THE BEST WORDS ON BIRDS, PET & AVIARY PARROTS, FINCHES, SOFTBILLS & MORE
VOL 33 ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2 2
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contents
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020 VOLUME 33 ISSUE 5
FEATURES THE BEST WORDS ON BIRDS, PET & AVIARY PARROTS, FINCHES, SOFTBILLS & MORE
VOL 33 ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
245 Approximately 25% of this Central American country is MADAGASCAR
protected, including 28 national parks, 15 wetland areas,
11 forest reserves and 58 wildlife refuges. SLOHVîEB IRSDDUURî
PYRRHURA CONURES— 266 BEHAVIOUR
AN AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE PART 2
By Jade Welch Poicephalus
Three expert breeders continue their interviews POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT PARROT REARING
discussing breeding of this genus. By Dot Schwarz Pyrrhura Conures
250 Despite positive reinforcement being generally embraced, Sacred Kingfisher
some people still resort to punishment in training birds.
Dot discusses the negatives and provides some training tips. Opaline Rainbow
Lorikeets
BREEDING SACRED KINGFISHERS
By Ashley Herrod & Lauren Arabena ON THE COVER
270Two Sacred Kingfishers from Melbourne Zoo and Healesville BLUE-FRONTED
Sanctuary breed successfully at Moonlit Sanctuary. MALLEE RINGNECKS AND CONURE
260 CLONCURRY PARROTS PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN
By Peter Odekerken
Peter shares his experiences with these birds in the wild
FINCH AVIARIES— and in captivity, concluding that they deserve much more
IS BIGGER REALLY BETTER? attention than they currently receive.
By Greig Meyer 274
From his first aviary to his present super-aviary,
Greig takes us through the pros and cons of various
aspects of aviary life. IS THAT CAGE TOO SMALL AND BORING?
263 By Rosemary Low
If your parrot isn’t showing its intelligence, curiosity and
sociability, its environment is likely an issue.
COSTA RICA—A LIVING EDEN
By Vickie Lillo
REGULARS
251 273 284 294 296
WILD CORNER HOBBY HINTS AVIAN HEALTH
MUTATION CLASSIFIEDS
Cora, the Peregrine Falcon Record Keeping— WITH DR BOB MUTTERINGS
The Opaline • For Sale
By Dr Claude Lacasse What & How to Record Egg Binding—Myths and Rainbow Lorikeet • Avicultural Organisations
By Paul Court & • Avian Veterinarians
By Paul & Michelle Court Reality Ray Chapman
NEXT
252 276 By Dr Bob Doneley 295 ISSUE
BREEDER FINCH CHARM 286 BIRD TALK Available
PERSPECTIVE • Finch Focus for the Festival 11 December 2020
Madagascar Lovebirds Compatibility—Finch and THE WISE OWL of Brisbane BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 243
By Dr Gary Fitt
By Andrew Rankmore Softbill Species—Part 4 Parrot Trinkets
By David Pace By Dr Milton Lewis
254 280HOOKBILL HOBBYIST 288
Special Care for ABOUT BIRDS CONSERVATION:
Poicephalus Parrots The Curious Case of • WPT: Rare Puerto Rican
By EB Craven Colourful Coot Chicks Amazons
258 By Kit Prendergast By Tanya Martinez &
Carolyn Pradun
PET PARROT 282 • LPF: Swift Parrot Decline
in Hobart
BEHAVIOUR A PARROT’S LIFE By Dr David Waugh
Pair Bonding with Novel Behaviours—More • LPF: Parrot Attrition on
Your Parrot Than Cute Tricks Indonesian Islands
By Hillary Hankey By Ebony Holman By Dr David Waugh
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
welcome AFIRST FOR AVICULTURE consider including their state with their contact details.
(that I am aware of) appeared in the city of It is better to be seen and known. Deadlines are
FROM EDITOR & PUBLISHER SHERYLL STEELE-BOYCE Brisbane during September. My printer, on his indicated at the top of the first page of advertising each
regular early morning bike ride, phoned me in excitement issue. Meanwhile, please support those advertisers in
to tell me he had seen a ‘giant’ Gouldian Finch on top this issue on page 297. We also appreciate readers’
of the Queensland Museum. In fact, there were continued support of BirdKeeper.
6 replicas atop strategic inner-city architecture as part Bird clubs are trying to keep up communication between
of the Festival of Brisbane celebrations. In collaboration members without the ability to hold meetings. A few have
with the Queensland Finch Society Inc, the museum attempted meetings and then needed to cancel; frustrating
displayed a finch aviary holding 20 endangered finches for organisers. Some have made presentations accessible
which showcased the conservation efforts of the Save via Facebook video or held meetings via Zoom, but not
the Gouldian Fund and the Black-throated Finch Recovery all members have access to, or knowledge of, this form of
Team. See report by Dr Gary Fitt on page 294. communication. A challenging time for all. Keeping positive
Covid-19 ramifications affect every aspect of life it and proactive is essential.
seems, although we have no choice but to accept and The final article in the four-part series examining
adapt. With the lack of bird sales, some aviaries may be compatibility of finches and softbills within communal
approaching crowding after this breeding season. Maybe aviaries appears on page 276. David Pace has related his
this will affect future productivity and pricing. This is a experiences over the study period from January 2018–
dilemma for some, particularly with small aviary set-ups. January 2020. It has been a most informative series.
Others are more fortunate in their ability to move birds (Back issues are available and are a worthy reference.)
to other housing within their complex. What to do? Build Thanks David.
more aviaries, reduce prices to move on, or give birds Greig Meyer also discusses finch, canary and small
away? A great suggestion, particularly if you are a member parrot compatibility from his experiences transitioning
of a bird club, is to offer unsold surplus birds to younger through aviary designs, size, materials and construction,
bird keepers to support their start in aviculture. Also, if and breeding results since first keeping birds at 10 years
compatibility or breeding issues are evident, maybe swap old—see page 260.
or form a breeding arrangement with a fellow breeder An illustration of avicultural dedication is shown by the
rather than sell. It may be a better financial outcome into team that Jade Welch invited to share their experiences
the future. with Pyrrhura Conures—see Part 2 on breeding aspects
You will have noticed the reduction in advertising in on page 245. Thanks to Mark Reynolds, Brian Reichelt,
BirdKeeper. This is an interesting scenario—some have Russell McAlister and Jade Welch.
got out of birds, some simply have nothing to sell, some A rare insight into breeding the Madagascar Lovebird by
are not wanting to advertise as sold birds which cannot Andrew Rankmore is an interesting read on page 252.
be moved due to the lack of air freight flights. Yet, Many breeders are stepping into keeping softbills and, to
Shery some breeders have actually been selling more since the cater for this growing interest, Ashley Herrod and Lauren
APOLOGY pandemic. The animal couriers said they were at capacity. Arabena, of Moonlit Sanctuary, present details of breeding
I owe a humble We all know that there is also an economic downturn the Sacred Kingfisher on page 250. Let us know if there
apology to
overall and aviculture has seen a reduction in numbers are any softbills you are keeping and would like more
JOHN COOPER
in that his incredible within the hobby. To me, these reasons are in some cases information about, or if you have experiences to share.
image of Zebra genuine but in others are due to pessimism. Let’s support Pet parrot keepers have three great articles to enjoy this
Finches selected
for our cover of last each other with a more positive spirit. issue—Positive Reinforcement by Dot Schwarz on page
issue, Vol. 33 No. 4,
was incorrectly I receive calls regularly asking where to buy a particular 266, Pair Bonding with Your Parrot by Hillary Hankey on
accredited. Our
sincere appreciation species. As we do not recommend anyone specifically, I page 258, and Novel Behaviours—More than Cute Tricks
for your suggest contacting a bird club listed on our back pages by Ebony Holman on page 282.
contribution, John.
or to advertise under the Wanted section in BirdKeeper
if the caller has no success. Advertisers could also Successful Breeding!
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 Michelle Paul Ray Alison Melinda
Hankey Prendergast Rankmore Lacasse Pace Leu
Lewis Cravens Welch Court Court Chapman Houston
THE TEAM ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Sheryll Steele-Boyce PUBLISHED BY ABK Publications advertising it deems to be detrimental
WRITERS Jade Welch, Ashley Herrod & Lauren Arabena, Postal Address: PO Box 1252 to the integrity of the publication,
Paul & Michelle Court, Andrew Rankmore, EB Craven, Ray Chapman, Bongaree QLD 4507 Australia Australian Birdkeeper Magazine
Hillary Hankey, Greig Meyer, Vickie Lillo, Dot Schwarz, Peter Odekerken, International Standard Serial Number COPYRIGHT It is an offence under the
Dr Claude Lacasse, Rosemary Low, David Pace, Kit Prendergast, ISSN 1030-8954 Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968 to
Ebony Holman, Dr Bob Doneley, Dr Milton Lewis, Tanya Martinez & DISCLAIMER While every care is taken, reproduce any part of the contents of this
Carolyn Pradun, Dr David Waugh and Dr Gary Fitt. 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: [email protected] views of the authors and not necessarily ©2020 ABK Publications.
www.birdkeeper.com.au those of the publisher. ABK Publications All rights reserved.
also reserves the right to refuse any
244 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
Rose-fronted Conures
PHOTO MARK REYNOLDS
Pyrrhura Conures
AN AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE PART 2 Maroon-bellied Conure
PHOTO SANDRA MCALLISTER
In Part 1, we introduced three experienced Pyrrhura Conure AUTHOR
breeders—Mark Reynolds (Victoria), Brian Reichelt (South JADE WELCH
Australia) and Russell McAllister (NSW). They were asked
to provide insights into caring for the genus, with hopes of
reigniting interest in the face of falling numbers, and the real
possibility some species could be lost to Australian aviculture.
In this issue, they comment on issues surrounding breeding.
PAIRING
Pairing of birds can be done in a variety of ways but pairs, for example, don’t start breeding until they
becomes more difficult the rarer a species is. This is are two years old, while others start at 12 months.
due to fewer bloodlines and less opportunity to swap Diet, abundance of food and other factors such as
incompatible birds. captivity, lack of competition and climate are all
Mark’s practice for pairing birds is to ‘pick out two, potential influences.
preferably young birds and pair them up. I have had to In Mark’s experience, there is not a specific age at
change pairs around a few times as some have just not which Pyrrhura Conures breed. ‘I have bred Green-
been compatible but, generally, it seems to work for me’. cheeked, Black-capped, Crimson-bellied, Maroon-
Brian has a similar approach. He places the bellied and Rose-crowned all at 12 months of age, but
pair in a small cage 1.2m x 60cm x 1.2m to that hasn’t been the case for all pairs. If I was asked,
assess compatibility. ‘Once I am happy with their I would say on average they should breed at 12
demeanour towards each other, I place them into a months but don’t stress if its 2 or 3 years, as all birds
breeding aviary,’ he explained. are different,’ he said.
For Russell, it depends very much on the species Brian has a different experience, ‘I find that Green-
involved. ‘If cheap, I buy a lot and let them pair cheeks mature at 12 months, while Maroon-bellied,
themselves,’ he said. If they are a rare species, he Pearly, Crimson-bellied, Black-capped and Fiery-
places them all in one cage and observes their shouldered take 24 months. Blue-throated take 36
behaviour. However, this doesn’t always go to plan, months and White-eared and Painted 24–36 months,’
with Russell admitting that sometimes males or he said.
females will pair up together, meaning it still comes Russell has found males and females will breed at
down to the breeder’s observations of their birds. 12 months, but he prefers to hold females back to
the second year. ‘This allows them to grow out fully
SEXUAL MATURITY before they start using the calcium stores to lay
Sexual maturity can differ both between species and eggs. Many young hens suffer egg-binding if calcium
individuals. Some Crimson-bellied Conure supplements are not supplied,’ he said.
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 245
Crimson-bellied Conure in BREEDING SEASON & WEATHER PATTERNS would pick the parent-reared every time.’
display posture
Pyrrhuras are highly variable in their breeding Brian similarly prefers parent-reared birds for
PHOTO JADE WELCH
patterns and prolific pairs may reproduce year- breeding, adding that when he has used handreared
246 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU
round. The season may vary, depending on your birds, he has found them more aggressive at nest
location. For Mark in Victoria, the season starts from inspection.
April, with the ‘Pearlies’ and goes into the new year Russell doesn’t have a preference, ‘as long as the bird
with the roseifrons (Rose-fronted). isn’t imprinted. I have successfully bred from both and
For Brian in South Australia, it is somewhat had both parent-rear their own chicks’, he said.
different, with most of his birds starting to nest
around late August and usually finishing by January. NEST BOXES
Russell in NSW finds that most of his birds breed The importance of nest box design and the role the
in spring, starting in late August/early September nest box plays in any Pyrrhura’s desire to roost and
after the frosts finish. ‘The season stops when it gets breed cannot be underestimated. There is no one
really hot—say the first of the 40ºC days,’ he said. size/design that fits all. The design may vary between
Mark believes ‘we are in for some large challenges pairs of the same species, and what works for one
in the future due to climate change’. may not work for others. Some breeders utilise more
‘Where I live in the Goulburn Valley of Victoria, than one box per pair, and most leave the nest box in
we are now consistently experiencing above 40ºC year-round as the birds like to roost in boxes.
in summer and much less rain throughout the year. Mark recalls following advice at a 2004 conference
When the temperature is above 40ºC the extreme from Rick Jordan regarding keeping nest boxes for
heat is really knocking the birds around. I have lost his Pyrrhuras deep and dark. Mark chatted with
some eggs the last two years as the heat has just Rick for more information, then designed a nest box
cooked the eggs, so I now need to review my aviary with a second compartment in the bottom which was
design to try and compensate for the extreme heat,’ extremely dark. The following year he successfully
Mark said. bred Maroon-bellieds for the first time. This vertical
Brian has also found that the weather influences box shape with a wire ladder is one that Mark now
some but not all species, and Russell said it definitely uses for most of his Pyrrhuras with great success.
has an impact. ‘If the cold weather hangs on, then Because the Pyrrhuras roost in a box, Mark keeps
the birds don’t start till later, and if it’s hot for long the boxes in the aviary year-round, but said they do
periods of time the birds stop breeding altogether,’ he need to be cleaned regularly because ‘they certainly
said. ‘From September up until Christmas there are can quickly fill with food, especially corn cobs,
eggs and babies.’ This sometimes flows into January, droppings, feathers etc’.
but the season is usually finished by February. Brian’s nest box design is similar for each species—
vertical boxes from 40–90cm long x 15–20cm
HANDREARED VS PARENT-REARED internally. All have a spout for an entrance and an
While there may be no proof that handreared birds entrance chamber separated from the breeding
are not as good breeders, two of our three experts chamber. The size of entrance hole depends on
prefer parent-rearing. Mark commented, ‘If we keep species, varying from 3.5–4.5cm. Mesh ladders are
pulling the eggs, the birds get used to it and think used in all of Brian’s nest boxes, attached using a
all they need to do is lay the egg or feed the young washer with a 15mm wood screw. He said he has
for a few days or so and then they will be taken. I found wooden ladders can become dangerous if young
believe there is too much handrearing of birds and if are in the nest and the pair has chewed away a few
I am wanting a bird for breeding purposes and I had rungs, meaning the birds may not be able to get out.
a choice between parent-reared and handreared, I Brian also leaves his nest boxes in for breeding
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
pairs all year-round. Young Blue-throated Conures
‘I find this helps with
bonding—the birds sleep PHOTO JADE WELCH
in the nest at night, and if
birds of prey are around Nest box used by
the aviaries, they retreat Brian Reichelt
to the safety of the nest
box,’ he said. PHOTO BRIAN REICHELT
Russell also leaves the
nest boxes in and uses
vertical boxes, measuring
15cm square x 40cm
deep for all species except
the Blue-throated, whose
boxes measure 17.5cm
square x 40cm deep. All
boxes have a wire ladder.
In colder weather they
roost in them to stay
warm. ‘We have many
days in winter where
the temperature drops
below zero and the boxes
certainly reduce the
chance of birds dying
from the cold,’ he said.
NESTING MATERIAL capped and Crimson-
All three breeders have had success with different bellied Conures, ‘with
nesting material. Mark uses ‘a mixture of red gum perfect success’, but has
sawdust that’s getting hard to find, mixed in with never used Pyrrhuras to
a peat moss brick that I get from Bunnings. I have foster any other genus.
tried shavings but prefer the other’. Russell is the guru
Brian uses ‘a mixture of pine shavings, hardwood of cross-fostering all
sawdust and peat moss or chopped coconut fibre, Pyrrhura species. ‘I use
while Russell chooses Eucy Mulch™—a fine- Green-cheeks, Pearlies Pyrrhura eggs in nest box—
note the wire ladder
grade commercially available mulch made from and Crimson-bellied to
PHOTO SANDRA MCALLISTER
Eucalyptus trees. rear Rose-crowned and
White-eared,’ he said.
FOSTERING ‘Green-cheeks are really
Fostering is one area not spoken about enough in good, and I’ve even
psittaculture. Essentially, it involves placing young reared Dusky Lories to
chicks or eggs under foster pairs, to be hatched and 10 days.’ However, he
reared for a variety of reasons, including parents stresses that the eggs/
that feather-pluck, death of a parent, pairs leaving young have to be roughly
the eggs due to ‘night fright’ etc. at the same stage or they
Mark said he had reared Pyrrhuras under won’t feed.
Turquoise Parrots for about two weeks and then In order to rear White-
pulled them to handrear as he didn’t think the eared Conures, which are
Turquoise would fledge them. ‘I have also fostered extremely small, Russell
species of Pyrrhuras under different species within purchased a number of
the genus and used them for rearing Brown-throated Budgies to use as foster
Conures. If you have a good pair, they will rear them parents. His reasoning
no worries,’ he said. was that the White-eared
Last season, for example, he reared a clutch of Conures were not rearing the young and the chicks
DF Violet Green-cheeked Conures under a pair of were so small and hard to handrear. Additionally,
Maroon-bellied in their first breeding season with timings with other Pyrrhuras laying may not be
‘no issue at all’. Using Maroon-bellieds in this way in line with the White-eareds and, as Russell has
is again a tip he picked up from Rick Jordan at the observed, ‘Budgies always feed the smallest in the
2004 convention. clutch first’.
