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Vol 28 Issue 10 • Aug-Sep 2015
Hyacinth Macaws Mulga Parrots
MOUSTACHED
PARROTS
Little Lorikeets BLACK-BREASTED BUTTON-QUAIL TAWNY Frogmouth LAUGHING Kookaburra PAINTED Finch
Vol 28 Issue 10 • Aug-Sep 2015
Hyacinth Macaws Mulga Parrots
MOUSTACHED
PARROTS
Little Lorikeets
COVER IMAGE HYACINTH MACAW BY DAVID MONROGER
BLACK-BREASTED BUTTON-QUAIL TAWNY Frogmouth LAUGHING Kookaburra k b PAINTED Finch
features 617 THE LITTLE LORIKEET
By Peter Odekerken This dainty and delightful brushtongued parrot is Australia’s smallest lorikeet species. 620 MOUSTACHED PARROTS
By Dr Slobodan Ivić Moustached Parrots are popular in aviaries across the world and can live up to 40 years. 626 THE BLACK-BREASTED BUTTON-QUAIL
By Jade Welch This Australian endemic has a number of interesting behaviours and needs support to maintain numbers in captivity.
regulars 623 FINCH FOCUS: GREEN SINGING FINCHES AND OTHER AFRICAN CANARIES
By Russell Kingston Many canary species have their origins in Africa, including the delightful Green Singing Finch. 630 BREEDING AUSTRALIAN PARROTS: MULGA PARROTS
By Barry Blanch 632 BUILDING BLOCKS FOR BETTER BIRDS: THE SELF-ENTERTAINING PARROT
By Rebecca K O’Connor Training your bird to play alone with its toys promotes physical and mental fitness, and problematic behaviours. 636 HOOKBILL HOBBYIST: OBSERVATIONS ON CAPTIVE PSITTACINE FLEDGING—PART 1
By EB Cravens An aviary designed for facilitating the fledgling process provides valuable experiences during chick development. 638 BUSH TUCKER: FOODS FROM THE FAMILY CASUARINACEAE
By Des Boorman Members of this widespread plant
contents Volume 28 Issue 10 628 THE PAINTED FINCH
By David White Keep their environment dry and Painted Finches are one of the best Australian native finches to keep and breed. 634 FISCHER’S LOVEBIRD— DILUTE BLUE
By Dirk Van Den Abeele 640 BUSTING THE SUGAR MYTH
By Gordon Rich Is sugar—a natural part of lorikeets’ diet— bad for them? 646 HYACINTH MACAWS IN AUSTRALIA
in Australia is set straight with the breeding of this beautiful and endangered parrot. 650 THREAT TO BIRD SALES AND OUR HOBBY
By Russell Kingston The escalation in the number of sales around the country has also raised animal rights issues. 660 ADVENTURES WITH THE LAUGHING KOOKABURRA
By Tinus Oberholzer In South Africa it takes a lot of effort to keep and breed these birds. 667 VALE
By Ross Johnstone The myth of the Hyacinth Macaw
William T Cooper Neville Spencer
family are easy to harvest and many parrots will feed on it.
664 CONSERVATION:
643 AVIAN HEALTH WITH DR BOB: BIRD FORM, FUNCTION AND PHYSIOLOGY
By Dr Bob Doneley 652 FINCH FUNDAMENTALS: MIXED COLLECTIONS—PART 1
• WPT: Cockatoos Stuffed in Plastic Bottles Discovered By Carolyn Pradum • LPF: Prolific Breeding at Loro Parque Fundación By Dr Matthias Reinschmidt 665 WHAT’S NEW
By Marcus Pollard
• A Kid’s Guide to Keeping Chickens By Melissa Caughey
655 ABOUT BIRDS: TAWNY FROGMOUTHS—MASTERS OF MASQUERADE
666 WILD CORNER: GEORGE, THE LAUGHING KOOKABURRA
By Kit Prendergast Its mottled grey plumage and statuesque pose are the perfect camouflage for this large and unusual bird. 658 CANARY CHATTER: THE MAN BEHIND THE AUSTRALIAN FIFE
By Brian Bohl Roy Scott was the driving force behind development of the Fife Canary in Australia. 662 THE WISE OWL: CHOOSING WHEN TO BE HEARD
By Milton Lewis Despite bird song announcing a caller’s location to rivals and mates, it also attracts the unwanted attention of predators.
