18 Bird Scene - June & July 2014 by Theparrotsociety

BIRD ISSUE EIGHTEEN: JUNE / JULY 2014

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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

ARE YOU A CARING BREEDER? BY ROSEMARY LOW

THE GLOSTER FANCY SPECIALIST SOCIETY

BY JANE HAINGE

LEAR’S MACAW BY ROSEMARY LOW

PART ONE

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COCKATIELS – A VERY GOOD PET BIRD

FR EE

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PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINE: 33

CONTENTS

BIRD SCENE: JUNE / JULY 2014

CONTENTS 34 06

INTRODUCTION TO 18TH ISSUE OF BIRD SCENE

THE GLOSTER FANCY SPECIALIST SOCIETY a highly informative article by canary stalwart John Herring

COCKATIELS – A VERY GOOD PET BIRD Written by Jane Hainge, photographs by Keith Hainge.

ARE YOU A CARING BREEDER? Rosemary Low gives advice on this important subject.

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

ON THE COVER

BIRD ISSUE SEVENTEEN: JUNE / JULY 2014

ARE YOU A CARING BREEDER? BY ROSEMARY LOW

THE GLOSTER FANCY SPECIALIST SOCIETY NEW FANCIERS’ GUIDELINES

COCKATIELS – A VERY GOOD PET BIRD BY JANE HAINGE

LEAR’S MACAW BY ROSEMARY LOW

PART ONE

THE FIRST OF A TWO PART ARTICLE ON LEAR’S MACAW CONSERVATION.

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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

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SECURITY WARNING Regarding thefts of exhibition quality birds by John Hayward.

BIRD SCENE: Issue Eighteen: June / July 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 now the eighteenth edition of Bird Scene, how quickly a three years goes when you are working on a project like an on-line magazine, this is the first FREE on-line bird magazine produced in the UK. At 48 pages this is quite a big read! Every time we post the Parrot Society magazine I cringe at the cost and after the recent changes when postal costs increased further the distribution expenses have become very costly, I just do not know how smaller clubs with limited funds will be able to continue printing a member’s magazine, maybe E-magazines are the way to go? This must be a great worry to many club officials. An e-magazine does not have this problem, or the expense of colour printing and from a slightly technical viewpoint the images do not need to be of such high resolution as those required for a printed magazine. As a result of increases to the costs of both postage and printing I am really pleased that we decided to produce Bird Scene as a FREE e-magazine. We have learnt a great deal over the last three years about this way of communicating with bird enthusiasts and I am sure that

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this knowledge will become more and more valuable as we see further increases in costs to paper magazines. Not directly related to Bird Scene but a project that has been helped tremendously from what we have learned about on-line magazines is work I am undertaking to produce our Parrot Society magazine (which has been published for 48 years) in an on-line format for overseas readers this will be especially appealing for members in Ireland who have to pay high postage costs to receive the paper magazine. I hope that this version will be available for 2015, sounds a long way off but it is only 5 more editions! Regular readers will know that Bird Scene has been produced to publicise The National Exhibition held each year at our October Sale Day/Show and to promote our Conservation efforts for threatened parrots in the wild. Previous editions are still to be found in an archive at the foot of the Home Page of our website and if you would like to see earlier versions then do please visit the Bird scene archive at www.theparrotsocietyuk.org.

TION

BY THE EDITOR

LES RANCE

@theparrotsocietyuk.org In this edition we have an excellent article on the Gloster canary that will hopefully be of great help to new canary enthusiasts to demystify the words commonly used by more experienced breeders of these beautiful birds. Unfortunately there seems to be a spate of thefts mainly from exhibitors keeping valuable show birds, please see the advice that John Hayward gives on this serious problem. This item appeared in issue 17 of Bird Scene but I make no apology for printing it again as it is such an important area and if it helps save a hobbyist bird breeder’s collection it will be space very well used. In this issue I have included a very interesting article by Jane Hainge ‘Cockatiels – A Very Good Pet Bird’ written by a very talented person who really loves her pets, the pictures were taken by Keith her husband the winner

of last year’s P.S. photographic competition. Also an excellent article by leading writer Rosemary Low ‘Are You A Caring Breeder?’ which has some interesting information for all hobbyist bird breeders experienced and those new to the hobby. For our conservation item I have selected the first part of a two part article on the Lear’s Macaw which the society has just started to support.

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THE GLOSTER FANCY SPECIALIST SOCIETY ’

RS E I C N FA NEW DELINES GUI

BY JOHN HERRING SHOW SECRETARY & TREASURER

elcome to our Fancy. This article is intended for the use of new and prospective fanciers to enable them to understand the basic definitions used within the fancy. It cannot provide all the information available and you are advised to join a

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local club and /or seek assistance from an experienced fancier locally. This article was originally written with canary fanciers in mind but most of the information is equally applicable to budgerigar and foreign bird fanciers.

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Clubs, & Meetings: There are many types of club: Cage Bird Societies, Foreign bird clubs, Aviculture Societies, and then there are Specialist Clubs or Associations.

