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Vol 26 Issue 9 • Jun-Jul 2013

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Vol 26 Issue 9 • Jun-Jul 2013

Meyer’s Parrot SUPERB PARROTS

Vasa

Parrots

PICTORELLA FINCH FEEDING BERRIES CHESTNUT-BREASTED MANNIKIN

Member

birdkeeper.com.au

BUY ING

BIRDS... W TO LOOK HAT FOR

contents Features

549 The Greater Vasa Parrot

By Armin Brockner

The dull colouration of the Greater Vasa Parrot has not endeared it to many aviculturists, but no other parrot species has been found to have such unusual breeding behaviour.

554 Breeding a Fruit Dove Hybrid

By Dr Colin Walker

While believing hybridisation should always be discouraged, the accidental production of a Rose-crowned–Superb Fruit Dove hybrid is an interesting and unusual occurrence worth recording.

556 Beneficial Berries By Rosemary Low The health benefits associated with humans eating berries has long been recognised, but did you know just how good they are for our birds?

565 Getting to Know Gang Gangs

By Allen Friis

Quiet and trusting, the Gang Gang is one of Australia’s smaller cockatoo species but, in its wild state, it will take your breath away.

566 Responsible Bird Keeping

By Adam FitzGerald

What does responsible bird keeping mean to you?

It is up to all of us as buyers, sellers and breeders to do the right thing by the birds we have chosen to keep captive.

572 Should You Harness-train Your Parrot? By Dorothy Schwarz

Using a harness on pet parrots to allow them a certain degree of freedom without the dangers of a fly-off is becoming increasingly popular. This article examines the positives and negatives of harness-training, and how it can be achieved.

602 Classifieds

For Sale Bird Behaviourists Pet Adoption Bird Sales and Conventions Avicultural Organisations Avian Veterinarians

Cover Image Meyer’s Parrot

by Peter Odekerken

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Volume 26 Issue 9 The Meyer’s Parrot

By Peter Odekerken

Although still quite rare in Australian aviculture, and therefore expensive, Meyer’s Parrots make good and relatively quiet companion birds which, because of their small size, do not require a lot of room.

582 AVES International Parrot

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Fighting Back Against Feral Perils By Marcus Pollard

European Starlings are single-minded nesting machines that don’t care what native species they kill to make their home—unless the natives get a little help from birdos.

Convention—Not to be Missed

597 The Story of Oliver

The 2013 AVES International Parrot Convention will this August bring together some of the best aviculturists from around the world to share their knowledge and insights at Grafton, New South Wales.

Read the tale of a Yellow-crowned Amazon which was very lucky to survive and why these birds make such great feathered ‘family members’.

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The Last Gouldian Count

By Dr Sarah Pryke

By Robert and Josie Pollard

601 Parrot Lovers Cruise

This year’s annual Gouldian Finch Census—the final one—will be held at Wyndham, in the eastern Kimberley of Western Australia, from 1–5 September.

Travel the Southern Carribean over seven days with other parrot colleagues and see parrots in the wild and more...

Regulars

586 Avian Health with Dr Bob:

552 Breeding Australian Parrots:

By Dr Bob Doneley

Superb Parrots By Barry Blanch

A decline in numbers over the past 100 years has left the Superb Parrot on the Vulnerable and Endangered List in the wild, but in the aviary, these quiet-natured birds are easy to breed.

558 Finch Focus: The Pictorella Finch By Russell Kingston

The Pictorella Finch is beautiful, easily sexed, hardy, and presents an exciting breeding challenge.

562 Pet Parrot Pointers: The Training Toolkit By Jim McKendry

569 Finch Fundamentals: That Old Chestnut By Marcus Pollard

If you are looking for a hardy free-breeder and can see past their abundance to their beauty, then the Chestnut is the finch for you.

Buying a Bird?—What to Look For

Purchasing a new bird can be a minefield but, if you are careful, prepare for your purchase and buy the best you can afford, there is no reason for stress.

588 Just Ask: Presented to EB Cravens

Is wing-trimming wrong in all situations? How do you cope with two birds and two active and curious dogs in a large house?

590 Canary Chatter: Type Canaries

By Brian Bohl

596 Conservation • WPT: Saving the WPT 3

By Jim McKendry • Loro Parque Reveals the Benefits of Video Observation of Parrots

By Dr Matthias Reinschmidt

Young Bird Keeper: Bird 574 The Wise Owl: Finding the Right 598 Boy—How the Passion Took Flight Mate By Milton Lewis

Why does a female of any species choose a particular male to mate with or help rear her young?

