15 Bird Scene - December 2013 & January 2014 by Theparrotsociety

BIRD ISSUE FIFTEEN: DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014

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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

BIRDS & PEOPLE Z ROTHY SCHWAR

CONSERVATION OF THE MAJOR MITCHELL’S COCKATOO IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA

27 ISS TH UE F 1 20 EB 6 O 14 RU UT AR Y

FIRST EUROPEAN BREEDING SUCCESS OF THE GOLDENHEADED QUETZAL

FR EE

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PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINE: 33

CONTENTS

BIRD SCENE: DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014

CONTENTS

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION The National Exhibition – Progress towards the 12th October 2014 event with pictures from 2013

BOOK REVIEW ‘Birds and People’ This publication has some superb photographs. Reviewed by Dorothy Schwarz

16 0

www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php

ON THE COVER

BIRD ISSUE fIftEEN: DECEmbEr 2013 / JaNUary 2014

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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

BIRDS & pEOplE BOOk REVIEw DOROTHY

ONCE THEY ARE GONE WE’VE LOST THEM FOREVER Part 2 of this excellent article by Adam Mogg

FIRST EuROpEAN BREEDING SuCCESS OF THE GOlDENHEADED QuETZAl

SCHwARZ

CONSERVATION OF THE MAjOR MITCHEll’S COCkATOO IN NEw SOuTH wAlES, AuSTRAlIA

CLICK THE LINK BELOW:

CONSERVATION OF THE MAJOR MITCHELL’S COCKATOO The first part of our ‘flagship’ conservation project relating to the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo by our Chairman David Coombes

DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND…

27 ISSu TH E FE 16 20 B O 14 Ru uT AR Y

GOLDEN-HEADED QUETZAL Anne Hoppmann looks at First European breeding success of this fascinating bird

BIRD SCENE: Issue Fifteen: December 2013 / January 2014 BIRD SCENE is run by The Parrot Society UK, 92A High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2BL, England. FOR SALES AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRES Telephone or Fax: 01442 872245 Website: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org E-Mail: les.rance@theparrotsocietyuk.org

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INTRODUCT

Les Rance, Editor, The Parrot Society UK | www.theparrotsocietyuk.org | les.rance@

his is the fifteenth edition of Bird Scene our e-magazine which is proving very successful. For those who know its format I apologies but for new readers this publication is produced to allow us to promote both our Conservation projects that have interest around the world and give publicity to The National Exhibition that is so

Golden-headed Quetzal Page 6

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strongly supported by the 18 exhibiting clubs who support the event. I am certain that this edition of Bird Scene will give readers the same level of quality and interest as the first which went ‘live’ on Monday 22nd August 2010. Over these thirty months we have now produced 15 issues of Bird Scene. This edition will confirm the areas that we will continue to cover in future publications. Our intention right from the start was to publish this e-magazine every other month and we have fairly easily achieved this goal with the February/March 2014 edition appearing on 27th February 2014 By fixing the date of Issue 16 now you will know when to access our website for the latest edition. At this point it is appropriate to thank our Trade advertisers who so generously support us, you will see their advertisements in

TION

BY THE EDITOR

LES RANCE

@theparrotsocietyuk.org this e-magazine and without their assistance it is unlikely that Bird Scene would have been produced. Our intention is to use Bird Scene to promote and raise donations for our Conservation activities around the world there are donation points on pages 23, 39 & 47 where you can pledge money to a particular project. Additionally Bird Scene will raise awareness of The National Exhibition which was held at Stafford County Showground on Sunday 13th of October and a pictorial account appears in this issue. The large banners publicising Bird Scene prominently displayed at The National Exhibition which received an attendance of over 7,000 visitors did much to promote this publication to UK hobbyist bird breeders. In this issue

we have the first part of our ‘flagship’ conservation project run by Ray Ackroyd in Australia to assist the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo. Also there is a very interesting article on Quetzels from Germany, the second part of the article on parakeets from Adam Mogg entitled ‘Once they are gone they are gone’. I continue to receive communications from around the world enthusing on the quality and content of Bird Scene which both gives me and the Parrot Society Council great satisfaction. Also in this edition is a review of the book Birds & People written by Mark Cocker & David Tipling and reviewed by Dorothy Schwarz. I do hope you enjoy this e-magazine please tell your friends where to find it!! Book Review Page 30

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ARTICLE BY: ANNE HOPPMANN, BIOLOGIST HAND-REARING TEAM: ANDREAS FREI, VETERINARY; JAN DAMS, BIOLOGIST; WOLFGANG MAGNUS AND SINA EGGERS, ZOOKEEPERS

BIRD SCENE

FEATURE

FIRST EUROPEAN BREEDING SUCCESS OF THE

GOLDEN-HEADED QUETZAL

IN WELTVOGELPARK WALSRODE

bserving Trogons requires much patience and persistence. Trogons belong to the more calm representatives of the bird world and are mainly found in the treetops, where they can sit motionless on a branch for many hours, only leaving for a short time in order to search for food. With their short, rounded wings they can fly strongly, agile and almost soundless over short distances, maneuvering accurately through the dense forests they live in. Trogons are cavity nesters, and in the wild they dig their own nests in rotting tree trunks and termite mounds, or they use old woodpecker nests and natural cavities in trees. Both sexes participate in the construction of the nest and the incubation of the clutch, which usually consists of two eggs. Both parents care for the chicks, the male to a greater extent. An interesting member of the Trogonid family is the Golden-headed Quetzal. This species lives in western South America, where it occupies humid highland forest habitats of the Andes in up to 3100 m. It mainly feeds on fruits of wild avocado and fig trees, but it occasionally takes insects and some small reptiles, too. The males of

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On September the 4th 2012, after an incubation period of approximately 18 days, Europe’s first Golden-headed Quetzal finally hatched!

