuse any

544 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Compatible White-bellied
Caique breeding pairs roost
and feed together

PHOTO JADE WELCH

AUTHOR
JADE WELCH

THE WHITE-BELLIEDCaiqu

ONCE HELD IN A VERY SMALL NUMBER BLACK VERSUS WHITE PERSONALITIES
of aviaries in Australia, the White-bellied When asked if White-bellied Caiques differ much from
Caique has recently become just as popular Black-headed Caiques in personality, Hayden said in

as its cousin the Black-headed Caique. White-bellied his experience, ‘not really’. In breeder birds he finds

Caiques possess a colouring and charm that appeals the White-bellied to be less aggressive, while as pets, Mature pair of
White-bellied Caiques
to both the breeder and pet owner. With their he finds them ‘to be much the same, although people
PHOTO JADE WELCH
brilliant clean white fronts and ‘go-getter’ attitude, mention how cuddly the White-bellied Caiques are’.
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 545
they are a standout. In this article we take a look at Mark finds the White-bellied Caique to be ‘a little

the experiences of three Australian breeders keeping bit more playful with each other and the keeper, and

and breeding these birds, across different states and they are more

thus different climates, noting that all three also charismatic

keep Black-headed Caiques. too’. Angela

agreed that

THE BREEDERS White-bellied

Hayden Dix, of Argyle Aviaries, lives in Western Caiques ‘have

Australia. He and his wife Anne-Marie keep a a lot more of

collection of native and exotic parrots which includes an inquisitive

most of the black cockatoos, Asiatic parrots, macaws nature and are

and caiques, to name a few. more playful’.

The second breeder is Mark Caudwell, of MJS

Aviaries in Victoria. Mark and his wife Jaye have

a collection that is heavily focussed on Rainbow

Lorikeets and exotic lories. They also keep and breed

African parrots, caiques and macaws.

Angela Smith, of AMK Aviaries in Queensland,

and her husband Brett have a varied collection that

is predominately focussed on Asiatic parrots and

their mutations. They also keep and breed Amazons,

macaws, caiques and conures.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Suspended aviaries housing
White-bellied Caiques

PHOTO MARK CAUDWELL

Aviaries such as this HOUSING access the elements. Angela also uses walkways to
suspended aviary
incorporate a walkway Housing White-bellied Caiques does not pose a prevent escapes.
to prevent bird escapes
challenge. They take well to a conventional or Both Hayden and Angela keep their White-
PHOTO JADE WELCH
suspended aviary, or a hybrid of the two. Providing bellieds side by side using double wiring. Unlike
Nest box design provided
to White-bellied Caiques by the birds have a reasonable amount of shelter from some species, they don’t have problems with them
breeder Hayden Dix. Right:
internal view. Far right: the the elements and a well-made aviary, they appear to becoming easily distracted if housed in this way.
internal tunnel entrance that
has a perpendicular perch be happy. They will utilise every inch of the aviary and Angela actually finds it spurs pairs on to breed and,
on the box front with a 60mm
entrance hole deserve the space to fly and gather some momentum. once her first pairs lay, ‘the other starts a week

PHOTOS HAYDEN DIX It is important to note that good craftsmanship and later’. Hayden warns, that should they get out and

546 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU quality materials such as high-quality aviary wire can into a neighbouring aviary, feathers will fly—not a

make a difference for these birds. good thing.

Hayden keeps and breeds his White-bellied Caiques In addition to the standard aviary furnishings, both

in both conventional and suspended aviaries. The Hayden and Angela give their birds natural browse to

conventional aviaries are 4.5m long x 1m wide x chew. Plants such as golden cane palm, Callistemon

2.2m high. The suspended aviaries are 3m long x and Eucalypts will get a good working over. In the

1m wide x 1m high. Both types have shelter at each west, Hayden finds his birds enjoy the WA native

end, and the front adjoins walkways with feeders in Platypus Gum Eucalyptus platypus, which is a dense

the front. Hayden uses galvanised RHS tube steel, mallee bush with fingernail-sized seed pods.

weldmesh and Colorbond® wall sheets. For the roof,

he uses zinc sheets which reflect the summer heat. NEST BOXES

Mark keeps his White-bellied Caiques in a Caiques, like conures, are well known for roosting

suspended aviary of 1in x 1in mesh, attached to in their nest boxes. All three breeders keep their

a frame that backs onto a walkway. The aviary nest boxes in year-round for this reason, and state

measures 2.5m long x 1.5m wide x 1.2m high, with it doesn’t interfere with breeding. There are many

one-third of the roof covered at the rear. Mark highly benefits to keeping the nest box in year-round,

recommends a walkway, ‘as they are inquisitive and such as allowing the birds to keep warm in cold

will get out through open swivel feeders and open weather, and giving them a secure place when

doors in the blink of an eye’. birds of prey present.

Angela uses a hybrid aviary model for her White- Hayden’s nest boxes are approximately 47.5cm

bellied Caiques. These are 2.4m long x 80cm high x 25cm square and use 2cm pine board. ‘I

wide x 2m high, with half being conventional and incorporate an internal tunnel entrance with a

half suspended. They are made of aluminium, perpendicular perch on the front of the box, with a

Colorbond® sheeting, and wire painted black to 60mm entrance hole,’ he said. ‘The tunnel darkens

allow easy observation of the birds. The front 60cm the nest chamber nicely, which they all seem to love.

section of the roof is wire, to allow the birds to They will chew the boxes, so I tend to screw pine

offcuts to inner walls of the nest chamber.’ Hayden

said these boxes last at least two seasons before

being discarded.

Mark uses a nest box 60cm high x 20cm square,

made of ply. He hangs this at the rear of the aviary

on a 45º angle. Angela uses ‘a medium-sized boot

box’, also made of ply, which she finds works well as

it allows the birds to enter and not drop down on the

eggs. In addition, Angela installs ply panels in front

Another nest box design
suited to roosting and nesting
White-bellied Caiques

PHOTO JADE WELCH

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

of the nest boxes for privacy. This also ensures a Breeder Angela Smith
darker spot for the birds to nest. provides a superfood
assortment to her
Hayden uses ‘Karri Fine’, a small hardwood chip White-bellied Caiques
from the Karri (a Eucalyptus species found in the
deep of south-west Western Australia) for nesting PHOTO ANGELA SMITH
material. He finds that it breaks down well and
prevents eggs from being buried. Quality soaked (left) and
sprouted seed mixes are
Mark uses untreated pine wood shavings, available beneficial foods for all
commercially as a pet bedding and nesting material. parrots
He finds that the birds don’t tend to spoil the nesting
material even when young are in the nest. Angela PHOTOS JADE WELCH
uses a mix of peat moss and sawdust.
The black in the head of
DIET young White-bellied Caiques
moults out with age
White-bellied Caiques in the wild have access to
PHOTO JADE WELCH
a wide range of foodstuffs, and the same should
Some White-bellied
be reflected in a captive environment. While we Caiques retain pigment
above the eye, as seen here
cannot replicate the wild diet, there are countless
PHOTO JADE WELCH
foods that can be fed. White-bellied Caiques will eat
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 547
fruits, vegetables, soaked and sprouted seed mixes,

pelletised diets and seed-based diets. Their curiosity

aids in getting them onto a varied diet from an

early age.

Hayden feeds his White-bellied Caiques small parrot

seed mix, Zupreem® Fruit Blend pellets and almonds

daily, with fruit and vegetables once a week during

the non-breeding season. From July to March the

daily diet is “small parrot seed mix, Zupreem® Fruit

Blend pellets, in-season fruits and vegetables and a

sprouted high protein pigeon mix, with added grey-

striped sunflower and mung beans’. Almonds in shell

are given three times a week.

Mark feeds his birds an austerity diet outside

the breeding season in the early part of winter.

This includes ‘one almond every 2–3 days per

pair, Zupreem® Fruit Blend pellets and fruit and

vegetables of a morning’. The diet changes after compatible. If they are not perching together,

the shortest day of the year, when Mark feeds ‘two feeding together or roosting together in the first two

almonds to each bird daily and sprouted pigeon mix months, switch them up’.

with added sunflower, in addition to the Zupreem® Hayden has assembled pairs ‘by buying young

Fruit Blend pellets and fruit and vegetables’. DNA-sexed, closed-rung birds and keeping them in a

Angela feeds a dry seed mix which is a 50/50 blend mixed aviary of both sexes to see ‘who will like who’,

of Peach-faced Lovebird and Budgie mix. In addition, so to speak. Angela also houses young in colonies

fruits, vegetables and 4–5 nuts are provided. Angela to allow the birds to self-pair, setting them up for

said that during breeding ‘we feed more volume breeding success.

twice-daily’, which she finds leads to good breeding Hayden has found weather can affect breeding start

results and happy, healthy birds. times. ‘We’ve had mild winters where pairs have laid

White-bellied Caiques love to drop their pellets in July, then cold frosty winters when pairs laid as

into the water before consuming them. Putting the late as October and November,’ he said. A clutch of up

water at the opposite end of the aviary, away from the to five eggs with a high fertility level is the norm for

pellets, does not act as a deterrent. It is better to be Hayden’s pairs.

vigilant and supply fresh water daily. These birds love Mark usually finds his White-bellied Caiques

to bathe, so will empty a water bowl quickly. They do breed in October but stated they have already laid

enjoy a soaking from the rain or a sprinkler system. in June this year. He finds their normal season

usually aligns with when his Senegal Parrots and

BREEDING Yellow-collared Macaws lay eggs in October. His

Sexual maturity in White-bellied Caiques is usually birds lay 3–4 eggs and incubation lasts 26–28 days.

reached at about 3–4 years but there are exceptions. Interestingly, Mark notes that ‘even with young

Mark’s pair laid fertile eggs at just two years of age, in the nest there is little to no mess at all’. He

with the young handreared. While out of the norm, he believes it is possible that the parents eat the faeces

sees this as testament to how compatible his pair is. or dump it outside of the nest. He also noted no

White-bellied Caiques are not a difficult bird to particular signs of aggression when his birds are

breed but compatibility is vital. Mark explained, coming into breeding.

‘you can get a male and female Rainbow Lorikeet, Angela’s pairs started breeding at 2.5–3 years

put them together and get them to breed and, while of age. She finds her breeding season does not

they may not breed as well as a compatible pair of vary much and, with the warmer weather in

Rainbow Lorikeets, they will often breed ... The same Queensland, her birds go down to lay at the end

cannot be said for the White-bellied Caiques, where of July. She does find her males get somewhat

compatibility is an absolute must’. aggressive during the breeding season. She

He suggested that breeders ‘keep an eye on new usually gets five eggs per clutch, with good levels

pairs for the first few months to watch they are of fertility, and finds the parents incubate well.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Young handreared
White-bellied and
Black-headed Caiques

PHOTO HAYDEN DIX

The inquisitive White-bellied
Caique makes a great pet that
appreciates the addition of
items to keep it entertained

PHOTO JADE WELCH

Angela pulls her chicks to rear for the pet market.

CAIQUES She prefers handreared birds to breed with as she
finds them ‘easier to handle, and we like to interact

• Husbandry with our birds’. She added that handreared birds ‘are
• Breeding often easier to get back if they escape’.

• Pet Aspects

• Wild Characteristics HANDREARING
136 Colour Pages All three breeders handrear the majority of their
$65 + P&H White-bellied Caiques because demand for them

as pets is so high. Hayden pulls his chicks at three three years but has ended up pulling them for

Available at ABK at weeks of age when they are a bit easier to handrear. handrearing. The first year, young got to 10 days
www.birdkeeper@ Newly hatched chicks are not at all easy to rear before the parents would no longer feed them. The
birdkeeper.com.au and require small feeds often. Angela says that second year, they got to three weeks and the third
or email birdkeeper@ handreared pet White-bellied Caiques ‘have great year to over a month. Mark believes these results
birdkeeper.com.au personalities and are very easy to handle’. show that ‘it takes these birds time to learn how

or Phone

07 5568 0011 Interestingly, Mark has tried to allow his pair to parent’. He has found their curiosity to be a

to rear a clutch of young each year over the past hindrance because if he or anyone else goes into

the backyard, the female will leave the eggs/chicks

and will not return until the person returns inside,

regardless of how long that may be.

Young White-bellied Caiques may emerge from

HAND the nest with black colouring on their heads. This
will usually moult out in time. Some birds, however,

REARING retain the odd bits of dark pigment in the skin
surrounding their eyes and also their feet. The
reasons for this are not known.

FOOD CONCLUSION
Hayden, Mark and Angela each find the White-bellied
NUTRIENT ENHANCED FORMULA ENRICHED Caique to be curious, interactive and straightforward
WITH OMEGA-3 & 6, VITAMINS & MINERALS in their requirements—a species well worth keeping
both as pet and aviary birds. However, Mark cautions
> Balanced formula from newly that he believes the White-bellied Caique is ‘not a
hatched to weaning. beginner bird’ and is more suited to an aviculturist
with at least ‘a medium level of experience. For
> Suitable for parrots, cockatoos, those with the experience, this is a highly rewarding
finches, pigeons and doves. species to keep’.

> Makes up as a smooth and The White-bellied Caique is an inquisitive and
creamy consistency. charming bird that is now more readily available.
It is the subject of numerous YouTube and TikTok
> Ideal for spoon or crop feeding. videos, and it is not hard to see why. These birds
Available in 300g, 1kg, 5kg, 10kg have a bright future ahead, and it is hoped that this
and 20kg packs. article assists those already breeding or those with
Phone I 08 8391 1713 the experience who are looking to add a new species
Email I info@wombaroo.com.au to their aviary or wanting a fantastic pet.
www.wombaroo.com.au
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank Hayden and Anne-Marie, Mark
and Jaye, and Angela and Brett for their contribution
to this article. While some may take the view that ‘a
bird is a bird’, it is clear that is not the case. As can
be seen here, each breeder has their own experiences
and way of caring for this species.

548 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Bug an Bird AUTHOR & PHOTOS DAVID PACE

Meeting Our Birds’ Live Food Needs finch charm

IBECAME AWARE EARLY IN MY time I have had a pair consume live food in the 30 years I Davi
avicultural life that diet was an instrumental force have bred this species. In aviculture, never say never…
in breeding healthy clutches of chicks. I remember
after keeping birds for 12 months, my father took me to LIVE FOOD BENEFITS
an experienced aviculturist’s place. Here I observed large
feeding trays with a multitude of food items on offer. His My beginnings in feeding and breeding live food coincided
aviaries were filled with chicks. As a 10-year-old boy, the with keeping species that are ‘unlikely’ to breed without
‘penny dropped’—a varied diet was vital. My single dish of any live food. (Remember, never say never!) These were
dry seed for my Zebra Finches, along with cuttlebone and species such as Pictorellas and Crimson Finches and, later,
grit, was not going to lead to great breeding success. various softbills such as dotterels, wrens, honeyeaters,
woodswallows, chats and button-quail.
WILL BIRDS BREED WITHOUT LIVE FOOD?
The results were immediate. Species I had been breeding
As I began craving other species, the issue of live food previously produced larger clutches with the addition of live
became a constant consideration. Reading avicultural food, and those such as Pictorella Munias finally produced
journals, it seemed that certain species would breed chicks. One particularly interesting observation was how
without live food, providing a balanced and varied diet insectivorous the Jacarini Finch is when not breeding, and
was provided. At first I kept to these non-live food the large amount of live food it will devour—more so than
species and experienced moderate breeding successes even the Superb Fairy Wrens—when breeding.
with species such as Java Sparrows, Zebras, Stars,
Painted, Gouldian and Chestnut-breasted Finches. In There are several live food options for the aviculturist
later years, I was also successful in breeding Diamond of the 2020s. Many forms can be purchased in small
Firetails and Plum-headed Finches without live food. So, quantities from pet outlets, while many commercial
for certain species, breeding results can certainly occur companies today will conveniently freight bulk quantities
without live food. to your door. Obviously, there is a cost to buying in live
food, however, there are a few simple things the dedicated
However, there is no doubt that larger clutches are aviculturist can do to produce your own live food.
produced when live food is on offer.
THE CLASSIC MEALWORM
In fact, even the above-mentioned species ‘smash’ the
live food dishes when they have chicks in the nest. In my The humble mealworm has long been a staple live food,
experience, nests of 4–7 chicks can be expected rather getting many mentions in avicultural literature over the
than the 1–2 produced when live food is not provided. past century. It can be purchased in bulk lots from many
companies and kept in the fridge for many weeks, providing
The only exception to this has been Gouldian Finches, the aviculturist with a steady supply. It arrives boxed in 1kg
which I have found produce large clutches without live calico bags with bran for food, carrot for moisture and
food. Gouldians are somewhat of an anomaly, in that crushed paper to prevent the mealworms being crushed.
historically, mine would not touch it even with young in
the nest. Having said that, I currently have a breeding pair I have long attempted to breed my own mealworms
of Gouldian Finches eating mealworms. This is the first with mixed results. Early avicultural literature suggests a
deep wooden box with layers of hessian, newspaper and
In some finch species, nests bran, with carrot on top. For decades I tried this method,
which was completely hit and miss, with an overkill of
of 4–7 chicks can be expected, bran and very few mealworms as a result.

rather than the 1–2 produced These days I use shallow plastic tubs with 1–2cm of
bran and carrot for moisture. The trays, which number
when live food is not provided about 12, are placed side by side. One end has the adult
beetles. Each weekend I separate the beetles from their
bran using a sieve. Beetles are placed in fresh bran,

MANY BIRDS APPRECIATE LIVE FOOD AND MAY NOT REPRODUCE WITHOUT A SUPPLY

Softbills, such as this
Crimson Chat, will eat
many forms of live food
but will also consume
insectivore softfood

Honeyeaters, such as this Softbill species, such Diamond Firetails can be
White-cheeked Honeyeater, as this Turquoise Wren, bred without live food, but
favour live flies when constantly stalk and are larger clutches are produced
rearing chicks fond of live flies when it is supplied

549VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •

while the bran that contained the beetles is placed in a new will be swarming with flies. A take-away food container of

tray. This bran contains eggs, which will hatch and in 12 egg-laying medium—three parts bran and one part full-

weeks produce a crop of mealworms ready to feed out. cream milk powder (moistened with water to a crumby

This is repeated each weekend, resulting in a row of trays of consistency)—is placed into the box.

bran containing mealworms one week apart in age. Flies lay eggs in the medium, which is removed after 48

I found this process worked well in summer, but the hours and replaced with a new container of medium. I place

bird room was too cold in winter and the process literally the medium with the eggs into a 4-litre ice-cream container

stopped as the cool conditions prevented growth and killed and add half a cup of fresh medium. This is mixed and ready

the adult beetles. The answer, I discovered, was to supply to feed to birds the following day. Excess can be placed in the

heat—approximately 24º–28ºC will keep the culture thriving. fridge for a couple of weeks or used to create live flies.

Initially, I moved the entire colony into a well-insulated The flies require sugar for food, and water to drink,

shed attached to the bird room but about 5ºC warmer. supplied via an inverted bird-drinker. In cold weather,

However, the culture still struggled to grow during the a towel covers the fly-wire front to maintain heat and

coldest parts of winter. I then heated the entire 4m x 3m the unit is connected to a thermostat set at 26°C. This

shed with an old electric oil heater. It worked … until ensures the globe is not constantly in use.

we received a power bill. There was talk of divorce, so

another plan was hatched. LIVE FLIES & RELEASE STATIONS

Plywood ‘doors’ contain Within the shed was a series of shelves (the type I have been producing maggots for over 20 years, but it
the warmth essential for
breeding mealworms and typically purchased from hardware stores). I lined the was only recently I realised the benefits of feeding live
crickets. The crickets are
housed in the deeper tubs, back and sides of the shelves with 5mm ply. Two large flies to my collection. It occurred by accident when I
left, and mealworms in the
shallow trays on the right sections of ply with handles were placed on the front noticed a breeding pair of White-cheeked Honeyeaters

Two boxes, designed by to act as doors, virtually encasing the unit. This became clinging to the wire whenever I went near the bushfly box.
Craig Smeelie, produce a
huge number of maggots home to the entire insect collection, and was heated by I realised they were hawking any escaped flies to feed to
and live flies, ensuring
birds always have access a series of commercial reptile heat pads attached to a their chicks. I placed a container of flies into their aviary
to live food
thermostat. The insect shelves were 10ºC warmer than and was astonished at how tame the birds were as they
550 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU
the ambient shed and at least 15–20ºC warmer than eagerly sought every live fly provided.

the bird room, and the Ian Brown, a well-known Queensland finch and softbill

mealworms prospered. breeder, has devised an excellent method of feeding live

The key costs associated flies to aviary birds. Rather than simply releasing flies into an

in this set-up were the aviary, a process in which many would escape, Ian converted

heat mats, 12 plastic tubs, a clothes tray, turned on its side, into a fly release station.

bran and carrots. Best of Using an angle-grinder, a door is cut that allows a take-away

all, the power bill was in a food container filled with flies to be place into the station.

much better state and my The flies move towards the light, away from the open

marriage saved! door, and the birds quickly learn to enter the station and

consume the trapped flies. There is a 14-minute detailed

EMBRACING THE video explaining construction of the fly release station at

MAGGOT www.naturallyforbirds.com.au/building-a-fly-dispenser-cage.