Cage Bird Societies:These normally cater for fanciers across a broad spectrum of interests including foreign birds, budgerigars and canaries. They provide an extremely valuable service

Most CBSs will invite guest speakers to their meetings, often from Specialist societies, their meetings being held monthly or fortnightly. Their members are usually from a local area.

to the fancy and often are the newcomer’s first introduction to bird keeping. Most CBSs will invite guest speakers to their meetings, often from Specialist societies, their meetings being held monthly or fortnightly. Their members are usually from a local area. Specialist clubs: These cater for one variety only and afford the fancier the opportunity to obtain a greater depth of information on their chosen fancy. Some produce handbooks once or twice a year. They rarely meet as frequently as the CBS 08

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The main officials within a club are: President: A senior member who, although not necessarily active, will act as a mentor and guide to ensure the club runs smoothly. Chairman: Officiates over club meetings and generally oversees the successful performance of the other officials. Vice Chairman: In the absence of the chairman will undertake his duties and often have certain special tasks allocated.

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Secretary: Deals with all Club correspondence and records or “minutes” the club meetings. A CBS secretary usually organises the club programme throughout the year. Treasurer: Responsible for all club funds including collection of subscriptions and payment of club bills. In some clubs one person may be the secretary/treasurer. Show Manager: Responsible for the smooth running of the show, including provision of staging, allocation of stewards and all the organisation on the day. Show Secretary: Accepts exhibitors` entry forms, records the entries and issues cage labels for individual entries at the club shows. At the show he will present judges with a book detailing numbers of classes and the number of exhibits within each class. He produces a results and award sheet and transfers entry money to the treasurer. Types of Show: The main show season for canaries is from early September to mid January and shows are held by most Specialist societies and CBSs. These can be “open“ or “members” shows. Open shows allow any fancier to exhibit, whereas a member’s show is only for fully paid up members of the club. In addition Budgerigar Societies (BS) hold a “nest feather” show, usually in June which is purely for young birds (about 6 weeks old).

Show Status: Fanciers joining a club as an adult, without any previous experience, will exhibit as a Novice. Most Specialist have their own rules but usually, 5 years after joining, a Novice must transfer into the Champion section for exhibiting; a notable exception is within the Gloster Fancy where Specialist clubs affiliated to the Gloster Fancy Canary Council. UK allow a period of up to 7 years as a Novice. Juniors are accepted until they are 16 when they become Novices. A Junior’s status is not affected if a Novice or Champion shows from the same address. The Budgerigar Society has a four stage system; Beginner, Novice, Intermediate and Champion. Show Cages and Show Standards: Each variety has its own show standard and type of show cage. A bird will not be accepted at a show if it is not in the correct type of cage, one bird per cage. Details of cages and standards are obtainable from most Specialist societies and a useful reference book is Canary Standards in Colour by GT Dodwell and John W Hills. This gives show standards and cage details for most popular varieties. The Show Schedule: Members of a club will be given a show schedule sometime before the show which will detail the classes available for competition and sales classes, if provided. It is important to become familiar with and understand the schedule, as a bird entered incorrectly cannot be re-classified and at most shows, certainly when a show BIRD SCENE 09

catalogue of exhibits is made, it will be “wrong classed”. Included will be an entry form. On completion this is returned to the show secretary with entry fees. It is advisable to keep a copy of your entries. Feather Types: There are 2 main types of feather and it is most important to be able to identify these to ensure birds are entered in the correct class. These are Buff and Yellow although the terms “non-intensive”/ “intensive” and “mealie”/ “jonque” have been used in the past. Yellow feather has colour through to the very tip of the feather and often appears to be brighter in colour than the equivalent buff feather where the feather tip has no colour and often appears “dusty”. It should be noted that “yellow” in this context does not relate to the colour of the bird ie a “yellow” feathered bird can be 10

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green in colour and many “buffs” are yellow in colour. Should you have any difficulty with this aspect of identifying birds, it is advisable to consult an experienced fancier as this is important when pairing birds for breeding as well as exhibiting birds. Certain varieties also appear in “dimorphic” form (a special type of broad buff feather). This need not concern the newcomer at this stage. Classification: The age of a bird is broadly measured by the stage of development of its feathers, and this is reflected in the way a show schedule is laid out. Nest feather relates to the feathers a bird creates while growing in the nest and will usually be formed during the first 3 weeks. At about 6 to 10 weeks the next stage of development starts. This is the first moult when all but the tail and

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primary or “flight” wing feathers are replaced, for this reason the bird is now described as “unflighted” because it still has the flights produced when in nest feather. These flights are not replaced until the bird has its second moult the following year and then becomes a “flighted” bird. Classes are normally held for unflighted and flighted birds and for show purposes a bird is classified as unflighted in the first show season. The Show Schedule: To understand a show schedule and complete an entry form it is essential to understand the basics regarding classification and types of feather. A typical schedule will be divided into sections for each