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FEATURE

this species are characterized by their bright red belly and yellow bill. The rest of their plumage has an iridescent green colour, with a golden cast to the head. Additionally, males carry special, elongated tail feathers. Females can easily be distinguished from males: their plumage is duller and less shimmering, their head and lower chest rather grey. There have been Golden-headed quetzals in Weltvogelpark Walsrode for a long time. Weltvogelpark is Germany’s only zoological facility that has this species on display and in the whole of Europe there are very few institutions that keep them. Moreover, they haven’t been bred in Europe yet. This makes it very difficult to create new couples, and for many years only females have been kept in Weltvogelpark Walsrode. In March 2012 however, a new male finally moved to our female Goldenheaded Quetzal. This male came from Barcelona Zoo, where it was also kept without a partner. After the arrival and quarantine period, the male was moved to the female in a large, densely planted aviary with a waterfall in our tropical paradise hall. The birds were provided with a nest box made of a round, natural tree trunk that was filled to the edge with wood shavings. These shavings encourage

them to dig a tunnel and excavate their own nest, just like they would do in the wild. From the beginning, the pair got along very well, and our zookeepers of the tropical department could observe both birds performing courtship behavior by the end of April. Shortly afterwards our female laid her first egg, but unfortunately this was found broken after a few days in the nest box, which is observable with the help of a small camera. At the end of May, the female laid a new egg, and this one was taken out of the nest and replaced by an artificial egg as a precautionary measure. Two days later a second egg was laid. Immediately after egg deposition, both eggs were transferred into an artificial incubator. After a short period of time it became clear that both eggs were sadly unfertilized. In mid-august however, the time had finally come: the first fertilized egg was developing in our incubator! On September the 4th 2012, after an incubation period of approximately 18 days, Europe’s first Golden-headed Quetzal finally hatched! Because the eggs were artificially incubated, our female had time to start laying eggs again. Two more eggs were laid in the beginning of October, and these were again artificially incubated. Soon it

There have been Golden-headed quetzals in Weltvogelpark Walsrode for a long time. Weltvogelpark is Germany’s only zoological facility that has this species on display and in the whole of Europe there are very few institutions that keep them. Moreover, they haven’t been bred in Europe yet. This makes it very difficult to create new couples, and for many years only females have been kept in Weltvogelpark Walsrode. BIRD SCENE 09

Juvenile

became clear that both eggs were fertilized and on the 21st and 23rd of October two more chicks hatched! This was a great success for us and it made the whole staff very proud. Obviously, the real work only started when the first chick came out of its egg. The blind and naked chicks didn’t get any 10

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food in their first 30 hours of life to allow absorption of the yolk. During this period, a fluid consisting of an electrolyte solution and water was given every 2 hours. Their first real meal, consisting of the innards of baby mice, white mealworms and bee larvae, was enriched with lactobacilli. A special hand-rearing food powder was used in small quantities too; this was fed as a slurry by mixing it with water. After a few days vitamins were added to the food, and the innards of mice were replaced by small pieces of whole mice. Much attention was paid to the growth of the chicks and the amounts of food were always adjusted accordingly. The little birds needed almost around the clock attention from our hand-rearing team (consisting of zookeepers, our veterinary and Biologists) and were fed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. On the chicks’ sixth day, our handrearing team already started expanding the diet. Soaked pellets, especially developed for fruit eating birds (NutriBird T16 from Versele Laga), as well as papaya and mango pieces, and later on blueberries were added to the menu. Adjusted to the growth of

On the chicks’ sixth day, our hand-rearing team already started expanding the diet. Soaked pellets, especially developed for fruit eating birds (NutriBird T16 from Versele Laga), as well as papaya and mango pieces, and later on blueberries were added to the menu.

FEATURE

1 Day Old Chick

2 Day Old Chick

1 Day Old Chicks

8 Day Old Chick

the chicks, soaked pellets developed for hornbills and larger fruit eaters (NutriBird H16 from Versele Laga) were offered too, which were accepted by the birds very well. As expected with this species, the hand-reared chicks turned out to be very calm and only some soft begging sounds were perceived. In nature, during their first 10 days, chicks are mainly fed with insects and more and more with fruits as the chicks grow up. Parents might bring back very big pieces of food while raising their offspring but luckily chicks have very large and flexible throats, which enables them to swallow the fruit of a wild avocado tree in one piece. Corresponding to their growth, the chicks’ weight increased strongly during