There is no doubt many Now I regularly put excess maggots into lidded

species relish maggots, containers and place these into my heated insect shelves.

in particular the smaller Several days later, when the flies emerge, the container is

African species, due to the placed into the station and the lid removed—the birds do

small size of this live food. the rest. Obviously the softbills—wrens, woodswallows

In my opinion, the greatest and chats adore live flies—and some finch species, such as

development in finch and Crimsons and Jacarinis also appreciate them.

softbill keeping has been the worldwide uptake of the

bushfly box, which allows aviculturists to maintain around- CRICKETS—WONDER FOOD

the-clock live food in their aviaries—so important for I began feeding crickets in the early 2000s when I was

some species rearing young. breeding Grenadier Weavers. Purchasing crickets from the

Literature into the 1970s described producing maggots by local pet store was an expensive exercise. I then purchased

hanging a sheep heart suspended over a container of bran in crickets in bulk—3000 at a time—which, although more

the sun. The sheep heart would become fly-blown and the cost effective, was still a challenge financially. There was no

maggots would grow there before dropping off into the bran. doubt, however, that species such as the weavers, Jacarini,

The maggots would clean themselves in the bran and, voilà, Pictorella and Crimson Finches, not to mention the

live food for birds. I have never tried this method as I guess I softbills I kept, adored crickets when breeding—Pictorellas

valued my relationship with my family and neighbours. sometimes producing clutches of 6–7 chicks.

Thankfully, times have changed. Today we have access to The challenge was to produce my own. I had seen cricket

the Craig Smeelie Bushfly Box. set-ups by well-known breeders such as Mike Fidler, Gary Fitt

In the 1990s Craig, a breeder and handyman in Geelong, and Cheryl Mares, so I was determined to make it work. I

Victoria, began producing a number of his bushfly boxes set up several deep plastic tubs (without lids). One contained

that revolutionised finch and softbill keeping. For the first the adult breeders, with greens and carrot for moisture,

time ever, live food could be produced in amazingly large Wombaroo™ Insectivore powder for food, egg cartons

quantities within four days. (Remember that mealworms as refuge, and an egg-laying medium of moist peatmoss. I

normally take up to 12 weeks and crickets up to 8 weeks.) removed the egg-laying medium each weekend and placed

And the only costs involved were the running of a 40 watt this into a new tub. Nothing ever hatched. I was to discover,

globe and the price of bran and milk powder. as with the mealworms, that the shed was too cold.

The bushfly box is basically a melamine box with a Since the use of the heated insect cabinet, there have been

tight-fitting flywire front. A door is cut into the side and a no issues with young crickets hatching several days after

baton for a globe placed on the back wall. To get started, removal from the adult tub. The process is repeated weekly

you require some maggots or pupae from a breeder. This and the number of crickets produced is extraordinary.

is placed in the heated box. Several days later, the box Crickets are fed out in deep tubs placed on the aviary

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Fly release stations are Live moth traps produce a
installed in all aviaries great deal of free live food
during warmer months

floor. The birds have no hesitation in flying into the tray the softfood and carrying it to their nest to feed directly A planted aviary with a
and consuming this ‘wonder food’. The main costs are the to the chicks. I was impressed that softbills were being thick mulch provides further
initial tubs, peatmoss, insectivore powder and carrots. bred without live food, on a predominantly softfood diet. opportunity for finches and
softbills to stalk insects

Could the future see more aviculturists phasing out live

FREE LIVE FOOD OPTIONS food in favour of softfood substitutes?

Several things can be done cheaply to provide extra live

food options for our birds. CONCLUSION

• Planted aviaries—Planted aviaries, with thickly As they say in the classics ‘variety is the spice of life’. There

mulched, earthen floors are a haven for insects, and is no doubt that the greater the variety in diet we provide

no doubt provide our birds with extra live food our birds, the greater are our chances of having healthy

opportunities. It is not uncommon to observe a Painted birds that, in turn, reproduce and live long lives. Live food is

Button-quail or White-browed Woodswallow wrestling a major component in the diets of many species naturally,

with an earthworm they have obtained while fossicking and plays a great part in providing behavioural enrichment

through the foliage and mulch, or to see a Painted Finch and stimulus to trigger breeding behaviour. The dedicated

chasing and catching a moth. aviculturist will do whatever they can to ensure the needs

• Vinegar Fly Culture—Attracting the tiny Vinegar Fly of the species kept are met and, for many, this will mean

into aviaries is not a new idea. Place rotten fruits, within some form of live food. Happy bug and bird keeping!

a container or compost heap, into the aviary to attract

the tiny flies that are relished by finches and softbills alike.

I utilise a black plastic plant pot with the bottom cut out Wombaroo
and covered with 6mm wire mesh to prevent birds falling
in and eating the rotten fruit (although I’m sure a well-fed INSECTIVORE
bird would not choose to eat decaying fruits). The plant

pot is positioned on the ground and fruit placed inside. REARING MIX
The birds stalk the tiny flies that soon appear.
• Moths—Moth traps, available at large hardware stores,

are valuable to bird breeders during the warmer months,

attracting a wide range of insects including moths,

mosquitos, beetles and even winged termites. These

are placed into the fly release station for the birds to

consume. The important thing is to purchase a moth trap

that does not ‘zap’ the bugs but simply collects them. For

a one-off purchase, these traps are a real asset.

LIVE FOOD SUBSTITUTES A COMPLETE FOOD FOR SUPPLEMENTING
INSECTIVOROUS & CARNIVOROUS BIRDS
Many softbill cakes and mixes have been used over the
decades, and there are almost as many recipes as there > Contains 52% protein, the most of any commercially
are softbill species. available diet.

I utilise 500g of Wombaroo™ Insectivore Mix, to which I > Prepared from ingredients high in essential amino
add six hardboiled eggs and 200g of frozen peas and corn. acids with added vitamins, minerals and essential
This is blended together and frozen ready for use. The fatty acids (omega 3&6).
insectivore mix is fed fresh daily, to which I add a teaspoon
of mealworms coated in Passwell™ Good Oil. The oil, > Use as a high protein, live-food substitute for all birds.
besides providing Omega 3 and 6, allows the softfood to Available in 250g, 1kg & 5kg packs
cling to the mealworms, ensuring the birds are getting both.
phone I 08 8391 1713
Wombaroo™ Insectivore Mix can come with either a email I info@wombaroo.com.au
red or yellow enhancer—red enhancing that colour in www.wombaroo.com.au
several softbill species such as Crimson Chats and robins,
while the yellow enhancer maintains both red colour and 551VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
yellow, as seen in many of the honeyeaters and species
such as Western and Eastern Robins.

On one of my early visits to the aviaries of Colin Rich at
Wombaroo, I noticed breeding woodswallows feeding on

AUTHOR These images show
ANONYMOUS both sides of the
COMMENTS BY DR TERRY MARTIN BVSc nest box—one side
appearing as a log
to attract the birds

ParblueBlue HOUSING

Princess These days my timber aviaries have been replaced
Parrots with steel, and face north. I have incorporated
modern avicultural practices. Aviary sizes vary from
3.5–5.5m long x 90–120cm wide x 180cm high.
Concrete footings for rodent-proofing are 10cm
thick, penetrating underground to 46cm and above
ground by 23cm. Construction is rectangular tube
steel (RHS) with 12mm square 0.8-gauge wire. (Still
the mice get in!)

All food bowls are elevated. Substrate is washed
river pebbles, overlaid with granite sand that
becomes very hot during the heat of summer and
prevents roundworm eggs surviving.

All my Princess Parrots are housed one pair per
flight. Nest boxes are constructed from rough-sawn
untreated pine. They measure a minimum of 20cm x
20cm square internally and an average of 40cm deep.
They are each fitted with a natural spout or knot-like
entrance and an inspection hole. Nesting material is
Eucalypt sawdust to a depth of 50mm.

Normal Princess parrot male PARASITE CONTROL

PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN IBEGAN KEEPING BIRDS AT 11 YEARS Princess Parrots are vulnerable to roundworm. It
old, fostering wild Red-rumped Parrot eggs is imperative to conduct an efficient and effective
Underwing colours from left: under Budgerigars and later wild Eastern worming regime. I crop-worm all birds approximately
Normal, Blue and Parblue
Rosella eggs under the Red-rumps. Sixty years ago four weeks prior to breeding season (late August).
PHOTO KEN HOLDEN
these species were prolific in Central Victoria and, to This is repeated when young have fledged, and

a degree, still are. at the same time they are leg-rung and removed

In my early teens a member of the Aviculture from the parents’ aviary. A third worming is done

Society of Australia Inc nominated me to join (as was within 12 months after their moult. If they are being

the requirement in those days) and I later attended transported to a bird sale or sold, they are wormed a

meetings of the local branch. Over the next 50 or so week prior.

years, my collection progressed from a communal

aviary to a complex of 40 or so flights which over DIET

the years housed many of our native parrot species, A basic diet of two parts quality Budgie mix to one

including Neophema Grass Parrots, Western and part grey striped sunflower/safflower 50/50 mix is

Yellow Rosellas, Regent, Superb and Mulga Parrots, fed weekly. Seasonal fruits and vegetables such as

all Australian ringnecks, and Princess Parrots. Today pears, plums and apples are fed weekly. Fresh water

I keep mostly Princess Parrots. is replenished daily.

552 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

NSL Albino and NSL Lutino ParblueBlue Ino (Creamino)
Princess Parrots Princess Parrot male

PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN PHOTO GEORGIA CARROLL

Princess Parrot Parblue
female at two years old

PHOTO KEN HOLDEN

During the breeding season it is essential that
parents are supplied green food in abundance.
This is vital food for chick development. Highly
relished are cape weed, milk thistle, dandelion and
hawthorn berries.

BREEDING

In early September, a clutch of 5–6 eggs is laid

on alternate days. The female only incubates for ParblueBlue female (left) and
approximately 19 days. She is fed by the male. Some debate upon what colour and name they should be Blue male—the parents of the
ParblueBlue Ino (Creamino)
females will double-brood as soon as the first clutch known by. There is also the Faded mutation, which is
fledges. If she lays prior to the first chicks fledging, a lime-coloured bird with a dark eye’. PHOTO KEN HOLDEN

the male feeds her and the chicks. In 2019, this female was paired with a second-year $27.45
Young fledge at approximately 5–6 weeks old, Blue male whose father was a Blue split ‘Yellow’ bird.
+ post
earlier in hotter weather, and are independent 2–4 As both the female and male were carrying the NSL
$30
weeks later. Ino (yellow) gene, they produced two Blue and a
ParblueBlue Ino (Creamino) in their clutch of three. + post

MUTATIONS The ParblueBlue Ino turned out to be a male, so I Available from ABK at
In 2011–12, I purchased a Blue/Yellow Princess paired him with a young ParblueBlue female in the www.birdkeeper.com.au

Parrot male and paired him with a female of the same 2020 season. The first nest contained three chicks, or see Free Mail
Order Card
kind that I had bred. but they died with empty crops. I cleaned out the
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 553
For about the next three seasons, they produced nest and the pair went down again and produced
Normal, Blue and Yellow young in clutches of 4–5 only one chick. It is white and I understand it is

eggs. In 2015 they produced a clutch of four eggs, a true Albino but, not being a genetics expert, I

one of which I described to a friend as neither a Blue needed confirmation. ABK consulted Dr Martin, who
nor Normal Green. The clutch also contained a bird confirmed it was indeed an Albino.

that I now know was a ParblueBlue Ino (Creamino) ‘It should not carry the Parblue gene—unless

which, unfortunately, died. the Parblue is actually the Blue2 gene, in which

The chick which was neither Blue nor Green is case the two mutations will both produce the Blue

what we believe to be a ParblueBlue female. In 2016, phenotype when homozygous and only the Parblue

I paired her with the only spare male I had at the phenotype when heterozygous with each other,’ Dr

time—a White Lime—correctly known as a NSL Ino— Martin explained.

has a red eye. Both birds were first-time parents. ‘The breeder needs to try and produce the pure

They went to nest twice and produced eight young— Parblue phenotype so as to confirm whether they have
four Blue and four ParblueBlue. I still have the latter a Parblue or the second Blue. Based on the colour

four and have bred them to Blue birds, producing they have at present, either possibility remains, as
50% Blue and 50% ParblueBlue. I continued this heterozygous offspring of the two Blue mutations

mating combination over the following seasons. is often only a small increase in psittacin pigment.

A daughter of the original breeding appears to have Alternatively, the Parblue could be a Turquoise

the NSL Ino (yellow) gene obtained from her father, mutation. I would be surprised if it was an Aqua

the White Lime. mutation, but nothing is certain until it is produced.’

Avicultural geneticist Dr Terry Martin commented, Other mutations that Princess Parrot breeders

‘birds referred to as Yellow are usually variations may appreciate are the Blue and NSL Albino and

of the NSL Ino/NSL Parino spectrum. There is still NSL Lutino.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

AUTHOR & PHOTOS Munias&
PETER ODEKERKEN
Mannikins

Five-coloured Munia—found THE TITLE INDICATES THAT THESE
in the Lesser Sunda Islands seedeaters are two different forms, but
of Indonesia controversy remains as to whether species
are classified as munias or mannikins. It seems
Asian forms are often referred to as munias, while
African, Indonesian and Australian forms are
mannikins. They are also colloquially known as
‘nuns’. In Australia we tend to label them simply as
finches, but these different terms reflect a reasonably
homogenous group of birds that we recognise as
similar in shape, with robust bills and tight plumage.

Author Robin Restall states in his great book
Munias and Mannikins (1996), ‘there are many
authorities that argue the case but let us consider
these birds as part of the Lonchura genus’. For the
sake of simplicity in this article, I am going to use
the term ‘munias’.

I have always admired this group. Many are not
rainbow-coloured like our Gouldian Finch, but they
are nonetheless very attractively marked. The first
birds I ever owned some 60 years ago were a pair
of ‘Bullies’, the impressive Chestnut-breasted Finch
Lonchura castaneothorax that we Australians are
well acquainted with.

The Black & White Mannikin
has a large distribution
through Sub-Saharan Africa

554 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU The White-headed Mannikin
inhabits a large area
comprising Sumatra, Java,
the Malay Peninsula and
southern Vietnam

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

The Grey-crowned Mannikin
is found in the lowland swamp
grasslands on the Trans Fly
region in southern New Guinea

The Chestnut Munia from
western Borneo is a stunningly
marked black and chocolate
brown species

The striking Black-throated
Munia lives in Bali and Java,
Indonesia and is becoming
scarce due to huge human
population on those islands

IN THE WILD The Streak-headed Mannikin
is less striking in appearance
Habitat than most of the genus, but
still a very interesting species
Munias are essentially birds of open wooded from Northern New Guinea
grassland habitat but many have adapted to live in
close association within forested areas. These areas
always border on grassland where munias find their
basic food—seeds.

They have adapted to human-altered habitat such as
paddy fields, gardens, and anywhere which provides
sufficient seeding grasses. They range from sub-
Saharan Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, and on to Asia,
Australia, New Guinea and some Pacific Islands. They
have also been introduced to other parts of the globe.

Diet

Munias have relatively stout bills which may suggest

they are capable of feeding on larger, more difficult-to-

open seed as well as the finer seeds on which waxbills

concentrate. They tend to have larger feet and toes

than other finch species, and when feeding on seed in

the wild you will see that they often clasp grass stems

together to balance and extract seed above the ground. A wide ranging species, the
Other seedeating birds do this as well but it seems Spice or Scaly-breasted Munia
collects grass stems for his
munias have adapted this way of feeding more than nearby nest on Palawan,
others. I believe this allows them to efficiently utilise Philippines
tall seed heads in thick, grassy areas where it would be
difficult to get to fallen seeds. They will take fallen seed

off the ground, but their preference is to feed above bill and clasping them with their long toes. Little

the ground, and they visit fallen seed by necessity. I information is available for most of these species

have noticed that ground-feeding birds tend to feed and their habits in the wild, but increasing research

at the edge of grassland where it is easy to find seed makes it apparent that protein is often obtained from

without being confined by vegetation, thus making it insects and larvae. Termites are hawked in the air as

easy to fly out and escape from predation. they fly to start new termite colonies, and no doubt

You often see munias alight on grass stems and this food source is important for munias, particularly

reach out to nearby stems, pulling them in with their in the breeding season.

555VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •

Munias tend to form Diet

small flocks of 20–30 A high-quality finch mix with various millets

individuals feeding in can form the basic seed mix. This should be

close association. There supplemented with germinating seed, green grass

are always some eyes seed—wild panic and other green food. Some will also

in a flock scanning for enjoy a thin slice of apple and, of course, live food

predators. Even while such as termites, fly maggots and small mealworms

breeding, birds come can form an important part of the diet, especially in

together to feed away the breeding season.

Mannikins do well in a from their nest. It is not unusual for nests to be Munias have bred successfully without live food but
planted aviary but be sure to
keep species apart to avoid found within the same bush or nearby scrub, again I am sure a greater success rate would be achieved
cross-breeding
making it opportune to be prepared for predators. with it. Egg and biscuit or blending hardboiled egg

with Passwell’s Finch Softfood™ can be the perfect

Breeding substitute for live food. Calcium is provided by

Munias generally build a bulky nest with coarse adding Passwell’s Liquid Gold™ to their water or

grass on the outside and finer, soft grass as a lining, softfood mix.

with the occasional feather or two. They lay white, Clean water for bathing and drinking should be

oval-shaped eggs which have an incubation period of available at all times. It is interesting to see birds

about 13 days. enjoying a bathe even during cold winter months.

Young are born naked and as they grow can be quite Mineral grit and charcoal is also beneficial.

noisy in begging for food. They crouch with their

head held sideways and point their bills upwards Housing

towards the parent, begging to be fed. They grasp Munias can be kept in mixed species aviaries with

the parent’s bill, clearly pushing while the parents other finch species, and even with small parrots

regurgitate the food. Young have palate markings and that are not aggressively inclined. Parrots can be

a white nodule at the edge of the gape. No doubt this mischievous by damaging nests, so keep this in mind

helps parents in a dark nest. It is suggested that the in a planted aviary environment. Nest construction

palate marking may vary with age. can also be jeopardised by other finches or like

The chicks within a clutch fledge at about the species, so it may be necessary to house pairs in

same time, at approximately 3–4 weeks after small breeding aviaries or cabinets. This should

hatching, and usually return to the nest for the first optimise your breeding success and after the

few nights. breeding season pairs and young can be released

Young tend to stay with their parents for some into a large flight to build stamina.

weeks after fledging. If the parents breed again in a Provide coarse and fine grass as well as feathers for

good season, the young by this time have established nest-building. Some species readily accept open wooden

themselves in flocks with a high percentage of nest boxes, so these can also stimulate breeding.

juveniles or sub-adults. Aviaries should be built using galvanised steel

tubing, and 12.5mm square weld mesh is preferred

IN CAPTIVITY for minimal maintenance. Wooden framed aviaries

Munias are striking birds in a mixed collection but are attractive but require a lot of upkeep.

some individuals can be disruptive with smaller To exclude pests, I suggest 6.25mm square wire

waxbills. It is better to keep munia species in to keep out mice, but also make sure you have

separate aviaries as it is not unheard of for them to adequate rat walls, and that doors fit without too

hybridise. This is detrimental to the rarer forms, so much room to spare against the door jam. I have

be mindful to keep genetic purity. often been surprised at bird keepers that insisted

Generally, munias are not sexually dimorphic on 6.25mm wire but had large gaps in other parts of

and the male and female can be difficult to tell the aviary construction.

apart. However, if a known pair is studied, subtle

differences can be detected. Males have bolder CONCLUSION

markings, for example, with black colouration darker Munias are popular in captivity around the world. In

and more intense than in females. However, such Australia we only have a limited number of species

differences can be due to age or worn feathering, so we can keep but they are definitely worthy of a place

are not always conclusive. in our aviculture.