576 Hookbill Hobbyist: Tourism for the Birds By EB Cravens

Here’s a free money-making idea—if Aussie aviculturists and bird clubs provided birdwatching facts and locales for visiting tourists, a major visitor industry could be established based around Australia’s native avian fauna.

By Harrison Grove

This is a young bird keeper’s story about his bird-crazy father and his reluctant mum’s acceptance of the addiction to bird keeping, beginning with one Eclectus Parrot.

600 What’s New • Living with Limpy by Frank Cachia • Birds of Australia • DVD—Secrets of Our Living Planet presented

by Chris Packham

547

the team...

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS

from the editor O

ur first article this issue features Recently, we attended another the Vasa Parrot. Although not successful Gunnedah Bird Sale and blessed with the most attractive Expo which was enjoyed by many. plumage colour, this species exhibits an Thanks to the organisers for another unusual breeding behaviour that is very good show! Although the number of interesting—see page 549. bird sales is decreasing at this time of In each issue of Australian BirdKeeper year, there are a couple worth attending I am proud of the writers who selflessly for possible additions to your flock or share their knowledge with our worldwide selling opportunities—check out those audience of breeders, pet owners, and listed on page 592. One must-attend is bird enthusiasts with interests over such a the 14th Castle Hill Bird Sale presented wide range of captive and wild species. by the Parrot Society of Australia (NSW) Jim McKendry has for the past to be held at a new venue this year—see seven years, and across 42 articles page 609 for details. Following are other of Pet Parrot Pointers, given pet bird upcoming events you may wish to note owners great insights into managing and attend: companion birds and providing them with • AVES organisers are proud to confirm optimum environments through positive 11 international and four Australian reinforcement principles. Congratulations speakers in the line-up for the on this milestone and thank you Jim. See convention to be held in Grafton on page 562 for Jim’s new series— 22–25 August. Again the diversity of The Training Toolkit. speaker topics is fantastic. Check out Looking at behavioural science from www.parrotconvention.com for details of another perspective, Milton Lewis examines the topics and to make your reservation. how the plumage and personality of male On page 582 we offer an overview birds correlates with a female’s partner of presenters. Ensure you also book choice—see Wise Owl on page 574. accommodation as soon as possible— In 1996, Adam FitzGerald wrote a don’t miss out. See the advertisement winning entry in the Syd Smith Young on page 584 for more details.

Bird Keeper writing competition. He has • Finchos—make a diary note for Finches continued to write for ABK and in this 14, the Queensland Finch Society Inc issue presents an article—Responsible Convention to be held on 27–29 June Bird Keeping on page 566. The message 2014. For more details contact ABK— early bird discounts apply. here is loud and clear and provokes the • The Eighth International Parrot Convention questions—Why am I keeping birds? at Loro Parque, Tenerife, Spain is Why am I breeding birds? When selling scheduled for 22–25 September 2014. birds, how well do I educate the buyer?

What code of ethic should I establish See advertisement on page 609. and maintain? Do I actively contribute Without further ado, flip through these to aviculture? I encourage you to read pages and enjoy our offerings.

Adam’s piece and take some of his comments on board.

Whether you should harness-train your parrot and how to prepare a pet parrot to wear this device is a long-standing debate Sheryll Steele-Boyce among pet parrot keepers. The pros and cons are presented on page 572.

Our first article this issue features the CORRECTION Vasa Parrot. Although not blessed with the In the article Moustache Parrots by most attractive plumage colour, this species hed last issue there was Jeff Murphy published exhibits an unusual breeding behaviour that n an incorrect caption is very interesting—see page 549. on page 511.

Many are familiar with Victorian avian The caption veterinarian and keen pigeon fancier titled Melanistic Dr Colin Walker. He shares an unusual Moustache Parrott occurrence with the breeding of a hybrid female was in fruit dove in his aviaries on page 554. fact a Normal.

As we move closer to setting up preThe photograph breeding dietary changes, considerations here, courtesy of of what supplements and food types Jade Welch, is should be introduced are essentials for of a Melanistic breeding success. Many species relish Moustache berries, the virtues of which are explained Parrot female.

by Rosemary Low on page 556.

