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T H E PR E M I E R PE T & AV I A RY B I R D M AG A Z I N E

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T H E P R E M I E R P E T & AV I A RY B I R D M AG A Z I N E VO L 3 0 I S S U E 11 • O C T- N OV 2017

Charmosyna Lorikeets Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Scarlet-chested Parrot

Finch Basics

CHICK HEALTH PROBLEMS

Bronze-winged Pionus Building Trust in a Fearful Pet Bird


regulars

685 BREEDER PERSPECTIVE: Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos By Andrew Rankmore

694 BREEDING AUSTRALIAN PARROTS: Scarlet-chested Parrots By Barry Blanch

CONTENTS Volume 30 Issue 11

T H E P R E M I E R P E T & AV I A RY B I R D M AG A Z I N E VO L 3 0 I S S U E 11 • O C T- N OV 2017

Charmosyna Lorikeets Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Scarlet-chested Parrot

Finch Basics

COVER: JOSEPHINE’S LORIKEET MALE BY PETER ODEKERKEN

CHICK

Bronze-winged HEALTH PROBLEMS Pionus Building Trust in a Fearful Pet Bird

696 FINCH FUNDAMENTALS: Starting Out—Species to Learn With By Marcus Pollard 703 PET PARROT BEHAVIOUR: Earning the Trust of a Fearful Bird By Hillary Hankey 706 ABOUT BIRDS: Avian Dinosaurs—Part 1 By Kit Prendergast 714 HOOKBILL HOBBYIST: Joys of a Perfectly Trained Breeder Pair: Part 1 By EB Cravens

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688

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716 AVIAN HEALTH WITH DR BOB: Avian Paediatrics: Common Problems in Baby Parrots By Dr Bob Doneley 719 THE WISE OWL:

Courting Can be Complicated By Dr Milton Lewis

727 CONSERVATION: • WPT: New Hope for Lear’s Macaws in Brazil By Carolyn Pradun • LPF: Innovation and Breeding Success at Loro Parque By Rafael Zamora Padrón 730 LAST CHIRP:

• A Great Finches ’17 Convention By Gary Fitt • NSW Finally Beats Victoria By Nola Bradford • Blackall Regional Poultry & Caged Bird Club Annual Show By Dan Burton

734 WILD CORNER:

Don’t Become an Unwitting ‘Birdnapper’ By Dr Claude Lacasse

features

688 WHAT’S IN A NAME? COCKATOOS By Clancy Hall Clancy examines the origins of cockatoo naming, the evolution of the species and whether naming is really all black and white. 700 BRONZE-WINGED PIONUS PARROT

By Dr Slobodan Ivić One of 19 subspecies of Pionus, the Bronze-winged Parrot is a quieter, less aggressive bird than the Amazon as a pet, and a delight to breed if you are willing to put in the work.

710 CHARMOSYNA LORIKEETS

By Peter Odekerken Peter examines this genus of 14 small lorikeet species, with special focus on the rare Stella’s or Papuan Lorikeet, which he considers as a standout.

722 STIMULATED BREEDING By Bob Branston A close look at nesting and breeding success in Naretha Blue-bonnets and Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos. 724 BIRDING IN SOUTHERN ECUADOR

By Vickie Lillo Journey with Vickie and her husband Gustavo through the green wonders of Ecuador in search of the endangered Jocotoco Antpitta.

735 classifieds 683


BREEDER PERSPECTIVE WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW RANKMORE

I

n the past we have kept many native and exotic birds that haven’t remained a focal point of our avicultural direction. The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo represents one of these species. We kept the Calyptorhynchus funereus funereus species and had very good success with them from the start. After several years of successful breeding, but unable to sell the young, we retired these birds to a friend’s yard in recent years, to be cared for as non-breeding birds.

ODEKERKE P ODEKERKEN

P ODEKERKEN

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo pair—male p air—male on left

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo male in protective display

DESCRIPTION Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos have two subspecies—Calyptorhynchus funereus funereus and Calyptorhynchus funereus xanthanotus. The key difference is the physical size of the birds, and the somewhat greater yellow scalloping evident on the xanthanotus subspecies. C. f. funereus is the larger of the two subspecies, measuring 60–70cm in length and averaging 800–900g—a significant presence in the aviary. This subspecies ranges along the east coast of Australia, from around Townsville in Northern Queensland, to the south-eastern parts of Victoria.