Finch Books

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556 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

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557VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •

breeder perspective Glossy Cockatoos—
AUTHOR ANDREW RANKMORE C. l. lathami mature pair,
male (left) and female
showing limited yellow

PHOTO ANDREW RANKMORE

Th Enigm o th
GLOSSY BLACK COCKATOO

SETTING THE SCENE provide the original numbers and varied bloodlines needed

The Glossy Black Cockatoo has been the subject of to establish the species in Australian aviculture. Once

particular avicultural interest in Australia for many established, the availability of captive-raised birds on the

decades, with popularity variously influenced by its market grew, and demand and interest naturally followed

uniqueness, difficulties in captivity, and external markets. suit as the species became the essential component of a

In the early era of Australian aviculture, the Glossy Black black cockatoo collection for many keepers.

Cockatoo was seen as an impossibly difficult species to

keep due to its apparent inability to adjust to a captive SUPPLY AND DEMAND

environment and anything other than a Casuarina nut diet. As exotic birds became more attainable and offered a

Wild Glossies would starve themselves, refuse captive more colourful collection, over time the focus on black

food alternatives, and suffer fatal stresses. cockatoos waned. Prices of Glossy Black Cockatoos

During the 1970s more serious attempts were made to declined from their height of around $14,000 a pair to

solve the Glossy enigma for captivity by a select number around $6000–$7000 a pair in 2013, despite never being

of aviculturists, both private and zoological (prior to the overly abundant.

national trapping/collecting bans). Through trial and error However, an unexpected influence from overseas

different approaches were employed that enabled the markets occurred in about 2015, with the first export

long-touted ‘impossible’ to become possible. In essence, of several pairs of Glossies to Germany’s Association

wild adults were adjusted to captivity in specialised for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP).

aviaries and provided with huge numbers of wild-collected Suddenly it was apparent that overseas export was

Casuarina nuts daily to support their existence. With possible. Several people began the search to fill high

significant commitment, these adult pairs eventually bred numbers of orders for the export of Australian natives,

and their chicks were weaned onto a more sustainable with the Glossy Black Cockatoo forming the flagship

captive diet. species for zoo customers overseas. (This was later

subject to government inquiry).

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 Prices that these shipments commanded caused

Andre It was soon discovered that Glossy Black Cockatoos were local buyers to miss out, leading to many pairs of core

558 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU in fact willing breeders, capable of producing multiple Australian breeding Glossies being exported, never

clutches (of a single egg) if the chick or egg was removed. to return. This has resulted in the shortage of captive

The search was then on to find a way to handraise birds Glossies we now see in Australian aviculture, with no relief

to create a sustainable stock of the species. via wild supplement, meaning that prices and rarity are

This was another ‘mission impossible’, as chicks which now at a level not seen for several decades.

did hatch would typically die at around day 7–10, despite Given the species in general has low reproductive

all efforts. The solution was to allow parent-raising to success (without the sustained time and devotion of

3–4 weeks before removing the chick to be raised on the 1970s), it will be some time before captive numbers

what would be considered today crude homemade are restored to pre-export quantities. It is therefore

handraising mixes. important that the species is obtained and managed

This process still required serious dedication and largely by knowledgeable and committed aviculturists with

persistence by those involved to refine and produce a the means to see results on the perch over an extended

somewhat ad hoc formula that successfully filled the key period of time.

developmental stage between parent-started chick and

weaned fledgling, without nutritional, mineral, or vitamin DESCRIPTION

deficiencies. Bear in mind there was little to no knowledge Glossies are the smallest of the five black cockatoos,

or understanding of the species’ needs. measuring 40–52cm and weighing 400–460g. They

This gargantuan effort was sustained for many years to are found along the eastern coast of Australia from

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Glossy Cockatoo female—note the A well-aged mature Glossy Cockatoo female with Glossy Black Cockatoos
amount of yellow and the orange-yellow greater amounts of yellow—about half the amount C. l. lathami rely on a food
markings on the underside of the tail of yellow that some specimens show source of Casuarina cones

PHOTO JADE WELCH PHOTO ANDREW RANKMORE PHOTO JADE WELCH

Queensland to Victoria, with an isolated population of the Females have a similar dull black base colouration over

subspecies Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus on South their body, broken up most often by faint yellow dots or

Australia’s Kangaroo Island. spots over the leading edges of their wings and vent area,

The nominate Calyptorhynchus l. lathami is found in with orange-yellow markings on the underside of their A Guide
to Black
eastern NSW, into south-eastern Queensland and also tail feather broken by clear black barring. Finally, mature Cockatoos

Victoria. The second mainland subspecies Calyptorhynchus Glossy females generally have solid yellow feathers on by Neville &
Enid Connors
l. erebus overlaps some parts of the northern range of their head to some degree—a feature other Red-tailed
Available from ABK at
the nominate C. l. lathami in Queensland and can be Black Cockatoos do not have at all. www.birdkeeper.com.au

recognised by a slightly larger body size and smaller beak or see Free Mail
Order Card
than the nominate. C. l. lathami has by far the largest IN THE WILD
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 559
range of the three subspecies and is the most commonly Glossy Black Cockatoos are extremely unique in the

found both in the wild and in captivity. It is the only cockatoo family for subsisting entirely on Casuarina cones.

subspecies formally recognised in Australian aviculture. Amazingly, the species is very selective on the one species

The Kangaroo Island subspecies was never officially of tree it feeds from and the status and quality of the

collected. Specimens do exist in Australian aviculture cones it accepts for consumption.

but they are particularly rare. This subspecies is visually This niche specialisation may have evolved over millennia

smaller than the nominate and features a larger beak to as a result of lower competition for Casuarina food

body ratio than the two mainland subspecies. resources, but due to the Casuarina’s slow regenerative

Other than subtle differences, all three subspecies and productive qualities, Glossies find themselves in a

have similar traits in gender colouration, including the rather precarious position in the modern world. Land

unpredictable amounts of yellow head colouration clearing, fire, contamination and disease all reduce

observed on adult females. Some Glossy females will show the availability of the Glossy Black Cockatoo’s only

highly defined and bright yellow colouration, while others viable food source. The high level of the species’ daily

only display a yellow hue. Similarly, both genders may demand on these cones means large productive ranges

display extreme variation of abdominal and tail barring/ of Casuarina are needed which are more vulnerable to

colouration that can confuse the most experienced of disruption and decline.

keepers because black cockatoos as a genus are generally The Glossy Black Cockatoo remains on the

sexually dimorphic (able to be visually identified). Endangered list, as it has done for several decades,

The colour/marking variations that would typically be but due to their large feeding ranges and the typically

used to identify the gender of an individual are even more uninhabited terrain, it is difficult to track numbers

sporadic and unpredictable in immature birds. As such, with any accuracy. I suspect that as birds of a certain

DNA sexing may be required to formalise any visual cues generation pass due to age, it is likely to become

as to sex. apparent that breeding sustainability has not kept pace

Typically, however, gender colouration of Glossies with replacing the current population, and a noticeable

follows the expectations of other Red-tailed Black decline in sightings will occur soon. Hopefully, more is

Cockatoos, with males displaying a dull black done by government agencies in terms of development

colouration over much of their body (slightly lighter on planning and controlling land clearing to protect the

their head) with solid red markings on the lower side of tracts of Casuarina trees which alone sustain these birds

the tail feathers. in the wild.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Glossy Cockatoos—just hatched and two weeks old. Chicks
have sensitive gut flora and digestive enzyme requirements

PHOTO ANDREW RANKMORE

IN CAPTIVITY exposed to the elements and surroundings without the

Housing solid wall partitions that often serve other species well.

Glossy Black Cockatoos are almost universally kept in Glossies often show greater preferences for natural

conventional aviaries of moderate to large size. I do not log nests provided they are of medium size (suitable for

know of any pairs successfully breeding in suspended the female to squeeze into), are mounted vertically, and

aviaries. This is not an absolute and, in theory, it is possible, are off the ground to avoid rot, vermin and excessive

but the general consensus is that conventional aviaries moisture. Nest box sizes are moderately sized and not

appeal more to the bird’s natural behaviour and instincts. large, with natural hollows being a viable option. A vertical

Mature Glossy Cockatoo Glossies are noticeably ‘stressy’ birds when not wooden box of approximately 30cm x 30cm x 1m high is
female at nest log—note
the wings are not tight to comfortable in their surroundings and can quickly decline typically successful. Entry is via an open-top design with
her body as seen in other
species—Glossies at rest in condition if action is not taken. The best solution to an access door added to the front of the box, just above
look like they are wing-tired
this is prevention through provision of a spacious and the nesting fill, to ease inspection and/or access to egg or

open enclosure of at least 1.5m wide x 2m tall x 5m long. chick. Wood is preferred as these birds clearly chew and

Smaller aviaries may be accepted by younger birds but work the box significantly throughout the year, but with

mature birds that are used to space will suffer. increased intensity at breeding time. This enrichment aids

The most successful enclosures I have observed in acceptance of the enclosure and reduces some of the

terms of breeding Glossies are a little larger than stated inherent stresses that can plague newly placed birds.

above—in some cases, extremely large enclosures. Privacy

and shelter around the nesting area is important. This Diet

is easily implemented by cladding this portion of the The Glossy Black Cockatoo remains a tricky customer if

aviary frame with sheet metal or similar. Beyond this it one wishes to expand its captive diet beyond sunflower

is recommended that the enclosure is open mesh and and Casuarina cones. As such, it is imperative that breeders

induct young birds onto as wide a food base as

possible, including vegetables, sprouted seeds

and commercial nuts. Young birds are particularly

inquisitive and often pick up and try different

food types despite the parent birds declining

to do so. Thus, young grow into adult birds

that have the desirable habits and willingness to

accept varied nutritional sources in captivity.

Vegetables to consider offering include frozen

commercial diced mixes (thawed), peas, beans,

endives, chopped spinach, boiled sweet potato

(diced), cooked pumpkin (diced) and more.

Sprouted seeds are generally more readily accepted

when young, and include sprouted sunflower,

pigeon mix, and dedicated parrot sprout mixes.

Glossies of all ages require little convincing to

take nuts, particularly peanuts and almonds.

It is unlikely that all birds will accept all

suggestions the keeper offers, but by observing

each individual fledgling’s tastes, these offerings

can be continued into adult life.

• Takes the guesswork out of achieving a balanced diet • Scientifically formulated extruded diet Breeding
• Free of artificial colors, preservatives and flavorings • Provides complete nutrition for all life-stages Contrary to popular belief, well-settled sexually
mature Glossies are very willing to nest and are
Since 1987, three generations of parrot species bred and raised on Tropican! capable of repeat clutches in the one season.
The lack of successful outcomes on the perch is
www.assetdistributors.com.au directly related to the species’ uniqueness in diet.
Glossies do not do well being handraised from
© HAGEN GROUP 2021 | All Rights Reserved the egg, requiring significant effort with what are
often referred to as ‘secret recipes’.

560 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

The issue stems from the chick’s need for gut flora and males often beginning their displays from around March.

digestive enzymes in quantity for a period of 3–4 weeks The season ends around the beginning of August,

after hatch, after which ‘somewhat normal’ handraising with eggs laid between these times. The female will

practices become possible. progressively spend more time on or in the nest until she

With handraising generally ruled out in the early stages, overnights in the box. This is a very strong indicator that

getting parent birds to successfully raise their chick is, an egg has been laid or is about to be within a day or

unfortunately, not a sure thing. Some Glossies appear to two. Incubation varies from 27–31 days. Young, if parent-

be neglectful or inconsistent parents, while some failures reared, typically fledge at approximately 3–3½ months.

could possibly be explained by the parent bird’s refusal Interestingly, there have been several sound reports that

to accept anything but sunflower. In some cases, pairs pairs of Glossies have successfully bred from the age of

seem to be clumsy, squashing their newly hatched chicks. 2½ years old, which is particularly young for the black

Overseas institutions have replicated the very early efforts cockatoo family. However, more common experience

by Australian keepers, with full-time carers using ‘secret indicates that pairs will not successfully produce until 4–5

recipes’ to raise these highly demanding gems through this years of age.

difficult period.

Some breeders freeze wild collected Casuarina cones CONCLUSION

to feed their Glossies prior to and during the breeding The Glossy Black Cockatoo has ridden some highs

season. From observation, this certainly makes a difference and lows over its tenure within Australian aviculture.

where possible, with fewer nutritionally linked issues with Numbers are again low and this species is once more

young. Broader captive diets of green vegetables, almond getting the attention it deserves. Over time, I hope to

nuts and a sprouted seed mix (pigeon mix) seem to offer see numbers and breeding successes rise, so we can once

similar reports if the parent birds have been raised on, and again regularly acquire and maintain this species in more

continue to be accepting of, such a diet. collections within Australia. This is necessary to further
In most areas within Australia the Glossy Black our captive knowledge and secure the species from
potential wild declines and/or extinction.
Ro,Cockatoo is seen as an autumn–winter breeder, with
THE WOMPOO AU THO R & P HO T O D R C L A UD E L AC ASSE DVM, MANZCVS (Australian Wildlife)
FRUIT DOVE
wild corner
ROSS, THE WOMPOO FRUIT DOVE
(or pigeon), was brought in after flying into a
window. The Wompoo is a beautiful species,
with green upper parts, plum-coloured breast, and canary

yellow belly and underwings. The sub-adult bird was alert

but the left wing was held very low to the ground and fracture healing well, when the bandage was removed

obviously injured. after two weeks, the wing was still severely drooped and

Ross was immediately anaesthetised with Isoflurane™ completely paralysed.

to allow a thorough examination and radiographs. The bird was stepping on the wing when walking, and the

A fractured left clavicle, moderately displaced, was wing did not retract normally when pulled (no withdrawal

diagnosed. A figure-of-8 bandage was placed to immobilise reflex). There was also no reaction when the wing tip was

the fracture site for two weeks. Anti-inflammatory clamped with a haemostasis to prevent bleeding (ie no

(meloxicam) was provided for one week. Despite the pain sensation was indicated). This indicated severe nerve

damage called brachial plexus avulsion.

The brachial plexus is formed by

branches of 3–4 spinal nerves. These

nerves include the most important radial

Home of Australia’s Only CITES nerve that innervates (stimulates) the
muscles of the wing. A brachial plexus

Appendix 1 Captive Breeding Program avulsion can occur when the wing is

• Parrots abnormally pulled outwards due to
trauma, or if the nerves are damaged by

• Harrisons, Pretty Bird & Nekton Foods bone fragments at a shoulder or humeral
• Brinsea & AB Incubators fracture site.

Nerve damage presents a very poor

AVAILABLE AT www.priamsale.com prognosis in birds as the nerves repair Claud
themselves extremely slowly (over years)
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 561
FACEBOOK PRIAM AUSTRALIA & PRIAM SALE and the damage is most often permanent.

EMAIL ppc@priam.com.au Unfortunately, this beautiful bird had to

PHONE 02 6128 0800 OR MOBILE 0421 383 051 be humanely euthanised as it would never
fly again.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Cobalt Opaline Pallid (left)
and Blue Opaline Pallid
female Quakers

PHOTO JADE WELCH

AUTHOR
GREG PAULL

The Opaline PaillidAQuauksterrali
THE OPALINE PALLID QUAKER IS A Blue Opaline Pallid
beautiful-looking bird. Arguably one of the Quaker female
most stunning of all the Quaker mutations,
PHOTO JADE WELCH

it is unique in appearance and colour distribution.

Dubbed the ‘Snow White’ by overseas breeders,

this might sound like a more exciting name for this

special bird, but it does little to paint an accurate

picture of the mutation and its colour variations.

It only relates to the Blue Series bird and does not

reflect the Green Series at all.

The name Opaline Pallid explains its genetic make-

up and signifies that the bird is a combination of the

Opaline and Pallid mutations. This is what is referred

to as a secondary mutation, bred by combining two

primary mutations (ie a combination mutation). This

new combination of Opaline and Pallid should never

be referred to as crossover. Despite some breeders

using this term, it in fact relates to a completely

different type of breeding. With a good knowledge of genetics and a Quaker

The Blue series Opaline Pallid has a white head, body obsession, breeding the Opaline Pallid Quaker

and wings. The wings have the usual black feather appeared to me an achievable goal.

quills seen as black flecks which are typical in the I set about acquiring the birds I needed to get started.

Opaline. It also has lighter than normal flights. The As I already had numerous Pallid birds in an assortment

rump and tail are the same colour as in the Pallid form. of colours, I only needed to find Opalines. I bought

The eyes are red, and the melanin in the skin is diluted. two unrelated Opalines, a male and female, which

In contrast, the Green series has a yellow head, gave me different lines to breed the birds I required.

body and wings, with the same wing markings as the Initially, I paired both the male and female Opalines

Blue series. The rump and tail are the same as in the to Pallids, which bred me Opaline and Pallid females

Pallid form. The eyes are red, and it too has dilution and double split Opaline and Pallid males. To progress

of melanin in the skin. genetically, I kept changing the pairings every season

Both Pallid and Opaline mutations have existed by using different Pallid birds, which has worked out

in Australia for a few years now. I knew it wouldn't a lot easier and cheaper than replacing the Opalines.

take long for someone with a love of genetics and When the young double splits were at a breeding

mutations in parrots to try and combine the two. age, they were paired with different coloured,

As it turned out, it happened to be me! This is the unrelated Pallid females to achieve an Opaline Pallid.

account of how I achieved this milestone. The first breeding season of 2019/20 was slow.

Only some of the pairs bred, all failing to breed any

THE CHALLENGE BEGINS Opaline Pallid young. Disappointing I know but,

After searching for Quaker mutations worldwide undeterred, I pushed on to the next season.

and seeing photos of the stunning Opaline Pallid on

the internet—surely a must-have for all bird keepers THE REWARD

today—I began to look towards breeding some of The 2020/21 season was a lot better, with most of the

my own. I have always wanted to breed something pairs—some double splits now with Opaline females—

different and new within the parrot species I keep. producing young of multiple genetic combinations.

562 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Cobalt Opaline Pallid (left)
and Blue Opaline Pallid
female Quakers

PHOTO JADE WELCH

Cobalt Opaline (left) and Blue
Opaline (right) female Quakers

PHOTO JADE WELCH

These included Pallid possibly split Opaline, Opaline Cobalt Opaline Pallid Above: Blue split Opaline split
possibly split Pallid and the elusive Opaline Pallid. To say female Quaker Pallid male with a Cobalt
that I was excited is an understatement. Not only did I Pallid female (front)
have a stunning-looking bird in my collection, but I had PHOTO JADE WELCH
achieved something that I had been driven and strived to PHOTO GREG PAULL
achieve over the last few seasons—so rewarding.
Cobalt Opaline Pallid
So far, during the 2020/21 season, I have produced female chick
two Blue series Opaline Pallids—a Blue and a Cobalt.
They are very different and make heads turn; some PHOTO GREG PAULL
breeders declaring them the most stunning Quakers
they have ever seen. Being biased, I agree. 563VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •

The good news is that as I write this article, the
2020/21 season is yet to end, so I still might be lucky
enough to breed a couple more. Something in the
Green series would be exciting. Even though I feel a
great sense of achievement with my initial breeding, I
won't be resting on my laurels. I will keep introducing
unrelated birds into the mix and start using the
different colour split combinations that I've bred until
I have most of, if not all, the colours that can be bred.

