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Vol 28 Issue 11 • Oct-Nov 2015

Musk Lorikeets BLUE-BONNET PARROTS

PACIFIC PARROTLETS Red-backed Western Rosellas Water & Thermoregulation

INVESTING in Birds MIXED Aviaries BEAK & FEATHER Disease


Vol 28 Issue 11 • Oct-Nov 2015

Musk Lorikeets BLUE-BONNET PARROTS

PACIFIC PARROTLETS Red-backed Western Rosellas Water & Thermoregulation

COVER IMAGE MUSK LORIKEET BY PETER ODEKERKEN

INVESTING in Birds MIXED Aviaries BEAK & FEATHER Disease

contents Volume 28 Issue 11

features 685 THE PACIFIC PARROTLET

700 THE EMMA’S CONURE

717 MAILBAG: GOOD READING

By John Gribble

By Armin Brockner

By Rosemary Low

Their small size, intelligence, bold, engaging character, and lack of a loud call will endear these birds to many households in the future.

One of the smaller Pyrrhura species, the Emma’s Conure is only a relative newcomer to captivity, but is not difficult to keep.

688 RED-BACKED WESTERN ROSELLAS

712 AVIAN ARCHITECTURE

By Ben Pearce

Birds are master craftsmen and employ different materials and techniques in constructing their homes.

The colour of Red-backed Western Rosellas is steadily improving in aviculture but in the wild these birds are under increasing threat. 699 VALE: IN MEMORY OF PROFESSOR ERNST KRUGER

By Russell Kingston

regulars 692 BREEDING AUSTRALIAN PARROTS: BLUE-BONNET PARROTS

By Barry Blanch Often overlooked in aviculture for their aggressive attitude, breeding these likeable parrots can be rewarding.

By Paul Granston

714 MUSK LORIKEETS

By Kellie Stewart ‘A little dude with attitude’ sums up the Musk Lorikeet and it is relatively easy to breed this attractive smaller lorikeet.

710 AVIAN HEALTH WITH DR BOB: PSITTACINE BEAK AND FEATHER DISEASE REVISITED

By Dr Bob Doneley Combining DNA and HA/HI testing gives a more accurate assessment of whether a bird is infected with PBFDV.

696 FINCH FOCUS: WATER IS LIFE—GET IT RIGHT!

721 ABOUT BIRDS: THERMOREGULATION—HOW BIRDS COPE WITH THE HEAT AND COLD

By Russell Kingston Water quality determines the health and breeding potential of birds as surely as food.

By Kit Prendergast 724 BUILDING BLOCKS FOR BETTER BIRDS: BECOMING A BETTER PARROT TRAINER

702 FINCH FUNDAMENTALS: MIXED COLLECTIONS—PART 2

By Rebecca K O’Connor Practicing, reviewing, and revising training strengthens your relationship and ability to communicate with your parrot.

By Marcus Pollard 705 HOOKBILL HOBBYIST: FLEDGING STUDIES—PART 2

By EB Cravens EB looks at strategies around when to and when not to delay fledgings. 708 CANARY CHATTER: BREEDING CANARIES IN AUSTRALIA—PART 2

By Brian Bohl Brian discusses the triggers for canary reproduction and the effect of temperature on males.

730 THE WISE OWL: PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS IN CANARY DIETS

By Milton Lewis Certain protein supplements can have negative side-effects on breeding canaries.

718 REHABILITATING GREY PARROTS

By Dorothy Schwarz Parrots with problem behaviours require positive reinforcement as a major component of their rehabilitation. 726 BIRDS AS AN INVESTMENT

By Andrew Rankmore Keeping birds as an investment is risky, and not to be undertaken unless you have a real love of aviculture. 728 ASK THE EXPERT: AUSTERITY PERIODS— PRACTICAL OR PIPEDREAM?