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BREEDING AUSTRALIAN PARROTS WORDS BY BARRY BLANCH Grad Cert App Sc. Ornithology PHOTOGRAPHS BY JULIE BLANCH

Scarlet-chested Parrots Scarlet-chested male

Scarlet-chested Scarlet-ch ch hested female

S

carlet-chesteed Parrots carlet-chested Neophema spl splendida plendida are small, quiet grass grrass parrots. They are beautifully beautiifully coloured and often called ed the Splendid Parrot, due to the male’s vibrant red chest. Females are less colourful and are often mistaken for a Turquoise Parrot Neophema pulchella. Although their beauty is admired in aviculture, it is rarely viewed in their natural habitat of semi-arid and temperate parts of southern Australia. Their distribution is dependent on weather patterns. Scarlet-chested Parrots are commonly kept in aviaries throughout Australia and overseas in both their pure form and mutation colours. DESCRIPTION Male The head is a bright light blue from the crown, over the forehead, ear coverts, lores and cheeks, with a darker violet-blue throat. From the nape, down the side of the neck and the rest of the upper parts, including the rump and upper tail coverts, is bright olive-green. A scarlet bib covers the neck and breast, merging into the golden-yellow underparts. Underwing coverts and the bend in wing are dark blue, but the wing coverts become light blue. The outer tail feathers are blue with yellow tips, tending to yellow underneath. Female Females do not have a scarlet chest and are duller than males. All upper parts, including the head and chest, are a light olive-green. The ear coverts are a dirty

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grey-blue over bright, light blue lores, cere and throat. The remainder, including the underparts, underwing coverts, shoulder and outer tail feathers, are similar to the male. Their colouring can cause females to be confused with Turquoisine Parrots. Immatures are similar to mature females but duller in colour. Adult plumage is acquired at 15 months of age. RANGE AND HABITAT Scarlet-chested Parrots generally inhabit a large range of remote, arid and grassland regions throughout southern Australia, from the south-eastern regions of Western Australia through to southern and central parts of South Australia to the Eyre Peninsula. They have been known to extend their range through far northwestern areas of Victoria to the far south-west Queensland border, around the Darling River. Distribution is influenced by climate and weather patterns. The weather in these areas

can range from fr mostly hot and dry summers to moderate rainfalls during mid-winter months. Sightings vary as a result, mo as the birds move nomadically according to the season and available food supply. During good seasons, when seeding grasses are plentiful, see bird d numbers are high. During dry seasons, seaso sightings are reduced to the seas odd sin single pair. This can also be the case with other Australian parrots but is more reflective of semi-arid dwellers. reflec Typical habitat often consists of h Mallee or A Acacia scrub, with areas of spinifex or ground cover. Some arid areas where Scarlets h S l are found have frequent temperatures in the 40ºCs. Water is not always close by these populations, but Scarlet-chested Parrots nibble on succulent plants to extract moisture. During extreme daytime temperatures, Scarlets will dig holes in the sand up to 10cm deep, under shady trees to keep cool. HOUSING AND BREEDING Breeding Scarlets is relatively easy when birds are housed in pairs. Conventional flights don’t need to be large. An aviary measuring 2–3m in length x 2m high x 90cm wide is sufficient. Suspended flights of 2–3m long x 80–90cm square are suitable, with a closed-in safety walkway to shield them from extreme weather. One of the most important considerations in planning flights is to shield the birds from cold, damp draughts. d ht Scarlets S l t will ill also l breed in large, planted free-flight aviaries, cohabitating with finches. Some years ago

Scarlet-chested male (left) finishes feeding the female


FINCH FUNDAMENTALS WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARCUS POLLARD BSc (Hons)