The age of a bird is broadly measured by the stage of development of its feathers, and this is reflected in the way a show schedule is laid out. variety and within each section into subsections for buff feathered birds, yellow feathered birds and also various colours e.g. cinnamon or white/allied to white classes. Note that a fawn (now referred to as white in New Colours) is a combination of white and cinnamon and is included in the white classes. Within each section there will be usually separate classes for unflighted and flighted birds. Always study the BIRD SCENE 11

schedule carefully before completing your entry form and it is advisable to keep a record of your entries. Judges: To be accepted as a judge in most varieties, it is necessary to have completed 5 years as an exhibitor at Champion level and some governing bodies e.g. the CCBA conduct a series of examinations to ensure the newly appointed judge will perform to an acceptable standard. Stewards: They are responsible for presenting the entries within each class, in turn, to the judge at the judging stand. With the chief steward 12

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Exhibitors can learn a great deal from a judge by stewarding but should always listen and observe without comment. It is the steward’s responsibility to ensure that all birds are supplied with adequate water. responsible for ensuring all entries are present. Exhibitors can learn a great deal from a judge by stewarding but should always listen and observe without comment. It is the steward’s responsibility to ensure that all birds are supplied with adequate water. Booking in: On arrival exhibitors will be expected to present their own birds for booking in. Show cages should

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always be clean and a club is entitled to refuse entry for a filthy cage on the grounds of hygiene i.e. the risk of disease to other birds and also because it does not favourably present the fancy to the general public. A steward will book in entries against those on the entry form and record any absentees. This is important as the show secretary will make up a judging book for each judge, indicating the number of entries per class and much time can be wasted searching for an entry that is absent. Judging: Each class will be judged, class winners retained and they then reappear to be judged against each other for the various prizes in sub sections and then sections, culminating in awards for best in section and or best in show. The stewards return all birds to their staging, check birds are watered and attach any rosettes that have been won. A show cage should never be placed on the floor and when exhibitors are allowed into the show hall they are not permitted to remove exhibits from the staging

Each class will be judged, class winners retained and they then reappear to be judged against each other for the various prizes in sub sections and then sections, culminating in awards for best in section and or best in show. The stewards return all birds to their staging, check birds are watered and attach any rosettes that have been won. Etiquette: When judging is completed exhibitors may discuss the exhibits with the judge. However, during judging no comments on the exhibits should be made and a judge should never be informed “this is my bird” when judging is in progress.

Lifting: After awards and prizes have been presented, when notified by the show manager, exhibitors will be allowed to collect or “lift” their birds. A steward will assist each exhibitor to collect their team and using the entry form will check that all birds are owned by the exhibitor. Some clubs allow exhibitors to lift their own birds. The show manager then checks that everyone is satisfied they have their own birds, and then exhibitors may leave. BIRD SCENE 13

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ARTICLE BY JANE HAINGE

COCKATIELS – A VE D

uring the Summer of 2010, I was asked by an elderly lady, who once lived nearby, if I would care for her Cockatiel whilst she went away on holiday for a week. Her friend, who usually looked after her bird, was in hospital having a routine operation. I

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had two parrots, an Orange - winged Amazon, Polly, and a Black - headed Caique, Billie, of whom I have written about in previous magazines. Occasionally, I give holiday care to two very delightful Grey parrots, from different households, each have their

ERY GOOD PET BIRD own characters and both are loved dearly by their keepers. I readily agreed to take the Cockatiel. Olive arrived soon afterwards. She lived in a small cylindrical cage, it’s base held together with adhesive tape. Although quite wealthy, her owner

would not consider replacing it because she believed that Cockatiels do not ‘live for very long’. Dry seeds and water were her only sustenance, provided in dishes that were extremely dirty. Any freedom had been denied to her since the very first time that she had been

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let out of her cage; she had flown to a window in a panic and when her owner had picked her up she had bitten deeply, drawing blood. Olive had been bought as a present to provide some company for the lady, shortly after the death of her husband about four years ago. The lady informed me before leaving that she had never wanted a Cockatiel and had neither the time nor the patience to keep one and that she would have much preferred a large parrot. I was then asked which of my two birds was my favourite, to which I replied that I could not possibly choose between them. Despite her lack of care, Olive had a sunny disposition and settled well when placed with my parrots in the dining room.

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A little later, I went out shopping for food and returned home within an hour. To my dismay, I discovered that in my absence Olive had torn a claw which she had caught in a tiny, drilled hole within a metallic toy. She was clearly distressed and bleeding profusely. This was a freak accident, as the toy had been in place for some considerable time. I caught her up, applied some veterinary antibacterial powder to the wound to stem the bleeding and placed her cage, which I had covered, into a quiet room so that she could calm down. I checked on her regularly and after a little while the bleeding had stopped and the bird became relaxed. On returning her to the dining room, Billie asked her, ‘Are