‘I have fostered Maroon-tailed, Crimson-bellied, As a trial he hatched Crimson-bellied Conures
Maroon-bellied, Black-capped, Rose-crowned and in the incubator and added them to a Budgie nest
Pearly Conures all under Green-cheeks. I have also containing eggs yet to hatch and young Budgies
had Pearlies rear Black-caps that I forgot I had put up to a week old that were being cared for by the
under there,’ Mark said. parents. The Budgies took to the Crimson-bellied
He only ever had a problem with one pair of Conures with no problem and, just as Russell
Maroon-bellied foster parents that plucked their expected, they fed the Crimson-bellied chicks
young and other species, so he had to remove them first because they were the youngest. He will use
for handrearing. Usually this species will foster- Budgies to rear the White-eareds this breeding
parent any Pyrrhura well. season if there are no suitable Pyrrhura foster
Brian reports using Green-cheeks to foster Black- parents available.
247VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
Opaline ('Yellow-sided') what other food is and doesn’t just head to the dish
Green-cheeked Conure of sunflower. Ensure that they are worm-free, DNA
PHOTO JADE WELCH sexed and appear to be in peak health. If you start
with good young strong birds this will give you a
better chance of successfully breeding your birds.’
Brian said his biggest challenge was working with
the Blue-throated Conure. ‘I find that many pairs are
susceptible to egg-breaking and I am not sure of the
cause of this habit. It appears hard to change with
most pairs. I believe that genetic diversity will be
our greatest problem with the rarer species we have
available, and I am not sure that legal importation
will ever take place,’ he said.
Russell cites a lack of genetic variation or bloodline
in species such as Painted Conures and White-eared
Turquoise Green-cheeked Conures and finds ‘the biggest challenge is getting
Conure enough birds for compatible pairs in the rarer
species. He adds that he has had difficulty getting
PHOTO JADE WELCH
COLOUR MUTATIONS White-eared Conures to feed their young. ‘The White-
Colour mutations can eareds have been laying 8–9 egg clutches with high
divide the avicultural fertility and good hatch rates, but they only feed for
community but there the first day,’ he said.
is no denying they act
as a drawcard for many. SECRETS TO SUCCESS
Within Australia there ‘They are like all species of birds—some pairs seem to
are now a number of do the right thing at a young age and breed trouble-
mutations available in free, while others can be very stressful to the bird
Pyrrhura Conures. keeper,’ Mark said. ‘I believe that we all have limited
Mark’s experience with aviary space and available birds, so we tend to buy
Pyrrhura mutations is just two and put them together and hope they are
limited to Green-cheeks, compatible. I am certain this isn’t always the best
but he has kept and recipe for success as buying a number of young
bred all the associated birds from various locations and letting them pair up
mutations available in themselves would be a better option.’
Australia except Pied and Brian is not convinced there are any secrets to
Dilute. Currently he is success in breeding Pyrrhuras except ‘a good diet
working with the Violet Green-cheek and hopes to and compatible pairs.’ Russell adds, ‘I have found the
work with the Dilute in the next year or two. secret to be compatible pairs—most pairs will lay, but
Brian said he doesn’t have ‘any problems with unless they are truly compatible there won’t be chicks’.
mutations as long as they are not created by
transmuting from one species of Pyrrhura to CURRENT TRENDS
another. This is no longer a true species but a hybrid Mark considers the future bleak for Pyrrhuras in
and that is, in my opinion, a no-no in all species of Australia, with more and more hybrids.’ We need to
birds. With the low gene pool we have in Australia stop hybridising and try to protect the limited gene
of most Pyrrhuras, it is important that we do not pool that we are lucky to have’. He is also concerned
further harm the gene pool we have’. that the genus has fallen off people’s ‘want list’ and
Brian said it was also concerning when the some of the species are getting harder to find. ‘I am
wildtype bird is lost or declines in number due hoping that there are still a few that devote some
to breeders concentrating on mutations. ‘Green- aviary space to keep pure lines available,’ he said.
cheeked Conures are a prime example of this,’ he Brian too has several concerns. ‘The first being the
said. ‘We once had at least two subspecies but I’m not mutation craze which is leaving us with not large
sure if they exist anymore and the wildtype we have numbers of pure birds, and secondly, hybridisation
left is a mishmash of these subspecies.’ with other Pyrrhura species,’ he said. He is also
SF Khaki (Misty) Russell, on the other hand, believes that mutations worried about ‘the fad situation where birds go out
Pallid Turquoise Opaline ‘help to keep the hobby alive’. In addition, he said, of favour due to mainly a low price being received
Green-cheeked Conure juvenile they can help to educate people. He cites the Yellow- for young. I am also concerned for the rarer species
PHOTO JADE WELCH sided mutation of the Green-cheeked Conure which and believe that our genetic strains are now very
was so entrenched in a part of South America it was weak, and this does not stand well for their future in
thought to be a different species. Aviculturists were Australian aviculture’.
able to prove this to be a mutation and not a species. Russell indicated that he has no real concerns
Russell is a fan of the Fallow mutation of the Maroon- other than commenting ‘it could be quite easy to
bellied Conure, in particular the Golden Fallow. lose species as breeders go out of them’ due to the
low monetary returns. It could be quite easy to lose
THE KEEPING CHALLENGES common species such as the Black-capped, as an
The first challenge, according to Mark, is to do your example, just because breeders tend to follow the
research and try to ensure that what you buy is pure dollar.’ Once they (species) get into the hands of
(not a hybrid). He recommends buying young birds novices, you tend to not find them again.’
and giving them time to mature. ‘This is also a great
time to ensure that your birds will eat a wide and STUD BOOKS
varied diet,’ he said. ‘This is much easier to do if the Russell raised stud books as an important aspect of
bird has been reared on a varied diet and so knows keeping some of the rarer species of Pyrrhuras. This
248 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
is particularly the case for species such as White-
eared, Painted and Rose-fronted P. roseifrons ‘to
give the ability to track and trace lines and sustain
them for years to come’.
The idea of stud books has great merit, and not just
for Pyrrhuras. Perhaps those with rare species can
reach out to one another and organise a stud book.
That way there can be transparency and a way to
conserve rare species. If zoos keep records, there is
no doubt aviculturists can do it too.
CONCLUSION
Pyrrhura Conures make great birds for beginners
and experienced aviculturists alike. As Russell says,
there is ‘something for everybody in them’. Young Cinnamon Yellow-sided
Green-cheeked Conures—note
It will be an enormous challenge to save the the degree of red present
Painted and White-eared, and to a lesser extent PHOTO JADE WELCH
Rose-fronted Conures over the coming years, but
we must all work together to prevent the loss of wife Sandra, who took
any species, no matter how common they appear to a number of photos for
be. In years gone by we have lost countless species, this article. The three
including some of the once commonly kept exotic breeders have made
finch species … and once they are gone it is our collaborating on this
loss. Take a good look at the Pyrrhura genus, as article so smooth and
you will no doubt find a species suited to you. highlighted the work
aviculturists can do
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT when we get together
I would like to offer my thanks to Mark, Brian and and focus on the greater
Russell for not only their work on contributing good.
to this article but for the work they are presently
doing with a genus of parrots close to the hearts
of many. I wish them every success going forward,
particularly in getting more of the rarer species
onto the perch. I would also like to thank them for
the photos they have provided, including Russell’s
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249VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
Sacred Kingfisher male
PHOTO ASHLEY HERROD
SACBRrEDdinKINGFISHERS
THE SACRED KINGFISHER traces of immature
Todiramphus sanctus is an interesting and plumage, with brown
pretty bird to work with. They are relatively scaling on the buffish-
small at approximately 22cm in length and coloured breast.
weighing 30–50g. Adult males have a more bluish In October 2019 a
appearance in their upperparts than females which new nest box was hung
are a little greener. in the aviary. It was
In the wild Sacred Kingfishers are typically a a different design to
solitary bird outside of the breeding season. In the previous year. The A new nest box was
captivity, vigilance must be maintained to ensure dimensions were 20cm introduced and accepted
that aggression does not occur within a pair if they cubed, with a hollow by the breeding pair
are housed together during the non-breeding period. branch screwed to the PHOTO ASHLEY HERROD
AUTHORS In some cases, pairs may need to be separated front with an entrance of
ASHLEY HERROD following breeding and then reintroduced at the 6cm diameter. It was built by an aviculturist who had
& LAUREN ARABENA start of the next breeding season, and this can pose a successfully used the same design for his own Sacred
About husbandry challenge. Kingfishers. The box was filled to a depth of 2.5cm
the
with a mix of wood shavings and rotting wood.
Authors
MOONLIT SANCTUARY PAIRING That same month the pair was heard vocalising
Ashley is Avian
Threatened At Moonlit Sanctuary, we housed one pair of Sacred to each other and seen entering the nest box. This
Species
Kingfishers on display. The female kingfisher behaviour continued throughout November and
Co-ordinator and
Lauren is Avian came to us from Melbourne Zoo in 2018 and is December. When the nest box was checked in the
Co-ordinator at
Moonlit Sanctuary, now 10 years old. The male came from Healesville first week of January, there was a clutch of four
an award- Sanctuary, also in 2018, and is two years old. The glossy white eggs! On some occasions, the female
winning wildlife
two birds were introduced to each other in October was in the nest box, while on other occasions it was
conservation
park featuring that year. the male—good news, given that both sexes typically
more than 70
Australian species The pair share the planted enclosure with a Black- share incubation duties. When the nest box was
on the Mornington
winged Stilt. The aviary is one-quarter sheltered and checked in the last week of January, there were three
Peninsula in
Victoria. three-quarters mesh roof, with a sand substrate floor. chicks and one egg. Two days later, the fourth egg
www.moonlitsanctuary.com A large wattle adjacent to the aviary provides shade had hatched.
250 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU in summer and some natural cover to the aviary
occupants. A misting system is used on hot days to NEW MOUTHS TO FEED
provide a fine water mist throughout the aviary to The Kingfishers’ diet was increased to
help with cooling. accommodate the extra mouths (beaks!) to feed.
The diet the kingfishers receive includes crickets, Two days on and the nest box was again checked—
mealworms, chopped pinkie mice, chopped pilchards, one dead chick. At the beginning of February the
fly pupae and our ‘woodswallow mix’ which consist other chicks’ eyes began to open. Two of the chicks
of minced kangaroo meat, bran, crushed dog kibble were progressing well but one was falling behind
and calcium powder. in growth.
As it was this pair’s first attempt at breeding, the
BREEDING decision was made to leave them to their own devices
A nest box was provided towards the end of 2018 and provide as much food as they required. A few
but with the male only being 12 months old at the days later the third chick was found dead. By the
time, we were not predicting much and as expected, middle of February the remaining two chicks were
nothing happened that season. The male still had nearly fully feathered and looking fantastic.
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
On hot days, the Newly hatched Sacred
aviary’s misting system Kingfisher chicks
cooled the occupants, and
the chicks thrived inside PHOTO LAUREN ARABENA
the nest box despite the
summer heat. Both chicks Chicks just prior to fledging
fledged looking great.
They were initially a bit PHOTO LAUREN ARABENA
flighty but soon settled
down. They were duller A UTH OR & PH O T O D R C L AU DE LA C ASSE DVM, MANZCVS (Australian Wildlife)
versions of their parents
and very cute. wild corner
To date we have
not witnessed any
aggression towards
the offspring, which
are now approximately
seven months old.
Sacred Kingfishers are a lovely inclusion in our bird
department, and visitors enjoy stopping to watch them.
Each spring we are visited by wild Sacred Kingfishers
too and they can be heard calling loudly along the creek
which runs through the Sanctuary. We look forward to
more experiences breeding these delightful birds in the
future and contributing to the species’ representation
within Australian zoos.
Cora,
the Peregrine Falcon
THE PEREGRINE FALCON IS Claud
renowned for its incredible speed, reaching over
320km/h when diving steeply on prey. When 251VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
Cora was presented after being hit by a car, her left wing
was very weak and she could not elevate herself even 1m
off the ground.
The falcon was anaesthetised with Isoflurane, and a
fracture of the left coracoid bone was diagnosed on
radiographs. The coracoids are essential to flight and are
part of the structural framework of the shoulders, along
with the scapula and clavicles. They are support bones,
running from the shoulder to the keel, and resist the
compressive forces of the pectoral muscle contraction
during flight.
The two treatment options with fractures of the
coracoid are conservative—bandage the wing or surgery
(intramedullary pin). However, regardless of treatment,
many birds do not regain full flight abilities. The surgical
option was chosen for Cora and an intramedullary pin
was inserted into the coracoid to stabilise the fracture
(see photo). She was provided with strong pain relief and
anti-inflammatories. A figure-of-8 bandage, secured to the
bird’s body, was applied to immobilise the wing for the
first two weeks.
After three weeks, the pin was removed and the
fracture seemed healed. Cora was then placed in a large
flight aviary to exercise. At first, the falcon was very unfit
and could not fly high. She struggled to complete many
laps of the aviary. However, after one month of exercise,
Cora had regained good fitness and was finally returned
to the wild.
breeder perspective Madagascar Lovebirds—
AUTHOR ANDREW RANKMORE male on left and female
PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN
Madagascar
LOVEBIRDS
THE MADAGASCAR LOVEBIRD included UV light tubes, but I would consider this option
Agapornis canus is possibly the smallest exotic only for the very dedicated and time-rich breeder.
parrot available in Australia and is the smallest
member of the Agapornis genus. This gem is relatively A more realistic option is to follow the lovebird
uncommon here, but enough pairs are held in collections fraternity in keeping birds in a cabinet-type breeding cage
where they can still be obtained. In the 1980s the within an insulated and air-conditioned bird room. The
Madagascar Lovebird became the ‘must have’ of lovebirds. most convenient solution is often a home garage. A large
My thoughts are that they have now become a ‘serious’ roller door means birds can be easily exposed to fresh
collector-only species. This is because Madagascars have air and natural light when the weather is suitable, but
some sensitivities in their care and may easily end up also fully protected from the elements when it is not.
‘disappointing their keeper’, should they be neglected at
any time.
Andre DESCRIPTION
The Madagascar Lovebird follows the Agapornis typical
body outline in a smaller form. The species is sexually
dimorphic and displays noticeable differences in body
plumage. The female is green with mottled black spots.
The male displays a strong grey plumage on the head and
neck area, with a green body. Body size is similar to the
parrotlets, approximately 30g. (The smallest parrot in
the world is the Hanging Parrot, Loriculus genus, which is
slightly smaller again, and weighs just 20g).
HOUSING
Housing is probably the major area of concern when
keeping Madagascar Lovebirds. I would class them as
needing more care and consideration than most parrots—
along the lines of some finches.
Madagascar Lovebirds need to be protected from
draughts, excessive heat and cold, and stress-inducing
neighbours. In much of Australia this rules out most
outdoor accommodation without some very specialised Housing for the Madagascar Lovebird needs to be secure from
features such as blinds, a full roof, and heating/cooling temperature extremes, draughts and intrusive neighbours
solutions. I have seen such set-ups here which even PHOTO JADE WELCH
252 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
A quality finch seed mix and
seeding green grasses form
the basic diet
PHOTO EMANUAL JOHNSON
When pairs enter breeding mode, behaviour changes,
with the male (and sometimes the female) showing more
aggression towards the keeper. The female will start
to collect grasses or any available material for her nest.
Should eggs follow, expect the female to be reliably
sitting on them as Madagascar Lovebirds are typically very
attentive parents.
The clutch average is 3–6 eggs, but the number of eggs
that are fertile may vary. If
Air-conditioning remains a must in most areas due to the all goes well, eggs will hatch
extremes of Australian winters and summers. This keeps in 22–24 days. Chicks will
the birds in tip-top health, with the added benefit of year- be cared for by the female
round breeding potential. exclusively until they are six
weeks old.
DIET
Some conjecture exists regarding the Madagascar CONCLUSION
Lovebird’s diet. There has been no silver bullet that results The Madagascar Lovebird is
in better reproductive success or sustainment for what sadly overlooked by almost
can be an inconsistent species. all bird keepers in Australia,
A seed mix suited to finches forms a sound base, with except those who specialise
wild greens provided regularly. Typically, lovebird seed in this genus. They do
mixes that include hulled oats, millet, wheat, linseed, and require unique care and
canary seed are all sound choice. Sunflower does not commitment, but their
seem to be enjoyed or taken to any extent, and I put this size and lack of significant
down to Madagascar Lovebirds’ very small size and the noise factor means this can
di culty in hulling such a seed with their tiny beaks. Fruit be more cost-effectively
and veg are not readily accepted. To get green content achieved. Given that Madagascar Lovebird in nest
into these birds, fresh lengths of wild grass must be breeding results are somewhat inconsistent, prices and PHOTO EMANUAL JOHNSON
provided. Seeding wild grasses are highly desired and, I availability are likely to remain stable for some time,
believe, aid in bringing birds into reproductive condition giving impetus for people to work with this moderately
through spring and over the summer months. expensive species.
BREEDING
Getting pairs to lay eggs appears to be an
achievable goal in Australia but achieving fertile
eggs and chicks on the perch is a whole new
level of aspiration. Many pairs produce infertile
clutches throughout most of their breeding
attempts, with a minority of pairs showing
more reliable fertility and keeping the species
sustainable in Australian aviculture.
There seems to be little difference in diet and
enclosure environment between those who
are successful in breeding and those who are
not, which naturally brings to mind relatedness
issues. However, even with guaranteed
unrelated pairings, this anomaly continues.
This leads me to believe that we are missing
something in the Madagascar’s dietary needs
to ensure viable reproductivity. The other
thought is that so few people keep the species
in air-conditioned environments that birds are
strained in regaining strength and condition
after the winter cold, let alone successfully
breeding. Perhaps it is a combination of these
factors.
For those who are successful, birds are clearly
maintained in a stable and private environment
with a small nest box measuring approximately
12cm square internally. A 4cm entrance hole
provides a secure and attractive solution to a
female in breeding condition.
253VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
hookbill hobbyist Pet Red-bellied Parrots need
AUTHOR & PHOTOS EB CRAVENS firm rules and a patient owner
PoiScpeepchiaalluCarePfoarrrot
MANY PET BIRD OWNERS ARE
familiar with the wonderful, affectionately more remote aviaries where they could perch far above
demure personalities of the African keepers’ heads on limbs 2.4–3m (8–10ft) high.