By Dr Claude Lacasse Welcome to a new column by veterinarian Claude, who will share her experiences working at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. 668 LAST CHIRP
• Reflecting on 60 Years—the Geelong Branch of the ASA By David Pace • Orana Avicultural Society’s 31st Annual Show By Geoff rey Wheeler • Victoria Wins in the West By Nola Bradford
672 classifieds 615
Little Lorikeet adult male
A breeding pair of Little Lorikeets in the wild—note the tight entrance to the nest chamber. The female on the outside exhibits a less intense red mask than the male
The Little Lorikeet
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER ODEKERKEN
IN THE WILD
Little and Musk Lorikeets live in open woodland. This is a breeding site with some trees being occupied by multiple pairs
INTRODUCTION
I have kept and bred all the Australian lorikeets and have found them every bit as interesting and charming as foreign brushtongued parrots—lories and lorikeets. I find it regrettable that I presently do not keep an Australian lorikeet, having only foreign lories in my collection, and if I had the ability to maintain a larger bird collection I would certainly include some Australian species. One such species is the Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla, a dainty bird with great character. A description is unnecessary as the images clearly indicate this, however it is worth noting that generally females have a smaller, less-intense red mask, and the brown hindneck is paler in colour. There are other indicators but the two mentioned seem to be consistent within a pair of similar age. A young male still has to achieve the intensity of colour and even a young female is paler in colouration than when an adult.
By nature of their small size and predominately green plumage it can be difficult to see this diminutive lorikeet in the wild, especially as they are often found high in flowering Eucalyptus trees. A give-away is their soft but piercing ‘psitt, psitt, psitt’ call emitted as they fly overhead. I often locate parrots or for that matter other birds by knowing their call and then searching for them in the foliage. They generally fly and feed in small flocks. During the breeding season they tend to be territorial around the nest, but will congregate while feeding away from the nest. I believe breeding pairs stay in relative close proximity while gathered in a flock. This species occurs from far-north Queensland down to south-eastern South Australia, and is usually found in open woodland. In my experience it is more frequently seen inland along the Great Dividing Range or west of this higher altitude formation, tending to not occur close to the coast. Little Lorikeets are frequently found feeding in the company of other nectar-feeding birds. However, these small birds are easily chased away, particularly by larger species such as Rainbow, Scaly-breasted and Musk Lorikeets. Unfortunately the Little Lorikeet is becoming scarcer in wild habitat due to land clearing. John Courtney, an expert on the Little and Musk Lorikeets, has serious concerns for this species. Having studied them for over 40 years in his region of Glen Innes and Inverell, New South Wales, he is alarmed at the dramatic decline in numbers brought about by land clearing in the area. Also in recent years droughts have been increasing in duration and frequency, leading to Yellow and White Box Eucalyptus species flowering less regularly. Because breeding occurs according to the availability of flowering Eucalyptus, breeding has been impaired.
617
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DR SLOBODAN IVIĆ
P ODEKERKEN
Moustached
PA R R OT S
Moustached Parrot Psittacula alexandri alexandri
IN THE WILD
Moustached Parrots occur in south and d ssouth-east outh-east inccluding Asia—from northern and eastern India (including the Andaman Islands), Nepal, Bhutan and up to the sh, in i the Indian Himalayas. They are also found in Bangladesh, d southern region near China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and China, Thailand, Cambodia and Singapore, and in a number of Indonesia islands including Java and Borneo. They inhabit forests up to 2000m in altitude and have successfully adapted to cultivated areas, including parks in urban areas. Climactically, these regions are quite different. Nepal is subtropical, and the temperature falls as altitude increases. Summers are hot and dry and average temperature is about 27°C. Winters are short, mild and moist and temperature is about 10°C. Vietnam is tropical and monsoons are frequent. The temperature range is from 5–37°C. The average rainfall is from 1200–3000mm, and humidity is 84%. The climate in the Andaman Islands is also tropical—warm with sea breezes, and is usually dry during the south-eastern monsoons and moist during the south-western monsoons. Singapore is tropical with temperature ranges from 22–34°C, heavy rains, and morning humidity of 90%, lowering to 60% in the afternoon. The climate in the majority of Java as well as on the Lesser Sunda Islands is monsoonal. Temperatures are mainly very high but can fall from 6–12°C within 24 hours.