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you all right?’. Over the next couple of days the claw bled a little but finally stopped completely; she would make a full recovery. As the interior of the cage was spattered with blood, I decided it needed cleaning. I took Olive to a spare room, tipped the cage onto it’s side and ushered her out. Whilst busy, I watched her out of the corner of my eye. She was clearly very nervous and although she had never been wing - clipped, was unable to fly only managing to lift herself a few centimetres from the floor. Very soon, I stepped her up onto a small perch and could feel her little body trembling as I returned her to the cage. Although in my care for only a week, I made a few small changes. Without any success, I encouraged Olive to eat some fruits and vegetables but found that she had a particular liking for Chickweed and became quite excitable when this was pegged to the bars of the cage. I replaced the offending toy with a couple of others that I deemed to be safe. To my mind, the perching opportunities within the cage were inadequate: a wooden perch placed across the feeding dishes and a fine metallic ladder reaching from the bottom of the cage to the top, at a slight angle. Olive would perch uncomfortably on the higher rungs to sleep. I replaced both with a small wooden ladder, attached horizontally near to the top of the cage, thus making a platform, and added two further perches of fresh apple wood. The watering dish, encrusted by limescale, was cleaned and replaced. All that I had

removed from the cage I kept, but hoped that they would never be used again. What a busy body I am! However, my main concern was for the bird. I had become very fond of Olive and it seemed to me that her owner had little interest in her. If I should offer to look after the bird permanently, I thought that her owner would be happy to let me do so. How wrong I was! The lady had her own reasons for wanting to keep Olive but would bear me in mind for the future, should she become too ‘decrepit’ to do so. I was left feeling very sad and disappointed. Eight months passed and I had been hoping for a change of mind but it was not to be; perhaps the lady had eventually come to appreciate her little feathered friend. I was so enchanted with this Cockatiel that after much careful thought decided to buy one. Firstly, I contacted a local bird club but their response to my email was slow and no help was forthcoming. Finally, I chose a young, aviary bred cock bird from a reputable pet shop. I named him Robin.

Although in my care for only a week, I made a few small changes. Without any success, I encouraged Olive to eat some fruits and vegetables but found that she had a particular liking for Chickweed and became quite excitable when this was pegged to the bars of the cage.

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Cockatiels are so underrated as pet birds, being lively, playful, friendly, inquisitive and intelligent. Having been domesticated for many years, they are well suited to life in captivity, showing less nervousness to new situations than many parrots that are only a generation or two away from their wild predecessors. For the first few days Robin was nervous whenever anybody approached his cage, which I had placed between the cages of my other two parrots. Having lived in the shop alongside a Macaw and a Grey, I felt that he might feel more at ease with

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some bird company. Daily, I made a point of sitting near to him, for a few minutes only, to eat or read. Very soon, he took millet from my fingers. As active birds, Cockatiels do need plenty of opportunity to be able to fly. On the third day, I took Robin and his cage into a spare room. Having covered the windows, I removed the base and held his cage at an angle, whilst I encouraged him to come out. He took to the air, nervous and inept at first but his flying and landing skills soon improved tremendously. To return Robin to his cage without causing him any stress, I simply held the whole cage over him and allowed him to climb back inside. I kept these early sessions very brief. Nowadays, he will fly in the dining room, either with Polly or alone. I am unable to trust Billie with him as she has shown signs of aggression, whereas Polly has a good relationship with each of them. When Robin is tired he comes to me for comfort, perching on my lower arm, he will preen himself grind his beak and before long, will sleep. As yet, he does not appreciate a head scratch. Within a few weeks, Robin stepped up onto my finger I slowly guided him there with my other hand. My Grandaughters, Libby and Poppy, aged 8 and 6 years respectively, had always shown a keen interest in my parrots but were unable to hold

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either because of Pollys’ nervousness and the possibility that Billie would nip them. They were absolutely delighted when I stepped Robin up onto each of their fingers; he remained calm throughout and has never bitten anyone. Robin has a pleasant warbling song but Billie, not prepared to take a back seat in any affair mimics his every sound but at a much higher volume. It is unlikely that Robin will ever talk as he is unable to get a word in edgeways. Robin likes to roost in a tunnel made from sea grass, the type often sold for rodents. With a ‘window’ at either side, he has a good view all around him. When excited, he will run backwards and forwards, his head popping out of the entrance like a Cuckoo from a clock, very amusing to watch! Cockatiels are primarily seed - eaters, but I give Robin a little of the same food that I am feeding to the other parrots. He has become accustomed to eating a wide range of foods including sprouted seeds and pulses. Robin particularly enjoys cabbage, sweetcorn, peas, brown

rice, salad cress, fresh figs, chickweed, hawthorn berries and millet sprays. Almost seven months have passed since Robins’ arrival here and, although nervous at first, he has become much more trusting. I do not plan to keep any more parrots, three occupy a good deal of my time but there will always be room in Robins’ cage for a hen bird should ever the need arise.

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ost of us are well aware of the fact that parrots are intelligent creatures whose needs and emotions are not so different from our own. Parrots don’t like staring at the same boring wall every day. They don’t like a monotonous diet. They don’t like being denied access to rain and to the early morning sun. They don’t like living with a partner with whom they are not compatible. They do like being removed from their breeding cages at the close of each season to fly in a large aviary with the same or related species. They relish a food tray which contains an assortment of items that are varied from day to day. They feel sorrow when they are separated from a much-loved partner; they feel proud and protective when their young ones leave the nest. Birds kept in the home feel jealousy when another is introduced into the household and they grieve at the loss from death of the person to whom they are bonded. Worse still, they suffer when they are moved on because someone has lost interest. When owners sell or give away a companion bird, how deeply do they think about the impact it has on the bird? Many parrots suffer inhumane treatment -- usually not intentional --because the people responsible for them never consider their needs and emotions. Most people believe they are caring for their birds to the best of their ability yet, in reality, they have too many birds in their care, and too many species. We tend to treat all members of the same

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ARE YO A CAR BREED

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OU RING DER?