My message to those who breed birds and love
developing mutations is to dream big, think outside
the box, have faith in what you know and just
go for it. You might be able to achieve your goals
and produce something new and different in your
collection to enjoy.

Th

Javan Munia

AUTHOR Javan Munia pair
NOAH TILL
PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN
Young, uncoloured
Javan Munias at two weeks
(left) and a well-feathered

fledging (right)

PHOTOS NOAH TILL

THE JAVAN MUNIA Lonchura IN CAPTIVITY
leucogastroides (family Estrildidae) is also Purity, Hybridisation and Mutations
known as the White-bellied Munia. This If you are currently keeping, or have kept Javans

munia is a secretive bird that has disappeared and in the past, you would be aware of the problems

reappeared in Australian aviaries countless times associated with their purity. In the past, before we

over the past decades. While they aren’t the most knew better, a group of breeders decided to hybridise

brightly coloured bird around, Javans are truly Javans with the more common Bengalese Mannikin

interesting to keep. Lonchura striata domestica, to produce better foster

I often refer to the Javan as the ‘Magic Munia’ due parents and more ‘Javans’ when the species became

to its habit of hiding in dense brush, only to reappear scarce. As a result, the majority of Javan Munias

once nobody is in sight. Although they have often around today are not pure birds.

given me a hard time in keeping them, I have enjoyed My birds, thankfully, are good quality lines that are

the challenge and I believe they deserve a place in as pure as you can get. There are a number of key

Australian aviculture. features to look out for to determine the purity of

Javan Munias are native to Southern Sumatra, birds. These include:

Java, Bali and Lombok in Indonesia. They have •White belly free from any scale markings

also been introduced into Singapore and the Malay •Solid black breast bar

Peninsula. In the wild they can typically be found in •Black face mask

small flocks clambering in and around tall, dense •Correct size (smaller than a Bengalese), and

grass, searching out the green seeding heads they •Hiding—pure birds will hide and are very rarely

almost entirely feed upon. seen in the aviary.

564 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

I have heard a fair bit of controversy regarding Well-protected and
some of the ‘Javan mutations’ popping up in private aviary suitable
individual collections. In my opinion, these birds are for Javan Munias
not pure, although they may have been outcrossed to
pure birds to make them appear so. The Cinnamon Special
and Pied mutations that are occurring are the result
of Bengalese genes from hybridisation. $115
+ P&H
The fact that overseas, where Javans are well
established and pure, they have not produced
any mutations such as those encountered here in
Australia supports my position. Neither have any
quality bloodlines here in Australia that I have
encountered produced any such mutations.

If the Javan Munia is to have a secure place in
Australian aviculture, careful attention must be paid
to the quality and purity of our bloodlines to prevent
pollution with Bengalese and mutation genes. There
is no place for hybrids in Australian aviculture.

A TOUGH START HOUSING

The number of pure Javan Munias in Australia When trying to breed Javans, the key is to give

is fairly low and I have found that females are them as much privacy as possible. Pure birds

incredibly scarce, with many people having lonely will not breed if the aviary is too exposed, and

excess males. Back in 2019, I sourced eight Javans of disturbances are regular. They can die due to stress

unknown age from a gentleman who wanted to move very easily. My Javans spend 70% of their day

them on at a very low price—many were as old as the clambering around the dense brush at the back of

hills! I got these birds freighted up to Toowoomba, the aviary, only coming out to feed and bathe once

only to find they were not in good condition. Most nobody is in sight. The
Finch...
had air sac mite, and one had a large tumour As mentioned earlier, my Javans were kept in a 5m
A Breeder’s
underneath its left wing. x 2.2m x 2.2m aviary for the first couple of years, Companion

After the birds were treated promptly for parasites with limited success. Looking back, I realise this by Russell
Kingston OAM
and coccidia over the course of two months, they aviary was far too open, as the whole front was
528 Pages
were released into a 5m long x 2.2m wide x 2.2m uncovered, which appeared to stress the Javans. 400 Images
70 Native &
high aviary with a couple of other species. Six When the new birds arrived, all the Javans were Exotic Species
Kept in Australian
months later, singular infertile eggs were laid by moved into a well-protected aviary which measures Aviculture
Order at www.birdkeeper.com.au
the birds in three different nests—signs of old age 3m long x 1.5 wide x 2.2m high.
Or Email:
for sure! The bird with the tumour passed on after a This aviary is much more suitable, as it is much birdkeeper@birdkeeper.com.au

sudden decline in health and the other birds stopped darker towards the back and there is a sheet of steel Phone 07 5568 0011

breeding attempts for 18 months. halfway across which acts as a privacy screen. The BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 565

In mid-2020 I came across a gentleman who was whole back area is heavily brushed with Revolution

moving on three pairs of pure Javan Finches and, Gold Melaleuca and varieties of bottlebrush. I only go

as I did not have any money or time to pick up the towards the back of the aviary once a week in order

birds myself, a good mate bought them and after six to prevent too much stress on the birds, while still

months bred one, followed shortly by a nest of three ensuring they are in good health. (I very rarely see

from one of the pairs. Once three of those birds had them throughout the week when they’re hiding.)

coloured up, I traded a number of Black-rumped I have seen people gain good success with Javans

Double-barred Finches for these Javans, and moved in planted aviaries, and I believe the birds benefit

them into a more private, smaller aviary with my from dense, natural cover throughout the aviary. My

older birds. aviary floors are concrete which allows easy cleaning

and rodent-proofing.

SUCCESS & SURPRISE

Three months in, a pair of young birds laid four DIET

infertile eggs. A month later they laid another four Javan Munias seem to be tough birds to please at

eggs and hatched three but let them die. I felt I was times, but feeding is by far the easiest aspect to

getting close. After another month they laid six eggs, keeping them. I feed mine a variety of supplements

hatched one chick and got it onto the perch—success! such as baked eggshells, charcoal, shell grit,

I went into the aviary and put a ring on the chick cuttlefish bone and a commercial egg and biscuit

and, as I was doing so, I heard cheeping from the mix. The shell grit, charcoal and eggshells are the

brush—another nest! I observed the nest and found only supplements I have observed these birds eat

one of the older birds had paired up with a younger so far.

one and put one chick on the perch themselves. In addition, they are fed seeding grasses, green

Things are slowly picking up with the Javans, but grass, corn, pea shoots, Lebanese cucumber and

some of the older birds have had their time. Many broccoli. Another key to success with Javan Munias

would be 6–7 years old and have been moved to a is copious amounts of seeding grasses fed on a

non-breeding aviary to prevent burning them out. regular basis. Seeding grass heads from species such

The original breeders are still going well but the as African Lovegrass, couch, New Guinea grass and

onset of colder weather has slowed many nesting millet varieties are the most popular and effective,

attempts. At the time of writing, two older birds have although I prefer the latter two.

paired up and have put another single chick onto A good quality seed mix such as Avigrain Finch

the perch despite the severe frosts, and the younger Blue™ is relished, and I also provide a separate dish

birds are incubating another clutch. of red panicum mixed with Passwell® The Good Oil.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Javan Munia in wild habitat©ABKTermites are also provided, and I have seen the
Javans picking over them eagerly on a few occasions.
Unfortunately, Bengalese Fresh water is a must as these birds love nothing
Finches have been more than bathing regularly.

hybridised with Javan SEXING
Munias, leaving very few
munias of the pure form left Like all munias and mannikins, sexing isn’t the
easiest thing to do with Javans, but there are three
in Australian captivity main guidelines—vent activity, positioning and
bottom mandible shape.
PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN
Hold the Javan on its back and part the feathers so
LIVE FOOD AND REPTILE PRODUCTS the vent is exposed and blow on the vent. In males
the vent will ‘pout’ and become aroused and hard to
CRICKETS, MEALWORMS, SILKWORMS, the touch. In females, the vent will do neither. The
SUPERWORMS, BSFL, HOUSE FLY PUPAE, WOODIES female vent is also closer to the tail, while the male’s
is closer to the legs. These two factors together are
AUSTRALIA WIDE SERVICE a good way to join the dots to ascertain if the bird
ORDERS: Phone 02 97900438 Fax 02 9790 0460 is male or female. However, there is also a visual
Email info@biosupplies.net.au www.biosupplies.net.au difference to be found underneath the bottom
mandible, with males having a ‘U’ shape and females
566 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 a ‘V’ shape.

BREEDING

Privacy, privacy and more privacy is the key to
successfully getting any Javan Munias onto the
perch. To provide this, my aviary has a privacy
screen to the front of the back area, which is heavily
brushed to minimise disturbances. This allows me to
easily service the aviary without having to bother the
Javans whatsoever.

These birds prefer to nest in brush hung on the
walls but will sometimes nest in brush cylinders.
Here they construct their dome-shaped nests entirely
out of emu feathers and various grasses, such as
dried green panic seed heads.

Incubation is 12–14 days. Chicks fledge after a
further 21 days, well-feathered and ready to fly. When
chicks are being reared, copious amounts of seeding
grasses and live food such as termites or maggots
should be provided to achieve good results.

Shell grit and charcoal tend to be eaten
significantly as well when young are in the nest, so
make sure a stable supply is provided. Young will
become independent around four weeks of age and
fully colour up after approximately three months.

Due to their elusiveness, it can be difficult to know
when Javans are unwell, so be sure to treat your
birds for coccidia, worm and air sac mite every three
months or so. I use Moxidectin Plus, Panacur® 25
and Coccivet® to resolve these issues.

CONCLUSION

I believe the Javan Munia is one of Australian
aviculture’s ‘forgotten species’. It has been swept
under the rug numerous times in the past. Although
I have personally had limited success due to low
availability of new pure bloodlines, and having to
work with older birds with poor fertility, I have
enjoyed the challenge of keeping these little gems
and I will keep on working hard with another couple
of gentlemen to hopefully get the pure Javan Munia
back to a much more sustainable status.

I am looking forward to hearing the results of
the latest finch census to see the current status of
Javan Munias in Australia. However, I believe my
experience with these birds is also a bit of a wake-up
call for many other species—if aviculturists cannot
collaborate together in the arena of avicultural
conservation, many more species will wither away to
the point of no return. I don’t want to live in a world
like that.

ThHOODED PARROT AUTHORS PAUL COURT & RAY CHAPMAN

Pied (left) and Normal Hooded Parrots Recessive Pied Hooded Parrots, male (left) and female mutation mu erings

PHOTO JADE WELCH PHOTO PAUL COURT

ASTUNNING AND MUCH-LOVED BIRD BREEDING
in many Australian aviaries, the Hooded Parrot In the wild Hooded Parrots typically breed over
Psephotus dissimilis is small in stature and relatively the winter months to avoid raising chicks over the
easy to keep. Native to the Northern Territory, it is oppressively hot northern Australian summer. However,

found in open woodland and grassland. It digs tunnels in captivity in south-east Queensland and the southern

in termite mounds in which to breed. A worrying sign states it is a different story, with winter being a lot colder

for the Hooded Parrot in the wild is that it has declined than these birds are used to. Because of this it is best to

from much of its original range. In captivity, however, the supply them with an insulated nest box.

Hooded Parrot is extremely popular, particularly with the In south-east Queensland, a box with a spout, an inner

mutations that are readily available in the Recessive Pied box and an outer box, with a layer of about 1.2cm (0.5

and Fallow. in) thick foam between the two, should be sufficient.

There is a marked difference in appearance between the However this might not be enough in more southern

sexes of this long-tailed species. The adult male has a black states. Some breeders also choose to use a heat mat or

crown, like a hood, to below the eyes, giving the bird its insulate the nest box so as to replicate the insulation of

name. It has dark brown upperparts, with a blue-green the wild termite nest.

rump, and turquoise face and underparts, except for

under the tail which is salmon-coloured. An olive-green MUTATIONS

tail tipped with blue, and rich yellow wings complete the There have been a number of mutations in the Hooded

picture. The female is a dull yellowish-green all over, with a Parrot produced with varying success over the years, including

grey head, and pale blue tinge on the cheeks, lower breast, Blue, Parblue, Turquoise, Pied, Fallow and Greygreen.

abdomen and rump. Although it has been around for many years, the work

done with the Recessive Pied mutation has been very

HOUSING impressive. Starting with birds that showed minimal

Keeping Hooded Parrots is reasonably simple. They seem pied marking, this mutation has been selectively bred

to go well in ground-based and suspended aviaries alike. over the years. Extremely heavily pied birds are now

The key is to make sure they are not in an area that is available, to the extent that even though they are a

too breezy. sexually dimorphic bird, heavy pied males and females

When it comes to noise, Hooded Parrots are generally can be pretty indistinguishable. Some of the heavily pied Paul &Ra

not an issue. They only tend to get a little loud in their specimens are pretty much a fully yellow bird with no

territorial behaviour around fellow Hooded Parrots and other markings at all.

other species. In our experience they must be kept in single

pairs as they can be very territorial and, in turn, aggressive.

DIET Available from
A good quality small parrot mix will suffice for dry seed, ABK at www.
while Hooded Parrots also like a good sprouted seed birdkeeper.com.au
and fresh greens like milk thistle and dandelion, flowering or see Free Mail
natives like bottlebrush and lilly pilly, and fresh fruit and veg.
We have also found they like hulled oats at breeding time, Order Card
but they are generally ravenous eaters when raising babies
and will have a crack at most food items given to them. VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 567

Blue-backed male

PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN

URGENTLY NEEDED

Red-eyed Tanygnathus

island of Sulawesi) which had never been surveyed

ornithologically. In the Sangihe group, only the

island of Biaro had a sizeable population of

Great-billed Parrots.

The smaller members of the genus were previously

known to aviculturists as Müller’s Parrot and then

the Blue-backed Parrot (T. sumatranus, formerly

T. muelleri), and the Blue-naped Parrot T. lucionensis

Great-billed Parrot from the Philippines. The Black-lored Parrot

PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN SEVERAL GENERA OF PARROTS FROM T. gramineus, from the Indonesian island of Buru,
the Oriental region are little known in was totally unknown to aviculture, with very few
AUTHOR aviculture. They were seldom imported in the observations even in its mountainous habitat.
ROSEMARY LOW
past and now, unfortunately, are extremely rare.
568 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU
One genus to which this applies is Tanygnathus. TAXONOMY CHANGE TO SPECIES

The word means ‘extended jaw’ and refers to the The parrot formerly known as a subspecies of the

large bill. Few genera which have been available Blue-backed Parrot T. sumatranus everetti comes

to breeders have been so neglected and few are so from the central and southern Philippines.

poorly represented in avicultural literature. Its conservation status had long been obscured

I was therefore extremely interested in David as a subspecies of the Azure-rumped Parrot

Waugh’s article Parrot Attrition on Indonesian T. sumatranus of Sulawesi. After intense study of

Islands in ABK vol. 33 no. 5, and to see Peter specimens, it has been proposed that T. s. everetti

Odekerken’s excellent photos of Great-billed and be elevated to the rank of species with the name

Blue-backed Parrots. David drew attention to the Blue-backed Parrot T. everetti.

fact that members of the Tanygnathus genus are The Indonesian T. s. sumatranus was also elevated

under threat due to deforestation of the mainly small to a species rank—the Azure-rumped Parrot

islands on which they occur. T. sumatranus (Arndt, Collar & Wink, 2019).

While researching the taxonomic status of the

ORIGINS Philippine birds, it became apparent to these authors

Tanygnathus originate from the Wallacea region of that on the scant evidence available, the plight of the

Indonesia and the Philippines. Wallacea includes Blue-backed Parrot was exceptionally serious and

Sulawesi, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Timor, unaddressed by any conservation measures. They

Halmahera, Buru, Seram and many smaller islands. therefore attempted to piece together a full profile

The islands of Wallacea lie between the Malay from the many fragmentary sources of information

Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Bali to the west, to establish appropriate action for its future

and Australia and New Guinea to the south and east. conservation.

When Tanygnathus parrots were available to Now called the Azure-rumped Parrot, T. sumatranus

aviculture, mainly in the 1970s and 1980s, the best is from Sulawesi, the Sula Islands and Sangihe

known was the Great-billed Parrot Tanygnathus and Talaud Islands, in Indonesia. The Blue-backed

megalorynchos. It is the largest—at 39cm (15in), Parrot T. everetti occurs in the Philippines, with the

about the same size as the larger Eclectus subspecies T. e. freeri on the Polillo Islands,

subspecies, but of slimmer build. Four species were T. e. everetti on the larger islands from Luzon

recognised in those days. (treating duponti as invalid) south to Mindanao,

David reported that a 2016 expedition visited the and T. e. burbidgii on the Sulu archipelago.

lesser Sangihe and Talaud Islands (north of the large A detailed review from museum material and

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

birdwatchers’ records indicates it was known from appealing about them that grows on one. They are

Luzon, Polillo Islands, Panay, Negros, Samar, capable of harsh sounds, yet more often utter quiet

Leyte, Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. There conversational sounds’ (Low, 1989). They have

is no evidence it survives on Luzon, Polillo Islands, exquisitely beautiful wing markings. In fact, I

Panay, Negros and Leyte. On Samar it has possibly do not know of any parrot better adorned on the

dwindled towards extinction, but it is likely to wing plumage.

survive in tiny numbers. As Curator of Birds at Loro Parque, Tenerife, we

The relatively strong conservation status of birds had three 1988-hatched, parent-reared Tanygnathus

on Sulawesi prevented the species from being on exhibit, including a Blue-naped T. lucionensis

placed on the International Union for Conservation bred in Germany. I noted ‘it was an extremely

of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species, beautiful, tame and inquisitive bird and his influence

although for 30 years the Philippine birds have been is taming down the 1988 young bird, which

described as extremely rare or rare, except in the remained nervous while with his parents’.

Sulu Archipelago. In 1988 we had bred a single Blue-naped, believed

to be of the nominate race. On fledging, it had nearly

EYE COLOUR IS CRUCIAL as much blue on the crown and nape as the adults,

When researching the Blue-backed Parrot from but the shade was duller. There was no blue on the

the Philippines in 2006, Nigel Collar and Thomas wing coverts, which were

Arndt tried to find captive individuals in collections. green, narrowly margined

(I was with Nigel when he scrutinised birds in the with yellowish green.

breeding centre of Loro Parque Fundación.) They British vet and leading

also reviewed photographs from field and aviculture aviculturist George

and looked at museum specimens. An important Smith, who bred Blue-

discovery was made—the iris is red in birds from the naped Parrots in 1983,

Philippines. In the Indonesian forms it is yellowish wrote that there were

white. Also, the Philippine forms have a larger 14–20 in UK aviculture at

bill. Males lack blue on the carpal feathers and the that time. He found that

scapulars and are darker green on the mantle. the incubation period was

The distinctiveness of the Philippine birds from 26 days, with the parents

Indonesian had not previously been detected. and in an incubator. The

In illustrations in field guides and reference usual clutch size is 2–3,

books, key differences were not noticed. The best with eggs laid every

illustration, according to Arndt, Collar & Wink, second or third day.

appears in Forshaw’s 2010 Parrots of the World, an

Identification Guide, illustrated by Frank Knight. CONCLUSION

This story teaches us

CAPTIVE BREEDING HOPE several things, perhaps

Why is this of importance to parrot keepers? The most importantly that

population decline of the Philippine birds has been the conservation status

great due to logging and illegal trapping. They are in of some parrots is little

danger of extinction. Identifying any red-eyed birds in known. More could be

captivity anywhere in the world is extremely important nearing extinction than

in attempting to start a captive breeding program. is realised.

Collar et al (2020) state that deforestation ‘has It could be easy to say

been compounded by a barely documented but that aviculturists had the Blue-naped Parrot

evidently relentless trade in wild-caught birds. Legal opportunity to establish Blue-backed Parrot T. everetti. PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN

protection for the last vestiges of forests holding However, this is not necessarily true as it might be

this species is called for... the Blue-backed Parrot is that there were no red-eyed birds in aviculture in

represented by a population of potentially far fewer Europe or the USA. Also, nothing was known of its

than 300 birds, and a reasonable precaution would conservation status then or, in fact, until recently. As

place this below 250 and allow the species to be for T. sumatranus, few birds were available and, sadly,

registered as Critically Endangered’. mortality soon after export was high.