By Marcus Pollard

732 CONSERVATION:

• Philippine Cockatoo— New Recovery Record By Dr David Waugh • World Parrot Trust Launches New Website By Carolyn Pradun 735 WHAT’S NEW

• Eclectus Parrots—A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual By Katy McElroy • Australian Predators of the Sky By Penny Olsen 736 WILD CORNER: NORBERT THE WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE

By Dr Claude Lacasse 737 LAST CHIRP:

• AVES 2015 By Sheryll Steele Boyce • Healesville and the Avicultural Society of Australia Inc (ASA) Aviculture Conference 2015 By Alex Lannan • A Toast to Bill Molloy and Jim Baker By Nola Bradford

740 classifieds 683


WORDS BY JOHN GRIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARION LIDDLE

The PACIFIC PARROTLET ‘Mini Amazons’ is the term often used to describe these active, feisty mini parrots. Weighing approximately 28g and measuring only 12.5cm (5 inches) they are among the smallest in the world, but punch well above their weight in character and outgoing personality. Parrotlets belong to the genus Forpus and there are seven species and several subspecies. All species are basically green, with males displaying various shades and patterns of blue. They are sexually dimorphic and can be sexed upon fledging. The Pacific Parrotlet Forpus coelestis is the only one of the seven species available to Australian aviculture. Naturally, it occurs along the Pacific coast of Central South America, where it is relatively common within its range.

P ODEKERKEN

Pacific Parrotlet Forpus coelestis

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WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY BEN PEARCE

Red-backed Western Rosellas INTRODUCTION Red-backed Western Rosellas P. i. xanthogeny, or Inland Westerns as they are also known, are fascinating birds which we have kept for more than 30 years. They are one of those birds that attract special attention regarding colour quality. I hope this article will shed some light on what is considered a good-coloured Red-back and explain a bit about their distinct colour variations. Birds that display a generous amount of red on their backs are highly prized and this creates the interest for breeders. During the first 20 or so years, I was happy to just reproduce Red-backs with an eye to keeping a good-coloured bird now and then. Then, in 2006, after selling almost all our birds to study Western Rosellas in the wild, we were able to concentrate on a few pairs of Red-backs.

DISTRIBUTION The Inland Westerns that most resemble what aviculture considers a true Red-back come from the eastern extremities of their range. The best example I have photographed was at Norseman, but Inland Westerns extend further east and we intend to study this area again one day. The Johnstone and Storr distribution map shows Inland Westerns commencing around Northem, about 100kms east of Perth and extending a further 700km. Between these two geographical points Western Rosellas experience a gradual change from Coastal Green-backs to the good-coloured Redbacks. These areas of change harbour the most interesting coloured birds—an area referred to as the intermediate zone. The birds from this area are neither Coastal Green-backed nor good-coloured Red-backs. This integration area has suffered the greatest local population extinction, which is a great shame because that is where the last of the premium Blue-backs exist.

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SELECTIVE BREEDING

Over the past few years we have been attempting to improve the colour of our birds by selective breeding. This simply meant keeping some of the more promising coloured young until they matured. Then, by selecting the best-coloured birds each year, we improved our stock. Some of the improvements were minimal but together they added to each generation. Possessing a very decent-coloured Red-backed Western Rosella has been achieved by many, but our aim was to reduce the variation to achieve a higher percentage of good-coloured birds. Breaking up good breeding pairs can be heartbreaking, but it was necessary if progress was to be made. Even harder is replacing the birds you treasured as your best the season before. Red-backs improve in colour as they age, so often the birds being sold appear more colourful. T This is where some judgment is required. D During the years of selective breeding, w kept four breeding pairs—plenty to we p produce adequate numbers for the next g generation. Variation, even in the sa ame clutch, can be enormous same a we still produce some and p poorly coloured birds. Red-backed Western Rosella—note the green tinge