Once egg-laying is accomplished, we found it prudent
Poicephalus genus. From the smaller Senegal and to leave young unproven pairs completely alone to tend
Meyer’s Parrots, through the subtly shy Red-bellies and their clutch without any human interference. This teaches
Brown-heads, to the various Jardine’s subspecies and birds that their nesting enclosure is safe and secure, calms
dynamic relatives of the Cape Parrot, captive-raised them down, and helps establish proper habits and feeding
Poicephalus can make some of the finest long-term routine. It also allows us to take notes and record the
companion psittacines in the bird keeping world today. basic ground rules and time frame that these pairs will go
We have raised and kept numerous members of this on to prefer. Later, when the parrots trust us and have
genus over the years, including handfeeding young chicks shown they can parent, a certain amount of nest chamber
and old, parent-raising a few, taking in many di cult ‘peeking’ may be tolerated—but be careful.
former pets for rehoming, and even rehabilitating older
birds for someone’s breeding program. In all these cases, it The Chicks
has been necessary for us to remember just how sensitive ‘Poi’ chicks often tend to develop slowly in their weeks
E and potentially timid psittacines in this group can be. between hatch and early fledging—unlike many Australian
254 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU parrots and conures in the same size range which quickly
RAISING PROSPECTIVE PETS show accelerated development. We like to leave the babies
The Parents with their parents for 4–6 weeks, longer with Jardine’s and
When utilising former wild-trapped and imported birds Cape Parrots. Always consider the youngest chicks’ status
as parent stock, we noted that some show highly skittish and needs when reviewing a clutch for removal. Each extra
tendencies that can be passed on to offspring at a very day in the nest strengthens their immune system, sets
young stage, if keepers are unaware of their correct them on a steeper handfeeding growth curve, and gives
environmental requirements. Members of this group plenty of time for emotional stability and confidence to
much prefer quiet, private quarters off to themselves and build inside the confines of the box.
distant from the rowdier Amazons, macaws, cockatoos Once pulled for the nursery and handfeeding, chicks are
and conures found at many breeding facilities. In addition, handled gently with much patience and caution. I have
bonding in Poicephalus species is different from some visited nurseries where 7–8 baby birds were kept together
parrot pairs. There is not a lot of wrestling and play, in a single tub of mixed species. Baby Poicephalus are
sometimes little if any allopreening, and even extreme consistently the ones hanging back in the dark or being
jealousy or aggressiveness towards nearby birds of unlike jostled around by the more active and exuberant conures,
species—all can affect reproductive success. Certain pairs caiques, parakeets and/or lorikeets. Chicks need a nursery
may prefer to hide most of the time when humans come environment where they can retreat into shadows
around to service and feed. We have had suspicious, beneath a thick towel and avoid too much early activity
jumpy birds that only calmed down when moved into and visual stimulation.
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
All early touching with
Poicephalus chicks should
begin with just the beak
Confidence and outgoing curiosity seldom develop at perfectly natural in these species. It should be accepted This female fledgling kept
the same rate they would in clutches of more outgoing and supported with feeding practices that are carried out to her basket long after her
psittacines. Accordingly, to ‘push’ your baby Senegals in a quiet, low-light environment. We let it run its course. siblings had begun exploring
or Jardine’s in their socialisation can lead to undesirable As time wears on, all Poicephalus begin to exercise the
apprehension in chicks—something that may grow into adventuresome side of their behaviour. It often takes Jardine's Parrots have great
that skittishness or downright fearfulness as fledging/ longer, that’s all. beak strength for their size
weaning approaches. It is hard for such a baby parrot to and love chewing
overcome the early trauma of insensitive handling. It is Insecurity Bites
hard enough for neonate hookbills to cope with abrupt From a pet perspective, BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 255
removal from their nest-box birthplace and parental if any hard beak pressure
closeness without having to spend the next 3–4 weeks habits or biting tendencies
always stressed by new foods, routines, sights and sounds. manifest in these chicks,
Glass aquariums in the nursery and baby Poicephalus we take it as a sign that
species do not go together. the chicks are insecure and
need to be brought along
SMOOTH TRANSITION even more slowly. Providing
Patience is Key textured chewing materials
The amount of time babies spend with the dark, warm in the dark of the basket
security of their parents is very important for this genus. focuses beak strength
Neonates left in a snuggly family environment until they where it needs to be.
have slowly begun to discern unfamiliar sounds and
movements outside their box environment will quickly Another sign is when a
learn that such distractions are no danger to them. baby bird grips the keeper’s
fingers so tightly that it
Once visual acuity has begun to strongly develop after either hurts or the baby
the four-week point, keepers must be even more wary needs to be almost pried
about startling or discomforting chicks. Those already in loose. This can certainly
a nursery setting are in real need of a subdued, peaceful occur with this group—so,
environment, away from excess activity, sharp noise we go slower, move more
and any abrupt movement which could be construed as gently, and keep things
threatening. Whereas some of our five-week-old South darker till they are used to
American psittacine species may only hide for a week or perching and being moved
so beneath their dark nursery towel before becoming comfortably.
inquisitive about what is going on outside, the ‘slowest’ of
the Poicephalus may do so for nearly a month. Consistent audio cues,
akin to a soft whistle, used
This does not mean that we cannot combine different daily, will soon develop into
species in the same handfeeding container environment. a recognisable contact call
However, the basket or tub must be set up to offer the and will warn and announce to chicks that ‘all is well, here
more reclusive babies a place to retreat in the back, while we are’.
the boisterous others can go about ‘exploring’.
Importance of Flight
At this stage, it is imperative the breeder or handfeeder Skilled flight is essential for the confidence of young
does not decide the baby is socialising too slowly and Poicephalus. Yet proper fledging can be a ponderously
try to speed up the process. Any trembling of chicks retarded phase in Jardine’s, Meyer’s and the others.
when held, or tendency for them to jump back into their For one thing, their body physiques determine a mode
basket or tub when removed for cleaning and feeding, is
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
prompting such a chick to build confidence in short hops
and jumps, before taking off on longer flights.
Another interesting aspect of the developing
fledgling is what we term the ‘Poicephalus Fit’. Chicks
can go from happy, gentle, bubbly vocal darlings to
obstreperous, growling, beak-poking little monstrosities
who dive in and out of their dark baskets, beat up their
toys and step all over brothers and sisters in a display
of forceful personality. Now that we have come to
recognise such impromptu displays, they are indeed
quite humorous. Years ago we might have thought
we had an abnormal baby or were perhaps raising
it incorrectly.
In those long days leading up to fledging, I have known
African species which preferred to briskly flap inside
their baskets (especially immediately after a feeding)
for two weeks or more before even attempting to flap
in full daylight. A ringneck, conure, lory, or Amazon at
Meyer's Parrots are subtly of flight which requires loud and rapidly whirring wing the same developmental stage seldom displays such
beautiful with lots of spunk
downbeats to support a somewhat chunky airborne calculated patience.
PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN
body. Any excess baby fat kept on weaning young by Perhaps it has to do with the instinctual ‘psyche’ of the
keepers insisting they handfeed when they are not really Poicephalus genus. It would be interesting to examine
hungry, will only make it harder for youngsters to lightly the persistent native dangers to fledglings in the wild.
take to the air. Lightness and muscle development should Are those in highly dangerous environments more likely
be the handfeeding goal prior to fledging, not recorded to exit their nesting cavities at a later stage than those
weight gains or maintenance. with fewer risks and safe, foliated habitats? Or are those
One of our baby male Cape Parrots was a very lazy species whose tree holes lie in more danger from climbing
flier—not wishing to expend all that much energy in predators, quicker to fledge because the outside is a safer
flapping to get from point A to point B. This resulted in place to be?
his slowing as he reached a destination, often creating an Truly, I wonder. What I do fathom, however, is that
unstable or crash landing. Several of these in a row may those bird keepers raising and training captive offspring
discourage a juvenile, making it fearful of taking flight and of the Poicephalus group need to exercise extra-tolerant
landing hard—thus delaying the fledging phase even further. care, surplus nurturing, and an advanced realisation of the
Soft, stable, early-training landing sites near at hand— characteristics of their parrot charges in order to fashion
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pet parrot behaviour WPairhBondiingiwithYoPur rPoabrlreot:
AUTHOR & PHOTOS HILLARY HANKEY
WHEN I WAS FIRST ‘GETTING INTO’
parrots, the prevailing wisdom for building
trust was to create a pair bond. Feed warm
foods, scratch your parrot’s head, establish cuddle and
non-cuddle times, talk softly or sing to your bird back and
forth…these are the behaviours that encourage strong
bonds in the wild.
Knowing more about parrot ethology helps us to
understand where these pair strengthening behaviours
might lead us astray as the years progress. Let's talk about
why our parrot viewing us as a lifelong partner can be
extremely problematic, what to do about it, and how we
forge ahead in trust-building instead.
PARROT ‘MONOGAMY’
Most parrots lead largely monogamous lives in the wild.
Monogamy in birds is considered ‘a prolonged pair bond
between a single member of the opposite sex for the purpose
of raising offspring’ (Gill & Prum 2019). This doesn’t mean
they are exclusively monogamous, that their relationships
are complicated by human standards, or that certain
species don’t drift significantly from the norm, as Eclectus
so famously do, with the female having a number of
partners. In building their families and putting extensive
parental investment into keeping their young safe, and
teaching them about their environment, parrot parents
strengthen their own bonds through post-courtship Bonding can occur in a variety
behaviours such as allopreening (mutual grooming) and of ways and skill-building
regurgitation of food from their crops. is an important part of the
Once paired, parrots tend to stay with their mates trust process
year after year, although they can ‘divorce’ and some will
even have side relationships. These types of relationships parrot-speak that don’t lead to the best of outcomes. If
and loose views on monogamy are not uncommon we are looking for ‘friend zone’ behaviours, starting off
in the animal kingdom, and many species that exhibit with what our parrots see as romantic overtures is setting
monogamous-type bonds will still have sexual relationships up everyone for disappointment.
with other animals. As much as we humans view petting as the ultimate
Parrots are capable of having incredibly complex social in connective experience, for most parrots, keeping
lives, with the capacity to live in small family units through petting and gentle scratches, rough and tumble play,
to flocks hundreds and thousands of individuals strong. beak wrestling, tousling, tail-grabbing, and other types of
Where their social structure and influences become a tactile contact to a minimum is important to long-term
problem is when they forge a tight pair bond with one success. It is relatively easy to create a smushy, floppy
Hiar human in the household. On a good day, this can create baby—particularly with some of our more tactile birds
tension among family members, hurt feelings, and maybe a like cockatoos and macaws being so floppy and tactile
few beak pinches as the less-favoured human attempts to as babies. As they get older, this becomes a challenge
service the feathered royalty. At its extreme, pair bonding when the expectation for continuing these gentle, loving
can lead to egg-laying, prolapse, and constant screaming. behaviours has been set.
What’s going on? Let’s dig in. As mates, parrots defend their nest sites and their
families. We have seen it in our homes and even
HOW WE BOND developed our own labels—‘territoriality, one-person bird,
It’s understandable that we try to speak the language nesting behaviour, hormonal season’ Sound familiar? Some
of pair bonding in order to gain the trust of a parrot of these may be applicable, and some may not. By taking a
in our care. Offering and receiving food and affection look at the environmental conditions we have created, we
are generally the easiest and most obvious ways to tell can untangle this complicated construction and reveal the
if another individual is moving toward a more positive relationship we desperately want.
relationship with us. But that doesn’t necessarily mean
that developing a relationship where the parrot sees us as WE ARE PAIR-BONDED—WHAT TO DO NOW?
a potential mate is a good thing. When you have a parrot that is tightly bonded to one
As mentioned, it was the prevailing thought for many person in the house, it can be disruptive. As the other half
years that feeding warm foods would hasten the bonding to your parrot’s pair, you will have duties and expectations
process. This mimics how one mate might feed another. that you may not understand. We want to broaden our
But similar to wrapping our hands around a bird’s body parrot’s social circle, which can in many cases reduce
or stroking it down the back, this has implications in biting, screaming, and improve health.
258 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
Parrots form long-term
pair bonds but can also
have complex social lives
involving more than
one individual
A small hole or dark space
can be perceived as a
potential nest and create
unwanted behaviours
Sometimes it’s easy to see that the less-favoured person means that our relationship
gets relegated to husbandry duties that the bird isn’t doesn’t necessarily start
fond of—the veritable good cop/bad cop. Is that person with providing gifts, but
responsible for putting the bird away, covering the cage communication through
much to the bird’s chagrin, and cleaning the cage despite positive reinforcement and
beaky protests? It may be time to switch up duties as well building skills for long-term
as train the stress away. That means seeing how we can success. There is a time for
train these husbandry tasks so that they aren’t so stressful play and cuddle, but also
or, at the very least, remove the bird from some of them experiences so that we
so that it doesn’t try to grab at the hand who is literally recognise what the parrot
feeding and cleaning it. will need in the future.
Try making the unfavoured person the main source of We can establish
treat delivery and simple training for the time being, while short cuddle sessions at
they build up their reinforcement value. Target training appropriate times, but keep
and stationing are wonderful and simple behaviours to them just that—short, a few
train and very useful when building relationships. minutes long—and quickly
Consider what the reinforcer is for the inappropriate move to more active play
behaviour. I get it—I sometimes have to suppress a and training. Cuddles to a
chuckle when a tiny feathered creature charges after an parrot are much different to cuddles for a kitten, puppy,
adult human with what seems like the intent of taking or human baby. It’s important for us to understand this
that person down. It seems absolutely ridiculous. But it’s significant species difference.
also true that laughter and the resulting attention the tiny Whether we are bringing in an adult bird or a new young
tyrant gets for the display could be fueling the behaviour. bird, establishing a well-rounded social life is an important Too much petting, beyond
head and neck scratches,
That only ramps up the intensity of the behaviour. component to that animal’s success in our homes and can confuse a bird which
can perceive the behaviour
Creating replacement behaviours and preventative overall household welfare. Creating positive associations as pair bonding
measures so that the bird doesn’t engage in chasing with new people, allowing the bird to recognise value in
and terrorising is the best way to devalue potentially stepping up, or reading the
dangerous behaviour such as chasing. bird’s body language may be
In the wild, our parrots’ diets often change with the saying ‘no, thank you’, are
seasons. This can tell our parrots when it’s time to waste all great ways to keep your
energy on being amorous and when they are best using parrot building trust with
their energy for more utilitarian needs. In our homes, new faces.
we often cook birdie breads and use other foods rich in Armed with these
fats, flours, and sugars year-round. Consider what is in important tools, we will be
your bird’s food bowl and what they are consuming. Rich able to help our feathered
foods can lead to more problems, from pair bonds to friends build skills for a well-
egg-laying. rounded, long life in our
homes and families.
BUILDING TRUST & SOCIALISING
Establishing a pair bond is relatively easy. Establishing a REFERENCE
bond based on mutual trust is a challenge. Trust is built Gill, FB & Prum, RO 2019,
with the exchange of information and a closed feedback Ornithology 4th ed, WH
loop, meaning that when the parrot behaves, we not only Freeman and Company:
acknowledge it, but manage our response as a result. This New York.
259VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
Blue-capped Cordon Bleu
FINICHBAViIAeRIRESea Beer?
GROWING THROUGH THE YEARS Nearly all the aviaries I visited at that time had
I grew up in Melbourne and my first aviary in 1985 traps and poison to deal with rodents, rather than
at the age of 10 was a timber construction measuring building to exclude them.
180cm long x 90cm wide x 180cm high. These I did not know then, but we were waiting for China
measurements, which will be familiar to many, were to start producing 6mm mesh at a reasonable price
determined by wire roll sizes that come from the point before the implementation of total exclusion
heritage of the imperial system. This starter aviary became common. It is now rare that you visit a larger
was not a large space, although strong breeding finch collection where exclusion is not implemented
AUTHOR & PHOTOS results from the hardy birds in it (Zebra Finches, into the build.
Diamond Doves, King Quail and Cockatiels—all at
GREIG MEYER once) misled me for some time about what most birds TAMWORTH AVIARIES
would consider reasonable living room. After my move to Tamworth I began using 6mm mesh
After moving to the Hunter Valley in 1990, my and a brick wall and, as a result, finally had at least one
parents bought a house with a much larger yard and aviary that never had mice in it, and the others only very
I built two aviaries of much greater scale—the largest rarely. Breeding results improved again. These aviaries
3.6m long x 2.7m wide. I was still using 12.5mm were also constructed of timber, cement sheet and this
wire and no rat walls. I tried more difficult species time, fully roofed. The latter was due to my desire to
and breeding results were variable. keep Red Siskins, and their rather disturbing habit of
sleeping while clinging to the wire in exposed locations
It is a broad statement, but encouraged me to provide the extra protection.
My restless living habits have now resulted in me
accurate, that most young starting again, this time with a different focus. I am
an much busier at work and live on 11ha (27 acres), so
aviculturists aspire to have there is no shortage of things to be done. I decided I
envy-inducing mega-sized aviary would build one big aviary to minimise feeding time
and to see whether this sort of environment would
encourage breeding results from finches that had
DEALING WITH VERMIN previously proved difficult.
I used to take a hose down to try and flush the I had metal frames welded and placed galvanised
mice out of their burrows, and then kill them with sheet on the bottom which went 50cm below ground
a shovel, which gives an indication that conditions level. I have not concreted it in or put gravel around,
were somewhat challenging at times for the birds. so it remains to be seen whether this is sufficient to
But it has to be remembered that it was only keep mice out. The soil is a very heavy red clay that
about this time that the concept of total vermin is quite sticky when wet and rock-hard when dry—not
elimination was beginning to be considered. the best digging conditions most of the time.
260 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
The aviary itself is 7.2m x 7.3m x 2.5m high—more
than twice the size of my previous group of aviaries
combined. The shelter is in one corner, measuring
3.6m wide x 2.4m deep. I did not include a double
door as I figured that I would have to be truly
unlucky to have escapes with all the space inside the
aviary in which the birds could hide.
METAL—THE PROS AND CONS
It is the first time I have used metal construction
and I remain uncertain about it. The low- Circa 1990—larger timber
maintenance, all-weather aspect is very appealing, aviary fitted with 12.5mm
and steel is now the cheapest option as opposed to gauge wire
timber 30 years ago. However, Tamworth swings
between 40ºC plus (often for weeks at a time) and
down to -8ºC. It can frost every morning for a
month. Unfortunately, metal is the ideal material to
exaggerate temperature extremes.
I have used 6mm wire, which is expensive, but I
have found it to be very good at keeping birds in
and predators out. I like the solidity of it. This is
different to most of the large aviaries being built
in the area which are using poly mesh. To the best
of my knowledge they have had few if any problems
with it. The author’s first Tamworth
To counteract the unfriendliness of the metal aviaries—built with 6mm
mesh and brick walls
frame, I have built the most insulated shelter to date.