AN ADAPTABLE SPECIES
The Moustached Parrot has adapted to this wide range of climates. These birds developed individually on the isolated locations over several centuries and this led to the emergence of seven subspecies—Psittacula alexandri alexandri, P. a. kangeanensis, P. a. dammermani, P. a. fasciata, P. a. abbotti, P. a. cala, P. a. major and P.a. peronica. Moustached Parrots live in flocks. They fly low and suddenly rise and perch on high branches. They spend the
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night on the highest branches, where they feel safe. The number of birds in the wild has significantly decreased due the ever-growing exploitation of their natural habitats through forestry and cultivation. Some people often illegally hunt this species for the black market. Regardless of vegetation changes this species has managed to adapt to a diet based on rice, maize and other grains and they migrate for food seasonally. They eat various grass seeds, weeds and herb seeds. Flowers and nectar are also on the menu. Their diet includes grains from the rice fields, and they are often present in the orchards.
DESCRIPTION
Moustached Parrots grow to approximately 35cm in length, which puts them in a group of medium-sized parrots. An adult bird weighs about 155g. Because there are seven subspecies, their size ranges from 33–38cm, and their weight from 133–168g. The head feathers are grey with a bluish shine. There is a black stripe above the cere, reaching from one eye to the other. The chin and throat are pure black. The feathers around the eyes are green. The iris is bright yellow. The nape is emerald green. The back is green and the upper part of the breasts and abdomen are pink, changing to bluish-green towards the tail. Median coverts are greenish-yellow, and the greater coverts are bright green. The tail is somewhat shorter than other members of the genus, measuring 14–16cm. It is noticeable that the Moustached Parrot is the only species in which the bird’s body is longer than its tail. Its two middle tail feathers are blue, and yellowish-green on the ends. The beak is about 2.5cm long. The male’s beak is red and the female’s is black—which is the main difference between the sexes. The legs are greenish-grey with black claws. The female is paler in colour and its tail is slightly shorter. Juveniles resemble females, but the colours are more indefinite. They reach full colour at the age of three years when they become sexually mature.
PAINTED
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID WHITE
THE
FI
P ODEKERKEN
P ODEKERKEN
The Painted Finch has moved in and out of taxonomic groups rou ups p by over the years. After reading Grassfinches in Australia by Joseph Forshaw & Mark Shepard, I discovered that the us Painted Finch is no longer a firetail! It is alone in its genus f t to t Emblema. The Red-eared and Beautiful Firetails have left form their own genus Stagomopleura. le. e When you look closely at the birds, this appears sensible. he The Painted is a bit of an enigma when compared with the bil illl other Australian grassfinches. The shape and size of its bill and the habitat in which it exists make it a stand-alone. Painted Finches love the aviary floor. For this reason, I would recommend they not be housed with quail, to avoid competition over territory and food pickings. Aviaries with dry, well-drained floors are best suited due to the Painted Finch’s habits. If you have the space, place a few rocks on the ground for them to stand on and survey their surroundings. This will look great and be a favourite spot of the Painted Finch.