ASKS ROSEMARY LOW

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genus as though they have precisely the same requirements, often not taking into account their differing dietary needs, nesting requirements or housing preferences. This is especially the case with food. We should be studying the needs and preferences of each pair -- not each species. We can feed them and care for them as individuals only if we have a limited number of birds. If it is impossible to know each individual, breeding results suffer, except with the smallest and most free-breeding species. Even then, in a large collection the most obvious factors that prevent breeding -- such as a nest entrance which is too small -could be

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missed. With just a few birds, each one gives enormous pleasure and is treated like an individual. If there was just one rule that could be applied to parrots kept for breeding purposes to improve their well-being it would be that no person was allowed to keep more than fifteen pairs. I suspect that today, compared to the mid-1980s to 1990s, a much larger percentage of parrot keepers would fall into this category except for prolific species that can be kept several pairs to the aviary, such as Cockatiels and some lovebirds. There are comparatively few large collections now, also fewer people breeding the larger parrots. One reason for this is that unless you have a large property or you are a farmer, the space does not exist to keep a large collection in good surroundings. Unfortunately some people keep breeding pairs in garages or in other unsuitable environments. If the pairs do not have access to outside enclosures, their health will suffer over the long-term, also the quality of young produced. A recent newspaper item stated that in the UK the incidence of rickets (bone disease) -- something not seen for decades -- has increased greatly because children spend so much time at

FEATURE computers or games consoles that they do not have enough exposure to sunlight for Vitamin D to be synthesised. The same happens in birds. Rickets is a metabolically induced bone disease in growing animals, resulting in deformities in the skeleton. Such birds will be deformed for life. Calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies also cause the beak to become soft and pliable. It always saddens me when I hear of people breeding Grey Parrots in their garage. This is one of the species most likely to be affected with rickets. Sadly, a large number of deformed specimens are produced. It does not matter how much calcium you give a breeding pair or a chick being hand-reared, without exposure to sunlight or Vitamin D3 added to the diet to aid its absorption, chicks with deformities are likely to be bred. Nigel Harcourt-Brown, the well known vet in Yorkshire (also a parrot breeder) urged his clients to have some young parrots x-rayed each season. His experience showed that a shockingly large percentage of young (especially Greys) had already suffered bone fractures. In a large collection it can be difficult to manage every pair to ensure that their calcium and Vitamin D3

Few foods contain significant quantities of calcium so a supplement, combined with vitamin D3 to aid its absorption, must be supplied.

intake is adequate. Few foods contain significant quantities of calcium so a supplement, combined with vitamin D3 to aid its absorption, must be supplied. Powdered supplements added to the food, especially eggfood, are most suitable as parrots drink little water and, in any case, in water additives of calcium in syrup form usually sink to the bottom of the water container. I know of many people who give calcium supplements to their birds -- especially important for Grey Parrots in home or aviary -- who add this to the drinking water. In many cases a vet has told them incorrectly that this is how the supplement should be fed.

One of the biggest causes of breeding failure is the death of hens due to calcium deficiency. This is very sad and unfortunately it happens regularly which is one reason why there are so many “Wanted female…“ advertisements. Other breeders believe that as their birds eat cuttlefish bone they do not need to offer calcium in any other form. This is certainly not true of most parrots kept permanently inside houses or buildings. Now back to the subject of keeping parrots inside garages, and to breeding them in small cages. I am at a loss to understand what pleasure a keeper gets from this, also his or her lack of concern for the poor quality of life these birds suffer. I quite understand the policy of cage breeding inside a building because it is less time-consuming and takes less space. Also, because the breeding

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season can be manipulated, for half the year there will be no breeding birds to attend to. In my view, this is acceptable only if they can fly in an outdoor aviary, possibly as a flock, when they are not breeding. In this way they experience a more natural existence, especially in species, such as Cockatiels and Amazons, which would naturally flock together outside the breeding season. One never really gets to know some species when they are kept permanently in small spaces where they cannot fly, forage on the ground or bathe in the rain. For example, Kakarikis are almost invariably bred in quite small aviaries despite the fact that they are among the most restless and active of all parrots. When you see them in a really large aviary and watch them scratching animatedly in the leaf litter on the floor, alternately running and flying, never still for a second, you realise how alien are the conditions under which they are normally kept. Unfortunately, few can keep these parakeets in enormous aviaries but it would not be too difficult to provide them with hours of amusement by covering the cage or aviary floor with leaf litter. Birds kept in buildings are sometimes managed (with lighting and feeding more generously to induce breeding) so that they lay during the winter. By synchronising the breeding of pairs, there is a greater potential to foster young, rather than hand-rear any that cannot stay with their parents. My experience of hand-rearing parrots, over a period that spanned more than 30 years, led me to believe that under optimal

FEATURE

conditions (good diet and good health), parent-reared young are superior to those that are hand-reared and acquired young, they can also make good pets. Unfortunately the buying public has become almost brain-washed to believe that only hand-reared young parrots make good pets. I mention this because so many pairs are deprived of the knowledge of rearing their own young to fledging, which is surely the most fulfilling and natural experience that captive birds can know. It is also the best way in which we can enrich the lives of aviary birds.