breeding australian parrots WORDS BY BARRY BLANCH PHOTOGRAPHS BY JULIE BLANCH

BLUE-BONNET PARROTS B

Naretha Northiella narethae Blue-bonnet Parrot

INTRODUCTION

Blue-bonnets are multi-coloured small to medium-sized broad-tailed parrots which are often overlooked in aviculture due to their pugnacious nature. They have a unique little crest and despite their name, it is only their face that is blue. They are often referred to by their vent colour. The Blue-bonnet personality is conversely both aggressive and relatively wary. In 1994 ornithologists and taxonomists Christidis and Boles reclassified the species from genus Psephotus to Northiella. This parrot is endemic to and inhabits the semi-arid interior regions of Australia. There are two species of Blue-bonnets— the Naretha and Eastern. The Eastern Blue-bonnet Northiella haematogaster comprises three subspecies—the Yellowvented N. h. haematogaster, Red-vented N. h. haematorrhous and Pallid N. h. pallescens. The nominate subspecies is the Yellow-vented Blue-bonnet. Pallid Blue-bonnets are found in the South Australian and New South Wales Lake Eyre Basin border region, with the two main subspecies meeting on the fringe of the range. The Naretha Blue-bonnet N. narethae is a separate species endemic to Western Australia and is regarded as nearthreatened. Also known as the ‘Little Blue-bonnet’, it is only found in two small patches in south-east Western Australia. During the 1980s a number of Naretha Blue-bonnets were legally trapped because the birds were close to extinction and placed in captive recovery breeding programs in zoos and with selected aviculturists.

IN THE WILD Range and Habitat

Eastern Blue-bonnets have adapted to the semi-arid interior of Australia, inhabiting the sparse saltbush scrub or mulga,

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sandalwood, remnant mallee and gidgee woodlands and open grassy plains. The range is spread throughout most of the eastern southern states, including South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and southern Queensland, including the Lake Eyre Basin. Yellow-vents are spread over the drier parts of the southeastern half of South Australia, extending south to the Eyre Peninsula and northwards to Kingoonya. The birds are also plentiful around the Gawler Ranges, west of Port Augusta and around the Renmark region, extending along the Murray River Mallee areas and east into Victoria to the outskirts of Bendigo. The Red-vents’ range extends through the extensive northwest of NSW, up through West Wyalong and into the southwest areas of Queensland, around the Cunnamulla region. There are areas where the subspecies overlap, especially in extreme inland South Australia, near the Queensland and NSW border. It is here that the Pallid subspecies is found inhabiting the Lake Eyre Basin region, from the southwestern areas of the Queensland and NSW border regions and further west into the north-east parts of South Australia. The Naretha Blue-bonnet occupies a small narrow area known as the Myall Belt around the fringe areas of the Nullarbor Plain in south-east Western Australia across to south-western South Australia. There have been sightings of the Naretha in scrub areas near Mundrabilla, close to the Eyre Highway. The habitat range is in a nearly inaccessible area, with sparse Casuarina and Acacia scrub providing nesting sites. The disused road along the transcontinental railway line in the heart of the Naretha Blue-bonnet’s habitat crosses through the Naretha railway siding. Despite being in an arid area, with very little natural water available and


finch fundamentals WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARCUS POLLARD BSc (Hons) W

MIXED COLLECTIONS—Part 2 M Following on from his article last issue regarding which birds to exclude from a mixed collection, Marcus examines which birds do play (and breed) nicely together.

L

et’s start by hypothesising that we want a few finches for a small set-up of flights that measure approximately 3m long x 1.5m wide x 2m high. Let’s also presume there is already a pair of Neophemas in the flight. If the parrots are our main concern, we don’t want to clutter up the aviary with brush and tea-tree so, when it comes to furnishings, let’s try and select a few that fit that regime. For a minimum of dollars and fuss we can source a few domed wicker nest baskets and hang up a few smaller finch-sized nest boxes—not the really cheap ones as they will have to support the weight of at least two parrots!