10 Day Old Chick

their first days. Weighing only 13 g when hatching, they already weighed 25 g by day 4. By day 10, they doubled this with a weight of 50 g, and by day 12 the balance showed no less than 78 g! Shortly after hatching, the birds were put into an artificial nest made out of a stainless steel bowl. These bowls were lined with paper towels for support, and an anti-slip mat was put in that so they could grab it with their feet. In the beginning, the chicks were kept in an incubator at 37.2 °C. Every day the temperature was adjusted and decreased, taking the wellbeing and growth of the small birds into account. From day 22, the chicks were placed in their nests in an open brooder with a dark emitter as heat BIRD SCENE 11

source, at a temperature of around 25 °C and 50% relative humidity. At first they only stayed in this brooder for short periods of time to get used to the new surrounding, but from day 26 they stayed there throughout the day, placing them only back into the incubator at night. While in the brooder, the birds mostly sat on the edge of the nest, or left the nest completely to sit on one of the perches in the brooder. From day 34 onwards the juveniles stayed in the open brooder day and night. Golden-headed Quetzals need a sufficiently high humidity and the possibility to bathe. Therefore, the birds were

regularly showered using a spraying bottle with lukewarm water, which they obviously enjoyed. When the birds were almost 60 days old they were brought to a big aviary. The chicks from October, which had been housed together until then, were separated at this point. Initially, the food was still held in front of the bill to point them in the right direction, but a short time later the birds could be observed to take food from the food plate on their own. After 80 days the young Goldenheaded Quetzals were completely independent. The food of our raised young consists now of small pieces of papaya, mango, blueberry, melon, wine grapes and occasionally pear. Additionally, the birds get soaked T16 and H16 pellets from Versele Laga, which they like very much. Currently, three grown-up Golden-headed Quetzals are sitting in their aviaries, and the success of last year is continued in 2013: at the end of January a fourth chick, at the end of February the fifth chick of this species hatched in Weltvogelpark Walsrode, both being raised by our dedicated handrearing team again. We look very much forward to further breeding with this extraordinary species!

3 Day Old Chick

Literature: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. eds (2001). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 6. Mousebirds to Hornbills. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

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FEATURE

13 Day Old Chicks

36 Day Old Chick

39 Day Old Chicks

Juvenile

Chick being fed

24 Day Old Chick

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Figure 12 The western subspecies mollis, with no yellow in the crest feathers

CONSERVATION OF THE MAJOR MITCHELL’S COCKATOO IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA NE

O PART

ARTICLE BY: DAVID COOMBES

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FEATURE

Figure 1: A pair of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos (Cacatua leadbeteri) at their nest hole in a tree

he tree-tinning project to prevent the active nests of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos (Cacatua leadbeateri) (Figure 1) being predated by goannas, a type of monitor lizard, is the longest supported by the Parrot Society UK. To date just over £22,000 has been donated to it. It all began nearly twenty years ago when John Mollindinia and Tom Alston, highly respected founder members of the Parrot Society UK, travelled to Australia to gain first-hand experience

of the cockatoo, a particular favourite of theirs. There they met Ray Ackroyd, who to this day organises tours in the south-eastern states of New South Wales and Victoria as well as being a government licensed bird trapper. The increased availability of water in recent times as well as cereal crops, both in the field and stored, as a result of farming activities in a semi-arid area of Australia had caused an explosion in the bird populations, particularly the Eastern Galah

BIRD SCENE 17

(Eolophus r. albiceps) (Figure 2), Slender-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua g. galerita), which devastated the crops and had been subsequently designated “pest” species by the Australian authorities. Ray has

tried to persuade these authorities to allow export of these species, but to date these attempts have been rebuffed. John Mollindinia noticed during his visit that there were few Major Mitchell cockatoos to be seen and then discovered that they suffered from continual predation by goannas, a species of monitor lizard, which nimbly climb the trees when, for instance, they hear chicks calling for food and gobble them up whole. The lizard concerned is the Lace monitor (Varanus varius) (Figure 3), which is the second largest of this reptile group reaching 2 metres (6½ feet) in length and weighing as much as 20 kg (44 lbs). They can forage over long distances (up to 3 km - nearly two miles) in one day and feed on insects, smaller lizards, snakes, small mammals, birds

Figure 2 - Galah, or Roseate, Cockatoo (Eolophus roseicapillus)

ARTICLE BY: ANNE HOPPMANN, BIOLOGIST

Figure 3 - The Lace Monitor (Varanus varius)

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and eggs, which they usually eat whole. They also feed on carrion as well as food waste in domestic rubbish in inhabited areas. The name goanna is believed to be derived from “iguana” with the initial vowel sound dropped because the aborigines found it difficult to pronounce. The goanna population increased with the popularity of the Kentucky Fried Chicken takeaways introduced in Australia. The aborigines had trapped and eaten goannas but now prefer KFC. In addition to the lizards feral cats also predated the nests of the cockatoos. Ray told John that he thought that the problem might be resolved by placing a smooth flexible sheet of tin at least one metre in height around the trees below the nesting cavities which would act as an effective barrier to either lizards or cats reaching the nest.