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Most parrot-like birds. Good prices paid in cash. Parakeets, Conures, Cockatoos, African Greys, Cockatiels. Also Exhibition quality Budgerigars and Canaries. You deliver to me or we can collect. Weavers Coving, Towcester Road, Whittlebury, Northants, NN12 8TD T: +44 (0) 1327 857594 M: 0770 2277 246 (Guy) / 0796 2099 830 (Lee) F: +44 (0) 1327 858965 E: info@skybirds.co.uk W: www.skybirds.co.uk

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MEMBER’S DAY BIRD WORLD, HOLT POUND, FARNHAM, SURREY GU10 4LD Owl and Macaw photographs © Neil Randle / Randle Design Consultancy

G N I N R A W Y T I R SECU S T F E H T D IR B N IO IT EXHIB

uring the last two years there has been an ever developing series of small bird species thefts where thieves are targeting the breeders of quality exhibition Budgerigars, Canaries and Finches. In recent months and weeks the pattern continues with over 40 separate burglaries comprising of hundreds of birds valued at many thousands of pounds. The perpetrators are targeting Counties and areas in turn, mainly in the Midlands and the South. They are getting clean away as there is generally a lack of security or they are by-passing any alarms they come across. They are researching the premises and come equipped to transport the birds away. They are most selective and know the best stock to steal. There have been thefts in Milton Keynes,

Southampton, Woking, Margate and Tonbridge Well. Please bring this on-going series of thefts to your fellow hobbyist bird keeper notice and ask them to be particularly vigilant at this time and report any suspicious incidents to John Hayward on the number below.

John Hayward National Theft Register Tel: 01869 325699 Email: jh@ntr.supanet.com

• SECURITY WARNING • SECURITY WARNING • S

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SECURITY WARNING • SECURITY WARNING • SECURITY WARNING

Photograph Steve Brookes

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PART ONE 30 34

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VATION• R E S C ON

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VATION• R E S ON NSERVATION• C

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ONSERVATION

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LEAR’S MACAW O

ARTICLE BY ROSEMARY LOW

remember how excited I was in 1973 when Joseph Forshaw’s groundbreaking book Parrots of the World was published. Here, in a 584-page tome, weighing seven kilos was at last a work that covered the natural history of all the members of the parrot family. Previously the information was scattered, mainly in scientific papers, and the actual appearance of many species had been a mystery. Here they were all illustrated in plates measuring 38cm in height. Younger people these days can hardly imagine what this book meant -- for few on parrots had been published and, of course, there was no internet to refer to. For every species in Forshaw’s book there was a distribution map as well as a written description of the area in which it occurred. There were four exceptions. The Intermediate Parakeet (Psittacula intermedia) turned out to

be a hybrid, and the Blue-thighed Lory (Lorius tibialis) and Rufous-tailed Parrot (Tanygnathus heterurus) are probably aberrant specimens of Purple-naped Lory and Muller’s Parrot. There was only one genuine species noted as “Exact range unknown.” This was Lear’s Macaw. These words were qualified with: “… probably north-eastern Brazil in the states of Pernambuco and Bahia.” The author continued: “Lear’s Macaw is a mysterious bird known only from specimens held in captivity.” The species was described by Bonaparte in 1856, from a prepared specimen in the Paris Museum, whose origin was known only as Brazil, and another specimen from Antwerp Zoo, Belgium, of unknown origin. For more than a century all the birds acquired by American and European zoos and museums had been given an incorrect origin. BIRD SCENE 35

Photograph Steve Brookes

When Les gave me the news that the conservation committee of the Parrot Society had decided to donate £5,000 I was absolutely delighted! Here was proof that PS members really are helping to aid the survival of one of the world’s most vulnerable parrots…

How could it be that such a large parrot, over 70cm in length, had never been seen in the wild except, obviously, by local people? The answer was that its small area of distribution was remote and visited by very few outsiders. The first clue to the origin of Lear’s Macaw came in 1978 when Olivério Pinto, found one in captivity in Juazeiro in Bahia during an expedition to north-east Brazil. 36

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By the time the third (revised) edition of Parrots of the World was published in 1989 the Distribution entry for Lear’s Macaw read “Known only from northwestern Bahia, northern Brazil.” The renowned German Brazilian ornithologist, Helmut Sick (who died in 1991) together with D.Teixeira and L.P.Gonzaga, discovered the home range of Lear’s Macaw in December 1978. It is not quite correct to say that they discovered it as they were, of course, guided by local people who knew the macaw. It lived in a plateau called Raso da Catarina, where the altitude varied from 380m to about 800m -- higher in parts. It is an extraordinary beautiful area of red sandstone canyons and cliffs, the cliffs being used by the macaws