THE PARROT/FINCH PERSPECTIVE I would only want two pairs of finches in with my parrots, so let’s see what we can select. (We’ll steer away from feeding live food from our ‘parroteers’ perspective.) Star Finches are not too fussy about what they’ll nest in and come in a multitude of colours and mutations, so they’re in! A pair of parrot finches (maybe only the Red or Blue for this mix) would certainly provide colour in the aviary, but their constant motion might annoy the others. Maybe a pair of one of the three species of nuns, because I’ve had good success with Tri-coloured Finches

in wicker baskets, but they are a very nervous species and do like to hide, so without tea-tree they may feel exposed. Painted/Emblema finches are at home in any situation and also come in a few colours these days, so they’re a definite possibility, but I am a tad biased towards these guys. I might be going out on a limb here, but I’d say add a pair of Green Singers, simply because their favoured breeding season is usually winter, when everything else is dormant (based on all but one pair of the dozens I’ve ever kept). Basically all they need is a small wicker cup and they are away, so give them a try. (Mind you getting a really good pair can be a tad problematic at times.) A pair of Longtailed or Parson’s Finches would be an interesting addition but I’d tend to have them as the sole finch in the flight, given their habit of dominating other finches, which would be exacerbated in a small flight. Maybe the same would apply to Cuban Finches which have a wonderful disposition but are extremely punchy. Having seen Zebbies build nests over the top of incubating Cockatiels in my youth, I think we might give them a miss— sorry yet again Doug. I would, however, also opt for a pair of Javan Munias as they love nest boxes or wicker baskets and have a quiet, non-intrusive nature and come in Normal, Fawn and (almost) White these days. You could try a pair of the tiny little Orange-breasted Waxbills, but without live food they may struggle. They are certainly a pretty addition to any collection and also love wicker baskets to nest in. Oh, and don’t let their size fool

Star Finches (left) and Red-billed Longtailed Grassfinches (Heck’s) are suited to a mixed parrot and finch colony or mixed finch-only housing

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WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DR BOB DONELEY BVSc FACVSc CMAVA W

PSITTACINE BEAK AND FEATHER DISEASE Revisited P INTRODUCTION

Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) receives a lot of public attention these days, partly because it is such a widespread problem in parrots, but also because of the effect it is having on high-profile species such as the Orange-bellied Parrot. With the advent of low-cost, readily available DNA testing for the virus, many bird owners are attempting to diagnose the disease themselves. As with all things in life, this is not as easy as it sounds and the result is many healthy birds have been misdiagnosed and euthanased unnecessarily. In this article I want to discuss the disease, how it affects birds, and describe how we test for it. By doing so, I hope aviculturists will have a better understanding of both the disease and testing for it, thereby improving the welfare of birds in their care.

WHAT CAUSES PBFD?

PBFD is caused by a circovirus (one of the smallest viruses known) called beak and feather disease virus (BFDV). It is shed in the droppings, crop secretions and feather dust from an infected bird, and may be transmitted through the egg (although this is not confirmed). Once ingested or inhaled, the virus is spread through the blood stream and concentrates in the feather follicles and immune organs (thymus and bursa). There it causes feather changes and immunosuppression. The incubation period (the time between infection and the disease becoming obvious) can be as short as three weeks or as long as several years. In some species, such as the African Grey, incubation can be just a few days.

WHAT DOES PBFD LOOK LIKE?

All parrots are susceptible, but New World parrots (macaws, conures, Amazons, etc) and cockatiels appear to be rarely affected. PBFD is more common in juveniles than in adults, but naïve adults are susceptible. There are two forms of PBFD—acute and chronic. Acute PBFD is seen in juveniles (especially Grey Parrots) around weaning age. They are lethargic, fluffed and anorexic. Blood tests show that they are anaemic and have a very low white cell count. Affected birds often die (within a few days) as a result of severe liver damage before feather abnormalities develop. Feather lesions have been seen in fledgling birds at 28–32 days old. Chronic PBFD is the most common form of the disease. The infection causes progressive loss and replacement of normal feathers with abnormal feathers (retained sheaths and blood supply, clubbed appearance, stress lines, constrictions and abnormal shapes). The degree and location of the feather loss may depend on the state of moult when the bird was initially infected. Lesions typically develop in order of powder down (over the thighs), contour, primaries, secondaries, tail and then, in cockatoos, the crest. Poicephalus species (Senegals, Red-bellied Parrots, etc), lorikeets and lories may only lose tail feathers and primary flight feathers, which may then regrow. Neophema and other grass parrots may develop untidy plumage and lose feathers easily when handled. Many parrots develop feather colour changes— blue feathers become white, green feathers become yellow.