This involves thick plywood walls on the inside, and BREEDING SUCCESS
cypress weatherboard on the outside, all painted On the breeding front,
white. Sisalation® is used under the roofing iron to the Turquoise Parrots
stop condensation dripping in the winter, and to surprised. They had been
reduce heat in the summer. I have added a panel that living in a cage 60cm x
I can fold up to close the shelter area in further in 60cm x 150cm high. They
the winter. were flighty and unhappy
in that cage, as were the
THE AVIARY VERDICT Scarlet-chested Parrots
The aviary was finished in February 2020 under the year before. I now
urgent pressure to provide accommodation for a house Bourke’s Parrots in
few birds before I went away for a couple of weeks. this cage and they appear
It now holds one pair of each of the following calm and happy.
birds—Orange-breasted Waxbills, Turquoise The Turquoise loved New aviary completed in late
Parrots, canaries, Blue-capped Cordons, Tri-colour the new aviary from day one. Morning and night, January 2020, constructed
Parrot Finches, Plum-headed Finches, Gouldians, they flew to every corner and have calmed down from metal and 6mm wire with
Silverbills, Tri-colour Nuns, Little Green Singers considerably. I provided a nest box in late February deep rat wall
and Black-headed Siskins—nine pairs of finches, one and within a week they had laid eggs, and had two
pair of parrots and the pair of canaries. healthy babies on the perch well ahead of any of the
After two years of awful drought, 2020 has been finches. This is particularly surprising because I
the wettest start to a year in Tamworth for a long have not previously had success breeding parrots
time. My block has had nearly 600mm for the (on the odd occasion when I have tried).
first 4 months—more than the previous two Since then, the Gouldian and Plum-headed Finches
years combined, and equivalent to nearly a full have also successfully raised young, and nearly all
year’s rain. the other birds have at least had attempts at breeding
The all-metal footing provided the ideal trap as well. (There have been a lot of infertile eggs
for water and, a couple of times, there were probably due to them being first-timers).
substantial lakes in the aviary. However, these only
ever lasted 24 hours and did not cause the birds THE TAME AND AGGRESSIVE
any distress. The canaries seem to have very mixed feelings about
The shelter has been a success for the birds, to the aviary life. They were poor fliers to start with, having
extent that for 80% of the day that is where they been in a small cage for two years. They are also
are, and if the rest of the aviary didn’t exist, they incurably tame. The male landed on my shoulder
wouldn't notice. This has surprised me. It could be when I was filling up the egg-food supply and is
because there is little in the way of shrubs at this always on the bowl as I am putting the final bits in.
point—once these grow maybe this will change their They follow me around the aviary, and I am sure
behaviour? Or maybe it is just that birds are like would be very keen to come back in the house if I let
humans and, given the choice of a solid roof and them. However, the male does provide a useful foil
walls, they are happy to visit the great outdoors but to the Little Green Singer because, although very
not so keen on living in it? placid, he is also not going to be pushed around.
The downside of this is that the aviary seems far The Little Green Singer male is the only bird in the
more crowded than it should because the birds’ aviary causing persistent aggression problems—it is
favoured space is very busy—particularly with so frustrating because they are one of my favourite
increasing numbers of young. birds but they are also real troublemakers.
261VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
Black-headed Yellow Siskin
at home in the new aviary
Tri-coloured Parrot Finch
PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN
The author bred this young The male Turquoise Parrot did go through a lot of time searching the aviary in the morning for
Turquoise Parrot—a first on Gouldian hate phase but seems to have moved on bugs that got stranded in the night. I am curious as
the perch in the new aviary from this. The male Orange-breast does not like to whether the larger aviary will allow me to breed
the Silverbills. All the rest of the birds are getting species that otherwise would require more dedicated
along well. live food provision.
OUTSIDE THREATS GENERAL THOUGHTS
One of the most persistent pests for finch I have noticed that I am missing the usual corridor
keepers is the butcherbird. I have Grey and Pied at the back of the aviaries for multiple reasons—it is
Butcherbirds in my area. It is nearly always young where I frequently used to sit to watch the birds, out
Grey Butcherbirds which are the greatest problem, of the sun and weather—in the shelter for the same
although the 6mm wire means I haven’t had any reason as them! It is also where I would store seed and
deaths as a result of their harassment. With smaller nest boxes, and was also very handy for catching birds
aviaries, the birds retreat to the back and get on out. I would not build an aviary without this again.
alright but the larger aviary seems to be providing Except for the Turquoise Parrots, Singers and
endless entertainment and at this point my birds are Gouldian Finches, most of the finches seem
harassed several times a day. Again, when the shrubs indifferent to the extra space. I have nine pairs of
grow this may become less of a problem. My block finches and the aviary looks busy whereas, if it was
also has no other small birds, so the finch aviary is a divided into six small aviaries, I could have this
special attraction in this regard. many pairs in each. The exposure to continuous
harassment by butcherbirds (and the occasional
LIVE FOOD hawk) is frustrating.
I have never fed much in the way of live food except I do like the uncrowded flight area and feel good
for a few mealworms. The Tri-coloured Parrot about the birds having so much space. It seems to
Finches have just hatched their own young. (They be a part of every bird keeper’s journey over time,
were visiting the Gouldian nest and feeding their that providing more space to fewer birds is the right
babies as a practice run!) The male is spending a thing to do regardless of aviary size.
Finch Books
Buy Online at www.birdkeeper.com.au or See Free Mail
Order Card P: 07 5568011 E: [email protected]
262 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
CostAa RLiivicna Ede
HOME TO 5% OF THE PLANET’S An Emerald Toucanet enjoys
biodiversity, the small Central American fruit among the tourists
country of Costa Rica intends to safeguard
its assets from the deadly ramifications of
deforestation and logging. A whopping 25% of the
country has been given protected status, including
a staggering 28 national parks, 15 wetland areas,
11 forest reserves, 58 wildlife refuges and eight
biological reserves. With 10,000 species of plants/
trees, 205 species of mammals, 160 amphibian and
220 reptile species, plus over 850 species of native
and migratory birds, the tiny nation is considered by
many scientists across the globe as ‘the living Eden’.
My husband Gustavo and I decide to wander this
land, tramping through rainforest and cloud forests,
mangrove swamps, and deciduous woodlands, in
search of birdlife.
ROADSIDE SMORGASBORD the Scarlet Macaws Ara macao and four of the six AUTHOR
For the avid nature-lover and aviculturist, even toucans native to this land nestled between the VICKIE LILLO
a casual breakfast stop at a roadside diner in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Central Valley offers avian splendours, courtesy PHOTOS GUSTAVO LILLO
of the fruit perch near the customers’ benches. Henri works in the flight cage, a refuge for birds
Seeing all the world’s toucans is on my life list, confiscated from hunters or pet owners. (It is illegal Blue-grey Tanager
so being arm’s length from an Emerald Toucanet to own any exotic wildlife.) Many of the rescued
Aulacorhynchus prasinus pinnacles my day. The toucans are too domesticated for future release,
primarily green frugivore pecks voraciously at a lacking the skills to fend for themselves. Hence, they
section of papaya with its characteristic black and will live out their days in this avian lap of luxury.
lemon-coloured beak. The burgundy patch at the Given some nibbles of bird food, Gustavo and I
upper maxilla and mulberry-blue throat of the Costa advance towards a Yellow-throated (Black-mandibled)
Rican subspecies is visible with the tap-tap-tapping. Toucan Ramphastos ambiguous, largest of the
Costa Rican toucans. It scoots cautiously along one
Tanagers—the Scarlet Piranga olivacea, of dozens of live tree branches inside its arboreal
Scarlet-rumped or Passerini’s Ramphocelus passerinii home. It dabs at my palm, delicately picking up the
and a Blue-grey Thraupis episcopus approach, pellets with its oversized chestnut and yellow beak.
hoping to share. A rather grumpy-looking The toucan opens its thermo-regulating keratin beak
Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus, to cool itself, tucking
in striking purple breeding colours, also tries to the bill tightly under its
join the feast. Meanwhile, a female Green-crowned wings to warm up.
Brilliant Hummingbird Heliodoxa jacula flutters
into range, as does a male Violet Sabrewing ‘Don’t worry, they all
Campylopterus hemileucurus. Both sneak nectar have good manners,’
from a trio of bitter ginger blooms, unperturbed by Henri laughs. I half
the plethora of bees also vying for the honey. expect it to wink its coal-
black eye encircled in
LA PAZ WATERFALL GARDENS yellow-green shading,
La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Peace Lodge is the or let out its customary
number one ecological attraction in Costa Rica, ‘yip, a yip, a yip’ chorus
featuring a wildlife sanctuary of over 100 animal that the flock uses in the
species, five separate waterfalls, hiking trails wild to ‘stay connected’
through cloud forest and rainforests, a serpentarium as they soar follow-the-
and ranarium for reptile and amphibian enthusiasts, leader style through
and the largest aviary in the country. No binoculars the forest canopy. The
are required—just stand still and be delighted by Yellow-throated Toucan
delicately plucks another
263VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
Keel-billed Toucan
rainforest-like aviary at
the Toucan Rescue Ranch
Crimson-collared Tanager nugget of birdfeed from my hand and shuffles are known as ‘el diablo’ (the devil). We amble past
Red-legged Honeycreeper
in breeding plumage closer with its bright-blue feet. A Keel-billed Toucan the breeding enclosures here at the Toucan Rescue
Yellow-throated Euphonia— Ramphastos sulfuratus and aracaris—a Fiery-billed Ranch (TRR), a licensed wildlife refuge centre 30
a delightful songbird
Pteroglossus frantzii and Collared Pteroglossus minutes from downtown San José, and the first such
torquatus—keep their distance. facility in the world reproducing Emerald Toucanets
Located in the mountain zone, La Paz sits in Aulacorhynchus prasinus.
a migration corridor where hundreds of breeds Up ahead, in coops shrouded in jade-green plastic
migrate to the different altitudes, searching for to simulate the rainforest, Keel-billed Toucans
blossoming fruit trees. Ramphastos sulfuratus are croaking, like bullfrogs.
Besides the aviary and ‘We can’t sing…but we’re pretty,’ volunteer Daniel
an indoor enclosure jokes about the famous, albeit unharmonious birds.
housing parrots, the TRR was founded in 2004 by American Leslie
animal sanctuary boasts Howle and her Costa Rican husband Jorge Murillo.
a hummingbird garden Leslie had returned to the tropics she so dearly loved
with 26 documented with 10 endangered birds. Initially, the rescue centre
species sightings. Among specialised in toucans saved from habitat loss, the
them are Coppery- illegal pet trade and window accidents. Recognising
headed Emeralds their success, MINAE, the nation’s wildlife-governing
Elvira cupreiceps, agency, almost immediately started bringing various
Purple-crowned Fairies genera of birds for rehabilitation. When in 2007
Heliothryx barroti, MINAE brought in a crippled baby sloth that had
White-bellied Mountain been shot, TRR transitioned to a full-time, multi-
Gems Lampornis species wildlife rescue facility almost overnight,
hemileucus and Magenta- focusing on toucans, sloths and owls.
throated Woodstars Gustavo and I continue strolling the grounds,
Calliphlox bryantae. past the bottlebrush and other Callistemon shrubs
Gustavo and I stand planted to attract hummingbirds towards the cages
within centimetres of the filled with members of the Falconidae family. They
feeders, enthralled by include menacing-looking diurnal birds of prey—a
the continual flapping Barred Hawk Morphnarchus princeps, injured in
of the hummingbirds’ the wing by a bullet, Crested Caracaras Caracara
miniature wings—60 cherlway, Mexico’s national bird that eats carrion like
flaps a second! These vultures and targets animals fleeing forest fires; an
tiny ‘hummers’ perch, urban Roadside Hawk Rupornis magnirostris with
stab their beaks into the breast bands of brown and white; and a quartet of
nectar, then dart off like
miniscule scintillas of
refracting light in vivid
fuchsias, amethysts and
kelly greens. These tiny
birds, with boundless
energy, eat every 15
minutes to maintain
their vitality level, and
literally each morning
is a life-or-death struggle just to awaken and begin
replenishing their food supply.
TOUCAN RESCUE RANCH Yellow-throated Toucan
As it begins to rain, the Collared Aracaris
264 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU Pteroglossus torquatus are squawking in their
cages. These predominantly black toucans with a
splash of red, a yellow front, and a sawtooth grin
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
Grey Hawks Buteo plagiatus, skilled lizard hunters,
in varying stages of cancer.
A trio of Spectacled Owls Pulsatrix perspicillata
next door—one adult and two fluffy, white-headed
juveniles—cling to a limb. With feathers aimed to
break the wind, ears positioned close to the eyes,
and a head like an antenna ‘these are the true killing
machines,’ Daniel informs us.
Separated by bars, a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
Glaucidium brasilianum is hungrily tearing hunks of
flesh from a dead chick—one of the 220 needed every
day to feed TRR’s many raptors. ‘We buy them from
a bird egg-laying centre that discards the males,’ we
are told.
Visitors’ ticket purchases, along with symbolic
adoptions of Swainson’s Toucans, allow the non-
profit foundation to continue providing food and
attention for the sick, injured, and traumatised
wildlife dropped at their doorstep. Marketing intern Saltator coerulescens, watch us warily as we creep Spectacled Owls—
Ally Chamberlin explains, ‘We believe in giving wild close to the overhanging fronds concealing their nest. adult with juveniles
animals the ‘wildest’ experience possible during their After an hour, we venture into the jungle thickets.
care here at the Toucan Rescue Ranch. Thanks to the Jason explains it will be harder to see birds in the
dedication of administration, our veterinarians, staff, forest, ‘because they are always on the move’.
volunteers and interns, every animal that comes is Still, we are able to identify a rainbow-coloured
given a second chance. We have released 127 animals Broad-billed Motmot Electron platyrhynchum,
as of November!’ one of the six species represented in Costa Rica, Collared Aracari
and a White-collared
ARENAL OASIS ECOLODGE Manakin Manacus
Early morning mist, combined with forest chill candel. Partial to cacao
and light precipitation, creates a thick fog of plantations, this squatty
condensation across the lens of Gustavo’s camera, passerine, endowed with
virtually disabling it, preventing it from capturing a yellow belly, famously
nearly a dozen Keel-billed and Yellow-breasted snaps its wings—the
Toucans sitting vocalising together in a single tree. craaack sounds like a
It’s 5.45am at Arenal Oasis Ecolodge, a private breaking twig.
reserve owned by the Rojas Bonilla family. They Jason tells us that in
are farmers who transformed 18 acres of prime the 1960s, the woodlands
rainforest bordering Arenal National Park, and a were reduced to 24%
lagoon, into a viable tourism attraction, complete of the landscape of
with cabins, bungalows, birdwatching and night- Costa Rica, because
trekking to find amphibians. residents thought they
‘The secret is the water. That is why they have were only good for
such frog diversity, because this lodge is located in providing lumber and
a special animal corridor,’ our birding guide Jason animal pelts. Now, with
Torres explains as the toucans continue to sing sustainable tourism,
and sway their heads in the tree. Within minutes, 54% of the country is
the chattering toucans fly off, and the opportune ‘green’ and covered in
moment for photographic glory is gone. forests. With a four-year
However, all is not lost. The property is a birder’s diploma in eco-tourism,
paradise. Clay-coloured Thrushes Turdus grayj, the teaching proficiency in
Costa Rican national bird, abound. Though basically the country’s history
non-descript, their Spanish name, Yiguirro, means and nature (its flora
‘bird of water’ and their cluck announces the onset of and fauna), Jason
the rainy season. On a long, verdant alleyway flanked has the equivalent of
by greenery, Orange-chinned Parakeets Brotogeris a degree in botany,
jugularis gather near a shrub of crimson torch zoology, ornithology
flowers. Red-lored Amazons Amazona autumnalis and entomology. ‘[Low-
chit-chat high in the treetops. Their ruby foreheads impact] tourism is good.
and saffron cheeks are obvious through Jason’s Without it, we’d have
high-powered scope, as they waggle their blue machetes instead of this
crowns and green wings. A black and white Barred birding tripod,’ he says of
Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus alights nearby. In a this Garden of Eden.
turkey-like stance, a Grey-headed Chachalaca Ortalis Barred Antshrike male
cinereiceps straddles an emergent branch, taller CONTACTS
than its neighbors, and snatches a berry from the La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Peace Lodge, Vara
low-hanging drupes. Somewhere behind us, a ‘Pájaro Blanca, Costa Rica—www.waterfallgardens.com
Chancho’, which translates as ‘pig bird’ (a Masked Toucan Rescue Ranch, San Josecito, Heredia,
Tityra Tityra semifasciata) snorts. It is snow-coloured Costa Rica—www.toucanrescueranch.org
with a bare, ruby-red face and eye ring encircled by Arenal Oasis Ecolodge, La Fortuna,
ebony feathers. ‘Weenk, weenk’, the male snuffles Costa Rica—www.arenaloasis.com.
like a swine. A pair of new parents, Greyish Saltators Email [email protected].
265VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING WITH
AUTHOR DOT SCHWARZ Positive
Reinforcement
Hierarchy of Modifications
Diagram developed by
Ken Ramirez
PHOTO KEN RAMIREZ
Dot Schwarz brings Samson HOW WELL CAN THE NON-PROFESSIONAL to praise and encouragement than to criticism
indoors for training at the trainer use positive reinforcement methods? and punishment. PR means giving your parrot
Natural Encounters Inc I believe we can achieve good results with something pleasant or rewarding immediately after
workshop patience and knowledge. We may not achieve the he or she does a behaviour you want them to do.
PHOTO STEVE MARTIN precision or accuracy of the zoo trainer but we’ll be That reward makes them more likely to repeat the
266 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU able to achieve a harmonious relationship with our behaviour in the future.
feathered companion. Positive Reinforcement (PR) Cockatoo trainer Chris Shank said, ‘Positive
training provides the surest method to produce reinforcement training is a very powerful tool
a well-adjusted parrot. (It’s good to note that the for changing your parrot's actions’. It is a simple,
techniques work well with all creatures—our families easy-to-understand description, but putting PR
and workmates included!) into practice requires patience, knowledge and
forethought.
GOOD ‘PR’ FOR ALL AGES Baby parrots, like all young animals, are like
Positive reinforcement offers you the key to sponges—they absorb every experience. After all, wild
creating a positive relationship and bonding with birds flying from the nest have a steep learning curve
your parrot. It is based on the understanding that to scale. We can take advantage of that eagerness to
we all—humans, pets and parrots—respond better learn. Every interaction we have with them forms
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
part of their education. So, it’s not hard to teach a
baby parrot which has just weaned basic essentials
to develop into an agreeable companion.