Branches also needed to be cut back on surrounding trees so that the lizards or feral cats could not gain access to the nesting cavities that way. This pruning work has to be completed with a bush saw as a chain saw could frighten the birds. Ray agreed with John that he would carry out a trial. As part of this trial he would also assess the population of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos in the local area and make a special note of the youngsters at the end of the next breeding season (1993). The results were very encouraging with an increase in the number of these Cockatoos in the area concerned. Since then Ray has carried out a programme of tinning nesting trees (Figure 4) and maintaining them. This is not as straightforward as it sounds. Firstly he lives near Sydney, several hundred kilometres from the areas

Figure 4 - One of the trees fitted with the curved sheet of tin

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Figure 5 - Ray Ackroyd at the foot of ‘John’s Tree’

concerned, and there are often no proper roads so that the terrain damages his vehicle tyres. The sheaths of metal around the trees have to be covered with camouflage paint so they are not obvious to human predators and the nails re-fixed if necessary. This is particularly important after a dry period as the nails often work loose. Apart from the tinning and pruning work, Ray also plants camel melons near to breeding trees. These melons are apparently poisonous to human beings, but their seeds are eaten with relish by the cockatoos. The melons were introduced to Australia by Afghans as a food source for their camels, when these were an important means of transport in the outback. The parrots also feed on pine nuts (probably Callitris columellaris), Wilga seeds (Geijera parviflora), seeds from the mulga tree (Acacia aneura) and

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Figure 6 - close up the plaque dedicated to John Mollindinia and the PSUK

tobacco bush (probably Solanum mauritianum) as well as thistledown and various seeding grasses. On his return John Mollindina proposed that the Parrot Society UK (PSUK) support the tinning project with regular donations. When he died in January 2001 the Council decided to continue to support the conservation work in New South Wales, in part to commemorate John Mollindinia’s involvement. In March 2002 David Coombes, who had just retired as Secretary of the Parrot Society UK, travelled to Australia with other members of the Society and an active nesting tree was chosen on the Tandau farm of some 206,000 acres (82,400 hectares), which is several hundred miles west of Sydney and north-west of Melbourne, as the memorial site for him. Together with Ray Ackroyd they fastened a metal plaque to the tree - a Curly Mallee (Eucalyptus gillii).

FEATURE

(Figures 5 & 6) It remains there to this day and is maintained by the staff on the Tandau farm. Most writers on the project use the term ‘mallee’ trees and forests, but this does not refer to a particular species of tree, but to the growing pattern of certain eucalyptus species as well as gum trees (Corymbia sp.) and myrtle (Angophora sp.). In the semiarid climate of the area these trees grow with multiple stems springing from an underground tuber to a height of no more than 10 metres (33 feet). They form the dominant vegetation throughout the semi-arid areas with

reliable winter rainfall of southeast Australia measuring some 250,000 sq. kilometres. The pair of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos, who made the nesting cavity in the first tree their home have over the years produced many young. (Figure 7) Ray Ackroyd visited the tree known as John’s tree, in August of 2012 after a few years absence on conservation work elsewhere and found that the nesting cavity is still being used by the pair. It is estimated that about 33 chicks have been reared in this nest since the tree was tinned.

Figure 7 - Adult Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo at the top of a nest tree.

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Ray considered replacing the tin with heavy duty plastic, (Figure 8) but initial trials seemed to suggest that tin is better in the long term. The trial plastic became very brittle under extreme weather and started to crack, particularly around the points where the nails were driven through. However the wood of the trees is very hard and it is not easy to fix the tin to the trees. Therefore Ray is now considering using a different type of plastic and using wire fixed top and bottom to tie them to the trees. He also discovered the park management team at the nearby national park had commenced a trial with large pine nesting logs on concrete poles. (Figure 9) However these are expensive and do not appear to appeal to the cockatoos. They seem to prefer smaller nest sites. Ray felt it would be better as well as

Figure 8 - Tree trunk with clear plastic sheath

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much less expensive to strap old dry logs to existing trees and continue to clad the tree. David recalls that while they were camped by the lakes at Tandau the party saw an example of Ray’s flock management. The cotton crop was almost ready for harvesting so it was at its most vulnerable stage for attack by the Short Billed Corellas in the area. At dawn a jeep with a trailer loaded with a ton of wheat came past their tents; the party followed it to an adjacent field where it spread the wheat. The Corellas descended upon it in their thousands, there was a white carpet of birds with more circling overhead, it was impossible to estimate the number present. There were also a few emus taking advantage of a free breakfast. This morning exercise was repeated until the cotton was

Figure 9 - Nesting log on concrete pole

FEATURE

harvested. When the wheat was eaten the Corellas roosted in the trees around the lake, it looked as though the trees were in full blossom but it was feathers not flowers, a never-tobe-forgotten morning. Upon returning to their tents the group spotted two Galahs amongst all the Corellas -obviously an established part of the flock. Ray’s explanation was that a pair of Corellas would have taken over a Galahs’ nest to raise their own young and overlooked two fertile eggs, which they had then hatched with their own. The Parrot Society UK has just recently been informed that the South Australian government is offering a $500 payment to landowners who tin a tree chosen by Red Tailed Cockatoos as a nest site. This is a much hoped-for result: that Ray’s tinning exercise would be taken up as standard practice. Many PSUK members have visited John’s tree on their trips with Ray Ackroyd. He hopes to visit it again in September 2013 and renew the tin with plastic and polish the plaque whilst there The Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo population in southeast Australia continues to grow as a result of the work carried out by Ray Ackroyd under difficult conditions there, and the Parrot Society UK will continue to support this important conservation activity. The tinning procedure introduced all those years ago by Ray Ackroyd and John Mollindinia is now being used by other conservation groups in Australia to assist threatened species at risk of being predated by

DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php

lizards, feral cats and foxes. Thus the technique has proven to be of great benefit to an increasingly wide range of endangered species. The latest news on the Conservation front is that Ray Ackroyd has been asked by the state of Victoria to help promote ways to save the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo in the state, which will involve the assistance of school children. An A$10,000 fund is available for this project and we look forward to hearing how this project unfolds in Victoria. The Major Mitchell’s cockatoo is such a beautiful bird we are sure that the school children will rally to support it. The intention is to pay each child up to A$100 for reporting the location of active nesting sites of the rare Cockatoos so that they can be tinned. To help the children achieve this goal Ray Ackroyd has written the following guide. PART TWO NEXT EDITION BIRD SCENE 23

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BIRD SCENE 25

FEATURE

ARTICLE BY: LES RANCE

BIRD SCENE

THE N EXHIB

NATIONAL BITION BER O T C O 2TH

2014

rrangements are well in hand for the next Show on Sunday 14th October 2014 a meeting with representatives of all the supporting clubs will be held at The Quality Hotel Coventry in the spring. Each time we organise this Show we aim to improve both the exhibitor experience and that of the viewing public and the points discussed at this meeting prove invaluable in ensuring improvements to the Exhibition continue to be achieved. It is really satisfying to see numbers of exhibits increasing beyond 4,000 for the last show.

Nearly eight years ago The Parrot Society started out on a venture of hopefully rebuilding “The National Exhibition”. The defining factor was whether it was possible for all branches of our hobby to jointly pull together and ‘make it work’. After recording such a success in the first year the question was then whether the enthusiasm would be sustained. It has indeed worked each year since the first Show in 2007 with numbers of exhibits increasing every year. The Parrot Society thank the bird club officials that have all worked so hard to increase the number of exhibits BIRD SCENE 27

FEATURE

year on year and made this exhibition the success it has become. In 2013 International Border Breeders Association and the Norwich Canary Club joined us and this strengthened the canary section. By combining this exhibition with the already highly successful Parrot Society October Sale Day at the superbly equipped Staffordshire County Showground a large proportion of the exhibitors were familiar with both the location and the available facilities. UK bird exhibitors now view this event as the premier ‘all variety show’ on the UK calendar. The Sandylands Centre and half of the Argyle Centre will again be used to accommodate the exhibits with the ‘booking in’ and club stands filling the remainder of the Argyle Hall. This facilitates the management of the exhibition during the judging of the birds and allows both exhibitors and

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general visitor access to the exhibition at the earliest possible time on the day. With the show being completed within one day exhibitors can check their birds in early in the morning and then go into the bird sales areas in Bingley Hall, in the afternoon they can return to the Argyle and Sandylands Centres to see how successful their birds have been. We are delighted that the exhibition is obtaining increasing support from both continental judges and breeders who travel long distances to attend this event it is exciting to think that in a few years this exhibition has been able to attract these dedicated fanciers from all over Europe. The continental influence is not only limited to the fanciers, there is an increasing demand from continental traders to attend this event, further increasing the range of products available to all our enthusiastic visitors. As it is located

only a few miles to the east of junction 14 of the M6 vehicles can quickly arrive at the Showground. “The National Exhibition” has been kindly sponsored once again by Richard Johnston of Johnston and Jeff and Malcolm Green of The Birdcare Company, who have both supported us from the start. This year their generous sponsorship has also financed additional new staging as exhibits are set to increase and the added attraction of supplements and bird seed as prizes can only help increase the numbers benched. We are indebted to the management and editorial staff of Cage & Aviary Birds magazine for the production of a very well designed insert, with our contribution being the collation of the information from all the exhibiting clubs. The supplement will appear in their 2nd September 2014 edition and

will as previously carry advertisements for all the exhibiting clubs and how to obtain the Show Schedule for your chosen species. This supplement has now become a feature of “The National Exhibition”. Since the show took on the name “The National Exhibition” in 2010 the demand for trade space has significantly increased, with some new traders making their first appearance in 2013. So whatever your bird keeping requirements they will be on offer at Stafford on 12th October 2014. The Parrot Society Council members hope that all the exhibitors and the officials of the specialist exhibiting clubs have a very enjoyable day. The Parrot Society would like to thank the clubs for all the kind words and support that you have given us. It will make the organisation of this year’s “National Exhibition” a pleasure to be involved with.

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BOOK REVIEW

BIRDS & PEOPLE MARK COCKER & DAVID TIPLING REVIEW BY: DOROTHY SCHWARZ

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his book has been seven years in the making; how timely and timeless it is. Timely because the conservation message - both implicit and explicit - is a reminder that time is running out for many species and timeless because presentation of the material will makes it a permanent treasure trove for any bird lover. Birds & People crosses several genres, its authors are a writer and a photographer. They’ve set out to document our relationship with birds both now and in the past. This results in a presentation which is partly a cultural study and partly a natural history. David Tipple travelled the world and photographed birds in every conceivable situation. Mark Cocker stayed at home in Norfolk and collaborated by mail and email with over 650 individuals in more than 81 countries. BIRD SCENE 31