710

Psittacine beak and feather disease signs in lorikeets

Beak lesions including under-run keratin, overgrown and easily fractured beaks are seen only in cockatoos. Immunosuppression is common in all species, leaving affected birds susceptible to other infections such as aspergillosis or chlamydiosis.

DIAGNOSING PBFD

An experienced avian veterinarian can often diagnose this disease by examining the bird and the condition of its feathers. This is not always feasible. Some birds with the acute form may die before feather changes develop, and similar feather changes may develop with other diseases, such as avian polyomavirus. If the bird has died with suspected BFDV, the tissues can be examined by a veterinary pathologist, who will look for the virus in different organs such as the skin, the bursa, the spleen or the thymus. The lesions seen in these tissues are often characteristic of PBFD, but care must be taken to avoid confusing them with other viruses such as adenovirus or herpesvirus. BFDV-specific DNA testing is the most sensitive means of detecting BFDV infection, but it may be ‘too accurate’. When a bird is exposed to BFDV, it will either succumb to the infection or its immune system will mount a defence and clear the virus from the body. While the body is clearing the virus, the bird is said to be transiently viraemic and it may remain in this condition for up to three months. During


Musk

Lorikeets

WORDS BY KELLIE STEWART PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER ODEKERKEN

714


Rehabilitating Grey Parrots WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DOROTHY SCHWARZ

Ouff was comfortable to step up onto a stick, but was very fearful of hands

A

mong the many aspects of parrot keeping—husbandry, breeding, pet companionship—one of the most challenging has to be rehabilitating problem birds. Because I write and teach mainly from home, I’ve had enough time and inclination over the past year to accept the challenge with varying degrees of success for different species. My experiences, together with the knowledge gleaned from conferring with fellow parrot keepers at seminars and workshops, has confirmed my belief that positive reinforcement techniques are by far the best way to alter unwanted behaviour and direct and guide it into more acceptable channels. My aims are a pet parrot that doesn’t bite people or scream unduly, that will step up on request, that won’t feather-pluck and will enter a crate easily to go on visits to the vet or to my aviary. In addition, I like harness-training pet birds, but this was never attempted with Ouff and Monty, the two African Greys which are the subjects of this article. Ouff examines a nest box in the outdoor aviary

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OUFF

Michelle, an acquaintance, had been given Bingo, who’d lived for more than seven years in a small cage at the end of a dark corridor. Michelle took him home, put him in a better cage and attempted to tame him by stroking him daily. Discouraged by Bingo’s repeated lunging and biting, after six months of unsuccessful efforts (she could never take him out of the cage) she asked me to help her re-home him. I paid Michelle a couple of visits with my two Greys Artha and Casper. Bingo’s wings were badly chopped. He was thrilled to see Casper and they beaked together through the cage bars. Artha was uninterested, so I wondered if Bingo was not perhaps Binga—a female. I agreed to take Bingo and see whether in six weeks he could adapt to living in our conservatory and aviary. Bingo travelled well in a crate and moved into his large cage. He said nothing but ‘Ouff ’ a lot. So I changed his name to Ouff, which suited him better.

HAND AVERSION

I took away sunflower seeds which had been his main food and left pellets and fruit. He ate the pellets and threw the fruit away. For the first three days, each time he saw me, he lunged forward. But as he gradually realised that I was not going to try and stroke him, this behaviour lessened. Ouff arrived in February, so he stayed indoors. On the fourth day I opened the cage door. Ouff stayed inside. Casper entered and they began to preen one another. Every evening the pet birds come into the main house to socialise with me (and my husband on the rare occasions he feels birdy). Ouff could not join them as he had no step-up. Within a week, Ouff had stopped fluffing up at the sight of me and would accept a nut without lunging. How soon can a parrot change its behaviour? How long is a piece of string? Between February and March, Ouff agreed to accept a nut from me, but only if he was perched above my head. Like the other birds, he now had the cage door open,


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