But what of older birds who might come to you not
particularly eager to absorb what you want them
to know? They may already be showing signs of
distrust and even be reluctant to learn the basic step-
up command. Yes, training such birds is harder, but
it is still possible.
THE STEP-UP
The first important behaviour is the step-up. Without
it, you cannot move the bird from one place to
another, put it back in the cage at night or when
you go to work, or take it to the vet in a crate. If you Keet responds to the cue
chase a parrot around the room with a net or towel, to step-up
the parrot won’t trust you and may develop other PHOTO NICK COWANS
unwanted behaviours like biting.
Pushing your hand against the bird’s chest
(forcing) has been replaced with encouraging the
bird to step onto your open palm to get a treat. The
step-up is a natural movement for a bird that has
learned to perch. You can hold your hand with palm
up or down.
I spoke about this with Mike Simmons, one of the
UK’s best trainers. He said, ‘The way in which our
hand is presented is important and the shape of your
hand can be altered to suit different species of bird.
No matter the species, a form of reinforcement is
offered to shape the behaviour of moving towards
your hand and eventually stepping onto the hand.
Eventually, when the process of stepping up is
learnt, the reinforcer can change from a primary
source such as food to sometimes a secondary source
such as toys or companionship and interactions’.
Place a young bird gently on the perch and hold (called ‘luring’). However, once it is coming to you Susan Friedman performs a
your hand palm-up with a treat next to it. Treat from maybe 1m or so, close the hand. The parrot ‘fly to me’ with Palmer
the bird for each movement it makes towards the then has an expectation (and a query), ‘what am I
hand. It’s thrilling when first one claw comes onto PHOTO STEVE MARTIN
the hand, then one foot, and finally two feet. Once going to get?’
the bird stands on your hand, praise and give it the Choose your own cue of ‘fly to me’. Mine is standing Casper, the African Grey
Parrot enjoys outdoor
treat. You can then place it back on the perch and with left arm bent, palm out, away from my body, enrichment in harness
treat again. then a tap on my left arm and the words, ‘fly to me’.
How long will it take to learn this skill? That varies. This skill learned, the next behaviour is ‘fly to perch’. PHOTO DOT SCHWARZ
With a trusting bird, it happens after a few sessions.
Artha, my African Grey Parrot, could step up from
the moment I brought her home. Mirt, a wild-caught
Timneh, took two years of daily sessions (a few
minutes each) before she’d step up willingly onto the
hand and fly to me on command.
TIP 1: It is easier for a bird to step up rather than
to step down—that’s the way they are built. So, if
you hold your hand slightly above the perch and say,
‘step down’, it’s an easier movement for the bird.
TIP 2: Don’t crowd a nervous bird. Parrots don’t
perch close to one another unless they are great
friends or a bonded pair. They also feel secure
when perched high. Always position their cage
level with your face—a nervous bird located in a
cage at your waist level or lower will panic every
time someone walks past.
‘FLY TO ME’
After the step-up command is achieved, next comes
‘fly to me’ and ‘fly to perch’. Your parrot sits calmly
on its perch. You’re standing a little apart and you
make the request, ‘fly to me’ or ‘come here’. The
parrot will usually make a short hop/flap and land
and get the treat held in your other closed hand. At
the start of training, you can show the bird the treat
267VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
You approach close to the perch with the parrot on After two years of gentle daily sessions, her feathers
your hand or arm and say, ‘fly to perch’ or ‘go tree’. grew and she became hand-tame.
I use the cue I was taught at Steve Martin’s Natural There are instances when negative reinforcement
Encounters Inc (NEI) training workshop in Florida, works and has few repercussions but, even then, it
a twirl of my right index finger. Verbal or physical is a method so much less creative for the learner. An
cues can be anything you like, just be consistent. animal will do only the minimum necessary to make
Many trainers use and advocate clickers. the unpleasant stimulus go away. But when you train
These exercises form the basis for outdoor free- with positive reinforcement, the parrot goes willingly
flight training. I know it can be daunting: free flight into the crate because it has learnt that it will be
TRAINING is not the norm since most pet parrots are indoor rewarded for doing so. Less experienced trainers
TIPS or aviary birds. However, flight training indoors should reward every time the parrot accepts a request.
or in a large enclosed space provides a safety net
Food is the most commonly used reward but a
should your parrot ever get outside and find itself pet parrot will often enjoy a scratch or being given
bewildered and afraid. When you’re out of sight a special toy. Perdy, my cockatoo, learnt to enter a
1: If a session (indoors or outside) and your bird sends out a crate when offered a biro pen to destroy!
isn’t going well, contact call, respond by asking it to come to you, as
go back to an its flock mates might in the wild. When the bird does PUNISHMENT
earlier successful come to you, you will both feel a tremendous sense of ‘Positive punishment’ involves adding an aversive
behaviour and end accomplishment. consequence after an undesired behaviour to
the session on a Out-of-cage time provides a perfect chance to decrease future responses. ‘Negative punishment’
positive. practice ‘fly to me’. Make a game of it. I hide in involves taking away a certain reinforcing item
another room and give our contact call. This ‘wheep’ after the undesired behaviour happens in order to
2: Training sound is what I like to imagine is wild African Greys’ decrease future responses. Punishment takes many
sessions should contact whistle. forms from the mild to the downright cruel—like
be brief— flicking a bird’s beak, shaking its cage, dropping
5 minutes or less; NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT the bird to the floor, or even blowing in its face.
15 minutes is a lot. Using punishment as
a tool in training can
3: Training is best work but can also have
carried out before unforeseen behaviour
a mealtime when consequences for your
the parrot will bird, such as escape/
usually be more avoidance behaviours;
eager to work for learned helplessness
treats or rewards. (apathy, listlessness);
aggression and/or over-
4: A training log generalised fear (phobias).
is of inestimable Negative reinforcement
use—it’s so easy is the removal of a
to forget (or stimulus following a
overlook) what behaviour to maintain or
the aims were increase the frequency Perdy enters a crate for
and what of that behaviour. It is the reward of a
biro pen to destroy
progress was made. often called avoidance
training because the
5: Don’t chatter, learner works for no reason other than to avoid the It is something the handler does to the bird that the
laugh or unpleasant stimulus. bird fears or dislikes and will seek to avoid. While
constantly repeat Parrots can and do learn behaviours this way. punishment can stop undesirable behaviours, it is
your requests. An example would be holding up a towel or some often at the cost of a good relationship.
For the parrot that other frightening object to herd a parrot into the Despite general progress in adopting gentler
is simply white crate. When the parrot enters the crate, the towel methods of behaviour modification, many owners
noise. disappears. The parrot has avoided the scary towel. resort consciously or unconsciously to punishing
However, it’s easy to overdo negative reinforcement techniques. Do parrots respond to punishment? The
and cause other problems. Some of us can remember answer, confusingly, is yes and no.
the old adage of ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’. What is needed is substitution of the unwanted
Punishment has been (and often remains) a large behaviour for something acceptable—teach the parrot
part of teaching and training in our society. to do a different action. A positive response you can
The good news is that traumatised birds can be make to unwanted behaviour is that rather than
rehabilitated by persistent efforts using less coercive actively attempting to stop the behaviour, you teach
methods. My wild-caught Timneh Grey, Mirt, was the bird something else more enjoyable for both of
kept in a cardboard box for eight months when you to share—an alternative. An example with my
her owner died. She arrived plucking and biting. flock was Bobo, a rescue Umbrella Cockatoo, who
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268 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
screamed for attention. With a little patience and neutral tone. This sort of time-out only lasted for a
effort, I managed to substitute Bobo’s screaming into few seconds.
dancing when we sang Happy Birthday. For most birds, after this experience has been
repeated consistently, they have a ‘light bulb’
UNWANTED CONSEQUENCES moment and realise, ‘if I leave her earring alone, I
Susan Friedman has written, ‘Simply and precisely, can stay on her shoulder’. The trick is you need to
punishment is a consequence delivered after a put the bird down rapidly. Timing is the essence of
behaviour, that serves to reduce the frequency or successful training of a new behaviour. Because our
intensity with which the behaviour is exhibited’. reactions are much slower than a bird’s, in general,
That doesn’t sound too bad, does it? However, a we miss the opportunity. Looking up my notes in
punishment can have the opposite effect to that my 2015 logbook, it took a week for Benni to leave
desired. For example, yelling ‘Shut up!’ at your my earrings alone. No shouting, rough handling or
screaming cockatoo may be perceived by the bird threat was necessary. Arrange the environment so
as an exciting reward for its decibels, causing it it is easier for you and the bird to co-operate in. If I
to scream more. Yelling at a nervous African Grey want to wear earrings, I don’t when with Mina my
Parrot may have the opposite effect, causing the poor macaw as she’s less compliant than Benni.
bird to freeze in distress.
Punishing actions can also escalate, leading to CONCLUSION
hitting, pulling out feathers or leaving a social Although most carers now know about positive
creature to terrifying isolation in the dark. Such reinforcement and the milder techniques which
punished birds often end up being rehomed and the we can use to modify pet bird behaviour, aversive
new carer is left to deal with the ill-treated creature’s consequences are still being delivered.
learned traumatic behaviour. ‘Punishment works’, the punisher says, having
shouted to get the bird to fly off the curtain rail. But
TIME-OUT don’t you realise that it flies back there again?
What sort of mild strategies can we use to change Ken Ramirez writes, ‘In our society we tend to
behaviour? The only punishment you should use punish people, children and animals. But if you are a
with your parrot is the time out procedure—turning true trainer, you never punish or reinforce a person
your back on it for a few seconds. Here’s a technique or an animal, you punish or reinforce behaviour. The
that has worked for me. more that you practice positive reinforcement, the
Benni macaw, as a young bird on my shoulder, more you learn to focus on what the bird does, not
would nip at my earrings. He thought it was fun— what the bird thinks.’
actually, it hurt. The solution was not saying ‘no’ Trust yourself as well as your parrot. Do not be
louder and louder. Every single time he grabbed, scared to accept the principles that suit you both. ‘Each
I gently put him on the ground and said ‘no’, in a bird is a study of one.’ (Pers comm Susan Friedman.)
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269VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
Mallee Ringnecks
anCloncurry
Parrots
AUTHOR & PHOTOS
PETER ODEKERKEN
A beautiful Cloncurry Parrot
male near a water trough
270 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
AUSTRALIA HAS SOME BRILLIANTLY Nesting time varies for Mallee Ringnecks
coloured parrots which shine in their depending on their climate within a very large
habitat. We also have a number of pastel- range. In the south—South Australia, Victoria and
coloured birds that, although not gaudy in New South Wales—they tend to start proceedings
colouration, are extremely beautiful. I fondly in late August and September, culminating early
remember travelling between Mt Isa and Cloncurry, the following year. In more arid climates, nesting
in north-western Queensland in the late 1980s, and takes place after the rain and sufficient seeding of
seeing a pair of Cloncurry Parrots flying across grasses—usually after the summer rains. Of course, Mallee-ringneck Parrot feeds
in Eucalypt
the highway in the late afternoon light. They were with the erratic rainfall
magnificent. The same can be said for the Mallee due to climate change,
Ringneck which has more colourful plumage and a the time of year may
red band above the beak. differ but generally, in
Cloncurry Parrots Barnardius barnardius outback Queensland this
macgillivrayi are considered a form of the Mallee would be April or May.
Ringneck Parrot B. b. barnardi. The other members The Cloncurry Parrot is
of this genus are the black-headed subspecies—the also naturally influenced
Port Lincoln Parrots B. zonarius zonarius and the by rainfall and tends to
Twenty-eight Parrot B. z. semitorquatus. breed later in the year.
On a recent trip this
IN THE WILD June, I came across a
Distribution and Behaviour pair of Cloncurry Parrots
The Mallee and Cloncurry Ringnecks are found in with two young birds, not
inland areas of Australia. Open Eucalypt, native pine recently out of the nest
Callitris forest and mallee areas are the favoured but still paler coloured
habitats. I have generally never found them far from than the adults. This
a watercourse, but with watering points such as farm was at the remnants of
dams and troughs, they have been able to expand the township of Mary
their range away from permanent or seasonal Kathleen. This area
watercourses. They obviously utilise farm crops experienced unusual
within their range but are not considered pests. rainfall earlier in the
It is very unusual to find this species in large year, where severe
flocks and I have only encountered them in pairs or flooding devastated many
with their young. However, occasionally you may pastoral properties, with
find a few pairs feeding within close proximity to thousands of stock lost.
one another.
These are shy birds. I have stopped in the hope
of obtaining a photograph many times, but they
have always kept their distance. Even when using a
telephoto lens, I generally can’t get close enough for
a decent image.
I remember being at the town of Bollon, in central Cloncurry Parrots and other
Queensland, on a hot summer morning and deciding species benefit from stock
to go into the local store for an ice cream. When I water troughs enabling them
came out of the store, sitting in a White Cedar Tree to live further from permanent
watercourses
in the highway median strip was a Mallee Ringneck
feeding in plain sight within 20m of me. Expecting
the bird to fly away immediately, I was stunned to
see that it could not care less. Quickly discarding my
ice cream, I grabbed my camera out of the car and The North-west Ghost Gum
proceeded to get the best images I had of this species Corymbia bella is a favoured
up until that time. I ended up with enough images nest site for Cloncurry Parrots
and the bird was still quite content. I have been lucky
enough to get many more images of this species in
subsequent years.
Mallee and Cloncurry Ringnecks feed on seeds,
nectar, lerps and insect larvae. They can be found
foraging on the ground or feeding on Eucalypt
blossom and seed pods. They come in to drink,
cautious of predators such as falcons. They sit
quietly in nearby vegetation assessing the situation
before flying down to drink, often with one member
of a pair chancing his or her luck before being joined
by the other.
Breeding
As the breeding season approaches, adults start
courtship, flaring their tails and wagging them from
side to side. Males do this more so than females. If a
bird starts to chuckle and wag its tail, this usually
initiates a response from the other member of the
pair doing the same and can go on for some time.
271VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
Cloncurry chicks in their IN CAPTIVITY
nest box Back in the 1980s, I
was told by Queensland
fauna officials that
the Cloncurry was a
rare parrot. In those
days, Queensland
aviculturists were not
given permission to keep
this bird under licence.
Fortunately, that has
changed for some years
and we can legally keep
them under permit. I was
amazed at the statement
that they were rare as
they are indeed locally
common and relatively
Young easy to see in their habitat, much like other
Four to six white eggs members of the genus.
are laid on wood dust
in hollows of Eucalypts, Housing
generally found near Both forms of this parrot need a reasonable area
watercourses. On a in which to exercise, as they are strong fliers.
property 60km outside The longer the aviary, the better, with 3.6m the
Cloncurry, the parrots nest minimum recommended. The aviary should be at
in North-west Ghost Gum least 2.1m high, so the birds can safely fly over your
Corymbia bella. One of the head as you move around the aviary. A minimum
nesting areas is more than width of 90cm is reasonable—if you can afford more
10km from the Cloncurry space, all the better.
River but the birds get all Conventional aviaries are preferred as, like many
the water they need from Australian parrots, they live a great deal of their
cattle troughs dispersed life on the ground searching for seeds. Aviaries
over the property. constructed of steel tubing are preferred to wood as
Young leave the nest these birds are partial to chewing. At least a certain
paler than the adults, amount of area must be closed in on the sides and
with Cloncurry Parrots roofed to protect the birds from the elements. I
often displaying an usually use 1.2m and ensure it is draught-free. These
orange-red suffusion on are not soft birds but no species enjoys a draft which
the forehead, which is can lead to illness. It is also wise to have a walkway
lost at adulthood. In the to allow the keeper access to feed and to enter
Mallee Ringneck, young aviaries as these ringnecks are strong, fast fliers and
are also paler coloured you don’t want your birds getting out.
than the adults and have
Mallee Ringneck Parrot the orange-red forehead, Diet
Blue mutation which darkens and is Nutrition is important and there are many suitable
retained into adulthood. parrot seed mixes available. Various forms of millet,
Cloncurry Parrot pair with
young—note the yellow beaks
of the recently fledged young
272 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
especially white, and canary seed with a small nutritional diet. However, I personally don’t like to Book Specials
amount of sunflower and safflower, will be adequate provide pellets exclusively. Special
for the basic mix. This should be given soaked every Clean water should be available for drinking and $25
+ post
few days, or more frequently when breeding or when bathing, and a suitable mineral grit supplement
Special
there are young in the nest. should provide all the essentials needed by your
$30
Be sure to germinate the seed, avoiding birds. In the breeding season, I also give extra + post
contamination during the soaking process. In calcium by adding it to the drinking water. Liquid Available from ABK at
www.birdkeeper.com.au
summer I generally soak for 12 hours and then rinse Gold from Wombaroo Passwell™ is a suitable product
or see Free Mail
thoroughly and leave it to germinate for another 12 but whatever you choose, ensure it is palatable for Order Card
hours. I then rinse again and drain off the excess the birds.
water before feeding to the parents. In winter I Another extra I like to give to my birds is hard-boiled
extend these times from 12 to 24 hours. If, for egg blended with the shell. I add a biscuit mix and
whatever reason, the seed mix has fouled, just throw stir this into the egg. I usually use Parrot Soft Food,
it away and start again as it is not worth risking again available from Wombaroo Passwell™ in my egg
your birds’ health. mix instead of biscuit, as there are many benefits in
A selection of vegetables should be provided, with providing essential amino acids and vitamins for the
favourites such as celery, corn, carrot and baby adults and chicks in the breeding season.
spinach leaves given regularly and, of course, a
necessity when young are in the nest. Fruit such as CONCLUSION
apple should be provided, and I have found pear that For some reason, not many collections house
is not too soft is also accepted. Any wild plants such Australian ringnecks. However, they are very
as dandelion and chickweed are favoured but be sure rewarding birds, with a lot of character. They voice
to avoid public areas to collect these items as they their distinctive calls particularly in the morning.
may have been sprayed by the local government. The calls, to me, are attractive and pleasing to hear.
There are any number of suitable pelleted foods They deserve much more attention in our aviaries
available. I like to use this to provide a complete and are imposing and magnificent birds.