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I found the photographs so enticing that I could have happily written about just the photographs on their own. David Tipple recalls: Over an eight year period, I travelled to 39 countries on seven continents, visiting remote tribal communities from the Amazon to Papua New Guinea. I’ve stood in awe at thousands of Snow Geese lifting off at dawn in New Mexico, been deafened by parrots arriving at the largest claylick in the heart of the Amazon, drunk vodka late into the night with Mongolian eagle hunters, and been privileged to photograph some of the finest antiquities in museums around the world. Mark Coker has been involved with writing about birds for over thirty years. This present volume is the equal of his magisterial Birds Britannica. However with this new work Cocker explains straightaway that the book ‘is as much about human beings as it is about birds.’ He has gone global and sought and obtained information from hundreds of bird people worldwide drawing on the contributions of over 650 correspondents in 81 countries. Could this information have been collected before email - I doubt it? Before you enter the book proper the introduction is a tour de force. An essay of originality, deep knowledge and deep love.

The entire class of birds has occupied more of the earth’s surface, on terra firma and at sea, than any other vertebrate life form. Emperor penguins lay their eggs and incubate their chicks in the depth of the Arctic winter on thick beds of ice, enduring temperatures of -60 C◦. Their breeding colonies represent one of the extreme climatic outposts for all warm-blooded life on earth. Yet birds are not just ubiquitous upon our physical planet. They are fellow travellers of the human spirit and have also colonised our imagination, as if we were one further habitat to conquer and explore. Along with other species we can swim and run but we cannot fly. Cocker puts it like this. Birds often seem so much more intensely alive than we are. Birds walk the earth on two legs just as we do but then they perform something we never have. They rise up and they fly away. In so doing they unleash a special characteristic of their basic physiology, which supports the notion of their greater dynamism. On the significance of birds, Cocker says: Birds in the sky or birds flying over the waves offer us a way of comprehending and articulating two of our most fundamental but fundamentally inaccessible experiences: the passage of time and the interior workings of our imaginations. BIRD SCENE 33

The introduction ends with this inspiring passage. We are woven into this miraculous light-loving fabric. Yet surely one fundamental measure of our civilisation, now and always, is our devotion to the living and to the maintenance of that living fabric – birds and people, flowers and insects, bumblebees and bush crickets, mammals and fishes in

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all their teaming diversity. To assume that we alone are all that matter and to contemplate with any kind of equanimity the loss of those other species, or a part of them, is to risk losing our very souls and silencing our own imaginations. A world without birds would lay waste the human heart. After this splendid introduction you can tackle the book proper. And this is

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not a task for the fainthearted. Weighing 5.1 lbs (I weighed it) and containing 592 pages of double column printed text, which isn’t in a large font, there isn’t an easy option if you enjoy reading in bed. Yet this is far too important a book to leave on the coffee table. The authors have not set out to offer an exhaustive analysis of the relationship between birds and people. After all, there are at

least ten thousand five hundred bird species arranged into 200 families. Mark Cocker has described 144 families of birds and listed the 59 families that have been omitted. However the comprehensive species index should satisfy almost every bird lover. As a parrot lover myself, I was pleased to find that the parrot family entry of 12 pages was up there with

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the pigeons and doves and chickens - all families with long discursive and fascinating entries. Another ample entry is that for predators. How to read a book of this magnitude? I reckon most of us will immediately look for our favourite families and then forage for novel insights. A word of caution, do not open the book if you don’t have a good stretch of time available in front of you because that short entry you were going to peruse for the Helmetshrike and Bushshrike family (Malaconotidae) species leads you on to another and another. And before you know where the time has gone.... The book is full of narratives, facts and idea both positive and negative. Why are white storks and human fertility permanently paired in the European imagination? A new born baby with red marks on its neck has stork marks caused by the bird’s beak where she carried it; they will fade in a year, so a young mother was told in UK in 1987. . A photograph of a sparrowhawk with deliberately broken wings for sale in a Beijing market as a table delicacy, reminds us of our neglect and cruelty in our treatment of our fellow creatures. Take the Phasianidae, the pheasant, fowl and allies family. This family ranging from finch-sized quail to magnificent peacocks are basically 36

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ground dwellers although some do fly. And they all run very fast as any poultry or quail keeper knows. It is estimated that there are two chickens for every human on the planet. The sorry tale of the factory farming of the domestic chicken is recounted here. But fowls have also had other uses therapeutic and symbolic importance. Sacrificing a chicken to Aesculapius, the god of medicine, a habit of the ancient Greeks, draws on the birds’ apparent association with vitality. Throughout most of the world, the cock’s crowing heralds the dawn and the sound is expressed similarly in language. Our cocks sing cockadoodle do, whereas French cocks call cocorico and in Ghana they sing konkolirikoo. This vitality which can show itself in aggression has been utilised for the practice of cockfighting which supposedly began in the Iron Age. The practice is outlawed in most countries nowadays; in Mexico and the Philippines it still flourishes. Mark Cocker points out that the two years a fighting cock spends cosseted and cherished does not compare that unfavourably with the tortured 6 weeks of broiler chickens’ lives. Mark Cocker doesn’t fudge facts our cruelty to, and abuse of birds, the exploitation and harvesting of their