P ODEKERKEN
INTRODUCTION
JUVENILES
Painted Finches are very good parents and, as long as you provide them with the right food and sufficient amounts of it, there is no reason why the whole clutch should not fledge without loss. This takes about three weeks and the young just ‘appear’, surveying their new surroundings. Painted Finches—female (above), male (top right) and juvenile (right) From the back they look just like their parents—perhaps a little duller and lacking Nests are usually constructed in a shrub or brush on a the red on the rump. The frontal view is more platform of coarse grasses, paperbark and small sticks subdued, with the spots blurred by more brown tones and little, if any, red. The beak is black. NESTING When you should take the young away from their parents is Painted Finches tend to nest in the lower half of the aviary, a very subjective question. Every breeder will have a different usually seeking out an area in scrub/brush or even a shelf or box on which to build a little platform, on which the main nest viewpoint and for any number of reasons. I know breeders who remove chicks as early as two weeks from fledging, as is then constructed. This platform is made from larger pieces of ‘equipment’ such as paperbark pieces, charcoal, small sticks well as those that leave them with the parents even after they have moulted into adult plumage. Personally, I think and coarse grass. (I have even seen a drinking straw that two weeks is too soon. While they are probably capable of was dropped in an aviary utilised in a nest platform.) If the feeding themselves, and do eat a portion of their daily intake platform is not constructed well enough, the bottom of the themselves, I have seen the parents (mainly the male), still nest can fall out, so it is best to provide this coarse material. The nest itself is mainly made from coarse grasses and lined feeding chicks a ‘top-up’ several weeks after this. For this reason, I leave chicks with their parents for at least four with finer material such as swamp grass. Some pairs also use weeks, so they have the best possible base on which to build a few feathers inside. their future. I would rather make sure that this clutch of When the nest is complete the female starts laying young is going down the right track than move them too early, her clutch of 4–6 white eggs. Painteds tend to lay in the just so the parents will go back to nest quickly. morning—one egg per day—and start incubating between By the time they are 14 weeks old, the young will pretty eggs two and three. The first two chicks (sometimes three) much be fully coloured into adult plumage. hatch on day 14, with the rest hatching a day apart.
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WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DR BOB DONELEY BVSc FACVSc CMAVA W
BIRD FORM, FUNCTION AND PHYSIOLOGY B INTRODUCTION While we all enjoy and admire birds—be they pet, aviary, poultry or wild—many people have little idea about the form and function of birds. There are about 10 000 species of birds ranging from sparrows to ostriches—an incredibly diverse group. Nevertheless, all species of bird share a common set of features, including a body covered in feathers, laying eggs rather than giving birth to live young, and flight (secondarily lost in various groups). This article provides an introduction into avian anatomy and physiology. Equipped with this knowledge, you may better understand birds’ needs and requirements.
THE SKIN AND FEATHERS Avian skin is surprisingly thin. Because it is so thin and near translucent, underlying muscle can often be observed. The thin layer of skin also means cream and ointments applied to a bird’s skin are easily absorbed. The skin has no glands except the preen gland at the base of the tail, and some glands in the lining of the ear canal, so birds cannot sweat to cool down as do mammals. The most striking thing about birds is their plumage. Feathers serve a variety of purposes including insulation against heat and cold, water-proofing, camouflage, signalling in social, sexual or defensive situations, and often indicate social status, age or sex. In most birds, feathers grow in tracts (known as pterylae) with bare skin (apterylae) between these tracts. The exception is waterfowl which, requiring more water-proofing than other birds, have evolved without apterylae. Each feather grows out of pockets in the skin called follicles. When a feather initially erupts from a follicle it has a blood and nerve supply, and is called a blood quill. As the feather reaches a predetermined length this blood and nerve supply retracts, leaving a hollow quill. Once a feather reaches its predetermined length growth ceases. When a bird moults the old feather is pushed out by the new feather erupting below. Moulting usually occurs twice each year—at the beginning of spring (prenuptial moult) and in autumn (postnuptial moult). This moulting pattern coincides with the breeding season, ensuring birds of both sexes look their best for courtship. Plumage colour is a result of a combination of pigments (psittacins and melanins) and structural colouration, arising from the refraction of light off the barbs and barbules of the feather vane. Depending on the species and how its colour is produced, changes in a bird’s diet, its health affecting the deposition of these pigments (eg liver disease, poor diet), or the structure of the feather (eg in parrots, Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease) can effect plumage colouration. Two other skin structures are the beak and nails. The beak consists of the upper (maxillary) bone and the lower (mandibular) bone, both encased in thick keratinised skin. This skin develops from growth areas at the base of the beak at a rate of several millimetres per month. This is why birds need to chew on wooden objects and why they grind their beak—it keeps this keratinised skin ground down. Birds with chronic liver disease or beak abnormalities will often develop an overgrown beak.