They recommend a community education program It might be wishful thinking, an impossible

to discourage the trapping of wild birds (of any dream, but how wonderful it would be if the red-eyed

species) and recruitment of supporters for the Blue-backed Parrot T. everetti, was discovered

conservation of the parrots and their forested lands. in aviculture!

TANYGNATHUS PARROTS IN CAPTIVITY REFERENCES

Breeding of Tanygnathus parrots in captivity Arndt, T, Collar, NJ & Wink, M 2019, ‘The taxonomy
was rare in the past, mainly because they were so of Tanygnathus sumatranus’, Bulletin of the
uncommon and, even when they were available, British Ornithologists' Club, vol. 139, no. 4,
they were not particularly popular. In 1989 I pp. 346–354.
recorded, ‘The slight increase in the appearance of
Tanygnathus in trade this decade can be directly Collar, NJ et al 2020, ‘The Conservation status of the
linked to deforestation and logging activities, since Blue-backed Parrot’, Forktail vol. 36, pp. 25–34.
areas recently opened up by logging are usually
favoured by parrot trappers in Indonesia...’ Forshaw, JM 2010, Parrots of the world, an
identification guide, Princeton University Press.
Most parrot breeders in that era knew nothing at
all about these birds, and that still applies today. At Low, R 1989, ‘Breeding the neglected parrots: the
the time I wrote, ‘The Tanygnathus tend to be quiet, Tanygnathus’, Avicultural Magazine, vol. 95, no. 3,
rather inactive aviary birds, yet there is something pp. 111–118.

Smith, GA, 1984, ‘The Blue-naped Parrot’, Avicultural
Magazine, vol. 90, no. 2, pp. 99–103.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 569

A beautiful pair of
Blue-crowned Lorikeets
owned by Gerhard Hinz

PHOTO GERHARD HINZ

AUTHOR
PETER ODEKERKEN

Jewels of the South Pacific

PART1:VINI LORIKEETS
THE VINI GENUS COMPRISES SOME OF
the world’s most beautiful birds. These small island is seldom visited but in more recent times
lorikeets have established themselves over birdwatching trips have had day visits there. It is a
difficult island to land on, with high cliffs, and rough

vast distances in the South Pacific. In this article, I seas make it impossible to go ashore. Henderson

will discuss the three species that are predominately Island has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since

green in colour—the Blue-crowned Lorikeet Vini 1988 and is situated roughly halfway between New

australis, Stephen’s or Henderson’s Lorikeet Vini Zealand and South America. It seems unlikely that

stepheni and Kuhl’s Lorikeet Vini kuhlii. The two the Stephen’s Lorikeet is threatened because it is

predominately blue species, the Tahiti Blue Lorikeet found on such a remote uninhabited island, but we

Vini peruviana and Ultramarine Vini ultramarine, certainly must not become complacent.

will be discussed in a future article. Kuhl’s Lorikeet Vini kuhlii is found in good

numbers on the island of Rimatara and has

IN THE WILD been introduced to the Line Islands. The Kuhl’s

Habitat and Status was originally found on Atiu and Aitutaki but

There are five Vini species still in existence, but all became extinct as the red feathers were prized by

are considered Endangered or Of Concern as they Polynesian royalty for their cloaks and used by

are found on small islands, so any changes within inhabitants to adorn ornaments. I was lucky to have

their habitat could have grave ramifications. The some involvement with the reintroduction of this

introduction of the Black (Ship) Rat Rattus rattus is spectacular species from Rimatara to Atiu in the

believed to have contributed to the extinction of some Cook Islands. Locals are now aware of the need to

Vini lorikeets on some of these islands. All forms are conserve this bird and the queen has decreed it as of

rare or non-existent in captivity, except for the Blue- ‘royal significance’ so it must not be interfered with

crowned Lorikeet Vini australis, found naturally in or harmed.

Samoa and nearby islands to the east, Tonga and The Blue-crowned Lorikeet is common on some

Fiji’s Lau Archipelago. islands at present, but its numbers have reduced on

I have been fortunate to see four of the five some Tongan Islands and need to be monitored. Like

species in the wild and have yet to see the isolated all island bird populations, Vini face the threat of

Stephen’s Lorikeet Vini stepheni. This bird is found cyclones or avian disease, and we need to continue

on Henderson Island, part of the Pitcairn Group to monitor habitat loss and the introduction of

of Mutiny on the Bounty fame. This uninhabited foreign predators.

570 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Diet Behaviour

From personal observation in Samoa and Rimatara, During the heat of the day, pairs sit together in

these lorikeets feed on native trees and shrubs, shady trees preening, jousting and sleeping till

particularly working for nectar, pollen and the the afternoon. It is still possible to see some birds

occasional insect. Although I have not seen them foraging if they have not had enough nutrition, but

feeding on young leaves, I would be surprised if generally there tends to be little activity between

they did not, as many species of parrot rely on these. 10am and 3pm.

Most of their foraging seems to be on introduced Vini tend to be quite argumentative. Even in the

flora such as coconut, banana, mango, Coral Trees wild, I have noticed pairs sitting side by side happily

Erythrina spp. and other scrubs and trees. preening and mutually preening when, suddenly,

Most of their feeding occurs in the first three hours jousting begins with a verbal screech before the pair

after sunrise and again just prior to sunset. The major settles again. Sometimes a bird will be dislodged

attraction in the late afternoon is the banana blossom, from the perch but usually they re-establish contact

or ‘heart’, as it is often referred to. The sheath of the sitting next to each other.

heart covers and protects the yellow flowers at the I have seen a few pairs sitting within a short

base of the heart. In late afternoon the next sheath distance of each other with no real interaction

will start lifting away from the heart to allow insects between them. When 3–4 birds are found in a huddle

and bats to pollinate the flower. Before night sets in, together, it is probably a pair with offspring that are

feathered pollinators have their fill. The amount of not in juvenile plumage anymore.

nectar produced is often found dripping from the

heart before the sheath even forms. Lorikeets will BREEDING—WILD & CAPTIVE

visit these hearts and even use their bills to force the Very little is known about Vini breeding habits in

sheath open to expose the flowers. Some of the larger the wild as they are found on largely remote islands

lories in New Guinea can tear the sheath at the base to where scientific observation is rare and occurs over a

gain access early to the nectar, however, Vini species very short period. Like most Loriinae, they generally

have very small bills, inadequate to do this. lay two eggs. In captivity there are some records of

three eggs being laid, but I would say this is unusual.

Incubation is approximately 25 days and fledging

occurs at about 60 days, from the limited records

kept in captivity.

Both parents are considered to incubate, and this is

likely true to a large extent in captivity because the

parents always have access to food, whereas in the

wild the male would leave the nest to gather food to

feed the female. This may alternate with the sexes,

The Sago Palm provides
copious amounts of nectar
for the Vini. Numerous
nectar-feeding birds and
insects are attracted to
the tree

PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN

Blue-crowned Lorikeet in The rarely visited Henderson
Samoa, feeding on Coral Island is the stronghold for
Tree blossom Stephen’s Lorikeet

PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN PHOTO ALVE HENRICSON

571VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •

A sub-adult Kuhl’s Lorikeet—
note the brown bill and
mottled breast plumage

PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN

The gorgeous Kuhl’s Lorikeet

PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN

DVD &
BOOKS ON
LORIKEETS

Available from ABK at
www.birdkeeper.com.au

or see Free Mail
Order Card

Blue-crowned Lorikeet
juveniles bred by Gerhard
Hinz in Germany

PHOTO GERHARD HINZ

Blue-crowned Lorikeet chicks but there is no evidence to support this, especially We don’t know how long it takes for the young
in the nest
since sexing is extremely difficult—even more so to be independent from their parents, but I would
PHOTO GERHARD HINZ

from distant field observations. From my experience assume they readily learn to feed with their parents

watching Musk Glossopsitta concinna and Little in a very short period of time. Fledged young still

Lorikeets Glossopsitta pusilla for hours at their rely on their parents to be fed, as well as to teach

nests in the wild, I would expect the male to harvest them the ways and means to live independently

food during incubation and in the early times while in the wild, especially in dealing with predators. I

brooding the young chicks. base this on my observations in breeding a large

In the wild it is obvious that the male tends to visit number of various members of the Loriinae family

every 2–3 hours, depending on distance to the food for many years.

resource from the nest. In the hotter, middle part of the Personal communication with Rosemary Low,

day, he stays in the nest for some time, no doubt sitting the most prolific author on parrots and their

quietly with the female. He may brood or incubate at captive requirements, confirms that males do share

this time but there is no record to prove this and he incubation, at least in the case of the Tahiti Blue

may just be bonding with his partner. Feeding tends to Lorikeet Vini peruviana.

resume around 3pm and continues until the light fails, Rosemary has been fortunate to keep this species,

when parents both stay in the nest for the night. an experience very few people have had. She admired

572 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Gerhard found that nest boxes with narrow or tight

entrances were preferred. This is something I have

witnessed with other small Australian species which

need to be able to defend their nests from predators

and other hollow-nesting species. For example, on

one occasion I witnessed a pair of Crimson Rosellas

Platycercus elegans try to dislodge a pair of Musk

Lorikeets Glossopsitta concinna. Even though the

smaller lorikeets would

be no match for the

aggressive rosellas,

the latter had no way

of avoiding the snappy

Blue-crowned Lorikeet in a Musk beaks and gave up
South African collection— their attempt.
note the small nest entrance
CONCLUSION
PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN

I hope that all members

these exquisite gems but found them very frustrating of the Vini genus

regarding their aggression and difficulty in parent- will one day become

rearing the young. Rosemary also states that Vini established in captivity.

and Charmosyna lorikeets, although both Loriinae, It would be unforgivable

are different from other brush-tongued parrots. if we allowed them to

This could mean that each Vini species may need disappear in the wild

specialist attention. I would love to hear from any and did not have captive

aviculturists who have had experience with the Blue- specimens that could be

crowned Lorikeet. reintroduced into native The feeding area in Gerhard
Nesting has been recorded in hollows in coconut habitat. Certainly, some Hinz’s purpose-built,
reintroductions have had mixed results, but the Kuhl’s temperature-controlled
palms, as well as in rotten coconuts still attached to Lorikeet is a shining example that reintroduction can aviaries in Germany
the tree. Other sites include indigenous trees, large

Hibiscus trunks and in Pandanus trees. succeed, as seen on Atiu in the Cook Islands. This is a PHOTO GERHARD HINZ

Black Rat-free island and introduced Indian Mynas have

IN CAPTIVITY been exterminated. Indian Mynas are hollow-nesters

As previously stated, very few aviculturists have had and an aggressive bird that had severely hampered the

the privilege of keeping any members of this genus. reintroduced Kuhl’s Lorikeets’ breeding success.

Reports seem to confirm that they are highly strung

and, even within compatible pairs, aggression can Give Your Birds
be encountered. This aggression has often led to the
female being killed in the ‘blue’ forms. There is little a Head Start
to add here as so little is known of keeping the ‘Green with Hagen
Group’ in captivity. It is unlikely that this genus
will ever become established in Australian aviaries,
although Sydney’s Taronga Zoo had some decades ago.

German breeder Gerhard Hinz has been successful 6FLHQWLƓFDOO\ IRUPXODWHG EDODQFHG GLHWV IRU DOO OLIH VWDJHV
with the Blue-crowned, and also keeps what is

considered to be a closely related species, the

Collared Lory Phigys solitarius. He has found the FREE OF

Blue-crowned to behave differently to Rosemary PRESERVATIVES,

Low’s Tahiti Blue Lorikeet. Gerhard did not witness COLOURS &

any aggression in Blue-crowned Lorikeet pairs, but FLAVOURS

occasional aggression occurred in the offspring,

most notably from females. Once separated into

pairs there was no aggression seen. He also found,

remarkably, that there was poor social support by the

breeding pairs for the chicks after leaving the nest.

He found it necessary to remove the chicks soon

after watching them feeding themselves.

HOUSING AND DIET • Pellets • Hand-Feeding Formula ©ABK

Gerhard found that Blue-crowned Lorikeets breed • PRIME® Vitamin/Mineral Supplement
well if provided with the right diet, in his case using • Clay-Cal Supplement
a higher proportion of bee pollen and amino acids. He
also found heated aviaries provide greater success, • Stainless Steel and Aluminium Leg Rings
remembering that the Vini genus live in the wild at • ‘O’ Ring Feeding Syringes • Incubators and Brooders
temperatures above 20ºC day and night all year round.
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pairs over an 18-month period. He found they can be
unpredictable breeders, with 10 months sometimes Email: sales@assetdistributors.com
separating their attempts to nest. Gerhard feels
that the lack of success with this species in other 573VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
European countries is due to the cold conditions.

vegetables from local grocery stores/supermarkets

Rescue, Rehab & Forever Homes in honoured to support and contribute to our cause.’
However, she said Covid-19 had made life more
difficult, with few donations. ‘Luckily, we have
awesome volunteers and staff—as for Frida, it’s her life.’

A Second Chance

‘Si City’ Frida Alkon’s life of ‘animal servitude’ began with
the escape of a bird she had bought for her son. ‘So,

I offered a $100 reward. The next day 20 birds in

cages were left right at my front door,’ she said. Meli

enters the room cradling Mingo, a Galah.

‘Birds are a big responsibility—that’s why they end

up being surrendered,’ Frida said.

These days, caring for all the birds at YGLT costs

$10,000 per month. A cleaning crew comes every

other day—that alone is $4500 per month, and then

there is the cost of food and rehabilitation.

YGLT does adopt out some birds after a lengthy

process which includes a petition, interview, and

home inspection, but Meli said they don’t necessarily

just take the first applicant. ‘Birds can get PTSD—

they can get distressed. Also, we only adopt to

households where the birds can partially fly free. The

bird picks the person…if they don’t like you, they’ll

bite you or try to launch at you. That’s why we always

Caring for all the MY HUSBAND GUSTAVO AND I ARE promote positive reinforcement.
birds at YGLT costs headed to the gambling capital of the ‘Never hit the birds or spray them with a bottle of
$10,000 per month world—Sin City—to learn about Nevada’s
water as punishment—it can traumatise the bird.
Just give them time-out for a bit. You have to work

conservation/rescue efforts at animal havens both on with them, listen to their body language. Some talk

and off the 6.8km flickering neon stretch of South with vocabulary…some talk in other ways, with nips,

Las Vegas Boulevard known as ‘The Strip’. bites, and hooks.’

We invite readers to share four destinations: You YGLT does everything in its power ‘to give the animals

Gotta Love Them Inc—a shelter, rehab and adoption a chance at living a happy, peaceful life. We spend much

facility specialising in parrots, macaws, and other of our resources to rehabilitate injured animals, along

exotics; Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary—a forever home with help from our local vet. This gets expensive, but at

for abandoned birds and animals of all descriptions; the end of the day, the animals are worth it’.

Southern Nevada Parrot Education, Rescue and

Rehoming Society—a fostering/resettlement GILCREASE NATURE SANCTUARY

organisation focusing solely on psittacines; and ‘Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do’—Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary

the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat—a protected outdoor (GNS) board president and administrator Sandra

sanctum just steps from the LINQ hotel/casino. Salinas sings the musical scale to the Moluccan

Cockatoos which dance in their cages.

YOU GOTTA LOVE THEM ‘Hello, my babies,’ she coos, trying to soothe them

A U T H O R You Gotta Love Them Inc (YGLT) is a non-profit, as Gustavo and I walk into the immaculately clean

no-kill animal rescue shelter and bird sanctuary outbuilding. ‘They do screech,’ she admits, ‘but they

VICKIE LILLO established in 2008. According to trainer Meli love human music—it calms them down.’ Meanwhile,
Bouman, they house over 300 injured/unwanted the refuge’s operations manager Amanda Christian is

P H O T O S G U S TAV O L I L L O ‘voiceless souls’. These comprise wild and hanging ‘homemade’ toys inside the bird enclosures
as the film Rio plays on a TV in the back room.
domesticated birds of many species from parrots,

Cockatiels, and Budgies to pigeons, doves and Original founder, William ‘Mr Bill’ Gilcrease,

ducks, as well as a slew of abandoned Vegas farmed alfalfa and vegetables on his own land—

peacocks and hens. previously a Native American village—and created

‘You don’t hear about how many birds are a preserve for animals in 1979. Las Vegas was a

surrendered,’ Meli stated. ‘People don’t do the relatively transient town, and those vacating the area

research. Take cockatoos, for example…that’s like donated their exotic animals to the shelter.

having a 3–5-year-old for the rest of your life.’ In 1991, it became an official non-profit, with 3ha

We pass a coop where Jojo, a Blue and Gold Macaw (7.5 acres) of land dedicated to providing a safe-

Ara arauna clings to the rungs, head facing the haven for animals and birds. Its mission today is to

floor. ‘He likes to be a bat and hang upside down,’ educate the public about responsible pet ownership.

Meli laughed. In an adjacent aviary, a proliferation That means no adoptions, with all animals brought

of Cockatiels and a pair of Blue mutation Indian into the sanctuary becoming permanent residents,

‘The greatness of a nation Ringnecks frolic. ambassadors and teaching tools. The sanctuary is

and its moral progress can Moving on, a Derbyan Parrot and Double Yellow- open to the public only on Saturdays by appointment.

be judged by the way its headed Amazon roam free in Frida’s enormous

animals are treated.’ kitchen, where volunteer Hailee Compton is The Heartbreak of Rehoming

Mahatma Gandhi’s words chopping fresh greens. Amanda had strong advice for perspective pet

inspire shelter founder ‘We thrive due to the life's work of Frida Alkon owners. ‘Before you buy an animal, do a lot of

Frida Alkon and the huge out-of-pocket expenses she is willing research. A bird is meant to bond with one person

to incur to save lives,’ Meli explained. ‘We often get forever—rehoming is heartbreaking.’ She said

574 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

rejection leads to behavioural problems and self- The chortling amps up as we enter the first aviary,

plucking. ‘Literally, changing homes for birds drives quickly closing both the outer and inner doors.

them mad …You know in the Batman movies, when Amazons are flying and roosting.

the Joker breaks out of Arkham Asylum (where all ‘Birds are territorial. That’s why we try to keep

the crazies have gone)? Well, this is Arkham Asylum them next to birds of their own kind, so they can

for birds, damaged by the neglect of some humans.’ chatter and converse,’ Amanda explained. A second

Amanda said people needed to think beyond corral houses parakeets, Cockatiels and lovebirds. In

the immediate when considering pet purchases, winter panels are used, along with heaters to keep Carolina Ducks
especially at Easter and Christmas, with too many the heat in. To beat the

‘people thinking a baby chick or duck or bunny sweltering temperatures

is a disposable toy suitable for a holiday’. She of summer, shade cloth,

said Covid-19 had also resulted in an outbreak of misters and bird baths

backyard farms started by people with little to no are added, as well as

experience and ‘there were also plenty of free shelter frozen treats such as

adoptions. So many people did ‘impulse’ adopting, berry-infused ice cubes.

because they were lonely’. Leaving Sandra

Sandra agreed. ‘From the minute it comes out of its behind to pursue other

shell and you blow on it, that bird can recognise you— duties, we continue

it’s called imprinting. It thinks of itself as a human… with Amanda across the

doesn’t even know it’s a bird.’ Sandra details the many grounds, which grow

challenges facing the reserve, mainly providing good apples, pomegranates,

food and nutrition. ‘It’s progressive, as the community figs, mulberries, and

of bird science gets better,’ she said. ‘This sanctuary juniper nuts. ‘Feed and

wants cutting-edge information and we’re staying hay are the biggest

current for the best that we can offer the birds.’ expenses,’ Amanda said.

Amanda said birds do not fare well with excessive ‘It’s a blessing Walmart

change and disrupted routines, yet the average long- donates produce for us,

lived bird would be rehomed six times. ‘We want plus gives us cat food.’

birds to come here and live out their lives,’ she said, Before Covid-19 struck,

pointing to Crimson-winged Parrots, Indian Ringed- about 2000 children

necks, a Patagonian Conure, and smaller Severe’s visited GNC annually,

Macaw and caique being nursed back to health, from private, public, even

in some cases regrowing feathers thanks to better home-schools, delivering

nutrition, proper attention and less anxiety. a steady income stream.