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for roosting and breeding. This is a transition zone between the arid and semi-arid climates, characterized by low and irregular rainfall. The temperatures vary from 15°C at night to 45ºC daytime. Initial censuses suggested that the population was not more than about 70 birds. The future for this beautiful macaw was looking bleak in the extreme. The main problems it faced were loss of and lack of regeneration of licuri palms, which form about 90% of its natural food source, and shooting by farmers. The macaws attacked the corn crops on which they fed when they were unable to find licuri palm nuts. What hope of survival had this small and extremely vulnerable population? So, in 1978 news of the discovery of

The species was described by Bonaparte in 1856, from a prepared specimen in the Paris Museum, whose origin was known only as Brazil, and another specimen from Antwerp Zoo, Belgium, of unknown origin.

the home range of Lear’s Macaw brought two worrying questions: would it result in the macaws being heavily trapped and what could be done to stop shooting and trapping? Now I will skip a few decades to September 24 2013. It was 4.30am, dark, cold and windy. I was with Steve Brookes, who had organised the trip (www.wildparrotsupclose.co.uk) and the BIRD SCENE 37

other two members of the group, plus two local men. I was standing on a cliff top -- not just any cliff but that in which about half the world population of Lear’s Macaw roosts: the famous site at Toca Velha. The sky began to lighten just a little. Dawn was breaking and the macaws were leaving for their feeding grounds. Huge, dark shapes appeared overhead -- a steady stream, groups of twenty, stragglers, larger groups, on and on they came, filling the air with their screams and filling my senses with awe and disbelief, their long wings appearing huge in the half light of dawn. I was spellbound by the elegance of their steady, rhythmic flight, hypnotising in its beauty. I had not expected this -- such grace, like an aerial ballet. Silhouettes as yet, they were like airborne javelins, all speeding in the same direction, their long tails pointing towards the next group behind them. They kept coming and coming, the noise -- that lovely sound of their calls -- going on and on.

I was spellbound by the elegance of their steady, rhythmic flight, hypnotising in its beauty. I had not expected this -- such grace, like an aerial ballet. Silhouettes as yet, they were like airborne javelins, all speeding in the same direction, their long tails pointing towards the next group behind them.

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We were right on the edge! The ground was covered in stones and small rocks. The vegetation was sparse, just a few dried up grey bushes, spiny-looking grasses and cacti as tall as a man, where they could get a foothold in a crevice in the rock. The sun had been creeping over the distant horizon, tingeing the sky above the mountains in a narrow line of red. The light was coming up fast. They were not silhouettes any more. I could see their faces, the sun glinting off the bare yellow facial area and giving the underside of their wings a golden glow. So beautiful! We had driven to this place in the dark then walked for a few minutes. I had no idea where I was, how high I was, until the sun came up. Now I could see that we were on a small plateau, surrounded by sandstone cliffs that stretched far into the distance. The cliffs were pitted with holes, large and small, like Swiss cheese. In front of us was a deep, wide canyon. We were right on the edge! The ground was covered in stones and small rocks. The vegetation was sparse, just a few dried up grey bushes, spiny-looking grasses and cacti as tall as a man, where they could get a foothold in a crevice in the rock. Perhaps 400 macaws had passed -- but many came back in small groups, some of them hanging above us, curious. Looking at their faces through my

FEATURE Photograph Steve Brookes

Photograph Steve Brookes

This was my third trip to Brazil with Steve -- an experience far better than travelling with a bird tour company whose participants tend to be tickers and listers. Go with Steve and you know the emphasis is on parrots! Watching them. binoculars made me gasp. They were so beautiful! Small groups continued to return to circle over us. By this time I was so overcome with emotion at what I was seeing that I was sitting on a rock. I could not stand up…

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The emotional impact was like nothing I had experienced before. The macaws had been darkening the sky above me. The strange beauty of the surroundings and the spectacle of at least one third of the population of the species that had perched on the abyss of extinction left me speechless -- quite literally. I could only marvel at what I had seen and know that it was a privilege afforded to few. This was my third trip to Brazil with Steve -- an experience far better than travelling with a bird tour company whose participants tend to be tickers and listers. Go with Steve and you know the

FEATURE

Sick started to search for the macaw in 1964. By 1977 he had come to the conclusion that the only place where the Indigo Macaw, as he called it, could live was the Raso da Catarina. He wrote: “Our doubts, however, were very great. Could it be that this region was so completely overlooked by scientists, and that they could hide, for more than a century, a bird as large as a macaw? It was hardly believable.”