RECORD KEEPING AUTHORS PAUL & MICHELLE COURT
WHAT & HOW TO RECORD hobby hints
IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN WHEN can be simply done with pen and paper, specific record-
the breeding season is getting into full swing. keeping programs, or at a basic computer level through
Record keeping is an important part of any breeding Excel spreadsheets. The benefit of Excel over pen and
program and can be based purely on parentage/bloodline paper is that it is easier to modify for additions and to suit
tracking, or specifically around mutation tracking. With different things that you want to track.
mutations, a lot of people like to track all aspects— We keep all of our records in Excel, not only because
sourcing of parents/bloodlines (eg who you bought the we find it easier to enter the information but also because
parents from), genetic make-up of parents, as well as the we can easily back it up in case the worst case scenario
genetic make-up of the young. occurs and a computer or tablet crashes, is stolen, or
Some people’s records include aviary maps and otherwise damaged. I have heard many a story over the
what birds were in what aviary on what year, in order to years where written records have had a cup of coffee
gather data around what types/species of birds spilled over them, young children have gotten a hold of
do better in particular areas of their aviary set-up. them and nearly destroyed them, or the book has simply
Feeding regimes can also be tracked and recorded for been misplaced or lost.
pre-breeding, breeding and post-breeding of pairs. You Your record keeping can also be streamlined to make it
may also record feeding changes and dietary tweaks more time-e cient. We have our records on an electronic
from year to year to assess whether they have any effect tablet and record it live as we check the birds, and as the
on breeding. babies are leg-rung and colour up. Obviously, the records
The information you can track and the data you can are modified as we get more information when sexing etc
gather is almost endless, and depends on how much time is done, but the beauty of them being electronic is that
you want to dedicate to gathering, analysing and using the adding the extra data is quick and easy.
data and what use you will put it to. In the end, whichever way you decide to keep your
The most common form of record keeping simply tracks records, the important thing is that the information you PMaiuche&
the parentage, the young and the genetics of both parents want to track is recorded appropriately and accessible BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 273
and babies. Leg ring identification is essential to prevent when you require it. It is far better to do the work to
mix-ups between visually similar birds that are split to keep effective records and know what you are pairing up
different mutations. than to waste a breeding season by putting the wrong
Good record keeping is sometimes undervalued. It birds together.
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
Female Stella's Lorikeet with
two Melanistic youngsters are
housed in an aviary suitable
for parents and developing
juveniles without crowding
IS THAT CAGE
TOO SMALL AND BORING?
ALL PARROTS ARE FASCINATING FOR When the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos were released
their intelligent curiosity, social behaviour into this aviary, the change in them was miraculous.
and amusing ways. If you don’t see this in Immediately, I began to see behaviour reminiscent
captivity, there is something wrong with your bird’s of these cockatoos that I had been lucky enough to
surroundings. Let me give you an example. observe in the wild on visits to Australia. They lost
their nervousness and foraged on the ground, inches
HITTING THE HEIGHTS from admiring visitors. To watch them bathing with
wings outstretched and crests erected in excitement
A U T H O R & P H O T O S When I was curator of birds at Palmitos Park, Gran was a sight I thought could hardly be surpassed!
They were transformed into the most exquisite
Canaria, we had many pairs of parrots in an off- parrots in the park.
ROSEMARY LOW exhibit breeding centre. They included six pairs of These birds needed an environment that was
Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos Lophrocroa leadbeateri. more than welded mesh, concrete and perches. And
they especially needed more height. Many large
With its stunningly colourful crest and pink-tinged parrots—especially macaws—are housed in aviaries
that are not high enough. This can make them quite
The large cockatoo aviary plumage, this is generally considered to be the most nervous. In a small enclosure, parrots can also be
aggressive. This applies especially to pet birds which,
at Loro Parque provides the beautiful of the white cockatoo species. unfortunately, seldom have a large enough cage.
birds with far more interest These pairs were housed in aviaries that were Then the bird is blamed for its behaviour.
than just welded mesh,
concrete and perches, as 3m (10ft) long x 2.1m (7ft) high. The birds seemed THE AVIARY FLOOR
well as height to exercise quite nervous. No young were produced. In the The Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos spent a lot of time
on the floor in their new, improved environment.
same block, Moluccan When environmental enrichment is discussed for
aviary birds, the floor is seldom mentioned. On
and Umbrella Cockatoos the floor of my lory aviaries, I have gravel (small
stones). This not only makes it easier to keep clean
regularly hatched using a pressure washer, but I allow it to create an
interesting surface. The foundations of the flights,
chicks. Then a large where the framework rests, are concrete. But the
other parts are not cemented, allowing weeds to
new cockatoo aviary grow through the gravel. There are even self-set
Elder Trees Sambucus nigra growing in my flights.
was built. It measured
If any gardening work requires the removal of
10.5m (35ft) long x 3m
(10ft) high. As with
most other enclosures,
it had recessed areas,
small pools and water
running over rocks.
The vegetation was set
behind welded mesh
because cockatoos are
so destructive to plants.
Grass covered part of the
floor area.
274 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
small areas of turf, these are placed along the edges. normally have been sold. Many are running out of
They attract moss. There are small banks of moss space. They might, therefore, be tempted to house
on the floor of my aviaries for my Stella’s Lorikeets several species of young birds together. If they have
Charmosyna stellae. To see the gorgeous red, yellow, had success in mixing unpaired adult birds of these
blue and green of their plumage contrasted against species, they could presume this is perfectly safe to
the dark green moss as they forage on the floor do. That is not necessarily the case.
(perhaps for insects) is an absolute delight. Many years ago, I placed some young Meyer’s
Lorikeets Trichoglossus meyeri and similarly sized
PARENTAL DISCIPLINE Iris Lorikeets Psitteuteles iris in the same aviary. I
One of my recently fledged lorikeets was behaving was shocked by what happened. The upper mandible
very assertively, pushing at my hand before I could of one of the Meyer’s Lorikeets was torn off by an
replace the nectar dish and scolding bad-temperedly. Iris. Fortunately, the Meyer’s did live for many years.
None of the adult birds of the same species would As nectar was its main diet, its injury was not such
ever do this—they have respect. My young lorikeet a serious handicap as it would have been in most
is reprimanded by his father when he behaves parrots. But let that serve as a warning as to what
inappropriately. His mother is more tolerant. those innocent-looking youngsters are capable of.
One reason why I think handrearing of parrots If young birds must be housed together, the
(or any bird) just for the sake of it is wrong, is aviary should be large. A
because it is so important that they learn lessons constant supply of fresh-
on behaviour from their parents. Most handreared cut branches should
parrots are destined for the pet market—all too often be available to keep
before they are properly weaned and, almost always, them busy—and I mean
before they are socialised with their own species. No constant. If this means
wonder there are many behavioural problems with cutting branches every
companion birds. They have missed out on a vital day, time should be made
stage of their lives and learning. for that.
Because the owners do not know how to cope with
difficult behaviours, many parrots are sold or given CONCLUSION
away before they reach even one year old. Remember Sufficient space in which
that in the wild parrots—according to their species, to feel comfortable is a
and often related to their size—spend many weeks, fundamental aspect of
months, or even more than a year, with their good parrot keeping.
parents. As highly sociable birds, they learn much In recent years, some
during this period, especially respect for parents breeders have had the
and other flock members. wisdom to halve the
AGGRESSION number of birds they
Young parrots can be not only bossy but also Parental discipline is
keep, and double the size of the enclosures. Not only important in parrots,
do these breeders then enjoy their birds more, but especially with highly social
aggressive. Biologists Aland Bond and Judy Diamond they are not overloading the market with species that species such as the Kea
are renowned for their studies of Kea in the wild. In have become difficult to sell at a fair price.
their ground-breaking book Thinking like a Parrot Another reason why a parrot (or any bird species)
(2019), they wrote: may not behave as expected is that it is being
‘Fledgling Keas emerge from the nest all spunky intimidated by another occupant of the aviary.
and arrogant: they initially show a higher level of People caring for birds in mixed aviaries need
aggressive behaviour than any other age group. to observe the occupants carefully every day, as
But eventually they receive a lesson in the hazards aggressive behaviour can happen suddenly when
of bluffing when they have nothing to back it up, birds are breeding.
and they begin to realise the value of caution and In this age of apparently ever-decreasing cage
truthfulness in a complex society’. sizes for pairs, and with the popularity of all-wire
Currently breeders would be wise to think about the constructions, inside which it is difficult to provide a
aggressive traits of young birds. Due to the recent stimulating environment, breeders should do justice
lack of sales events, a result of Covid-19 restrictions, to themselves and their birds by always keeping this
many breeders still have young birds that would advice in their minds.
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275VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
finch charm Compatibilit betw
AUTHOR & PHOTOS DAVID PACE
Finch and
Softbill Species PART 4
Davi Vegetation in Aviary Four is
dominated by salt bush with
The final in this four-part a more open understorey
series examining compatibility
within a communal aviary
focuses on Jacarinis,
Pictorellas, Crimson and
Painted Finches, Crimson
Chats and Inland Dotterels.
All findings in this series have
been based on experiences
within my own aviaries over
a study period from January
2018–January 2020.
276 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
AVIARY FOUR short periods in the afternoon. Incredibly, the incubation
Species and Housing period was only 12 days, with two chicks hatching
Aviary dimensions, design, and how the aviary is together. The chicks grow quickly and fledge in only 10
furnished, through to the temperament of individual birds days. Compare this to Australian finches that fledge about
in the collection, all play a part in deciding if species can the 21-day mark!
coexist. Aviary Four was initially planted and furnished On one occasion, a chick fledged during a freezing
to feature Pictorellas, Painted Finches, Crimson Chats cold morning of 1ºC, which was Adelaide’s coldest June
and Inland Dotterels. The species held during the study morning in 70 years. The chick survived, demonstrating
period remained constant, with the addition of one
species—the Jacarini.
The aviary was 4m long x 2.5m wide. The height varied
from 2.4m in the rear to 3m at the front of the open flight.
Half the aviary was protected from the elements and half
completely open, with fine 6.5mm rodent-proof mesh.
The feature plants were Old Man Saltbush Atriplex
nummularia and Rhagodia parabolica. Both have silver
foliage and give the aviary a dry, desert habitat look. The
aviary was also planted with grasses such as kangaroo
grass Themeda triandra, common tussock grass Poa
labillardierei and clumps of Mat Rush Lomandra longifolia.
One Hedge Wattle Acacia paradoxa was planted to
provide an upper storey.
The aviary floor was red desert sand. Open areas had The male Jacarini in full
nuptial plumage. During the
pebbles and river stones. The rear metre of the shelter was non-breeding season, he
adopts an eclipse plumage,
exposed concrete, and was swept clean each weekend. resembling the female
The shelter walls were lined with dry brush, with nesting
occurring in both this section and the living vegetation in
the open flight.
FEEDING STATIONS AND DIET
The feed station was a pull-out drawer measuring 1m
x 35cm. This contained dry seeds (red panicum, white
millet and plain canary seed, all fed separately), cuttlebone,
baked eggshells, maggots, mealworms, oiled red panicum
and Wombaroo™ Insectivore Mix with the addition of
hard-boiled eggs.
An extra feed station on the concrete floor in the
shelter contained a dry seed mix, insectivore mix and
maggots. These dishes were easily accessed by the Inland
Dotterels. This second feeding area allows not only
ground-dwelling species access to food but also ensures
all birds have access in the event of an individual driving Jacarini chicks the day prior
to fledging. The young fledge
others away from the main elevated station. This proved in 12 days and disappear
into the aviary foliage
valuable at times when the Jacarinis were breeding, as they
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 277
did become very territorial.
that the Jacarini is indeed a hardy species. When they
COMPATIBILITY STUDIES fledge, young appear ‘underage’ and take refuge in the
Jacarini: 1 pair—10 bred vegetation where they vanish for several days. It is only
Small but Intimidating—Jacarinis are often cited as shy their begging calls that give the aviculturist peace of mind
and a bird that ‘vanishes’ within a planted aviary. I did that they are still alive.
not find this. In fact, I found the male in this pair to be Another interesting behaviour with Jacarinis is that the
confiding and overtly domineering while breeding. The parents exercise nest hygiene, removing the droppings as
single pair was introduced in April 2018. These were young the chicks defecate and carrying it away from the nest—
birds and fledged a single chick in November. This was much the same way a European blackbird does.
followed by several clutches which included 2 (January), 1 The day after fledging, the male bird would be seen
(February), 2 (March), 1 (April), 2 (May) and 1 (June). The displaying, indicating that the breeding cycle was to
turnaround time between clutches was astonishing, with recommence. His display is unlike that of any finch
the pair producing a clutch every four weeks. species in Australian aviculture. He sits in the open on a
Small, cup-shaped nests were constructed in dry brush horizontal twig and literally flies vertically, approximately
under shelter on every occasion. The first two nests 40cm and lands back on the same perch, while emitting
were high up near the ceiling. The remaining nests were a high-pitched, long drawn-out screeching call. This is
in low brush, 1.4m above the ground, giving me very clear repeated literally hundreds of time each day.
access to view and photograph their progress. All nests The young Jacarinis were seen eating 12 days after
were reused. fledging. It was at this point, the male would begin chasing
Only three eggs were ever laid. On two occasions three the young, now 4 weeks of age. Young were left in the
chicks hatched, but the third chick never survived more aviary and removed towards the end of the season.
than 2–3 days. Incubation would always commence after Breeding continued until the end of June, when the
the second egg was laid and while the parents (usually the male began to moult out of colour. He lost many tail
male) were still feeding the chicks from the previous nest. feathers but retained some flecks of his blue-black
The female did most of the incubation. However, on a plumage. It was finally time for a break from breeding
few occasions, the male was seen incubating the nest for and dominating the aviary.
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
An elegant Crimson Finch I did record many instances It would have to be rated the number one finch with
male—he and his mate
where the male Jacarini regard to compatibility and temperament.
produced 19 young. Despite
having an ‘aggressive’ was aggressive to the other
reputation, this pair were species within the aviary. For Pictorella Mannikins: 3 Pairs—93 Bred!
peaceful occupants over the
a small bird, it packs a punch, Beyond Expectations—Three young, fully coloured
two-year study period
at times chasing birds away pairs were introduced into this aviary in January 2019.
NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAN
FINCH AND SOFTBILL SPECIES from the feed tray and live Nests were built in the growing tussock grasses and
IN AUSTRALIAN AVICULTURE
food. For this reason, I would in the dry brush. Some nests were low and others up
Australian aviculture has very
few North and South American exercise caution when placing against the ceiling.
finch and softbill species. Jacarinis within a mixed The first young fledged in February. This was a nest of
Historically, Red Cardinals
Paroaria coronata were held in collection. I suspect they did 7 chicks. An incredible 27 nests of chicks fledged during
Australian aviaries. Alas they
have disappeared, although impact on the Painted Finch the study period, totalling 93 chicks. Clutch sizes varied
the latest National Finch and
Softbill census has a record and Crimson Chat breeding greatly, comprising—7, 2, 4, 4, 8, 1, 3, 4, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3, 5,
of two being held by one
results. (See the separate 2, 2, 2, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 2, 6, 5 and 3.
respondent.
We do, however, despite overview of North and South Breeding Pictorellas have specific dietary preferences.
no imports since the bird
importation ban in 1949, have American finch and softbill These include oiled red panicum, Lebanese cucumber and
several species that are held
in relatively good numbers. species held within Australian live food. The preferred live food was crickets, followed
These are the Cuban Finch
Tiaris canora, the Jacarini aviculture, left.)
Volatina jacarina, the Yellow
Siskin Carduelis magellanica Female Pictorella
and the Red Siskin Carduelis
cucullata. The Pelzeln’s Crimson Finches: 1 Pair—19 Bred Mannikin—a peaceful
Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola
pelzelni and Red-crested Another Crimson Tide—In January 2018, a pair of addition to a mixed
Finch are also available, Crimson Finches was introduced into the aviary housing a collection. Three pairs
albeit in smaller numbers. pair of Painted Finches and three pairs of Pictorellas. The produced over 90 young
The latest National Finch male was partly coloured and the female was a young,
and Softbill data from
2020 shows that these fully coloured bird. This pair fledged their first chicks, a
species are held in the
following numbers: nest of five, in April. During the study period they fledged
Cuban Finch: further nests of 4, 3, 3, 3 and 1.
671 held by 138 respondents.
Throughout the two-year study period they have not
Jararini:
668 held by 121 respondents. shown aggression to other aviary occupants. It’s worth
Red Siskin: noting that another pair of Crimson Finches resides in
735 held by 73 respondents.
the adjoining aviary. Both pairs interact through the wire,
Yellow Siskin:
523 held by 78 respondents. declaring their territories.
Red-crested Finch: Live food is eagerly eaten when this species is
80 held by 18 respondents.
Pelzeln’s Saffron Finch: breeding. Crickets are favoured, followed by mealworms
27 held by 2 respondents.
and then maggots. A common observation made within
Red-crested Cardinal:
2 held by 1 respondent. all aviaries that contained Crimson Finches is that corn
278 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU on the cob is relished by both breeding and young by maggots. My pairs were never seen to consume
Crimson Finches. mealworms. A sure sign they have young is when one
Despite their reputation, I do recommend the Crimson or both adults are seen eagerly consuming the Lebanese
Finch in communal aviaries. An endearing feature is that cucumber and live food. The Pictorella is a highly peaceful
both adult and young Crimson Finches approach you as species and thrives in a quiet, lightly stocked aviary.
you come near the aviary, as if trying to communicate or
solicit greens or live food. Crimson Chats: 1 Pair—None Bred
Unsuccessful—A young female Crimson Chat was
introduced to an ‘old’ male bird in April 2019. In
September, the pair were seen copulating, so early signs
were positive. Several nests were constructed and the
aggression level of the female increased as she chased all
the finches about the aviary. This caused some concern, but
it all ceased when she laid and began incubating. It is worth
noting that the male had been very peaceful. Unfortunately,
after several nesting attempts, nothing eventuated. I
suspect young hatched but died shortly afterwards.
Crimson Chats have brush-tongues and drink nectar.
Wombaroo™ Insectivore mix is their staple diet and
is supplemented with live food. They eagerly seek out
small crickets, moths, flies and mealworms. Maggots are
consumed, but only sparingly.
Crimson Chats are a beautiful, unique species, worthy of
Female Painted Finch— inclusion within a mixed species aviary.
a highly compatible species
in a mixed collection Inland Dotterels: 2 males—None Bred
When a Pair Is Not a Pair—A ‘pair’ of DNA-sexed
Painted Finches: 1 pair—13 Bred Inland Dotterels was introduced in May 2019 as the only
Most Compatible—Painted Finches were introduced ground-dwelling species in this aviary. As a desert species,
to this aviary in January 2018. During the study period I suspected this aviary would suit them. Inland Dotterels
three clutches successfully fledged clutches of 5, 5 and scrape a small circle in the sand in which to lay eggs.