Sandra notes that over the years many people have Our trio strolls past

left their birds to the sanctuary in their wills. ‘For an outdoor pond where

birds with longevity, it’s totally responsible to have American Coots, Mallard

your wishes in place, ie a will for taking care of your and Pekin Ducks are

bird should it outlive you,’ she said. splashing despite the chilly

‘Some of these birds have the mentality of a small breeze. A Whooper Swan

child—they need an activity enrichment program and Cygnus cygnus, turned

require lots of attention. That’s what we provide.’ over to the sanctuary by

There’s even a pianist who plays music and sings in the Mandalay Bay Casino,

Bill’s Barnyard. swims close. Nearby,

Pecking fervently, a Moluccan Cockatoo partially turkeys and chickens in Amazons are given plenty
destroys his newfangled diversion—a toy of recycled an outdoor pen are creating a stir. of enrichment at Gilcrease
materials—shredding the egg cartons, coin wrappers ‘We snatch up all of the eggs—they are never Nature Sanctuary

and corrugated cardboard, ripping chunks from allowed to hatch,’ Amanda explained. ‘We realise

the wooden blocks and piercing the coffee filters these birds need to mate but we don’t want to expand

filled with nuts. ‘It’s important taking care of these the sanctuary. The staff’s mission is to provide this

animals and keeping the sanctuary available for refuge for as long as the longest-living animal on

the community,’ Sandra said. Half a toilet paper roll site is here—whatever their life span. Our end date is

(without glue) tumbles to the floor of the birdcage. based on who has the longest life expectancy.

Before we leave for the outside aviaries, Amanda ‘Right now, we have two baby Sulcata Tortoises—

gathers up any excess trinkets in deference to the they can live for a century—so, we plan for the

volunteer who makes about 100 toys a week. sanctuary to be open for at least another 100 years.’

Philosophy and Practice SOUTHERN NEVADA PARROT EDUCATION,

Currently, GNC does not offer adoptions. ‘We have RESCUE & REHOMING SOCIETY

a sustainability strategy—it (our number) ebbs and A quartet of Moluccan Cockatoos, at almost

flows…we take in as many as we can afford at a ear-bleeding intensity, is shrieking as we enter

time,’ Sandra said. ‘The number can grow if we have Madeleine Franco’s residence, a Southern Nevada

more donations.’ Parrot Education, Rescue & Rehoming Society

Around 2009, she said, people started regarding (SNPERRS) foster home. As society president, she

wildlife as potential pets. ‘We want to educate the founded the organisation in 2007 after splitting off

public about leaving them wild…also to not release from the auspices of a local bird club.

the domestics,’ a practice deemed illegal by Nevada Run 100% by volunteers, the non-profit network

law. ‘In three days, 90% (of released pets) will be is strictly for parrots only, and works with the

dead. It can also impact the ecosystem in a negative neighbouring states of Utah, Arizona, and California

way—the domestics take away resources from the to offer ‘a caring alternative to selling a beloved pet

native birds.’ to a stranger’.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 575

California
Brown
Pelicans

Moluccan Cockatoos at Why only parrots? ‘It’s what we know’, Madeleine which in fact ‘barely covers the price of the cage’—
Madeleine Franco's
foster-home residence explained. She steps closer to the rescued Moluccan the society assists in helping to locate lost birds or
Chilean Flamingos
Cockatoo—an old-world Indonesian species—and a lost owners. They notify their members on a 45-day
576 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU
female Red-tailed Black Cockatoo from Australia, her ‘Lost and Found’ registry post on Craig’s List, and

own private collection, now agitatedly straddling foster birds until owners can be located. Additionally,

branches set atop prodigious cages in her family Madeleine is a frequent speaker with the American

room. She talks softly, trying to settle them. Federation of Aviculture and specialises in ‘self-

‘The birds aren’t used to the Covid prevention pluckers’ and refeathering. Her articles can be

masks. I don’t wear one in the house, but when viewed at www.premiumpinecones.net.

anyone comes over…The cockatoos are conscious of

any changes and this causes alarm,’ she said. FLAMINGO WILDLIFE HABITAT

‘These are solitary birds, unless mating. They can ‘When a little birdie tells you that there is a group of

break glass with their voice. I’m ‘tuned in’ to the exotic birds in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, you’re

cockatoos, probably the most mismanaged of all not hearing a fib. At The Flamingo’s outdoor Wildlife

birds. They require a special type of attention.’ And Habitat, you can get up close with pink flamingos,

lots of time. ‘I spend several hours a day in my bird ducks, koi fish, and much more. The Habitat may

room—cleaning, rearranging and fixing—it’s my life,’ only be a few steps from the hustle and bustle of the

Madeleine confessed. resort, but you’ll feel miles away.’ So runs the blurb

With a permit as a rehoming organisation, for the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat (FWH) on vegas.

Madeleine stated, ‘You can't keep them all…That’s com, a website dedicated to Vegas attractions and

not what we're about. We're about finding the best events. FWH is home to 70 exotic birds, 20 turtles

possible new permanent home for every parrot we and 300-plus fish.

rescue—as loving a home (or better) than they had Originally known as The Fabulous Flamingo,

before coming to SNPERRS.’ the art deco-styled casino is the oldest gambling

With the Covid-19 crisis, SNPERRS is actively establishment still operating on The Strip, and was

trying to eliminate the ‘fostering’ stage by promptly named in 1946 after mobster owner Bugsy Siegel’s

finding a ‘forever home’ for their charges. At the same red-headed, long-legged mistress Virgina Hill,

time, Madeleine said, ‘We’re not Macy’s, where you go nicknamed ‘The Flamingo’.

in and see a pretty bird and say, ‘ooh, I want that one’. The 6ha (15-acre) preserve on the casino premises

We try to pair up the bird with the correct adopters. was established in 1995, with the salmon-coloured

We match up the bird with what people want.’ Chilean Flamingos the star attraction.

‘They are all living a very good life,’ according to

Finding Forever Homes keeper Jackie, busy chucking food into a channel

Gustavo and I follow Madeleine into a dining room/ meandering among the palm trees. ‘We feed the

entranceway, where she attends to a beakless conure. flamingos a kibble that breaks down in water, because

‘All of our birds are donated, either by their current they are filter feeders.’ This, together with calanus, a

owner or through execution of a will,’ she explains. type of red plankton from the North Sea, complemented

‘Unless it’s an obviously clear-cut situation, like the by ingested bacteria, crustaceans and diatoms,

owner died and the relatives can’t handle it, we need contributes to the flamingos’ vibrant pink tincture.

to know what’s going on with the bird. Perhaps it Jackie points to a specimen sleeping on a single webbed

has behavioural issues.’ Their first goal is to help foot. ‘The leg locks into place. It helps regulate body

people keep their own bird by providing training, temperature—they make good yogis,’ she laughed.

techniques, information, etc. Anyone relinquishing a With mating season in full swing, there is a lot of

bird has to fill out a form to provide a true profile of ‘courting’ going on. As well as its flamingos, FWH is

that bird. home to Mandarin Ducks (popular as wedding gifts

SNPERRS understands that there is a great need in China), Northern Cinnamon Teals Wood Ducks (the

for adoptive care, since larger parrots frequently most beautiful of the Anatidae family), and Common

outlive their owners. ‘Birds are very sensitive and Shovelers whose males are known for excessive

rehoming can be stressful. They are prey animals— bathing and preening displays to attract a female.

very emotional. I consider them quite spiritual,’ Jackie explains FWH has ‘a wildlife team that keeps

Madeleine said. all the babies happy’. Sometimes those babies are

Besides adoptions—for which there is a fee that traded with other accredited zoos. A Black Swan,

includes a cage, starter kit, and veterinary check, but known as Miss Nasty, and a Radjah Shelduck, called

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Oreo, are chattering nearby. ‘They’re best friends,’ CONCLUSION

Jackie said. Across the pond, a pair of California So, go to Las Vegas for the gaming…for the parties,

Brown Pelicans, from a rescue in Laguna Niguel, are buffets and fabulous headliner entertainment. But go

fishing…plunging their oversized gullets beneath the for the birds, too. See for yourself how this glittering

surface, hoping to spear a fresh catch. The hapless spectacle of a town, a sparkling diamond in the

birds were found entangled in monofilament line, desert, is working to save its abandoned, injured

wings damaged beyond repair. Luckily, they have and/or neglected avian wildlife one feathered friend

found an enduring home here at FWH. at a time.

Vale Ross (Toby) Martin 17Nov1927–17May2021

TOBY MARTIN LOVED ALL ANIMAL LIFE
and particularly the smaller Australian
grass parrots. He founded the Grass Parrot
& Lorikeet Society Inc. We first met at one of their

conventions when I was a ‘newbie’ to aviculture.

His breeding experiences were delivered with

practical humour and an attitude that amused me— An animal lover, Toby also
he did that very well. Appreciative of honest troopers, enjoyed painting sailing ships
my respect for Toby Martin is special and we have

enjoyed lovely conversations over the years. He was

a most genuine and compassionate person and a free TRIBUTES

communicator of his avicultural knowledge. The condolences placed on Facebook as news spread

As such a respected breeder, Toby authored his of Toby’s passing were numerous and touching. We

book A Guide to Neophema and Psephotus Grass wanted to share some with readers:

Parrots—first published by ABK Publications •My close friendship within our mutual hobby of

in 1989. The print run sold out and the title was aviculture and bird clubs spanned over 40 years.

reprinted in 1990, 1992 and revised in 1997. Toby’s work within the hobby has been missed

Today it is still one of our most popular books. This for some years as he aged, however many still

accomplishment is all the greater because Toby did gain from his book. My sincere condolences to the

not read or write well—he had dyslexia, but found family. RIP. – Ian Ward

ways to overcome this hurdle to make his book a •RIP Toby. What a great man to talk to. – Marcus Judd

reality. Toby was a great communicator. •Sad news, a real pioneer. RIP. – Hayden Dix

Within aviculture Toby specialised in breeding •My condolences to Toby’s family. He was a true bird

‘Australian grassies’ and their mutations, earning man and a mentor to me. RIP buddy. – Martin Thorn

respect from bird breeders worldwide. He was such •What sad news. He was a tremendous contributor

an inspiration that this led to travel and speaking to our hobby and the Parrot Society of Australia

invitations in many countries. His accomplishment (NSW) club. He will be missed. – Mark Kelly

was amazing. •RIP (Ross) Toby. You were a great friend and

Toby was also an accomplished painter, mostly of mentor to me in my early bird-keeper days. Full of

ships. Earlier in life, Toby had sailed with the Flying advice and always loved a chat. – Dean Baker

P Line of four-masted sailing barques, among other •Very sorry to hear… Toby was so sick so long ago…

vessels. Sadly, working on ships and clambering over He was always fun to be around, nothing was done

containers led to asbestos health issues which he by halves. – Glenn Roman

fought with vigour. •RIP Toby. He helped me a number of times over the

In fact, Toby had been pronounced clinically dead years. – Jade Welch

on two previous occasions as his son Christian •Great loss!! RIP Toby! – Rana Dey

related. ‘Once, overseas, he contracted pneumonia, •My condolences to Toby’s family and friends.

and his heart slowed to almost a stop and he was His book was one of the first books from the series

packed in ice. Much to the shock of the nurse A guide to … that I purchased. – Dean Smith

cleaning the area, she witnessed Toby waking up and •RIP old mate. I’ll miss your good yarns and funny

shivering. (I am sure she would still have nightmares sense of humour. Great man and aviculturist.

about it!) The second time was a bit vague (not sure Condolences to Jacki and family. – Tony Xuereb

the doctors were so vigilant in saving some lives, •Lived next door to Toby and Jacki for many years.

shall we say.) Dad would always joke, ‘third time’s the My deepest condolences to Jacki, Christian, also

charm’, and made the most of the third charm.’ Scott and families. – Sharon Lemon

Toby Martin was a much-loved husband to Jacki •RIP, a great man has passed on. – Clarence Parker

and father to Christian, Scott, Karen, Rhonda, and Condolences were also expressed via ABK by

their families. Over 41 years of marriage, Toby Michael Lee, Rudy Caccia, Tony Scott, Thierry

and Jacki were a wonderful, quirky, and humorous Duliere, Avijit Dey, Bradley R Holland, Paul

couple with a magic between them and their family. Ruttiman, Karin Blake, Paul Dixon, Neal Sellers,

My sincere condolences. Alfred Bojsen, Gordon Dosser and Dave Derrett.

Sheryll Steele-Boyce God Bless, Toby. RIP.

577VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •

NaAtuLrifeaonf Ar

AUTHOR & PHOTOS

VIDA PEARSON

The Linocut piece Carmine
Bee-eaters, one of 92 pieces
selected into the prestigious

international Birds
in Art exhibition from
over 800 entries from

around the globe

ABK CONGRATULATES VICTORIAN ARTIST THE JOURNEY

Vida Pearson for acceptance of her linocut My partner Fred Ross and I have spent the past 10

piece ‘Carmine Bee-eaters’ into the prestigious years travelling and exploring the southern African

international Birds in Art exhibition held annually continent. On those field trips our passions for

in the USA. Just 92 pieces were selected from over birdwatching and photography are indulged to the

800 entries from around the globe. fullest. It was on a trip through Zambia that we first

Vida has been a professional artist/printmaker came across a pair of very beautiful Carmine Bee-

for over 30 years and long-time member of the eaters. Intrigued by these birds of extraordinary

Wildlife Art Society of Australasia, combining her colour and beautiful shapes, we tried to work out

love of birdwatching, photography and travel with how we could get ‘up close and personal’. It took a

her art. She spends about two months each year few more years of planning to organise an extensive

collecting material for new images on field trips trip from the north of South Africa through the

within Australia and overseas, including outback whole length of Namibia and then a sharp turn right

Australia, Antarctica, Madagascar, Asia, Iceland to drive along the Caprivi Strip.

and, most frequently, southern Africa. Among her It was our second trip to this very stark and

accolades is being judged Wildlife Artist of the beautiful country, and it was nice to revisit places,

Year by the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia in as well as explore some new ones. There was the

both 2014 and 2015. wonderful contrast of driving through the heat and

This is her story of the Carmine Bee-eaters. sand of the Namib Desert before descending into the

thick ‘pea soup’ fog that often hangs over the Atlantic

coastal port of Luderitz. We then continued up the

coast to Walvis Bay, which did not disappoint with its

wonderful array of shore birds where flamingos and

pelicans abound.

Further up the coast we found possibly the

smelliest place on earth, the Cape Cross seal colony,

578 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

which is home to hundreds of thousands of Cape Once the sun arrives, up they come, stretch their

Fur Seals. Next, we headed for the iconic Etosha wings, sit in the sun to warm up, either on the ground

National Park where fond memories were rekindled. or on nearby trees, and then a few hours later they take

There is something about the landscape of this place to the skies like a swarm of locusts in search of the day's

that makes any photo taken instantly recognisable— food. It was a wonderful experience, replicated the next

the stark blue sky, white glaring sand, lack of day as we went and indulged ourselves a second time.

vegetation and the abundance of animals gathered How many thousand photos did I take? I hate to

at the waterholes. think. Let's just say ‘enough’...

Turning left out of Etosha, we drove into the

community/tribal lands of northern Namibia, saying THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19

goodbye to the large farms of the south. Here it I take some time to sort my material and decide on

is almost continuous mud and thatch huts with the composition of my linocuts. It's a slow process,

many people still living a fairly traditional lifestyle— but at the beginning of 2020 I made a start on the

alongside their mobile phones, satellite dishes and Carmine Bee-eaters. Then, as we all know, in March

solar panels! we had our first lockdown. Now many of you may

Once we had stocked up on supplies at Rundu, think with all that time in lockdown I would be able

the last large town in the area, we headed east to get lots of work done. Alas, no...

along the Cubango River, staying at some delightful My modus operandi has always been to work to

guesthouses before arriving at our destination on deadlines—exhibitions, art shows etc—and with

the banks of the mighty Zambezi River. Our original everything cancelled in 2020 there was no pressure

booking, made 12 months earlier, had been at Kalizo to finish anything. I can fiddle with an image forever

Lodge, but we had received an email six weeks before if there is no reason to state that it is now ‘finished’.

departure that it had been sold and was now closed This was the fate of my beautiful Carmine Bee-eaters.

for renovation. The only accommodation they could They sat there for nine months ‘almost’ finished. I

offer was a couple of kilometres up the river at Island kept assuring Fred (he subtly inquired regularly as

View Fishing Camp (now named Zambezi Mubala to when they would be finished) that I only needed

Camp). As the name suggests, the focus was on ‘another day’ to work on them...

fishermen, not bird watchers, so there was quite a bit Well, the day finally came in 2021 with the deadline for

of beer-drinking and stories while they spent the day Birds in Art and, voila, they were selected—what bliss!

in the scorching sun, rods in hand, hoping to catch We look forward to welcoming you one day at our

that elusive fish. The accommodation was basic but studio, 21 Rill Court, Haddon (just outside Ballarat).

clean, and it had a much-appreciated swimming pool. We are one of five studios which make up the Hidden

I don't know whether the fishermen were ever aware Gems Open Studios—including paintings, linocuts,

of, or cared about, the beautiful birds that lived in the furniture, ceramics and Aboriginal art—on the first Schalow's Turaco near the
Zambezi Mubala Camp
vicinity—Schalow's Turaco being one of the delights. weekend of each month.

Carmine Bee-eaters resting
in wild vegetation

THE DESTINATION For more details, go to www.vidapearson.com. Flamingos at rest

Rising early, we made our way to the tinnie we VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 579
had hired for the morning, camera gear ready to
go. It was a short distance down the river around
a few corners and then…the glorious sight of
thousands of nesting Carmine Bee-eaters—
breathtakingly beautiful.

There is something exhilarating about being amid
thousands of birds as they go about their daily
activities of nesting, feeding and breeding. This
colony is quite unusual as they nest by burrowing
straight down into the sand. Other colonies make
their burrows into the side of the riverbanks but here
they go straight down—the thinking is the sand is
too unstable. This means the area is a mass of holes,
with birds popping up and down as they construct
their nests.

hookbill hobbyist Wha i
AUTHOR EB CRAVENS
Parrot ‘Socialisation’?

Being around other fledging species is an Parrots learn from one another. Here, an
integral part of pet parrot socialisation older female interacts with her cousin

FOR DECADES NOW THE TERM It would seem that, with a few exceptions, wild psittacines
‘socialisation’ has been employed to describe early have evolved as communal creatures. This does not mean
fledgling development in handfed pet parrots. This there are not some antisocial individuals, some promiscuous

study of how psittacines behave in our world of human or solitary types, greedy feeders, bullies, scaredy-cats,

beings, where the most desirable pets are often the ones pranksters and a whole gamut of ‘less-than-perfect’ non-

which can dependably and affectionately get along with conformists when judged by human standards. Yes, parrots

people, has become a popular behavioural issue. are like people in more ways than may first meet the eye!

We certainly still have much to learn about these

companion animals. Sometimes, however, research in LIFE IN CAPTIVITY

this complicated realm has introduced me to opinions So, by nature, most of the species we are talking about here

that, in my humble estimation, are ‘putting the cart are social beings. So what do people mean when they talk

before the horse’, so to speak—or perhaps squawking of ‘socialising’ an already, by nature, social creature? That is

up the wrong tree! one of the concepts that tends to confound me.

So, here’s my view of this thing called socialisation… And by whose rules of society are we choosing to

operate? By the parrot’s? Or by the human keepers,

A SOCIAL FAMILY depending on what those humans actually expect or want

Most species of wild psittacine are somewhat social by out of their birds?

nature. They live in flocks numbering from a few family Certain genera of psittacines are noted for repeatedly

members to tens of thousands. Obviously there is safety showing up in pet bird rehoming situations. Large

in numbers, since the more eyes watching and the more cockatoos and macaws, small headstrong Poicephalus,

individuals bolting to escape, the less likely it is that any jealous Amazon parrots, noisy conures…the list goes on.

given individual will be ambushed and killed. A large portion of these handraised pets have undergone

Yet the flock set-up offers much more than safety to its basic baby bird socialisation, according to practices

members. Parrot groups, flexible and seasonally changing commonly put forward in literature about pet avian

E as they are, have an evolved social system within which behaviour. Nevertheless, many of these ‘passed-on parrots’

580 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU the birds may locate and consume foodstuffs, grow up have trouble living up to our aforementioned standard of

and be schooled, engage in mock and real pecking orders, ‘dependably and affectionately getting along with people’.

delight in buffoonery and creative play, and seek out and So where is the failure? (Other than humans changing

procure a mate. their whims, of course.)