emphasis is on parrots! Watching them. I have seen parrots leave their roost sites in many locations. Usually they are gone in a whoosh of wings -- and that is that. But not the Lear’s. I know from the time on my photographs that we watched them for well over one hour. Some of them were perched in trees several hundred metres away but they kept returning to fly over us -- prolonging those precious moments that were the highlight of countless parrot watching trips in many parts of the tropics. Today, if you are in this remote area

with a guide, it is not so difficult to see Lear’s Macaw. I could not help thinking about how long, difficult and painful the experience was for Helmut Sick and Dante Teixeira, his colleague in Rio’s National Museum. Sick started to search for the macaw in 1964. By 1977 he had come to the conclusion that the only place where the Indigo Macaw, as he called it, could live was the Raso da Catarina. He wrote: “Our doubts, however, were very great. Could it be that this region was so completely overlooked by scientists, and that they could hide, for more than a century, a bird as large as a macaw? It was hardly believable.” Then the Raso was “a white spot on the map of Brazil, no settlements, no roads, dried-up rivers”. It was supposed to be impenetrable. It was certainly inhospitable, owing to its tremendous heat and the lack of water. After eleven

BIRD SCENE 41

Photograph Steve Brookes

Three days before departure he realised that he was developing a hernia. Endless riding on pack animals, without a saddle, kept him in constant pain and in a state of exhaustion. On the first day he suffered an attack of malaria. days of searching the Raso Helmut Sick and Dante Teixeira came across flight feathers of a Lear’s Macaw that had been shot and eaten by a hunter. “Two days later we ourselves finally met the no longer mysterious macaw in the field…” (Sick, undated but published in 1981). We know from a letter from Sick published in the German magazine

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Gefiederte Welt in 1979 that the journey was a terrible ordeal for him. Three days before departure he realised that he was developing a hernia. Endless riding on pack animals, without a saddle, kept him in constant pain and in a state of exhaustion. On the first day he suffered an attack of malaria. His young assistants had fever, diarrhoea, sunburn and injuries from spiny plants. The guide got lost and Sick’s robust four-wheel drive vehicle was ruined. After six weeks in the field (including his 69th birthday) he flew to Rio and was operated on for a double hernia. How fortunate was I to see more

FEATURE

Photograph Steve Brookes

How fortunate was I to see more than ten times the 31 Lear’s that the pioneering spirit of Helmut Sick was rewarded with! I would never forget this hour and I vowed that I would do something to try to help the survival of Lear’s Macaw. than ten times the 31 Lear’s that the pioneering spirit of Helmut Sick was rewarded with! I would never forget this hour and I vowed that I would do something to try to help the survival of Lear’s Macaw. It needs our help now because of the severe drought that has affected the area which is believed to be negatively affecting population growth.

It also affects farmers whose reduced corn crops might result in more macaws being shot. In our relatively affluent society, we can have no idea what it is like to be dependent on a single crop -either corn or the licuri palm -- and the weather. When I returned from Brazil I contacted Les Rance and told him of the need for more funding to assist the survival of this macaw. There are several strands to its conservation projects -- and all of them are costly. When Les gave me the news that the conservation committee of the Parrot Society had decided to donate £5,000 I was absolutely delighted! Here

BIRD SCENE 43

Kilma Manso (standing) taking details from a farmer (on the cart) about his crop damage by Lear’s Macaws

Photograph Steve Brookes

When I returned from Brazil I contacted Les Rance and told him of the need for more funding to assist the survival of this macaw. There are several strands to its conservation projects -- and all of them are costly.

was proof that PS members really are helping to aid the survival of one of the world’s most vulnerable parrots -- and also one of the most extraordinarily beautiful -- and almost unique in its habitat and habits! In my next article I will describe the various conservation projects and how the Parrot Society’s money will be spent. 44

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Edward Lear Why was it named after Edward Lear? By the time he was only 21 Lear had published a large folio on the parrot family -- the first series of plates devoted to a single family of birds. Although he is better known as the author of such delightful “nonsense” poems as the Owl and the Pussycat, he was an artist of exceptional talent. His 79 plates of birds and animals in the menagerie of the 13th Earl of Derby, the last published in 1850, brought him even greater fame. When a macaw new to science was described in 1856, Lear was at the height of his artistic fame, and had even given drawing lessons to Queen Victoria.

FEATURE

He was a celebrity of his age.

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PARR OT

AND AL ZE

O IETY F NEW C SO

CONVENTION

2015

n . p a rr o t.c o.

10th, 11th, 12th april 2015 auckland, New Zealand The Parrot Society of New Zealand will be celebrating 25 yearS of working alongside New Zealand aviculturists to encourage education and the exchange of avicultural ideas and experiences to enhance the wellbeing of parrots in our care. For more information, visit our website

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PARR OT

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TY OF NE W CIE O S

CONVENTION

2015

. p a rr o t.c o.

10th, 11th, 12th april 2015 • auckland, new Zealand

Featuring new Zealand and international guest speakers: H dr Berend westera BVSc, BD Veterinarian (NZ) H H tony silva Author, Aviculturist, Conservationist (USA) H H Jim Mckendry Parrot Behaviourist (Aust) H H rick Jordan Author, Aviculturist, Conservationist (USA) H H sheryll steele-Boyce CEO Australian Birdkeeper Magazine (Aust) H H dr susan Clubb DVM, Dipl ABVP-Avian Author, Aviculturist, Conservationist, (USA) H H John nunn Aviculturist, (NZ) H H luis ortiz-Catedral, Researcher, Conservationist, (NZ) H register now! discount for early registration. Registration forms are available on our website

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