548

Peter Odekerken

Russell Kingston

Dr Terry Martin

Dr Bob Doneley

Jim McKendry

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Dr Milton Lewis

EB Cravens

Barry Blanch

PUBLISHER Sheryll Steele-Boyce

Marcus Pollard

Brian Bohl

Sheryll Steele-Boyce EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Alison Houston

GRAPHICS Nikki Fowell

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Sheryll Steele-Boyce

WRITERS Armin Brockner, Barry Blanch, Dr Colin Walker, Rosemary Low, Russell Kingston, Jim McKendry, Allen Friis, Adam FitzGerald, Marcus Pollard, Milton Lewis, EB Cravens, Peter Odekerken, Dr Bob Doneley, Dr Matthias Reinschmidt, Robert and Josie Pollard, Brian Bohl, Dorothy Schwarz, Harrison Grove and Dr Sarah Pryke.

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE MOST WELCOME SUBSCRIPTION, ORDER & ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Telephone: 07 5568 0011 Fax: 07 5568 0300 Email: birdkeeper@birdkeeper.com.au www.birdkeeper.com.au Published by

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DISCLAIMER While every care is taken, the publisher accepts no responsibility for the content of advertising or editorial material published. Articles represent the views of the authors and not n necessarily those of the publisher. ABK Publications also reserves tthe right to refuse any advertising it deems to be detrimental to the integrity of the publication, Australian Birdkeeper Magazine

COPYRIGHT It is an offence under the Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968 to reproduce any part of the contents of this publication, including advertising artwork and photography without prior written consent of the publisher. ©2013 ABK Publications. All rights reserved.

WORDS BY BARRY BLANCH PHOTOGRAPHS BY JULIE BLANCH

SUPERB PARROTS

INTRODUCTION The Superb Parrot Polytelis swainsonii, also known as the Barraband Parakeet, belongs to the Polytelis genus. They are different from the other members in that both sexes and the young are predominantly green.

I became interested in these quiet-natured birds during my time studying at Charles Sturt University, in the heart of their range, and they’ve become a valued addition to our aviaries.

and wing-coverts are a slightly duller emerald green, without the bright, glossy appearance of their male counterparts.

Young birds resemble the female and are very difficult to sex visually. Males begin to show signs of adult plumage at about 12 months and obtain their full adult plumage at approximately 15–18 months of age. Most young birds show varying amounts of reddish-orange coloured tibial feathers on the upper legs, which moult out in most males. Feather or surgical sexing gives a positive result, and is important especially when pairing young birds.

The Superb’s pleasant, long, warbling ‘wheeet queeert whitta’ call is often heard before the bird is seen and is described as being similar to a cockatiel’s call. When frightened or under threat, the call changes to a sharp, harsh alarm ‘weet, wiit weet’.

Sometimes, as a result of fright, Superbs have been known to suffer from stress-induced paralysis of the legs and subsequently die.

Superb Parrots generally sit quietly during the day and are more active and vocal during the early morning and in the evening.

IN THE WILD Habitat

Superb Parrot male

Superb Parrot female

DESCRIPTION Superb Parrots are a small to medium-sized parrot, measuring 30–35cm in length, with a noticeably long tail, similar to the Regent Parrot. Similar both in colour and size when young, Superbs mature into a beautiful blend of different greens as adults, although the female’s colouration is less vibrant.

The iris colour of the adult male is an orange-yellow and the adult female and immature iris colour is a warm brown. Both male and female have a grey periopthalmic eye ring. The male and female bills are coral pink.

Males have a bright, glossy emerald green chest, abdomen, undertail coverts and rump that become iridescent in the sunlight, while the scapulars, lesser, greater wing and upper tail coverts are a darker, grass green.

Females have yellowish-green body feathers and the mantle

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The Superb Parrot’s range has been affected by changes in the landscape and it was listed as Vulnerable on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, resulting in the 2011 National Recovery Plan being instigated.

One of the reasons for the Superb Parrots’ decline in the wild is their ground-foraging behaviour. For many years farmers have laid out poisons to protect their grain crops from raiding rodents, causing seed-foraging birds, including Galahs and Superbs, to die in large numbers.

Land clearing and intensive irrigation along the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers has contributed to loss of both foraging areas and available nesting sites. Trapping of young nestlings in the 1960s and ’70s also affected the Superb Parrot’s population numbers. These smaller bird numbers have in turn decreased the Superb’s movement and ability to breed. Reports currently suggest an unconfirmed 5000 breeding birds left in the wild. There are possibly more birds in aviculture than in the wild.