Psittacines are not precocial birds. They do not leave the I maintain the root cause is in the set of social rules

egg and know instinctively how to eat and behave. Instead by which we choose to raise these birds. Human

they go through a lengthy period of being fed and taught socialisation standards work fine for baby and

by their parents, after which they have the necessary skills adolescent birds whose strength of will and pecking

to fend for themselves. Many other life skills are passed order status is still barely developed. Baby birds are

on from their elders also. A major portion of this learning ‘easy’, I heard renowned behaviour consultant the late

takes place within the flock. Liz Wilson once lecture. Most of them certainly are,

Thomas Arndt (creator of the Lexicon of Parrots) having been taken away from their parents’ 24-hour-a-

has lectured on the ‘kindergarten trees’ where some day ministrations and left so attention-starved by the

species of conure pairs drop off fledglings with their time they leave the nursery environment that they will

contemporaries for the day, while parents fly off to gladly ‘step up’ on command, give kisses and do almost

forage. Other species of large parrots—notably some anything else which will get them ‘real’ time and focus

cockatoos, macaws and keas—may spend more than from another living entity.

a year as a family social unit within or without a larger But one cannot keep a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo,

flock population. Scarlet Macaw, Maximilian’s Pionus, Blue-fronted Amazon,

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

or Black-capped Lory confined within a staid set of where it was birthed, handfed and weaned. This is one of

human society behaviour values for years on end. It very the reasons some large breeders prefer to sell unweaned

rarely works. The parrots mature and develop physical neonate chicks. They have no interest in putting in the time

strength and mental willfulness, pass puberty and begin it takes to prepare a feisty, mentally acute fledgling for its

to experience hormonal needs to find a full-time mate in place in a new and strange environment. Hence they sell

hopes of raising a family. off the babies before they have a chance to develop any

I ask you, how can a set of social rules based on independent attitude, effectively passing the buck to the A well-socialised Mitred
Conure I met at a bird
human ideals of behaviour suffice for such a grown-up, next handfeeder, while solemnly arguing they have done society lecture

intelligent psittacine? nothing radically wrong by the chick. ‘Social’ does not always
involve touching—even
What kind of socialisation relates directly to the future wild birds can be friendly

EXPANDING OUR POINT OF VIEW home of a fledgling? Well, human gender, for example, is a BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 581

Here at The Perfect Parrot we have an ever-expanding good one. It would be hard to count how often I have come

definition of socialisation as it pertains to our fledgling across young pet birds which have a distinct shyness, even

parrots. First and foremost, I want any baby birds birthed distrust, of one gender of humans, merely because they were

here to absorb a set of social standards based on the handfed and raised by a single hobbyist who never made a

psittacine point of view. Unless a fledgling learns to get point to expose them to an individual of the opposite sex.

along with others of its kind or psittacines of differing It is no secret that humans of different gender behave

kind, it cannot be satisfactorily taught to behave properly differently. They have different energies (smells perhaps?).

in the human realm either. For a single breeder to ignore this fact and year after year

We are not talking about a cursory mingling of a continue bringing up babies without an instructive male/

small group of neonate babies in a basket, tub or female presence to help the chick understand during the

weaning environment. Socialisation by the rules of the fledgling phase is to do the future pets a disservice. It is

parrot means fledglings learning to interact with other also a lack of socialisation.

fledglings—and whenever possible, at the best of hobby The ideal ‘social package’ at an aviary would include contact

facilities, fledglings being exposed to elder parrots, uncles, with strangers, male and female, wearing different clothing,

aunties, senior cousins, even their own parents. If this glasses and hats, beards, bald heads, long blonde hair …

cannot be done with imaginative aviculture, then at least the list goes on. It would introduce a car from the outside

let the fledgling chicks see other adult parrots of their and riding within, aeroplanes overhead, wind, rain and trees,

own kind and varying species in cages nearby. Hookbills the ocean, flying fast indoors or in an aviary before any

learn by observation; what starts as mimicry often potential wing-trimming occurs, and lots of edible green

becomes a realisation of instinct-inspired behaviour. stuff. There would be a chance to see a dog, a cat, a horse,

The interesting thing about such cutting-edge parrot a veterinarian’s office, the travel carrier, loud and soft stereo

keeping is the fact that we keepers are not in any way music, television or videos, sticks for stepping up upon on

imposing a social system on the young birds. We are command, towels for being covered and held, new and

merely allowing the social norms inherent in generations varied foods and toys, the shower, the bathtub, the garage,

of their kind to fully blossom. Parrots are already social shoulder-perching, hand-perching, upside-down play activity,

creatures, remember. There are myriads of things this under-wing touching, potty training and more…

practice teaches the young birds. How can human keepers I could go on with this, but you get the point. The

show firsthand the concept of ‘avian pecking order’ introduction of a young parrot to the social environment

to a handfed parrot? Sorry, but with all my years of of humans goes far, far beyond just making a lovable,

experience, I still cannot accomplish this. cuddly ‘feathered teddy bear’. It involves giving the fledgling

How can I, as a handfeeder, instruct baby birds in a set of standards by which it can maintain, on an even

the roles of male and female in a flock? After all, this is keel, life within its captive world for many years to come.

essential to any true long-term socialisation of a bird. Truly, this thing called socialisation is getting a gloss over

Again I draw a blank—I cannot do it. by many in the ‘birdie’ business these days. It stands to

reason—baby birds are easy. Raise them as babies, treat

BIRDS TEACHING BIRDS them like babies, keep them babyish until they are sold to

In a likely assembly of fledglings—parrot boys and girls a new set of keepers, and everything will be fine, right?

of all kinds spending time roughhousing, allo-preening, Well, just keep in mind that when things go awry with your

spatting over food and toys, being naively sexual, and 18-month-old Red-tailed African Grey pet (or similar), and

watching adult pairs interact in cages close to hand— it starts to flop off of its perch and shred its upper breast

young birds receive growth training of all sorts. feathers, the real cause might have been subtly initiated

In our walk-in aviaries at The Perfect Parrot, we even months before when the bird was never ‘socialised’ about

have trustworthy older training parrots that are let in with the realities of sharing its owner’s affections with an

the youngsters to give them ‘hands-on’ experience. Voila, energetic puppy, or eating the same basic foods day in day

instant pecking order and gender role lessons, plus lots of out every day of the year, or the many confusing changes in

other schooling not even noticed by us human observers. a household during the winter and holiday months.

Fascinating to watch? You bet. An abrupt poke or

squawk by a savvy elder psittacine and the fledgling gets TRUE SOCIALISATION

the message immediately, whereas I, as a human, may try True socialisation is every crazy, mixed-up, imaginative,

repeatedly to teach the same ‘No!’ social behaviour, and fail. fine-tuning additive to a psittacine’s behavioural structure

So, socialisation by the rules of the birds, is number one. you, as handfeeder, pet shop, or owner, can envisage

The reason it is first is because this concept, when done and offer your parrot. It is a social ‘life plan’, if you will,

correctly, will remain with the parrot for life—seeing it that when done patiently and correctly provides the

through all sorts of uncomfortable changes in the world adolescent hookbill with a childhood among parrots and a

of people as the years wend on. positive outlook on its ever-changing life among humans.

It is enduring beyond a single pet home, stable in the face

THE ‘SOCIAL PACKAGE’ of minor human ignorance and neglect, and free of mushy

Secondly, it is the responsibility of the aviculturist or pet hang-ups and the need for keepers to be perfect in order

shop to begin implementing a human socialisation standard for the parrot to remain well behaved and sane. That’s all

that will work for the psittacine once it has left the facility there is to it … in my opinion, that is.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

avian health with dr bob Eclectus beak trim—before and after
AUTHOR & PHOTOS DR BOB DONELEY BVSc FANZCVS (Avian Medicine) CMAVA
Grooming Your Bird

MANY PEOPLE LIKE TO KEEP THEIR 1. Never use gloves. When you wear gloves, you
pet bird looking spic and span but while we lose the sensitivity in your fingers and hands, and
see grooming as an aesthetic issue, birds see you cannot know how the bird is responding to the

it as self-maintenance. After all, feathers are of far more restraint.

importance than just appearance to the bird. They provide 2. If you have to use something for restraint, use a

insulation and waterproofing; provide the means to fly; towel. The smaller the towel, the better. Gently and

are part of a bird’s social communication behaviours; and, slowly wrap the bird in the towel, approaching from

when necessary, they offer the means of camouflage to below. Remember, a predator attacking a bird moves

escape the attention of a predator. swiftly, usually from above. You do not want your

It is not just the feathers that are part of the grooming bird thinking you are a predator.

process—nails and beaks are usually given attention as 3. Wherever possible, use positive reinforcement.

well. Beaks are there to help a bird hold and consume Food treats, soft voices, petting your bird and

food, and nails enable them to securely grip perches and constantly reassuring it are key. Loud voices and

other surfaces. abrupt movements will simply scare your bird. Make

However, there are times when a little bit of extra this experience for them a fun one, and they will not

grooming is needed—trimming overgrown beaks, resent the activity (or you). They may even come to

performing a wing trim (when needed), dealing with look forward to it.

broken feathers, or blunting overly sharp nails that are 4. If it is complicated or likely to be painful, take

causing pain and discomfort to the bird (or owner). Some your bird to an avian veterinarian for grooming.

birds will even occasionally need to be washed to remove A vet can provide your bird with sedation or a

contaminants such as oil. short anaesthetic where necessary. In the hands of

In this article, I want to discuss why we should groom an experienced bird vet, this is much safer and less

birds and how we should do it. Remember, every time traumatic to your bird than physical restraint.

we interact with a bird we are, in some way—small or

large—affecting its life, its wellbeing, and its comfort. It is FEATHER CARE

our responsibility to ensure this interaction maximises the Feather problems that may require grooming include

positive effects while minimising the negative effects on broken or dirty feathers.

the human-animal bond.

Broken Feathers

HANDLING This can be due to old, worn feathers bending or snapping

It is not really feasible to entertain the thought of along the shaft, or feathers with stress lines (interruptions

grooming a bird without considering how you are going to in the growth pattern of the feather associated with stress

handle it. Questions to ask yourself include: or poor diet). They can also be due to trauma (eg striking

• Is it safe for the person handling the bird? feathers against the wire of its enclosure or from a heavy

• Is it safe for the bird? fall). These feathers often end up sticking out at odd

• Is it possible to accomplish the intended procedure by angles and make the bird feel uncomfortable and irritated.

utilising the suggested restraint method? In most cases, these feathers can simply be cut off at

• Can constant observation and attention be given to the the area of the bend or break. The rest of the feather

D Bo animal following the restraint until it is fully recovered will moult out in due course and be replaced with a new

582 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU from the physical effects? feather. If possible, try to avoid plucking the feather. Large

The success of this interaction will depend on how well feathers, especially on the wings and tail, are anchored

you know your bird (and how well your bird knows you), in bone—pulling them out is like pulling a fingernail or

how experienced you are at handling, the type of restraint toenail off! If you absolutely have to pull a feather out,

you use, and using the correct technique. Some of the pull it along the line of its growth and do it quickly in one

rules I teach vet students are: movement. Pulling the feather forward, against the line of

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

Nail trim on a black
cockatoo under anaesthetic,
using a Dremel™ device

An example of a
correct wing trim in a
Cockatiel—only safe

for indoor pet birds

growth, will tear the skin and damage the feather follicle. • Trim the primary feathers 5–8mm below the edge of the BASIC
A much more serious type of feather damage occurs coverts. If you go up, you are likely to cut one or more HEALTH
blood feathers. & DISEASE
when a ‘blood feather’—a newly erupted feather with Finally, remember that you cannot guarantee how IN BIRDS
blood vessels and nerves in the shaft—is broken. This
usually occurs on the tail or wings. The result is pain and long a wing trim will last. When the bird next goes By Dr Michael Cannon
bleeding. Sadly, I have seen several birds die from blood through a moult, it will drop the trimmed feathers and 112 Colour Pages
loss with this sort of injury, usually because of a pre- replace them with normal-length feathers and the bird
existing bleeding disorder (such as liver disease). If the will fly again. Featuring Infectious and
bleeding cannot be stopped with finger pressure alone, Non-infectious Diseases
see the vet as soon as possible. The feather will need to BEAK TRIMS and Ailments in Parrots,
be removed, usually under anaesthesia. We often see birds that require a beak trim. Beaks
will overgrow for a lot of different reasons. Lack of Finches, Canaries
Dirty Feathers opportunity to chew on hard wood is one reason, but and Pigeons
Dirty feathers are usually the result of contamination health problems (such as malnutrition, scaly-face mite,
by oils (motor oil, oil-based creams, human skin oil), or PBFD in cockatoos, and chronic liver problems) can Available from
an inability to repel dirt (old cockatoos or those with also be at play in a bird with an overgrown beak. Beak ABK at
PBFD—birds that have stopped producing powder down malocclusion, where the beak is not aligned properly, is
that keeps them white and clean). If these birds need to another potential problem. This is why bird vets insist on www.birdkeeper.com.au
be washed, do it on a warm, dry day if possible. Use a a health check when seeing a bird for the first time with a or see Free Mail
neutral pH shampoo, such as a baby shampoo, or even request to trim its beak. Order Card
dishwashing detergent.
Beak trims in small birds can often be achieved with BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 583
Wash the bird thoroughly, rinse all the shampoo off, a pair of nail clippers. However, in larger birds or birds
and then pat dry with a towel. DO NOT use a hairdryer! requiring not only shortening of the beak but also
The risk is burning the bird’s thin skin. Let the bird sit in reshaping, the work must often be done with a rotary
the sun or somewhere dry and allow it to dry naturally. grinding tool such as a Dremel®. I insist on doing this
Be aware that it will take a day or so before the feathers under anaesthesia, as I believe it is highly stressful to a bird
look normal again and are fully insulating the bird. if done while they are conscious.
Waterproofing may take time to return to normal, as this
is the result of the bird spreading oil from the preen gland NAIL TRIMS
through the feathers. Nails overgrow for much the same reasons as beaks—a
lack of suitably sized perches, health problems, or toe
Wing Trims injuries resulting in nails not grasping properly. Just like
I have written about wing-trimming before, but I still see beaks, the nails on small birds are often best trimmed with
birds with serious injuries from poorly performed wing small nail clippers but a rotary grinder may be needed for
trims. There are some very good arguments against wing larger birds.
trims but, if you and your bird are in a situation where
wing-trimming is needed, there are a couple of simple Like our own nails, cutting a bird’s nails too far back
rules to follow. will cut the quick, causing pain and bleeding. Prevent
• Don’t trim the wings until the bird has learnt to fly and this by not getting too enthusiastic when trimming;
sometimes just blunting the tips is all that is needed.
land safely. If the nail does bleed, it can often be controlled by
• Remember that wing trims only keep birds safe indoors, ‘plugging’ the end of the nail with soap. (Wet the soap
and push the nail firmly into it till a plug has formed.)
they may not prevent a bird flying away if taken If this doesn’t work, a pinch of dry Condy’s Crystals
outdoors. (potassium permanganate) will often stop the bleeding
• If you are selling a bird, either because you bred the bird almost instantly.
or work in a pet shop, ask the new owner’s permission
to trim the wings before sale. CONCLUSION
• Only trim the primary feathers—the long, stiff feathers Grooming your bird is not difficult, but a lot of thought
coming off the wing below the wrist. and preparation needs to go into it. Often your local bird
• Trim both wings—a one-winged trim turns a bird into vet is the best person to do this to prevent it becoming a
an aerodynamically unstable ‘brick’ and injuries are sure negative influence in your bird’s life.
to follow.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

pet parrot behaviour Birds’ brains are very
AUTHOR & PHOTOS HILLARY HANKEY different from ours, and we
shouldn’t assume that they
think the same way we do

Anthropomorphism
Does It Help or Hurt Our Pets?

Hiar ANTHROPOMORPHISM IS A CONCEPT our hearts, seem to understand our emotions, and act in
that has long been volleyed about, used, ways that are uncannily intelligent.
misused and disabused as a term to describe
animal behaviour. Simply put, anthropomorphism is the This desire to anthropomorphise is on-brand for human
assignment of human qualities to non-human objects. behaviour and culture on the whole. It is in our very
This could mean anything from saying that a computer is nature to map our experiences onto the world around
‘failing on purpose’ to describing our dogs as ‘annoyed’, us. The term ‘face pareidolia’ is the human instinct
‘frustrated’ or even ‘in love’. It has been a way for us to to see human faces in everyday objects, from tortilla
make sense of animal behaviour with information that we chips to trees and clouds, to the surface of Mars. It is
don’t have or can’t have privy to. ingrained in our nature to look for the human in other
things. Our parrots spend so much time with us, and
The academic science community has been are so social, that their behaviour lends itself very well
rigorous over recent years in disavowing the use of to the anthropomorphic lens. Although they don’t have
anthropomorphism to describe animal behaviour. Instead, eyebrows, lips, and facial muscles like us, we still reach for
scientists have looked for answers that may not seem any clues we can to interpret their behaviour.
obvious to the casual observer. For instance, is that
mother bear defending her cubs because she loves them THE DANGERS OF ASSUMING
or is she protecting her future genetic welfare when she
charges anyone who comes close? So, what’s the big deal? What is wrong with
anthropomorphism? What difference does it make if
LOOKING FOR THE HUMAN ELEMENT my parrot is ‘jealous’ or is only acting in what looks like
jealousy? Who is to say that my parrot doesn’t love
Using this sort of scientific rigor feels downright clinical me: she sure acts like it. Using these terms assumes
when interacting with our animal companions in our processes are happening that may or may not actually
homes. Of course my parrot loves me; she goes out of be so. In assuming that a parrot is jealous, we treat a
her way to preen my eyelashes and chase away intruders certain set of behaviours, such as lunging at other family
100 times her size! Our parrots can be like our children, members, like we would treat a jealous person. And
our best friends, our soulmates even. They fill a hole in this can have a lot of emotional baggage based on our
personal history.
Double T Bird Harnesses
The other issue is that we can’t talk through the alleged
Take your tame companion problem the way we could with another human being.
bird outside safely. So having this one-sided conversation about what we
think is happening is not without a lot of gaps. Who
Proudly Australian Made SIZES hasn’t been on the other side of a conversation with a
loved one misinterpreting your actions, not having all the
Ph Pam or Margaret TO FIT information to form a complete analysis of why you did
or didn’t do something?
Ph/Fax: (02) 4758 6564 COCKATIELS
pammarg@bigpond.com TO MACAWS

www.birdharnesses.com ABK©

584 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

It also ignores the fact that your parrot is a bird, and Body language is an
therefore very different from a human. Parrots experience important way to predict
the world in a way that is unique to them. and communicate needs and
future actions, but context is
Studies show that when 3–5-year-old children always a variable. Just as a
were given information about animals in straight smile in humans can mean
factual form they were more likely to retain it than humour or nervousness,
if provided in a more anthropomorphised manner. raised nape feathers can
In the latter case, the children were also more likely mean arousal or relaxation
to attribute human characteristics to other animals.
Toronto University psychologist Patricia Ganea notes
that ‘Anthropomorphism can lead to an inaccurate
understanding of biological processes in the natural
world. It can also lead to inappropriate behaviours
towards wild animals, such as trying to adopt a wild
animal as a pet or misinterpreting the actions of a
wild animal’.

This is the very crux of the matter. It is reminiscent
of the way we compare avian intelligence to that of a
toddler—suggesting that parrots have intellectual capacity
comparable to a 2–3-year-old human child, despite the
fact human and avian brains are truly beyond comparison.
They are structurally different, and so is our anatomy.
Having these human-centric expectations sets parrots up
to fail.

EMBRACING THE DIFFERENCES

Connecting with our parrot companions is why we live
with them and enjoy spending time with them. But perhaps
it is even more helpful to understand how different they
are from humans so that we don’t love them in spite of all
the challenges they bring but because of them.