3 chicks. Interestingly, none fledged while the Jacarinis Unfortunately, during the entire two-year study period, no
were breeding. eggs were laid. I suspected I had two males and this was
When rearing young, this pair would seek out moths. The confirmed after obtaining a new bird which went on to lay
Painted Finch is an incredibly tame and peaceful species. eggs. A female at last!
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
Wombaroo™ Insectivore Female (left) and male
mix is their staple diet and Crimson Chats are delightful
is supplemented with live additions to a planted mixed
food. They eagerly seek out finch and softbill aviary
crickets, maggots, moths
and adore mealworms. Inland Dotterels are a highly
peaceful species
Inland Dotterels are
confiding and peaceful,
never interfering with the
other finch and softbill
species. Although nocturnal,
their habits did not seem to
disturb other species.
CONCLUSIONS Mix with Caution:
The breeding results in Jacarini and White-cheeked
this aviary have included Honeyeater.
the astonishing (Pictorella High Degree of Caution:
Mannikins) and some reasonable successes (Crimson White-browed Scrub
Finches, Painted Finches and Jacarinis). The 2020–21 Wren and Squatter Pigeon.
season will hopefully result in successes with the Inland
Dotterels and Crimson Chats, which are both attempting It is important to remember
to breed as I write this article in August 2020. that all birds have individual
temperaments. Whenever
ON REFLECTION mixing species, observe
I would group the species held throughout the four your birds carefully, provide
aviaries during the study period as follows: multiple feeding stations and
Peaceful: Painted Finch, Pictorella, Diamond Firetail, watch for anomalies. There’s
Crimson Finch, Red-browed Firetail, Black-throated no such thing as a sure thing
Finch, Plum-headed Finch, European Goldfinch, in aviculture.
Napoleon Weaver, Grenadier Weaver, Crimson Chat,
White-browed Woodswallow, Superb Fairy-wren,
Spinifex Pigeon, Rock Parrot, Painted Button Quail
and Inland Dotterel.
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279VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
about birds... Newly hatched coot chicks
AUTHOR KIT PRENDERGAST BA BSc (Hons) PhD have flamboyant plumage,
which contrasts with the drab
black and white of the parent
PHOTO KEITH LIGHTBODY
Th Curiou Cas o th
COLOURFUL COOT CHICKS
WHEN IT COMES TO FLASHY likewise, this explanation does not appear relevant.
feathers and pretty plumes, coots (genus This perplexing phenomenon of the bright, showy chicks
Fulica) tend not to rate very highly. These
produced by relatively drab adults was brought to light by
common water birds tend to be rather drab, being black studies conducted on the American Coot Fulica americana
Ki with white bills. It is surprising, therefore, that their chicks a relative of the Australian Coot Fulica atra (known as the
280 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU are bright and conspicuous. Eurasian or Common Coot). The surprising answer is that
This is even more surprising given that these tiny little it is the result of parental favouritism.
feathered babies are more vulnerable to predation than Coot babies are hatched into a dog-eat-dog world.
the larger adults. Even more surprisingly, being relatively Coots lay very large clutches of about 10 eggs—
precocial, they are not hidden away in a safe nest, but larger numbers than they can afford to feed and raise
instead accompany the parents out in the open. It would successfully. Therefore, it is a battle among the babies
therefore be expected that natural selection would for who gets fed—an extreme case of sibling rivalry!
favour coot chicks to be inconspicuous. Instead, they have Experimental studies that have manipulated chicks within
flaming red plumage on their heads, and bright red beaks! a clutch so that some are less colourful have shown that
So what explains this phenomenon? parents preferentially feed chicks that are more brightly
ornamented, leaving the drabber chicks to starve.
WHY SO BRIGHT? Each one of the eggs laid is relatively small, so is a low
Usually, bright, gaudy appearances are explained by investment on behalf of the parents initially. If there is a
either sexual selection or aposematism (a visual signal of bountiful food supply and ideal conditions, the parents
toxicity). For sexual selection, bright colourful plumes are might be able to successfully raise all, or most of the
used to attract mates and signal the genetic quality of an clutch. But if there is not much food when the chicks
animal to its potential mate. Examples include peacocks hatch, it means the parents can ‘cull’ chicks while not
(Pavo and Afropavo), and extravagant colours of male losing much in terms of energy. This is an e cient strategy
Birds of Paradise Paradisaeidae or the Golden Pheasant because by laying an optimistic clutch size, and then
Chrysolophus pictus. Given that the coots are babies, and allowing the chicks to die or survive in line with the food
they lose their colourful appearance as they mature, we supply, the parents are always raising as many chicks as
can instantly rule out this explanation. they can.
Aposematism is when an animal evolves conspicuous
colours and patterns to advertise its toxicity to would- ‘DON’T FORGET ME!’
be predators. Toxic birds, however, are very rare—only Most chick deaths occur in the first 10 days after hatching.
four species are known (Common Quail Coturnix coturnix, Here though, colour plays no part; it comes down to
the Spur-winged Goose Plectopterus gambiensis, the Little whichever chick reaches the parents first to beg for food.
Shrikethrush Colluricincla megarhyncha and Hooded Pitohui After 10 days, however, colour preferences come in because,
Pitohui dichrous). As far as I am aware, coot chicks are not interestingly, the later a chick hatches, the more colourful
toxic to consume (although I would never test this!) so, it is. If the biggest, earlier-hatched chicks have first claim on
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
food due to their size, their smaller, later siblings are likely The brightly coloured heads
not to survive, reducing the number of chicks raised below of these coot chicks is
what the parents are capable of. The parents, therefore, their meal-ticket—parents
‘level the playing field’ by preferentially feeding the most preferentially feed chicks
colourful, and therefore younger, of their offspring. that are more brightly
ornamented
This ensures that those youngsters that survived the
initial cull, continue to survive. The older, duller chicks PHOTO KEITH LIGHTBODY
are not fed preferentially and can even be aggressively
rebuked by the parents tousling them. This is no risk to
the parents’ investment because by this time the earlier-
hatched chicks are able to feed themselves, resulting in
survival of the greatest possible number of offspring.
With this show of parental favouritism, the chicks that
need the attention most, receive it, preventing their older,
bigger siblings from hogging all the food. Although the
most colourful, younger chicks are smaller at first, this
favouritism in feeding allocations means that they soon
catch up and even exceed their older siblings in body mass
by fledging time.
While clearly not sexual selection, the evolution of
ornamentation in the offspring has parallels with how
female mate choice drives ornamentation in males. The
difference is that rather than females selecting males that
are more showy, giving them a reproductive advantage, it
is the parents’ selection of offspring that is more showy
that provides a survival advantage.
COLOUR-CODING invest extra energy on a
So, what is the mechanism behind the colourful chicks? chick that is not their own.
With the chicks becoming progressively more colourful
with each egg a female lays, it appears the mother REFERENCES
determines how colourful a chick will be. In birds, red and Lyon, BE 1993, ‘Conspecific
yellows are produced by carotenoid pigments, and the brood parasitism
chicks receive these in the yolk. Therefore, the mother as a flexible female
coot must bestow increasing amounts of carotenoid reproductive tactic in
pigments with each egg she lays. Later, both the mother American coots’, Animal
and father then preferentially feed the younger, more Behaviour, vol. 46, no. 5,
colourful chicks, with the colour acting as a signal as to pp. 911–928.
which chicks would benefit most from the extra food. Lyon, BE, Eadie, JM, &
Hamilton, LD 1994,
IS THIS MY CHICK? ‘Parental choice selects
This strategy of preferentially ensuring the survival of the for ornamental plumage
later-hatching chicks may also relate to this species being a in American coot chicks’,
prolific brood parasite. Females often lay eggs in the nests Nature, vol. 371, no. 6494,
of other female coots—essentially putting their eggs in pp. 240–243. As coot chicks get
older, they lose their
more than one basket! About 40% of coot nests have an Lyon, BE, Shizuka, D 2019, ‘Extreme offspring colourful feathers
egg that is not that of the parents. It is not in a female’s ornamentation in American coots is favoured by PHOTO KIT PRENDERGAST
genetic interest to raise a chick that she did not produce. selection within families, not benefits to conspecific
For reasons yet to be determined, females tend to brood parasites’, Proceedings of the National Academy of
parasitise eggs earlier in the laying season. This means that Sciences, 201913615
the parasitic chicks tend to be the ones that hatch earlier, Shizuka, D & Lyon, BE 2010, ‘Coots use hatch order to
and therefore are duller. By choosing to feed the colourful, learn to recognise and reject conspecific brood parasitic
later-hatched chicks, parents reduce the chance they will chicks’, Nature, vol. 463, no. 7278, pp. 223–226.
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281VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
a parrot’s life MNoorveTl hBaehCauvtioTruicrks
AUTHOR EBONY HOLMAN PHOTOS PARROT LIFE BEHAVIOUR AND TRAINING A wave taught with duration
can be utilised to check feet
for injuries and ensure claws
are healthy
Ebon ANOVEL BEHAVIOUR IS AN ACTION OR
motion that an animal performs on cue that
282 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU they may otherwise not have engaged in. Novel
behaviours are often considered ‘tricks’, such as a wave or
a wing lift. Through social media we are exposed to many
videos of parrots engaging in these cute, novel behaviours
on a day-to-day basis. But have you ever watched a video
of a parrot waving and thought of the ways this behaviour
may be used to benefit our birds?
Novel behaviours that are taught through positive about novel behaviours.
reinforcement, once well practiced and reliable, can For instance, regular observation of our parrot’s feet
be placed on a cue. This can allow us to ask for this is important to ensure nails are the correct length, to
behaviour in many different environments or under a conduct nail care or to check that their feet are free from
variety of circumstances which make it beneficial rather callouses/pressure sores. One way we can work on co-
than just entertaining. We can use these behaviours operative foot care is to teach a wave or shake behaviour.
to assist us in our parrot’s daily lives, for co-operative Waving or shaking encourages our birds to lift their foot
care procedures, or to break up training sessions while on cue. We can then work on the duration the foot is in
teaching new skills. the air, as well as how the foot is handled. This handling
could be as simple as a hand touch, or the acceptance of a
CO-OPERATIVE CARE nail file being used to shorten the nail length.
Co-operative care training allows us to work in a positive Another area of the body novel behaviours can come in
manner with our parrots on behaviours useful for their handy for examining is our bird's wings. A wing lift is an
husbandry and veterinary care. It assists us in minimising excellent way to teach our birds to allow us to examine
the stress they experience in these situations. The ability the underside of their wings while also allowing us to see
to prepare and train for situations which may cause how fluid the bird’s movements are. We can also teach a
discomfort or stress is a great place to start when thinking duration behaviour, so that when the wings are raised we
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
can check the status of the feathers and monitor feather A lure can be used in the early stages of capturing or About
growth. The upside to a trained ‘big wings’ behaviour is shaping to help facilitate a faster start to a behaviour. A the
that it does not require us or a vet to manually extend or lure can be anything that encourages your bird to engage Author
manipulate the wings, reducing stress on us and our birds in a behaviour that is an approximation to your goal Ebony is one
of Parrot Life
and allowing for clearer observation of natural movement. behaviour—food or toys offered in particular locations to Australia's Perth
consultants, with
A fantastic perk of this trick is that it enables us to view encourage your bird to move around a cage or play-stand, a passion for
helping people
the magnificent colouring that is often hidden under the or offer particular body motions. and their pets.
She has recently
wings of our birds—and it looks pretty cool too, often It is important that no matter what method you use, you
completed
providing a favourite ‘party trick’ for friends and family. mark in small increments and reinforce the action heavily. her Cert IV in
As our birds begin to understand what we are looking for, Companion
Animal Services
TRAINING the frequency and duration of the behaviour will increase, (Training), while
Strong, reliable novel behaviours are an underrated tool providing more opportunities for reinforcement. working in a
leading pet chain
we can utilise in situations where our birds may become The sky is the limit when we use our imagination to train
teaching dog
distracted or stressed by external stimuli. This could novel behaviours in our parrots. They are not only a great training classes
and educating pet
be birds flying overhead outside, loud noises, strangers way to play and interact with your bird but are useful in owners about all
things pet care.
entering the environment or just to break up a training many ways.
She recently
session in which we are teaching them a new skill. Happy Training! completed her
internship with
Asking our parrots for a behaviour they know well and
Parrot Life
have a positive association with through prior training and has joined
the team as a
allows us to provide an opportunity for our birds to reset
consultant.
and refocus before we continue with our session. It also
gives our birds the chance to ‘get it right’, providing a feel-
good hit which helps to keep our training sessions upbeat
and positive.
We always want to work within our birds’ threshold and
going back to basics is a great way to do so. Simple novel
behaviours such as spin, wave and a body shake look cute
but, importantly, are a great way to relax our parrots.
They can also be used to build relationships between
your bird and less-favoured or new people. Familiar
novel behaviours which have been taught through
positive reinforcement training have positive emotional
associations for our birds. Encouraging others to interact
with our birds using these reinforcements can help
our birds develop good associations with them, while
ensuring that interactions are on the bird’s terms, building Big wings—a fantastic
confidence and trust. behaviour to assist you to
check feather condition and
HOW DO WE TEACH NOVEL BEHAVIOURS? for movement and extension
There are two primary training techniques for teaching
behaviours like this. The first is ‘capturing’, where we
wait for the bird to offer the goal behaviour, or an
approximation of the goal behaviour and mark and
reinforce that. This method is best used for behaviours
that our birds engage in naturally on a day-to-day basis,
such as a lifted foot or a full body shake.
The second technique is called ‘shaping’. This is where
we lure or capture a small approximation of our goal
behaviour and then gradually increase our criteria over Use of food and toys
time, reinforcing for movement that looks more and more encourages movement, such
like our end goal behaviour. This is a great way of training
more complex behaviours or those behaviours which our as a lifted foot, that can
be marked and reinforced
birds do not naturally engage in. behaviours
YOUNG BIRD KEEPERS
Syd Smith Memorial Young Bird Keeper Writing Competition
GREAT Open to all young
PRIZES bird keepers up to
TO BE
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283VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
avian health with dr bob Egg Binding
AUTHOR & PHOTOS DR BOB DONELEY BVSc FANZCVS (Avian Medicine) CMAVA Myths and Reality
THE BREEDING SEASON IS NEARLY An egg-bound Sun Conure
upon us, and already we are seeing egg-bound angular limb deformity
birds presented as emergency cases. In this article
I want to discuss egg binding—what causes it, how we
recognise it, and how it is treated. I also want to highlight
some myths that surround this problem, and hopefully
improve the welfare outcome for birds that have become
victims of their reproductive success.
FROM OVULATION TO EGG nerves, causing lameness,
Most birds have only one ovary and oviduct, both located weakness, paralysis, and
on the left side. (The exceptions are raptors, which have poor organ perfusion.
two ovaries and two oviducts, and kiwis which have two Pressure necrosis of the
ovaries but only one oviduct.) oviduct wall can lead to
rupture of the oviduct.
Soft-shelled egg Obstruction of the rectum
and ureters can cause
metabolic disturbances.
The egg can also compress the air sacs, causing breathing
di culties. Finally, excessive straining to try to lay the egg
can lead to prolapse of the cloaca or even the oviduct.
Left untreated, egg binding can quickly lead to death.
CAUSES
The ovary sits along the bird’s back, between the kidneys Birds that are more likely to become egg-bound are:
and the lung. Outside of the breeding season the ovary • Very young and very old birds,
is small and inactive but it increases rapidly in size at the • Birds on a poor diet (predominantly seed),
onset of the season. Each follicle develops as a small • Obese birds—again, particularly those on all-seed diets,
oocyte sitting within the yolk. During ovulation, the wall • Birds that are laying excessive numbers of eggs
of the follicle splits and releases the yolk and oocyte. The (eg Cockatiels, Budgerigars and backyard poultry), or
follicle then shrinks to a thin-walled sac, which quickly • Birds that lack physical fitness (pet birds versus
regresses and is absorbed. aviary birds).
The released follicle is then enveloped by the first part This doesn’t mean that other birds can’t become egg-
of the oviduct, the infundibulum. It passes through the bound—these are just the birds most likely to develop
infundibulum in 15 minutes but, during this time, the the problem.
oocyte is fertilised and thick albumen (egg white) is laid
down around the yolk. MYTH:
From the infundibulum, the developing egg passes into Egg Binding is Due to Calcium Deficiency
the magnum, the longest and most coiled part of the
oviduct. Passage through the magnum takes three hours, Calcium is needed for muscle function,
during which time the egg acquires more albumen as well including the oviduct muscles that
as some minerals (sodium, magnesium and calcium). push the egg down the oviduct, but
calcium deficiency is not the sole
The next part of the oviduct, the isthmus, is short cause of egg binding. Scarring of the
and reduced in calibre. Despite this, passage through oviduct (associated with excessive
the isthmus is slow, taking 75 minutes. During this time egg-laying or previous episodes of
protein is added to the albumen, and the shell membranes egg binding), infection in the oviduct,
(inner and outer) are added. The egg then passes into the excessively sized or malformed
uterus (shell gland), where it remains for 20 hours while eggs, and problems outside the
the eggshell is added and calcifies. Finally, the egg passes reproductive tract (eg concurrent
through the vagina into the cloaca, and is laid. illness, hypothermia, environmental
stress) have all been implicated as
The process of developing an egg from ovulation to causes of egg binding. Egg-bound birds
laying takes 23–27 hours. Most parrots will ovulate every
second day.
WHAT IS EGG BINDING? may become exhausted and lack the
Egg binding is a slowed passage of the egg through the physical strength to lay the egg.
D Bo oviduct. If located in the uterine portion, it will have a
284 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU shell deposited on it, otherwise, it will be encased in
shell membranes only (a ‘soft-shelled egg’). It must be SIGNS
distinguished from egg retention and ectopic eggs Egg-bound birds often appear lethargic and fluffed up.
(see below). With careful observation, you might notice the bird
The lodged egg may compress the local vessels and straining hard and ‘wagging’ its tail. Birds that are in real
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
trouble may appear weak in their legs, have di culty an emergency situation exists and your vet may drain
breathing, and have collapsed. The belly may appear the egg with a large needle and then collapse it. The egg
swollen if the egg has moved down far enough. shell is usually passed within 48 hours of this procedure.
Sadly, some birds may die suddenly without showing any It must be noted that while this procedure may be life-
obvious clinical signs. saving, damage to the oviduct usually requires surgery at
a later date.