Endemic to inland parts of south-eastern Australia, distribution is confined to a small area along the upper Riverina Murray River regions of the Barmah Forest area of northern Victoria, extending through a wide area from the Castlereagh and Murrumbidgee River Valleys between Hay in the east to

on Australian Finches

Male Pictorella Finch

WORDS, PHOTOGRAPHS AND ILLUSTRATION

BY RUSSELL KINGSTON OAM

Pictorella Finches—female (left) and male

Munia/Mannikin, with Pictorella being a corruption of pectoralis. Other common names used by finch enthusiasts are Pectoral Finch, White-breasted Finch and White-breasted Munia.

DESCRIPTION This is a species that is an enigma both in the wild and particularly in captivity. Listed as Near Threatened in 1994, the Pictorella Finch was listed in the IUCN Red List of 2007 as a species of Least Concern. I have no doubt that like most Australian grassfinches, Pictorella numbers overall are declining. This decline has been attributed to uncontrolled burning, the introduction of livestock and a rise in incidences of air sac mite (Sternastoma or Cytodites) infection. I might point out here that aviary escapees have not, as was suggested by scientists in the 1980s, introduced air sac mite to northern Australian INTRODUCTION grassfinches. It affects birds naturally in many The Pictorella Finch has attracted Distribution of the Pictorella Finch parts of the world. Any increase of incidence generations of bird keepers around the globe in infection may be attributed to environmental since its introduction to aviculture in the late stress such as climate change, burning 19th century. Naturalist John Gould first regimes or stock introduction. described it in 1839 from specimens taken The earthen brown-coloured upper-parts of during the HMS Beagle expedition. the Pictorella are a perfect camouflage when The bird’s underparts are a subtle the birds are feeding or drinking. Conversely, salmon-fawn, a colour rather unusual in the salmon-fawn underparts allow the bird to avifauna. When you couple this with the blend with the gums and red escarpments of unique white ‘tiling’ on the breast, there its homeland. This dimorphic species is most is little wonder that it has remained a clearly defined by the white tiling on the breast. favourite with finch enthusiasts. This is The male bird presents with bold rectangular one of the most terrestrial of the Australian tiles, while the female shows finer tiling or scalloping. She also has grassfinches, spending more time on the ground than even the a brownish suffusion of the face, whereas the male is adorned Painted Fire-tailed Finch Emblema pictum. with a black facemask. The facemasks in both species are finely In the past, the Pictorella was acknowledged as being related striated with buff quills. to the genus Lonchura along with the other Australian Munias— Chestnut-breasted L. castaneothorax and Yellow-rumped L. flaviprymna. Klaus Immelmann, in a discussion in 1987, was firmly of the opinion that there were significant behavioural differences between the Pictorella and the two Lonchura species. I have noticed that the mandible of the Pictorella Finch is less bulbous than that of the Chestnut-breasted Munia or the closely related Yellow-rumped Munia. Nowadays, this monotypic species has been placed in its own genus—Heteromunia, which acknowledges its connection with Lonchura. So, there we have it, Heteromunia pectoralis. Broadly, the scientific name translates to ‘the different munia— the one notable for its breast’. Aviculturists on the other hand, prefer to call it the Pictorella Finch or Pictorella

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WILD ENCOUNTERS I first saw Pictorella Finches in the wild when I travelled through northern Australia in September 1969. There were large flocks that rose from the ground, seemingly turning dead silhouettes into trees covered with foliage. They were obviously not breeding at that time.

My next encounter with these birds was during a visit to Broome in 1990. Close to the avian research facility, I observed Pictorellas together with Long-tailed Grassfinches picking around on muddy tracks that criss-crossed the grassed marshland. It was March and only single birds were seen. On a trip to visit Mike Fidler and see his work with the Gouldian Finches at Mornington Station in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in 2002, we saw substantial

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS BY JIM McKENDRY BAppSc BTeach

INTRODUCTION

TTHE TRAINING TOOLKIT

This is a milestone edition of Pet Parrot Pointers as it marks exactly seven years since we began the column—a total of 42 consecutive articles specifically written for companion parrot owners. Reflecting back on the scope of that work, I am in awe of the dedication Sheryll and the ABK team have shown in providing such continued support for the delivery of progressive, science-based information on companion parrot enrichment and behaviour within the pages of this publication.

The recent focus of Pet Parrot Pointers has been an innovative look at behaviour via the ‘What’s up with…?’ series. We will revisit that series in the future, but it’s time to introduce a new focus for the next few issues—The Training Toolkit.