Plumage serves a variety of purposes including sex differentiation
The beak of parrots is made from modified, thickened keratin overlying the bones of the maxilla and mandible
Nails on a bird’s feet are composed of two plates of keratinised skin encasing the bones of the toe. The top plate of keratin grows faster than the lower plate, giving nails their characteristic curved appearance. If birds do not have suitable perches or have chronic liver problems, their nails often overgrow.
THE SKELETON Like all vertebrates, birds have a bony skeleton serving two purposes—a structural framework to which the muscles attach, and a reservoir of calcium for the normal function of muscles and other metabolic processes, including egg-laying in female birds. However, birds have made major adaptations to allow for flight—their bones are very light (although rigidly strong) and they are pneumatic (air-filled). In fact, the medullary cavity of the humerus (the upper bone in the wing) communicates
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INTRODUCTION Few can resist the beauty of the adorable-looking and highly intelligent Hyacinth Macaw. Blue—symbolic of peace and tranquillity—covers the body from head to toe and all the way to the tip of the long and graceful tail, and is contrasted by cheerful shades of bright yellow surrounding the eyes and beak. Considered the biggest of the flying parrots, Hyacinth Macaws have an average length of 100cm, weigh 1.3–1.8kgs and have a wingspan of approximately 120cm. Their beaks are so powerful that they can break the shell of the hardest nuts. Their digestive system is equally strong, as it is able to digest hard and poisonous matter. Scientists theorise that the poison is possibly absorbed by the clay which the species eats along riverbanks they frequent during their waking hours. Hyacinths are messy eaters, feeding on nuts, fruits and vegetables—picking vegetables picking up and dropping seeds, which aids their dispersal in the wild. While generally passive and definitely beautiful to look at, defini keeper and they can turn Hyacinths are not for the novice keep Husbandry skills require aggressive if not given expert care. H knowledge and research into captive Hyacinth Macaws. They are the most docile yet sociable species speci of their kind, not to tend to form a strong bond mention the most intelligent, and ten with their owners. When taught at an early age that people are friend. not food, they can be man’s best frien
IN THE WILD Status and Conservation Data and anecdotal evidence suggest that 10 000 Hyacinth wild habitat during the Macaws were uprooted from their w bird make it easy for captors 1980s. The characteristics of this bir destroy their habitats. In to prey on them, kill them, and destr disturbed, making them easy to addition to being noisy when disturb find, Hyacinths are also curious, seem to have no fear, don’t nature. move a lot, and have a predictable na There are many ways by which Hya Hyacinth habitats have been conversion of lands in Pantanal, taken from them. One is the conversi for cattle. River habitats, Brazil and Amazonia into pastures fo have been turned such as the Tocantins and Xingu Rivers, Riv power. In Minas Gerais, lands into resources for hydroelectric powe plantations for exotic are swiftly being transformed into pl trees, ranches for cattle, and modern agricultural lands using machinery instead of human labour. The Kayapo Indians, heavily into feather art which who live in southern Brazil, are heav gorgeous blue feathers. makes use of the Hyacinth Macaw’s g Poachers bring down trees to catch yyoung birds, bringing destroying nests. And since further harm by permanently destro adults, doubling survival rate is low, poachers also capture cap reproduction. The good news the problem by hindering wild repro
Mature pair Hyacinth Macaws
is many owners of ranches in Gerais and Pantanal have taken steps to protect the birds on their lands. About half of the 10 000 birds taken from the wild in the 1980s went to the domestic market in Brazil. It has also been a custom to acquire them in pairs as they are used to being in pairs and flocks in the wild. This doubled the demand and illegal poaching of these birds. Prior to the 1992 ban on exporting Hyacinth Macaws from South America, there were less than six unrelated Hyacinth Macaw pairs legally imported into Australia.
Habitat Found in central and eastern South America, Hyacinth Macaws are endangered in the wild. There are only a few places in South America where they are still known to live in their natural environment—specifically in north-eastern Paraguay, eastern Bolivia, and in the Pantanal region of southern Brazil, including Maranhao, Piaui, Bahia, Tocantins, Goias, Mato Grosso, and Minas Gerais. They are also found in the eastern Amazon Basin of Brazil, in Marajo Island and the open areas of the Tapajos Xinju and Tocantins Rivers. Hyacinths like to stay in tropical rainforests, particularly in riversides and palm swamps. Within this range, however, their habitat may vary. They have been seen in grassy marshes, mature palm forests (particularly the Moriche Palm variety), and seasonal moist forests with broken canopies, as they dislike closed areas. The appeal of open space means Hyacinths are not found in dense and humid forests. They have even been seen in caatinga or dry thorn forests. Sadly, many of these places which are so key to their survival have been ravaged by development, leading to their endangered status.