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feathers and their skins, their meat and their eggs. Birds’ nest soup retailing at over £1000 a kilo is one of the costliest foods in the world. The Niah caves in Sarawak ... once held as many as 4.5 million swiftlets of various species. (Alas, deforestation and the overharvesting of nests has seen the vast swiftlet flocks fall to 150,000 birds...) Birds and People contains a timely reminder from John Fanshawe of Birdlife International that the involvement of local communities in conservation and our constant vigilance is necessary to preserve the diversity and wonder of birds. Reading the testimonies of such a diverse range of informants as well as the author’s quoting from relevant books, Birds & People makes me feel as though I ‘ve joined a worldwide association of people who appreciate birds. IF you are (I know that I am) the sort of reader who like

comprehensive indexes and glossaries and bibliographies, Birds & People wont disappoint; there are 62 pages of them. Let me end with a parrot anecdote. .... perhaps the most moving of all the vocabularies spoken by a bird was the one encountered by Alexander von Humboldt during his early nineteenth century journeys in modern-day Venezuela. [He} came across a parrot on the Orinoco which was the last living keeper of a language spoken by the Atures people, a race which, in the manner of so many Amerindians (and American parrots) under European influences, had become extinct. Birds and People \by Mark Cocker and David Tipling with specialist research by and the support of Jonathan Elphick and John Fanshawe. Published by Joanathan Cape, 2013 Price UKP £40 Can $65 (On Amazon you can find it at £19.84}

DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php

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Blue-winged Parakeet

ONCE THEY’ WE’VE LOST FOREVER 40

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ARTICLE BY: ADAM MOGG

YELLOW VENTED BLUEBONNET PARAKEET (Northiella Haematogaster Haematogaster) This, the nominate race of Bluebonnet, had in effect been lost to aviculture in the UK. Having been reasonably widely available in the early 90s, it was indiscriminately hybridised with the Red Vented race. Due to some bird keepers being either ignorant of what type of birds they actually had in their aviaries or too lazy to make the requisite efforts to source pure bred birds to make up pairs, mixed pairs were bred from and the young sold on to others. The situation is still being confused with many birds simply being advertised as Bluebonnets, telephone enquiries revealing that the owners have no idea as to the parentage of their birds. Yellow Vented birds are very occasionally offered for sale in the UK, perhaps from 4 sources over the last 8 years, all these birds have on inspection unfortunately been tainted with Red Vented blood. One dedicated breeder in

’RE GONE T THEM PA

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Continental breeders have made a real effort with Yellow Vented over the last 4 years and 100% pure birds are now available, though at a considerable cost. Some of these birds have recently reached the UK and it must be hoped that these attractive and interesting birds will soon be widely available again. the East Midlands has made attempts to breed pure Yellow Vented and with some success, fortunately continental breeders have made a real effort with Yellow Vented over the last 4 years and 100% pure birds are now available, though at a considerable cost. Some of these birds have recently reached the UK and it must be hoped that these attractive and interesting birds will soon be widely available again.

NARETHAE BLUEBONNET PARAKEET (Northiella Narethae) These beautiful little parakeets are not to my knowledge being kept or bred in the UK. However successes in Holland and Denmark may result in birds coming onto the Continental market, though surely at a substantial price.

BOURKE’S GRASS PARAKEET (Neophema Bourkii) Very widely kept and bred in the UK, though pure normal birds are almost impossible to find. My experiences have

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been similar to those reported by other breeders in the PS magazine recently. Having purchased robust well coloured unrelated young normal birds, they produced what were in my eyes at least, some of the least attractive birds I have ever seen, the words abnormal and mutant seeming to fit the bill precisely. It can only be hoped that a breeder with sufficient foresight will dedicate as much time and effort into retaining these charming and subtly coloured birds as others have spent on warping it into something resembling the first pink budgie.

BLUE WINGED GRASS PARAKEET (Neophema Chrysostoma) Having finally become reasonably widely available in the late 90s, the number of breeding pairs being kept seems to have crashed. Very occasionally young birds are offered up for sale, but almost always nest mates. This species would be an ideal subject for a serious breeder with a number of small flights.

ELEGANT GRASS PARAKEET (Neophema Elegans) Still fairly widely kept and bred, the Elegant has not as yet suffered the same fate as the Bourke’s, Turquoisine and Splendid. Breeding stock came from a broader genetic base and seemed less prone to throwing weak birds or those with abhorrent plumage colouration. The impact of the yellow pied mutation has though taken it’s toll, with many supposed normal birds throwing chicks with adhoc yellow markings.

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ROCK GRASS PARAKEET (Neophema Petrophila) This parakeet, which is perhaps not well suited to aviculture, is to the best of my knowledge not being kept outside of Australia.

ORANGE BELLIED GRASS PARAKEET (Neophema Chrysogaster) A beautiful and endangered bird, a tiny number of Orange Bellied existed in German and Swiss collections in the late 80s and early 90s. To the best of my knowledge, none now exist in European aviculture.

TURQUOISINE GRASS PARAKEET (Neophema Pulchella) Bred in huge numbers each year, though over 99% are from the bewildering array of mutations now available. Normal birds are almost impossible to locate, this problem being compounded by the fact that many breeders of Grass Parakeets don’t actually know what a normal Turk looks like. I for one have expended several tanks full of petrol on wasted journeys. Sadly the number of breeding pairs of normal Turks in the UK can be counted on one hand, amazingly probably less than there are of Brown’s Rosellas! Saving these fantastic little parakeets, which have incidentally had a rollercoaster existence of extreme rarity and massive abundance in international aviculture, should be a priority.