The concept behind this series is to explore the art and science of training birds. In doing so, we will establish a set of reference points that we can use as foundations for training success. My other goal is to set my co-trainers up with additional access points for further learning from source material. Nothing bores me more than reading the derivative writing that proliferates in the bird behaviour and training world that rarely if ever acknowledges the original goldmine of wisdom and experience at its source. I want readers to be able to learn from where I have learnt, so I hope the links shared throughout this series lead you to many more wealthy words of wisdom!

To begin our ‘thinking-shaping’, I wanted to share with you a similar wordplay exploration to that which I recently developed with the presentations and training team at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

When we unpack the word ‘T-R-A-I-N-I-N-G’ we can use each letter as the starting point for some great thinking and therefore a perfect launch pad for this series. So, let’s get unpacking…

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J

im’s new series of articles, The Training Toolkit, aims to explore the art and science of training birds and set up the foundations for training success.

AVIANHEALTH WORDS AN AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DR BOB DO DONELEY BVSc FACVSc CMAVA

BUYING A BIRD? WHAT TO LOOK FOR

E

veryone who keeps birds will acquire a new bird at some stage—a new pet, a new breeder, a new bloodline. Usually all works out well. Both parties (buyer and seller) are happy, and the bird does well in its new home. But unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Avian veterinarians are frequently called upon to sort out problems after a new acquisition has been introduced into either a household or an aviary. In many cases these problems could have been avoided or at least minimised if the new owner had done their homework and sought veterinary advice before acquiring the bird and bringing it home.

In this article I want to raise some of the issues that potential buyers need to consider and the planning which should take place before purchasing a bird. Hopefully, if even some of the following suggestions are followed, a lot of heartbreak and financial loss can be avoided.

You also need to be sure you have everything ready at home to receive a new bird.

Far too often I have seen birds kept in the small cages they were bought in for days or weeks until the buyer purchases a cage or prepares a quarantine area. Plan for the arrival of a new bird and ensure you have everything you need—cages, food, dishes, even somewhere to put the cage.

Moral of the story: Be prepared. Don’t impulse buy!

WHO SHOULD YOU BUY FROM?

There are a lot of sources for both pet and aviary birds. While it is tempting to do so, you need to be careful not to make broad assumptions about sellers. I have seen high quality birds sold by ethical pet shops, and poor quality birds sold by so-called reputable breeders. You can’t just say ‘Pet shops are bad, breeders are good!’ So, what should you look for in a good seller?

Honesty

WHAT SORT OF BIRD DO YOU WANT?

This sounds like a basic question but it’s one that needs to be asked. Impulse buying at parrot sales, bird auctions, pet shops and even breeding aviaries can result in the acquisition of unsuitable or unwanted birds and buyer remorse. There are some species that are not suitable as pets and others that will not be ready to breed for years. Do these characteristics fit in with your plans?

The key to acquiring the right bird is research. Read up on the birds you are interested in. Ask other people about them. Talk to breeders.

Visit on-line forums, and so on. Be prepared to spend some money on research—good books and magazines (such as ABK Publications) are not cheap, but are well worth investing in. Besides, the money you save through research will pay for these books many times over!

Gain a broad perspective of the characteristics of that species and its suitability for your purpose. Gain a feel for the market value of the birds as well. Remember, it is rare to get bargains for quality birds. The old military expression, ‘Time spent on reconnaissance is never wasted’ holds true for bird-buying.

Integrity A seller with integrity will not sell an unweaned bird to a novice with the assurance that the bird ‘will make a better pet if you finish off the handrearing’. A seller with integrity will sell a bird with a health certificate from an avian vet. He/she will offer a guarantee on the health and suitability of the bird. He/she will provide you with information on the bird, its parentage, its husbandry and its diet.

Knowledge If you have done your research carefully, you will already know a lot about the species you are interested in. Quiz the seller to ascertain their level of knowledge. Don’t just accept their assertion that ‘they know everything about this species’. This quizzing should include elements such as suitability as pets or breeders, diet, cage size, husbandry practices, etc. Of course, if you haven’t done your research, you can have the wool pulled over your eyes by an unscrupulous seller. Remember, do your homework!

Passion A good seller is passionate about birds. They love the birds they have. They look after them well. They care about who they are

©ABK

This bird isn’t moulting—it has Avian Polymovirus (French Moult). Don’t accept assurances that ‘it will be right in a few days’

An honest breeder will not try to deceive you by substituting birds, or telling you that a bird is ‘just moulting’ or ‘just has a cold’. They will sell you a high-quality bird in good health—their reputation (and therefore any future sale) hangs on the quality of the birds they sell. They won’t try and take advantage of a novice, but make time to advise and educate.

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