Starting Out Species to Learn With

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ot on the heels of a little advice to the novice or unwary about establishing an aviary set-up in the last edition, I thought it might be a good idea to suggest a few species and techniques for starting down the road to aviculture. However, heed the usual disclaimers before heading off! DON’T BUY JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN Firstly, just because you can afford to purchase a species does not mean that you should do so! Too many species have been lost or wasted by the wayward application of that particular faulty logic. Research is your best friend here and, while there is plenty of information around today, you’ll need to apply some filters should you choose social media to help in that quest for knowledge. For example: ‘Have you seen those Napoleon Weavers? Man, they are pretty. Gunna have to add a couple to my mixed collection!’ Never mind that they can be homicidal maniacs at times when breeding and have manic tendencies akin to, and slightly above, many other weavers that come with the change of colour! ‘But I can afford them!’ Violet-eared Waxbills are another example of a species not to be rushed into. This is a stunning species and highly desirable, but a cursory literature scan would suggest that many of us should leave them well alone for a host of reasons including their specific temperature requirements and territorial behaviour. Even when these birds were reasonably plentiful in aviculture, many tended to end up in locations where they should never have been kept and were lost to all of us because of it. START SMALL Secondly, start small and dream big! Most (if not all) of the finchos who I respect and regularly consult with, started with the cheaper, easily-catered-for species in order to learn all they could about aspects such as diet, nesting requirements, general husbandry and compatibility so that they could progress along the road to ‘better/more desirable’ species, with some

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Blue-capped Cordon Bleu Waxbill—an attractive species that may not be the best choice for the inexperienced breeder—work your way up!

Star Finches can cohabit with Bengalese and Zebra Finches but do better in their own small colony

The Java Finch is a suitable species for the novice but be aware that they can invade the nests of some species such as the Star Finch

experience under their belts. It’s possibly easier here to give examples of how the journey can be derailed by simply not adhering to this logical pathway. Many readers will know that I keep Bluecapped Waxbills down here in Tassie in a specially built aviary block and have had the occasional success with them—periodically I hasten to add. Two breeders saw them in my aviaries and decided they ‘must have them’, despite my suggestion that maybe they should first get a tad more experience with other waxbills before contemplating this species. ‘I can afford them. I’m getting them,

despite what you say!’ was the gist of the reply in both cases. Alas, both gents had limited experience with easy-to-keep species and as a result of their involvement with Blue-caps gave the game away completely in frustration. Hey, I’ve had finches for longer than I care to remember and can sympathise with them but I did work my way up the ranks before even daring to try Blue-caps. Mind you, the ‘working my way up’ probably had as much to do with extremely limited funds as anything else! Perhaps if they had climbed the rungs, or at the very least done their homework on this demanding species, these


WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DR SLOBODAN IVIĆ

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he Bronze-winged Parrot is a member of the Pionus genus in which there are eight mediumsized species, four of which have a number of subspecies, bringing to 19 the number of parrots which can be differentiated within the genus. They are: • Bronze-winged Parrot Pionus chalcopterus—one additional subspecies • Dusky Pionus Pionus fuscus • Maximilian’s Pionus ili or Scaly-headed Parrot Pionus maximiliani—three subspecies • Blue-headed Pionus Pionus menstruus— two subspecies • White-crowned Parrot Pionus senilis • White-capped Parrot Pionus seniloides • Red-billed Parrot Pionus sordidus—five subspecies • Speckle-faced Parrot Pionus tumultuosus The natural habitat of the Pionus is areas of Central and South America. These are habitats where tropical and subtropical forest areas dominate. All birds in this genus are compact in body structure, with short tails. They are similar in structure to Amazon Parrots but much smaller. The common characteristic of the genus is a skin ring around the eye and bright red feathers under the tail. Species variation includes plumage colouration, size—from 23–33cm long—and weight from 200–280 grams. WILD HABITAT Bronze-winged Parrots are found in the north Andes mountains from the top, north-western region of Venezuela, in Sierra de Perija, along the Columbian border towards northern Colombia (Guajira), and in isolated pockets through the western Andes. A part of the population can be found in Panama, while others are in western Ecuador and in northwestern Peru (Piura and Tumbes regions). The Bronze-wing is about 29cm in length and weighs approximately 210g. There is only one subspecies—the Lesser Bronze-winged Parrot Pionus chalcopterus cyanescens. As its name suggests, it is a smaller bird, measuring about 27cm in length, with a wing length of 18-19cm. Its

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Bronze-winged Pionus Parrot. A characteristic of the Pionus genus is the pre-orbital eye-ring


PET PARROT BEHAVIOUR WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY HILLARY HANKEY