If that seems a bit of a stretch, we can think in terms
of what makes our birds successful in the wild and
ask how we can build our lives to allow for their ‘less
pleasant’ behaviours to happen in acceptable ways or
at baseline rates. Destroying the home? Let’s give the
parrot a more desirable set-up to remodel, taking cues
from the items it likes to destroy such as window blinds
and door trims. Comes on in the evening a bit squawky?
Where can the parrot be situated in the home during
those times that this behaviour isn’t such an unpleasant
part of our lifestyle? Messy? Let’s find an area that
can be cleaned quickly where our parrots can enjoy
particularly messy toys.

CONCLUSION really going on and block our ability, directly or indirectly, We need to look at our
to assess other issues our birds are experiencing. homes with a keen eye for
Anthropomorphism isn’t a concept to be avoided at what our birds are likely
all costs. When we attribute human qualities to our If, instead, we make it our practice to learn how and why to use as enrichment and
parrots without knowing if the parrot is really feeling our birds operate through a lens that takes in curiosity consider how we can
that way—happy, sad, grief-stricken, jealous, empathic, or and research, rather than just our own assumptions, we provide them with better/
protective—the important thing is to keep in mind that will likely have many more reasons to celebrate the truly more appropriate options
we can’t know these qualities. It doesn’t mean that they unique relationship that comes with sharing our homes
aren’t at play, but they might get in the way of what is with our parrots. A Complete
Pet Owner’s
Bird Resources
Manuals
Good Bird— • Amazon Parrots
A Guide to Solving • Eclectus Parrots
Behavioural Problems
in Companion Birds • Conures
By Barbara Heidenreich • Cockatiels
Covers issues such
as Screaming, Biting, Species Details,
Bonding, Cage-bound Bird, Understanding &
Feather-picking & more… Teaching Your Pet
Parrot, Housing,
Available from www.birdkeeper.com.au or Phone: 07 5568 0011 Healthy Nutrition,

Health Care

585VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •

about birds... Cockatoos such as these Carnaby’s Cockatoos are known for White-bellied Sea Eagles, like
AUTHOR DR KIT PRENDERGAST BA BSc (Hons) PhD their intelligence. They mate for life and reinforce their pair parrots, are intelligent and
bond through behaviours such as preening their partner monogamous

PHOTO KEITH LIGHTBODY PHOTO KEITH LIGHTBODY

‘LOVE’ AND
iINtThELBLIirGEWNCorEl

Ki WE KNOW THROUGH A WEALTH OF solving abilities to survive and reproduce. (Bacteria
scientific studies that the traditional saying don’t have brains but they are doing perfectly fine, for
586 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU ‘bird-brained’ to describe someone stupid example.) Other environments or evolutionary paths pose

is completely erroneous. Birds are, as a group, highly challenges that require more brainpower.

intelligent. They have demonstrated tool use, language There are also some non-adaptive potential explanations—

with syntax and meaning, numeracy, complex emotions bigger animals generally have bigger brains, so it could be

including empathy, and more. However, birds are also a assumed that bigger birds will have greater smarts. However,

very diverse group, and with over 10 000 extant species, this certainly doesn’t seem to be the case when we compare

the relative intelligence of different taxa varies greatly. the intelligence of a relatively large turkey to that of a weeny

This variation is not random. The question is, what causes Willie Wagtail. (For more on the wagtail, refer to my last

some birds to be super brainy, and others less so? column ‘The Loveable Willie Wagtail’, ABK, vol. 34, no. 9).

Diet could be another factor. Catching insects is

PARROT SMARTS decidedly more difficult than nibbling on grass. However,

Some groups of birds are very intelligent. Exemplars we can see massive variation in diet among both intelligent

include most corvids (ravens, jays, mapgies, crows etc) birds (parrots being frugivores, nectivores or granivores)

and parrots. Other birds aren’t quite as smart—ducks, and, similarly, much variation in the diet of passerines

for example, can be a bit daft. We can even look at finer (from insectivores to nectivores and granivores).

levels of classification within the passerines. Some species, Unstable environments might require more smarts to

such as Willie Wagtails Rhipidura leucophrys, are known for meet the challenges of change. However, here again we

being smart, charismatic little characters. Others, such as see no pattern in the relative intelligence of birds and their

finches, are not quite so switched on. habitat or the climatic region in which they are found. So

Intelligence is, therefore, phylogenetically clustered. Both what is the answer?

between and even within the orders there is variation

because, like all traits, intelligence has evolved through LOVE IS THE ANSWER

natural selection. Some species, due to the social or ‘Love’, the formation of long-term monogamous bonds, has

physical environment, don’t need advanced problem- proven to be associated with more intelligent birds. Parrots,

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

covids and Willie Wagtails all form pair bonds, or spousal-

type partnerships. Together, they can better co-ordinate

defending territories from rival pairs, finding food, alerting

each other of predators, building nests, and rearing offspring.

Ongoing co-operation requires a lot of intelligence—the

ability to communicate, co-operate, empathise, and resolve

conflicts. And once this is selected for, it can be mutually

reinforcing, with smarter birds surviving and reproducing

better. In addition to this is sexual selection, whereby both

males and females find smarter mates sexier.

Australia was the evolutionary birthplace of some

of the smartest birds—parrots and passerines—so

the intelligence of birds and what drives it has been a

key topic of research among Australian ornithologists.

Professor Gisela Kaplan, of the University of New England

stated, ‘love, sex and mate choice are topics that never go

out of fashion…(for Australian birds), choosing the right

partner is a driver of evolution’.

The ‘fling for a season’, where males evolve bright gaudy

colours to impress, then don’t stick around, tend to be

species that aren’t too bright when it comes to problem-

solving and tool use. Prof Kaplan explains, ‘these aren’t

real partnerships at all—they’re just marketplaces for

reproduction’.

In Australia, however, most native avifauna form long-

lasting bonds. Here, there is minimal plumage difference

between the sexes. They also often provide equally for Both partners in a Baudin’s
Cockatoo pair need to
offspring, from nest-building to incubation, feeding the longer. Being altricial, being more intelligent and with co-operate and co-ordinate
their parenting duties to
offspring and defending them from predators. So how smarter parents, young have a longer period of ‘social raise chicks to develop
into smart adults
do these close couples form? Research suggests that it learning’ whereby they can learn adaptive skills their parents
PHOTO KEITH LIGHTBODY
is based on ‘assortative mating’, which is a concept that acquired that are suited to their particular environment.
REFERENCE
has been applied to humans, where birds with similar Being smart requires energy and nutrients, and one https://www.google.com/

personalities (including intelligence) find each other needs to be smart to find these nutrients, so it’s a case of amp/s/theconversation.
com/amp/what-
mutually attractive. mutually reinforcing selection. But it also takes time for a australian-birds-
can-teach-us-about-
big brain to develop, and caring for offspring through their choosing-a-partner-and-
making-it-last-125734
IMPLICATIONS FOR AVICULTURE critical growth period, as most Australian parrots do, is
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 587
The science of mutual mate choice among birds is well the best way to support such development, which in turn

established. Some breeders may find that despite what requires a strong pair bond between the parents.

appears to them to make a great pair, based perhaps on

creating a particular plumage pattern in the offspring, BIRDS OF A FEATHER

things may not go to plan when the male and female We can learn a lot about ourselves as Homo sapiens—

are put together. They may have no desire to mate with why we evolved certain systems, and what behaviours

each other, or even interact with each other. Studies on and lifestyles are adaptive or maladaptive—by using

mismatched bird pairs have revealed that stress hormones a comparative evolutionary approach with birds. We

are elevated, whereas pairs that get to choose mates too are animals, and natural selection favours certain

and end up having well-matched ‘personality traits’ have traits in different species or taxa when they share

greater reproductive success. similar selective pressures through what is known as

These monogamous, intelligent birds reinforce and convergent evolution. A similar association between

reaffirm their pair bonds through a number of behaviours. long-term ‘lovers’ and smarts, and the need for some

Parrots such as cockatoos can often be seen preening and amazing co-operation to raise intelligent babies, was

‘kissing’ each other, and Australian songbirds and corvids pivotal to the evolution of humans as arguably one of

fly and roost together. Of course, they have sex with the most intelligent species on the planet (although

the same partner, and often their reproductive success sometimes I think maybe we don’t deserve such a title).

increases over successive broods. Take the comparative approach further and we find

Some pair bonds start even before the birds reach that bird and human brains have the same range of

sexual maturity, as is the case in the aptly named neurotransmitters and hormones, including those that

lovebirds, Agapornis species (refer to my 2018 ABK articles allow long-term attachment. For example, the dopamine

on Agapornis species: vol. 31, nos. 2 & 3), Australian system has a key role in influencing pair bond formation

Magpies Gymnorhina tibicen, Apostlebirds Struthidea cinerea and maintenance in both birds and humans.

and White-winged Choughs Corcorax melanorhamphos. Piecing the science together, both anthropologists and

ornithologists have come to the same conclusion—

MUTUALLY REINFORCING TRAITS love is powerful. Co-operation and long-term bonds

In addition to being more intelligent, monogamous birds are beneficial for both the evolutionary success and

also tend to have altricial offspring—born relatively the physiological contentment of intelligent birds and

underdeveloped, with no ability to fend for or feed humans. As Professor Kaplan concluded, this strategy

themselves when they first hatch from the egg. Raising ‘has arguably led both species to becoming the most

such helpless babies requires a lot of dedication, hard work successful and widely distributed on Earth’.

and intelligence. This contrasts with brush turkeys, for In a world where greater co-operation is required among

example—definitely not the smartest of birds—in which individuals in raising the next generation to face the myriad

offspring are able to fend for themselves from the get-go. of trials being posed in our environment, perhaps we could

Birds that form long-term pair partnerships also live learn a thing or two from our smart avian pairs.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

the wise owl iTheOWourld’Os CwleveBreasctkByiarrdds
AUTHOR & PHOTOS DR MILTON LEWIS BSc (Hons) PhD
AUSTRALIAN BIRD KEEPERS HAVE Corellas are a classic
always known there was something just a little example of a playful
special about our birds. They are not just beautiful, cockatoo
they give us endless pleasure in watching their complex
behaviours. I often see Galahs and Short-billed Corellas
doing crazy things on power lines for no apparent reason.
We have all seen these antics, as cockatoos swing upside
down, flapping wings and screeching in a display that could
only be for fun. Equally worth a few moments spent in
observation is when they are feeding on a lawn and a few
break into play, rolling around and apparently annoying
each other, again just for fun.

BIRDS AT PLAY

Research into the function and prevalence of play
behaviour has been quite comprehensive. The use of tools

by birds such as crows, and even our own Palm Cockatoo,

is another somewhat related behaviour. As a further comparison, parrots were tested as a
Activities or behaviours that can be attributed to ‘play’

have been classified into three distinct categories. The single group against other birds that did not play. Again,
simplest category is ‘solitary play’, where an individual this playful group had much larger brains. Refining the

might do something like run, jump, roll or swing (such as comparison even further, Prof Kaplan investigated if there
the Galah on a power line), or even slide in the snow, as was a difference between species that played socially and
has been witnessed in New Zealand Keas. those that played alone. Again, the results were significant,
with social players having much larger brains than
The next level of play involves the use of an object species that played alone or with objects. Within these
during play and unsurprisingly is called ‘object play’. This

Milto may take the form of the Palm Cockatoo using sticks to comparisons it was also revealed (perhaps unexpectedly)
drum, an individual of any species picking up a leaf and that birds in the social playful behaviour groups averaged
588 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU
rolling around with it clasped in its feet, or just jumping much longer lifespans than all the other groups—about 35

around with a flower held in its beak. years versus 17 years.

With the level of complexity increasing, our third and final It was expected that species that used tools would also

category of behaviour is ‘social play’. This is the rarest of the have a tendency towards larger brain masses, due to the

play behaviours, and involves several individuals interacting novelty of this behaviour, but the data did not reveal such

together. An example some people may be aware of in our an association. The brain masses of tool-using species

local parks and gardens is the play-fighting of Australian were no different to those that did not use tools. There

Magpies. This behaviour is often displayed by juveniles, was also no difference in life span between species such

either between siblings or with their parents, and can start as crows that use tools and those which do not. We are

with a chase followed by rolling around on the ground with not sure why this is, but it does imply that play behaviour
bill-clapping and loud calling. Individuals are rarely observed and tool usage are unrelated in a neurological sense. It
being hurt in the mock agonistic (fight) encounters. might also be conjectured that being able to use a tool
does not require an increase in the capacity of brain
Although tools can be used in play, tool usage is not function, although the actual structure of the brain centre
necessarily part of play but can be purely pragmatic.

Australian examples include the Black-breasted Buzzard controlling this behaviour requires further investigation.

that uses stones as a tool to smash open emu eggs for The primary reason I first picked-up Prof Kaplan’s paper

food, or the Black Kite that picks up burning sticks to on play was because Australian species of birds were the

set fire to patches of grass to drive out prey for hunting. focus of the work. Always interested in what Australia has

There are many other well-studied examples, often within to offer, I was not disappointed to learn that the greatest
corvids (especially ravens and crows), of birds using tools number of species that play are concentrated in Australia.
that are not part of play. Globally, 13 of 40 Orders of birds have been documented
with play behaviour and more than half the species
PLAY AND BRAIN SIZE are parrots/cockatoos (Psittaciformes) and songbirds

One play behaviour researcher has looked into the (Passeriformes) primarily found in Australia. The most
relationship between brain size and play complexity complex form of play, social play, is almost solely confined

(Kaplan 2020). Complex play behaviour likely requires a to Australia and New Zealand.
higher level of neural control and complexity, so it would
be logical to suppose a larger brain might be found in EVOLUTION OF PLAY
species that play or use tools. Because the concentration of play behaviour is in
Australia, we can make some presumptions as to
In the first test of this theory Professor Gisela Kaplan where the evolutionary basis may have originated. By
split bird groups into those that were known to play the beginning of the early Cretaceous period, Eastern
and those that did not play. The results clearly showed

that the size of the brains in playful species was Gondwana (Australia) had split from Africa and South
significantly larger. America. It is around this time that parrots started their

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021

major speciation events, particularly within Eastern fruit needed by these species suggests that in the bad years

Gondwana. We also know that songbirds, the passerines, more than a single pair of birds is required for survival.

have their origins in Gondwana. We can therefore surmise Coping with the many stresses through early play behaviour

that play behaviours probably commenced in Eastern could offer an evolutionary advantage, and delaying the

Gondwanan species after a mass extinction event 65 time young reach breeding maturity is associated with

million years ago (mya) but before the remaining Asian co-operative breeding. The extended juvenile maturation

continents broke away 20–30 mya in the early Miocene. might allow an opportunity for play in the safety of the Australian bower birds may
take years before becoming
The origins of play in our birds are thus very ancient. And group and thus greater brain mass development. mature and breeding

the differences do not stop with this behaviour.

LONGEVITY

We have been aware for many years that Australian birds

generally live longer than those from other continents.

However, we were not aware of the links between life

span, brain size and play behaviour. A deep question that

is still puzzling researchers is what is the evolutionary

advantage for a species in having these characteristics?

In long-lived species of any kind, mammal or bird, play

behaviour usually occurs during adolescence. This is a

vulnerable period and results in extra care from parents

and also a delay in maturation and breeding in the young.

Australian birds on average delay their breeding by 4–5

years, but many species such as bower birds delay even

longer. There must be some advantage in this strategy and

it might be related to the unpredictability of the Australian

environment.

The extra care provided by parents allows young birds

the time to play in a safe environment. We know from

other research that play behaviour also results in reduced CONCLUSION

levels of the stress hormone, corticosterone. High levels of There is definitely a lot of

this hormone ultimately reduce life span through cell and speculation in the latter

plumage damage, as well as impeding brain development. part of this article, but it

Play, and in particular social play such as mock-fighting, provides some important

exposes the youngster to small levels of stress early food for thought. We do

in development, promoting learning and coping skills, indeed have some very

reducing stress levels in similar situations as an adult. special birds in Australia that

Species or individuals that are not exposed early to these exhibit bizarre behaviours

safe but slightly stressed situations perceive the events and life histories unlike

later in life as severely stressful and suffer long-term species of the Northern

consequences. Parents providing safe time for young to Hemisphere. In my lifetime

play reduces stress and increases life span and therefore I have seen many advances

the chances of successful breeding. in the theories as to how

these behaviours evolved. It

CO-OPERATIVE BREEDING may be that the recognition

Australia is also a hotspot for species showing very of play in birds and the Butcher birds are another
Australian passerine that
high levels of co-operative breeding, where groups of associated brain development is the next key point to take display social play, shown to
be associated with increased
often closely related individuals work together to raise research forward. brain mass

young and hold a territory. Birds such as fairy-wrens are

wonderful examples. REFERENCES

Some previous work has attributed this breeding choice in Kaplan, G 2020, ‘Play behaviour, not tool using, relates to

part to the dry, harsh and generally unpredictable seasons brain mass in a sample of birds’, Nature, vol. 10, article

of Australia. The ‘boom and bust’ years of insects, seed and 20437.

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589VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •

conservation Scarlet Macaws flying free

AUTHOR WORLD PARROT TRUST & MACAW MOUNTAIN PHOTOS PRO-ALAS Te Year o

‘Macaws in Freedom’

MACAW MOUNTAIN BIRD PARK AND banner ‘Macaws in Freedom—the Beauty Returns’. The
Nature Reserve in Honduras was established WPT also came fully on board to support the project.
in 2001, initially as sanctuary for a collection
The first release took place in 2011, so this year marks

of 90 birds. Many of these birds were unwanted parrots the 10th anniversary. Within a year of that first release,

and macaws which had been left behind or donated by locals had changed from referring to the birds as ‘the

foreign residents when they left Honduras and returned macaws’ to ‘our macaws’, and the program went from

to their home country. The care and upkeep of these strength to strength.

birds was becoming expensive and an opportunity was There is now a free-flying flock of over 90 macaws in

identified to capitalise on growing tourist numbers in the Copán Ruinas and they are breeding successfully. Over

area and establish the facility as a tourist attraction. 80 000 Hondurans visit the site every year and, as they

The Park was established near Copán Ruinas return home with their stories and photos of their

Caroly Archaeological Park, a major Mayan ruin and World encounter with the national bird of Honduras, the

590 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU Heritage site, which at the time had a small flock of popularity of these birds continues to grow.

Scarlet Macaws Ara macao in residence. However, for

the most part, these birds were flightless and in poor GROWING IMPACT

physical condition, with quite faded colours. The group Initially Macaw Mountain worked to promote the birds

lived mostly on the ground and relied on handouts from and to direct community activities, but the macaws very

tourists, so their diet was very poor. quickly began generating their own publicity, with lots of

In the early years of Macaw Mountain the public had positive suggestions and requests flooding in. The Copán

no official interaction with the macaws at the ruins. Chamber of Commerce and Tourism branded the area

However, on a chance visit to Macaw Mountain in 2010, ‘The Sacred Valley of the Macaws’ and it is now a legally

World Parrot Trust (WPT) executive director Dr Jamie declared protected area. The town of Copán has created

Gilardi raised the possibility of using the ruins as a possible a Guacamaya Fest, or Macaw Festival, which grows yearly

release site and expanding the existing flock there. By this in size and enthusiasm, despite being held virtually in 2020

time the health and diet of the birds at the ruins had been due to Covid-19. The 2021 event has just taken place and

improved and they had begun to fly again. There were returned to its traditional form, with local families taking

concerns the birds may be targeted by local residents part in person.

and would not survive, however Jamie felt an education The impact has been surprising, with requests from

program would address that issue. other localities to establish their own population of

free-flying macaws. This has the support of Honduran

SCARLET BEAUTY RETURNS president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who hopes to

What happened next has surpassed everyone’s establish ‘The Route of the Guacamayas’ across the

expectations. Macaw Mountain was able to assemble a northern part of the country, connecting natural areas

coalition of Honduran partners from the private sector, in a conservation project with benefits for the country’s

government, and non-governmental organisations under the tourism sector.

VOL 34 • ISSUE 10 • AUG-SEP 2021