IN CAPTIVITY Housing The Hyacinth Macaw, being a very intelligent parrot, needs constant stimulation, emotionally and physically. They love attention and wide spaces and, in captivity, need ample space to move around comfortably and spread their wings. Housing must be of sufficient size to allow the Hyacinth to both fly and play, and should increase with the number of Hyacinths kept. The fact that the Hyacinth Macaw can eat nuts harder than any other bird species provides an insight into the power of its beak and the strength of the housing materials which must be utilised. Their beaks can break coconuts and the most difficult nuts to pry open are those that even people have a hard time doing with a hammer. Just imagine what their beaks can do to weak materials. This bird has to be able to move with freedom between at least two perches or it can develop muscular dystrophy which
The strong Hyacinth Macaw beak makes it essential that housing is constructed of strong high quality materials
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Adventures with the Laughing
Kookaburra
WORDS BY TINUS OBERHOLZER PHOTOGRAPHS BY NOLLIE CILLIERS
THE SOFTBILL CHOICE
Collectors of all descriptions often want that which is different, rare and hard to come by. Our bird collection is no exception. We opted for keeping softbills for just these reasons—and because they are in some cases just plain weird. The beauty and diversity of the group is so vast that one could not dream of having it all—but one can try. The kookaburra is to many South Africans something from the movies. It reminds us of an Australian setting—a bird only seen at zoos and bird parks. With the ban on any export of Australian birds, these giant kingfishers have become even more sought-after, with few to be found in South African aviaries. When we started out with softbills, kookaburras were high on our wish list. We have subsequently managed to procure several Laughing Kookaburras and a pair of Bluewinged Kookaburras. Instead of going into a detailed description of the Laughing Kookaburra, I would rather relate our experience with these birds.
NO LAUGHING MATTER
A few years ago we had the opportunity to buy an unrelated pair of kookaburras. We did so without second thought because we had been on the lookout for them for quite some time. The two birds, an older female and a young male were put in an aviary which we had designed especially for them. The roof of the aviary is covered with bird net instead of wire, as we know many softbills have the tendency to fly straight up into the wire and damage their head or worse, break their neck when frightened. This particular aviary, unlike most of our others, contains very few plants—just one large shrub in the centre and some small patches of groundcover. Branches of varying thickness are placed at various heights in the front, middle and back of the aviary as perches. Allowing for more flying space than we have seen provided in some bird parks, the aviary dimensions are 6m x 3m x 3m. This seems too large to some people, but we feel it could even be slightly bigger. It is strange though, because the birds sometimes seem to occupy only a small area of the whole
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The diet includes dayold-chicks, mice, and cockroaches
Laughing Kookuburra fledgling a week after leaving the nest
aviary, especially just after a meal when their favourite perch in the sun is sought out for a little snooze. They do, however, fly around and make use of most of the space available to them during the early hours of the morning and the last few minutes of the day before they decide it is bed time. Their diet consists mostly of day-old-chicks with the yolk removed. This is purely because it is an easily accessible food source for us and supplements can be added without trouble. Every week, in an effort to provide some sort of break to the routine, we give them whole mice, hissing cockroaches and, when available, frogs, lizards and the odd snake. It is quite amusing to watch as a morsel gets wacked against a large rock or the perch until the bird feels it is satisfactorily pulverised and ready to be gulped down whole. But back to our two original birds. The male was a few years younger than the female, which should not be a problem. The problem was that this bird was handreared by a person who had the tendency to pet and play with the chicks. As a result, our young male had issues. He was clearly not sure if he was more bird or more human. He had socialising issues and it soon became clear that this youngster would cause us lots of trouble. When the first rains of the season came, he would, as with most other birds in our collection, start focusing his attention on the female with which he shared the aviary.