Earning the Trust of a Fearful Bird

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uilding a trusting relationship with a new parrot that shows fearful behaviour can be a challenging problem—one commonly addressed in my consulting practice. As mentioned in previous articles, much of the information traditionally circulated is based on the oneFORCE DOES NOT ELICIT TRUST When parrot owners discuss training methods and techniques, most agree that force is to be avoided at all costs and that it breaks down trust-building pathways. However, when we analyse what that actually looks like, and closely examine commonly prescribed training methods for birds, many of these methods— analysed in detail in our previous MythBuster articles—rely on breaking down a bird’s trust and forcing the bird to eventually give up and acquiesce. Interactions such as putting a chair next to the bird’s cage and calmly reading and talking to it until it calms down, and then putting our hand in the cage and waiting for the bird to stop panicking before moving it closer in a stepwise fashion, appear to be trustbuilding. We are moving slowly and not attempting to bring the bird physical harm or restraint. However, as we pull the lens closer, we recognise that the presence of trust in a relationship is not solely based on the absence of physical harm or restraint. That said, if the bird was flying at the sides of his cage during this process, it could have felt physical stress that correlates with the presence of humans, even if that discomfort did not come from our direct interactions with the bird’s body. Further, when any animal reaches that stage of stress, we are changing the animal’s emotional state as well, involving a host of stress hormones that the bird will not only associate with our presence, but which will also inhibit learning and rational thought as the bird focuses on survival—fight or flight.

way transmission of a singular goal that the human wants their avian companion to behave a certain way in their presence. This approach is strongly rooted in the way we treat animals and, often, other human beings around us. We ignore the unspoken communication in the form of body language. By not recognising this nonverbal communication, we are simply having a one-

sided conversation, forcing our goals on the other party, teaching them that their ‘words’ are ineffective. This prevents us forming the bond of which each of us is capable. This manner of interfacing with our environment is so ingrained in our cultural paradigm that we don’t even realise we are using force or coercion in order to get the individual to perform the behaviour that we desire.

Beans, initially uncomfortable with humans, surveys his new home

Whether the above-mentioned technique has caused the bird bodily harm or stress may not be immediately discernable. However, what we absolutely know is occurring, and can observe, is that while we are sitting in our chair or putting our hand in the bird’s cage waiting for it to calm down, we are blocking the bird’s response. We are denying it the ability to communicate with us. We are teaching it that no matter what it does, its behaviour is ineffective—whether it shows fearful, avoidance behaviours or, on the other end of the spectrum, aggressive, backed-intoa-corner behaviours. Nothing that the bird does will get the human to leave or stop. Response blocking, when done for long enough that the individual eventually gives up and stops behaving, is what brings about learned helplessness. This is the behaviour we might mistake for calmness and trust, but the two have very different and, in fact, diametrically opposite, emotional states, which lead to very different behaviour pathways and responses over the long run. An animal that has given up out of

frustration is much more likely to resort to aggressive and escape/avoidance behaviours in future scenarios. These methods have been about for generations, and we still use them because they are not only readily available, but we are often fooled by the fast nature of this learned helplessness that disguises itself as temporary tameness, without recognising the negative fallout. We must start making a stronger case to understand the power of two-way communication, not just because it brings us a stronger connection to our feathered companions in that feel-good, warm, fuzzy way, but also because it establishes a way of interacting with our parrots that reduces behaviour problems overall. When we allow our birds access to the powerful tool of communicating with us, they amaze us at how clearly they are saying what they want, need or feel, and we can maintain high standards of behaviour and make changes with relative speed when applied correctly.

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WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER ODEKERKEN

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he Charmosyna genus of small lorikeets comprises 14 species with a standout being the Papuan Lorikeet Charmosyna papou. It stands out from the other members by being larger and having a streamer-like tail. This bird is often referred to as the Stella’s Lorikeet, which is the subspecies commonly found in captivity. Common is an odd reference to a rare species, but the Stella’s and the Red-flanked Lorikeet are the only members regularly seen in captivity. Interestingly most Charmosyna lorikeets exhibit sexual dimorphism as opposed to most of the Lorinae.

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A pair of Stella’s Lorikeets— Melanistic male, left, and Normal red-coloured female


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