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Hen Elegant

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SPLENDID GRASS PARAKEET (Neophema Splendida) Probably even more popular than the Bourke’s or Turquoisine, huge numbers of Splendids are bred every year. A large proportion of birds are not particularly robust, combined with an aversion to cold wet weather and the proliferation of some form of virus, resulting in heavy losses each year. A smattering of good quality normal birds can still be found, though for just how long is a different matter. It can only be hoped that Grass Parakeet breeders will have the foresight to retain or even make up additional pairs of quality unrelated normal birds.

SWIFT PARAKEET (Lathamus Discolor) Having been an incredibly rare species in the UK, it’s relatively free breeding nature resulted in a glut of birds over the last 7 or 8 years, with prices naturally dropping. Far fewer birds seem to be being offered for sale now, following the boom and bust cycle so often seen. Good quality birds are still around and hopefully at least a core of breeders will stick with them. A dull olive mutation has appeared, but has not proved popular.

Far fewer birds seem to be being offered for sale now, following the boom and bust cycle so often seen. Good quality birds are still around and hopefully at least a core of breeders will stick with them. A dull olive mutation has appeared, but has not proved popular.

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Splendid Grass Parakeet

As a fairly reliable and unfussy breeding bird, the number of youngsters available is already increasing; with I am sure, prices certain to balance out in the near future. Most birds are very robust, though a few smaller birds have come in from the Continent. A dark factor mutation has appeared in Belgium, though all the birds I have seen have been of a particularly poor size and feather quality.

PILEATED PARAKEET (Purpureicephalus Spurius) Possibly due to an over expressed reputation for destructiveness or timidity, or even the dull colouration of the juvenile birds, Pileated Parakeets have never been as popular as other brightly coloured Parakeets. Good numbers were bred during the 90s, with the price dropping sharply. The result was that many good breeding pairs were dispersed and numbers crashed over recent years. Thankfully a number of breeders have put down pairs of British or Continental birds over the last 2 or 3 years, though prices remain very high. As a fairly reliable and unfussy breeding bird, the number of youngsters available is already increasing; with I am sure, prices certain to balance out in the near future. Most birds are very robust, though a few smaller birds have come in from the Continent. A dark factor mutation has appeared in Belgium, though all the birds I have seen have been of a particularly poor size and feather quality.

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Many Coloured

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CURRENT PRICE RANGE FOR YOUNG UNPROVEN PAIRS OF NORMAL BIRDS (Taken from a number of UK publications and websites 07 – 09)

King Parakeet £180 - £290 Crimson Wing Parakeet £100 - £190 Barraband’s Parakeet £70 - £110 Rock Pebblar Parakeet £70 - £110 Princess of Wales’ Parakeet £80 - £120 Tasmanian Rosella £140 - £220 Pennant’s Rosella £60 - £100 Adelaide Rosella £70 - £110 Yellow Rosella £90 - £120 Eastern Rosella £40 - £75 Mealy Rosella £70 - £90 Blue Cheeked Rosella £350 - £450 Brown’s Rosella £450 - £550 Stanley Rosella £55 - £80 Port Lincoln Parakeet £100 - £180 28 Parakeet £250 - £300 Barnard’s Parakeet £90 - £120 Cloncurry Parakeet £100 - £140 Red Rumped Parakeet £30 - £50

Many Coloured Parakeet £70 - £140 Hooded Parakeet £200 - £240 Red Vented Blue Bonnet Parakeet £70 - £100 Yellow Vented Blue Bonnet Parakeet £350 - £450 Bourke’s Grass Parakeet £30 - £40 Blue Winged Grass Parakeet £90 - £110 Elegant Grass Parakeet £40 - £50 Turquoisine Grass Parakeet £50 - £60 Splendid Grass Parakeet £40 - £50 Swift Parakeet £100 - £120 Pileated Parakeet £180 - £250

DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php

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L OW S U N F L OW E R FOR AFRICAN GREYS

A blend of 24 ingredients specially for the smaller beaked Parrots. Composition: 5% white sunflower, safflower, oats, red dari, white dari, hemp, buckwheat, wheat, paddy rice, pumpkin seed, flaked peas, flaked maize, puffed maize, puffed wheat, papaya, banana, pineapple, apricot, coconut, brazil nut kernels, walnut halves, peanuts, pine nuts, chillies. Monkey nuts are not included as many owners prefer it this way. Suitable for African Greys, Amazons, Jardines, Caiques, Senegals, Pionus, large and small Macaws and Cockatoos. This blend was developed, tested and re-tested in mixed aviary collections to make sure that it was just right for the species of birds for which it was intended.

THE FINEST BIRD FOOD CONTACT: JOHNSTON & JEFF LTD., BALTIC BUILDINGS, GATEWAY BUSINESS PARK, GILBERDYKE,EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE HU15 2TD T: 01430 449444 www.johnstonandjeff.co.uk mail@johnstonandjeff.co.uk Johnston & Jeff foods are only sold through retailers. Please contact us if you need information on your nearest stockists, our mail order partners, and for information and feeding guides. We reserve the right to add to the composition of our blends if we find a better grade or wish to enhance the menu. Please check our web site for up-to-date details.