WHAT SHOULD I DO? In some cases it may be necessary to anaesthetise the
If the bird shows no sign, or only mild to moderate signs bird while the egg is being manipulated through the cloaca.
of discomfort and distress, confirm the time the last egg Some birds even require a caesarean section
was laid. Eggs are usually laid 23–26 hours apart and the
patient may simply not be ready to lay. PROGNOSIS
The bird should be placed in a heated hospital cage with The earlier the case is presented, the better the prognosis.
adequate humidity, and given calcium syrup by mouth. Simple cases have an excellent prognosis, while cases
Stress and handling should be minimised, and the bird that have reached the stage where the bird is collapsed,
should be kept in a dark, quiet environment until it lays its struggling to breathe and unable to use its legs properly,
egg. Tube-feeding highly digestible, high-sugar supplements have a guarded prognosis.
may provide a rapid source of energy.
If the bird is very uncomfortable or distressed, veterinary PREVENTION
assistance should be sought as soon as possible. Although we may not be able to prevent all cases of egg
binding, there are things we can do to make it less likely. BASIC
HEALTH
Feeding a low-fat diet (eg pellets and vegetables), keeping AND DISEASE
IN BIRDS
MYTH: the birds lean, and encouraging them to fly to keep fit are
112 Colour Pages
I Can Treat my Bird at Home all simple to do. Featuring Infectious and
Non-infectious Diseases
Pet birds may benefit from the use of hormone implants, and Ailments in Parrots,
There are some old ‘bush treatments’ but only if the bird’s diet and environment are modified Finches, Canaries
and Pigeons
that should be put to bed and never (shorter day length, low-fat diets, avoiding interactions
$30.75 plus P&H
heard of again. Holding your bird over between the owner and the bird that stimulate sexual
Available from
a boiling kettle so the steam relaxes behaviours, etc.) ABK at
it is more likely to cause pain and www.birdkeeper.com.au
or see Free Mail
distress at best, and at worst, may COMPLICATIONS Order Card
burn the bird. Giving vegetable oil 1. Cloacal prolapses are not uncommon in birds that
or paraffin oil by mouth to lubricate are straining hard, trying to lay eggs. Sometimes it is
the egg shows a disturbing lack just the cloaca—these cases can be treated reasonably
of knowledge of female anatomy. easily. Occasionally though, the oviduct prolapses.
Instilling oil into the cloaca may help, These cases carry a poor prognosis. The bird is often
but only if the egg is in the cloaca and bleeding internally. If the bird does survive, it is unlikely
not stuck further up. to ever breed again without major complications.
2. Ectopic eggs occur when an egg-bound bird strains
so hard the oviduct ruptures, allowing the fully shelled
VETERINARY DIAGNOSIS egg to fall loose into the body. These cases look like
The diagnosis of egg binding is based on the bird’s history egg binding, but the bird fails to lay their egg with
of egg-laying and the clinical signs. Careful palpation of the treatment. They will require surgery to remove the
abdomen usually reveals an egg, but soft-shelled eggs can egg and repair the tear in the oviduct. Prognosis is
be di cult to detect, as can eggs in very large or fat birds. good and some of these birds return to egg-laying
uneventfully, provided they are given several months
This X-ray confirms an egg is without egg-laying to recuperate.
bound in this bird 3. Retained eggs are retained in the oviduct, whether
whole or collapsed. The egg has been there so long
the bird has stopped straining. On x-rays, the egg may
have an excessively thick shell, or it may have collapsed.
These eggs are often adhered to the oviduct wall and
surgery will be required to resolve the problem.
Often your vet will need to perform an ultrasound or take
x-rays to confirm the bird is egg-bound.
TREATMENT
Your vet obviously has access to drugs and equipment that
you do not. Treatment may include oxygen and fluids, pain
relief, and hormonal therapy to induce egg-laying.
If the bird is distressed or having breathing di culties,
285VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
the wise owl PARROT Trinket
AUTHOR & PHOTOS DR MILTON LEWIS BSc (Hons) PhD
An example of the spinifex
and hummock grasslands of
northern Australia where
Night Parrots historically
have been located
NIGHT PARROT HABITAT across to Western Australia. Although the species is
We all need some good news, and what better than not listed as endangered, there are obvious trends for
the headlines (even on Facebook) seen over the past 12 declines in small, isolated populations. This species nests
months recording sightings of Night Parrots. I remember on the ground, often in rock crevices or old seabird
as a very young boy reading through the ancient published nesting burrows.
records of this mysterious bird. Even accounts at that time In 2013 only seven of these birds remained on Rottnest
listed this extraordinary species as ‘presumed extinct’. Island, and one of the key factors thought to be a cause in
There were stories of flocks of these birds having fed on this decline was availability of nest sites. The shearwater
the nutritious seeds of spinifex, while living on the edge burrows they had been using as nests were collapsing,
of sand dunes and hummock grasslands bordering Mallee so conservation managers decided to try placing clay
woodlands. At that stage of my life, these ecosystems ridge cap tiles on the ground as an alternative. In the first
seemed like places from a fairy tale—a dangerous season, these tiles were accepted by several pairs. By 2017
landscape I could only dream of visiting. Reality, years the population had more than doubled. Although there
later, having spent many days walking through this prickly are still a few ups and downs in more recent population
resilient vegetation, taught me that these places are full of estimates, it is hoped that the general growth of the
beauty and, although harsh, if approached with care are a population will continue.
welcoming wealth of amazing vistas and wildlife.
In my heart, I could not believe that such a unique RAINBOW LORIKEETS
Milto species as the Night Parrot could be gone forever. At the other end of the continuum is the Rainbow
The Rainbow Lorikeet has Australia is a vast country and the typical habitat where Lorikeet. This bird seems to tick all the boxes when it
certainly found a niche in
human gardens these birds had been collected covered an expansive comes to making itself comfortable with humans. These
286 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU area devoid of large populations of humans. Admittedly, days it is a common resident in coastal towns along
even without too many direct negative human impacts eastern Australia. They thrive in the nectar-dripping
in these areas from cattle grazing or just poor general backyards and parks of towns and cities, devour the
management, there are other troubles. Western food provided by residents at bird feeders and ravage
Queensland and the East Murchison of Western the fruit on our favourite trees in orchards. As an avid
Australia have experienced young birdwatcher, I remember the thrill of seeing my
large numbers of feral first Rainbow while visiting the south coast of New South
cats and inappropriate Wales in the 1970s. They were rarities in those days and
burning since European it was amazing to see one or two birds in a flock of 100
settlement, but the birds Musk Lorikeets. These numbers have completely reversed
remain. Perhaps we just in only 40 years.
needed to search a bit In an account of the rise in population number of these
harder or change our way multi-coloured ‘flying mice’, Hingston (2019) writes about
of searching? It is a truly the arrival of a feral population of Rainbow Lorikeets in
bright spot in our recent Perth. A meagre start of fewer than 10 birds in the 1960s
conservation history to rose to nearly 8500 by 2005 and over 40 000 by 2017.
think survival is possible. It is estimated that lorikeets cause about $4 million in
I wonder if there is still a damage to fruit crops each year in Western Australia, in
little hope for the Paradise addition to damaging the structures of local ecosystems.
Parrot? Bird species that exhibit such success in extending their
Parrots are, for the most home range are generally quite aggressive in behaviour.
part, quite resilient and They have an ability to readily take first choice in nesting
in some cases incredibly hollows, safe roosting sites and the best feeding resources.
successful. Just think about In Tasmania, where Rainbow Lorikeets have also invaded
the numerous flocks of Galahs and Short-billed Corellas the skies of Hobart, there has been a long record over
around our suburbs. the past century of observations of one or two birds, but
more recently suggestions of flocks of aviary escapees.
ROCK PARROTS Unfortunately, there is now an established population,
Another spark of hope in a story that could have ended with the Tasmanian Government taking action and
badly comes from the Western Australian Rock Parrot removing over 350 birds between 2011 and 2014.
on Rottnest Island. This small parrot lives along our Apart from the usual problems of an aggressive invader
coasts from Shark Bay in South Australia all the way having negative consequences for some of the native birds,
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
observations of hybrids of Rainbow with Musk Lorikeets CONCLUSION
are becoming increasingly common. Seven individuals I hope you enjoyed reading
were sighted in the first year of Hingston’s study. These my few snippets of parrot
hybrids have been observed courting and possibly pairing tales. As a group, it is not
with Musk Lorikeets, although no successful nests have surprising that so many
been recorded. It is suspected that these hybrids could be interesting observations
fertile (perhaps some readers may know if this is correct), of parrots have appeared
potentially resulting in breeding and destruction of the in recent literature, given
genetic qualities of the pure wild Musk Lorikeets. their level of intelligence
Further evidence that this has been occurring has been and innate abilities to adapt,
the appearance of several variants of the hybrids and a which have made them a
possible result of hybrid back-crossing. I am not sure if favourite with researchers,
anyone really understands completely the consequences aviculturists and the public
of so many hybrids interbreeding in a wild population in general. One of my
but there are serious concerns for the integrity of Musk newest pleasures during
Lorikeets in the future. these times of limited travel
has been to look a lot more
EASTERN AND CRIMSON ROSELLAS closely at the birds in my
Continuing the theme of unusual bird facts this month, in garden and neighbourhood,
a Victorian study of the breeding ecology in wild rosellas and local parrots have
(Martens et al), a pair of Eastern Rosellas were observed featured on the top of my
to incubate and raise a Crimson Rosella chick. In this list.
study, the researchers employed nest boxes to facilitate
easier observation of their birds. This is apparently REFERENCES
very successful, with rosellas immediately accepting the Jackett, NA et al 2017,
alternative to tree hollows. ‘A nesting record and
Apparently it is not unusual for Crimson Rosellas vocalisations of the The Musk Lorikeet could
be fighting a battle with its
to enter the nests of other species, destroy their Night Parrot Pezoporus cousin the Rainbow Lorikeet
that it will never win
competitors’ eggs, and take the nest cavity as their occidentalis from the East Murchison, Western Australia,
own. However, in this instance, it appears that the Australian Field Ornithology, vol. 34, pp. 144–150.
female Crimson entered the nest, destroyed several Sansom, J et al 2019, ‘Deployment of novel nest-shelters
Eastern Rosella eggs, deposited one of her own and to increase nesting attempts in a small population of
then departed. Rock Parrots Neophema petrophila,’ Australian Field
The authors of this paper think that this may be the Ornithology, vol. 36, pp. 74–78.
first account of a parrot and brood parasitism in a similar Hingston, A 2019, ‘Partial replacement of Rainbow
sense to cuckoos or ducks. Admittedly, it is unclear what Lorikeets Trichoglossus
caused the Crimson Rosella to act as a parasite in this haematodus moluccanus
instance. As suggested in the paper, she may have lost her by hybrid lorikeets
own nest nearby from predation and just needed a place in Hobart, Tasmania,
to lay an egg. However, it was also coupled with the act Australian Field Ornithology,
of destroying some of the Eastern Rosella eggs, so there is vol. 36, pp. 64–70.
room for speculation that the behaviour was purposeful in
its intention. Another cause may have been that there was
a general shortage of suitable nesting sites for the number
of pairs of rosellas in the neighborhood. Another successful and
Just like Rainbow Lorikeets, rosellas of any species aggressive species, the
are very adept at coming into food supplied by humans Crimson Rosella thrives in
and, as a result, are building in numbers throughout our woodlands around our cities
cities. More rosellas and the current continued loss of
nest hollows with tree-trimming and clearing could be
forcing birds to adapt and do whatever is needed to pass
their genes on to the next generation—even if it means
dumping eggs in another bird’s nest.
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287VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
conservation RARE PUERTO RICAN AMAZONS
AUTHORS TANYA MARTINEZ & CAROLYN PRADUN PHOTOS TANYA MARTINEZ Survivors of the Storm
A Puerto Rican Amazon
feeds its chick in the wild
at Rio Abajo
Caroly THE WORLD’S REMAINING
population of approximately 600 Puerto Rican
288 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU Amazons Amazona vittata resides in the Rio
Abajo State Forest and the El Yunque National Forest.
This includes both wild and captive birds. The parrot is
listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and regarded as
the world’s rarest Amazon parrot. The World Parrot
Trust has partnered with the Puerto Rican Department
of Natural Resources since 2009 to support the Puerto Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017 as a
Rican Parrot Recovery Program. Deforestation has had Category 4 storm. It was the strongest hurricane to hit
the most significant impact on the parrots’ numbers but the island in 85 years, with sustained winds of 250km/h.
hurricanes also pose a major threat. At that time there were just over 130 wild Puerto Rican
Amazons in the Rio Abajo State Forest and over 50 in the
HURRICANES HIT STRUGGLING El Yunque National Forest.
POPULATIONS Captive breeding facilities within each of these forests
Several major hurricanes during the late 19th and early also housed about 200 parrots each, and a small captive
20th centuries are believed to have greatly impacted the population of about 30 birds was housed at a third forest
parrots’ population. It is estimated there were nearly a on the south-west of the island. These captive flocks were
million parrots prior to Puerto Rico’s colonisation in the all moved to concrete hurricane shelters prior to the
late 14th century, but only an estimated 2000 remained by storm’s arrival. Even though the captive facilities at each of
the 1940s. Their numbers continued to decline drastically the forests suffered major damage, the captive flocks were
in the subsequent decades and, when Hurricane Hugo mostly unharmed by the storm.
made landfall in 1989, it reduced what was then the last The wild population was exposed to the full force of
remaining wild population from 47 to 23 birds. the storm and clung to trees while the hurricane took
After ongoing conservation work to save the species, a day and a half to pass. Falling branches and flailing tree
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
limbs likely claimed the lives of many. However, at least 23 April! More pairs laid in the same week and a total of
110 survivors were documented in the Rio Abajo State 12 pairs nested that season. There were many challenges
Forest shortly after the storm. The wild parrots in the El for the birds, including bee invasion of nests, lack of food,
Yunque National Forest were not so lucky, and their wild and predation on adult birds. Despite these di culties, 18
population was almost completely decimated by the storm. chicks fledged from wild nests.
Unfortunately, the parrots faced still more challenges It was not possible to release captive-bred birds in
after the wind and rain ceased. The Puerto Rican Amazon 2018 due to the damage caused to the forests by the
is primarily a fruit-eater, and few trees had managed to storm, so these wild chicks were a welcome addition
hold on to their foliage or fruit. The exception was the to the population.
Royal Palm Roystonea borinquena, however there was soon By 2019, the forest canopy was recovering and 23
competition from other bird species for the remaining parrots were released from captivity. The new breeding
food supply. It quickly became clear that supplemental season also commenced and 37 chicks fledged from
feeding would be required. wild nests. There has been further good news in the
The wild birds were accustomed to feeding stations 2020 breeding season, with 23 wild pairs attempting to
suspended in taller trees, as they had been trained to use nest and 44 chicks fledging. The latest count shows the
them when the release program began in 2006, and this numbers are now higher than prior to Hurricane Maria, an
became a crucial food supply for them. Additional feeding impressive comeback by these birds in harsh conditions.
stations were installed and they were refilled more often
than usual to meet the parrots’ demands.
Despite this, of the 110 original survivors counted in Rio
Abajo Forest after the storm, only 70 could be accounted
for five months later. It is unclear if these birds succumbed
to starvation and predators, or moved to new areas in
search of food.
WHAT HOPE FOR BREEDING SEASON?
The storm also damaged remaining nest trees and artificial
nest boxes, so work was needed to install new nest
boxes prior to the breeding season. This usually lasts from
January to July. The first eggs are generally laid in late
February. However, with the drastically altered habitat and
lack of food, researchers weren’t sure what to expect.
February and then March passed with no eggs being laid,
and hope had almost vanished. However, weekly nest
inspections continued and the first egg was discovered on
THANKS TO SUPPORTERS Puerto Rican Amazon female
peeks out of her nest cavity
The World Parrot Trust launched a fundraising campaign
immediately after Hurricane Maria and quickly raised
$US30 000. These funds were used by the Puerto Rico
Department of Natural and Environmental Resources in
initiatives related to the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery
Project. This is an example of WPT building on established
partnerships with local organisations to respond quickly
to an emergency. WPT is extremely grateful to all our
supporters and donors for your generous contributions
and hopes are high for the 2021 breeding season.
Biologist Alberto Alvarez
installs a new artificial nest
cavity after the hurricane
www.parrots.org
AUSTRALIAN CONTACTS
Representative Media ©ABK
Sheryll Steele-Boyce
Carolyn Pradun Australian BirdKeeper
[email protected] [email protected]
289VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •
conservation Swift Parrot Decline
AUTHOR DR DAVID WAUGH
IN HOBART CONFIRMS GLOOMY PREDICTIONS
Davi
Swift Parrot adult feeding in a
Tasmanian Blue Gum
PHOTO D STOJANOVIC
YOU REALLY WOULD NEED TO LOVE Tasmania (even though the
Swift Parrots Lathamus discolor if throughout Tasmanian Blue Gum was
16 years you make a grand total of 20 155 proclaimed as the state’s
observations of them! This accolade goes to Dr Andrew floral emblem in 1962).
Hingston, of the University of Tasmania, who observed The team also discovered
the species in the suburbs of Hobart from 2002 to 2017. and documented the Sugar Glider
He has recently published his analysis and interpretations major negative impact of
of the observations in the context of what is happening to nest-predation on chicks PHOTO JC BOONE
the Swift Parrot in Australia in general. and adult female Swift
Parrots by Sugar Gliders Petaurus breviceps, introduced to
POPULATION PLUNGING Tasmania from mainland Australia.
Overall, the wild population of the migratory and nomadic On the recommendation of the researchers, the Swift
Swift Parrot is in a nose-dive. In the year 2000 it was Parrot has Critically Endangered status, because modelling
listed as Endangered in the International Union for the predicts that its population is declining by more than 80%
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Major threats within three generations (12–18 years).
are considered to be habitat loss, fragmentation and Verification of this prediction by monitoring the entire
alteration in the species’ wintering habitats of mainland population across its breeding range is di cult because
south-east Australia and Tasmanian breeding habitats. of the Swift Parrot’s nomadic behaviour. Swift Parrots are
In 2010 the Loro Parque Fundación supported an in- also di cult to count because they are small, green, and
depth project to investigate the breeding biology and forage high in the dense canopies of Eucalyptus trees.
migratory behaviour of the Swift Parrot, led by Professor However, Dr Hingston surmised that with such a large
Robert Heinsohn, of the Fenner School of Environment forecast decline in population size it could be possible to
and Society, Australian National University. detect a similar rate of decrease in a relatively small area
The findings of Prof Heinsohn and his team confirm (8km sq) of the breeding distribution—the suburbs of
the forest destruction—in particular the unsustainable Hobart—over the length of time on which the predicted
forestry and loss of suitable trees for breeding in reductions are based. His observations not only address
290 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
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