39 Bird Scene - Summer 2018 by Theparrotsociety

BIRD ISSUE THIRTY NINE: SUMMER 2018

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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

LESSER VASA PARROTS

AU T 3R UM D N SE ED 20 PT ITI 18 EM ON BE O R U

THE GLOSTER CANARY

FR EE

AFTER 20 YEARS, GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE AMAZONS OF TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO

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CONTENTS BIRD SCENE: SUMMER 2018

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

ZEBRA FINCHES PART THREE Ken Lockwood and Gerald Massey

AFTER 20 YEARS, GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE AMAZONS OF TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO By Dr. David Waugh Director, Loro Parque Fundación

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION REPORT Les Rance

ON THE COVER

BIRD ISSUE THIRTY NINE: SUMMER 2018

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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

AFTER 20 YEARS, GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE AMAZONS OF TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO

THE GLOSTER CANARY

32 LESSER VASA PARROTS

LESSER VASA PARROTS PART TWO Anton Schreuders

THE GLOSTER CANARY Charlie Clarke

M 3R MER D SE ED 20 PT ITIO 18 EM N BER

BIRD SCENE: Issue Thirty Nine: Summer 2018 BIRD SCENE is run by The Parrot Society UK, Hardy House, Northbridge Road, Berkhamsted HP4 1EF, England. FOR SALES AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRES Telephone or Fax: 01442 872245 Website: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org / E-Mail: les.rance@theparrotsocietyuk.org The views expressed by contributors to this magazine are not those of The Parrot Society UK unless otherwise explicitly stated

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INTRODUCT

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

t the present time we are very concerned about legislation relating to Animal Activity Licensing as there is a real fear that the introduction of this legislation may have a detrimental affect on hobbyist bird keeping in England and Wales. Government departments have long been working to a) rationalise the multiple licensing requirements for pet shops, animal breeders and exhibitors, boarding establishments and stables, etc, and b) to control the serious problem of puppy farming. Whilst both these objectives are laudable, hobbyist keepers of fish, reptiles, small mammals, and birds, appear to have been drawn into the net. It seems that in the drawing up of this legislation, Defra consulted with just one single representative of ‘the pet trade’, which clearly gives an unbalanced view. Since this legislation is an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act, it does not have to come before Parliament, and will become law on October 5th 2018. However, work continues on the guidance notes to the Act, which is advisory documentation to Local Authorities responsible for implementing the Act, inspecting premises, and issuing necessary licences. It is the wording of this guidance that has prompted the 04

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following statement from SUN, regarding potential problems: “… the criteria being proposed are vague and contradictory, so much so that each local authority and its inspectors will have to interpret rather than be guided clearly. This is plainly open to subjectivity and ideological interference.” Furthermore, licensing will be required for all commercial businesses involving animals. For the purposes of this guidance, a ‘commercial operator’ is defined as one who –”makes any sale by, or otherwise carries on, the activity with a view to making a profit, or earns any commission or fee from the activity.” This clearly could include many breeders of parrots and parakeets. Listed as definitely included for licensing would be ‘any registered business, importer, or premises open to the public where animals are available to purchase.’ ‘Making a profit’ could include high volumes of animals sold or advertised, or high value individuals sold or advertised. ‘Out of scope’ would include irregular or infrequent transactions, or selling of surplus stock without making a profit. This obviously applies to most of our members, however, it has to be proved with the back-up of written evidence such as receipts, food bills etc., and again there

TION

BY THE EDITOR

LES RANCE

@theparrotsocietyuk.org could be widely differing interpretations by individual local inspectors. The National Council for Aviculture, Cage & Aviary birds, and other SUN members are all actively engaged in trying to get these guidance notes modified, and if you think that you could be affected, please support our efforts by writing to your MP. A template letter is available on our website for you to download. We are still advising people on what is required from DEFRA to ensure that all Greys that are sold have the correct Article 10 papers. If you are thinking of buying an African Grey you must ensure it comes with the yellow CITES documentation, it is an offence to buy a Grey if it is not correctly licenced. What is starting to interest us is the affects that Brexit will have on bird keepers and the possibility that quarantine will eventually be reimposed on birds coming from mainland Europe. This would make quite a difference for companies who import birds for the pet industry as at the present time, as far as I am aware, there are no functioning quarantine stations for birds in the UK. These facilities can be quite expensive to both build and maintain and therefore anyone thinking of building one will

obviously think very carefully before they go down that route. This may well mean a dire shortage of stock for the pet trade. In this edition of Bird Scene we are very pleased to have the third part of a very interesting article on Zebra Finches by Ken Lockwood and Gerald Massey. Also the second part of the article on the Lesser Vasa Parrots by Anton Schreuders. There is also an interesting article on the historical development of the very popular Gloster Canary by Charlie Clarke. We are always happy to receive articles about the species that are being exhibited at The National and are very pleased to give publicity to the club supplying the information. Regular readers will know that Bird Scene as been produced to publicise The National Exhibition held each year at our October Sale Day/Show at Stafford County Showground which will be held on Sunday 7th October 2018 and to promote our Conservation efforts for threatened parrots in the wild. An archive of earlier editions of Bird Scene can be found on this link www. theparrotsocietyuk.org/bird-scene/ bird-scene-magazine-archive so if you would like to see earlier versions please do log on to our site.

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FEATURE

THE GLOSTER CANARY BY CHARLIE CLARKE

The Gloster fancy as we know it today is the result of continual work of many fanciers who have over the years continued to build on the original ideas of the early fanciers. Since the conception of the Gloster in 1925 it has gone through many different transformations, we have to thank Mrs Rogerson who first brought them to the attention of Mr A.W.Smith.She had bred the original birds from the smallest Crested Rollers and Border canaries which were available, the birds that came from these pairings were very different from the birds we see today.

As we know the Gloster Canary comes in two types, the “Corona” which is the crested bird, and the “Consort” which has the plain head. The early bred birds were always short in the crest, very thin and long. Most were bred from mainly buff birds which caused many problems. In the early years of the Gloster there were several strong areas of support round the country, including Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and East Anglia. Over the next fifty years the development of the Gloster gathered pace, the early fanciers worked hard to

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FEATURE

improve the type quite often disregarding feather quality. During these years you were lucky to have a specialist Gloster judge at the local C.B.S.shows quite often the birds were judged by the Any Other Variety judge. As the quantity of fanciers keeping Glosters increased the amount and quality of birds coming available continued to grow and improve. During this stage the Gloster was really taking off, there seemed to be specialist clubs popping up everywhere it was at this time the “Gloster Convention” was formed to help co-ordinate the wishes of the Specialist Societies it was at one of these meetings Mr Charles Minjoodt presented the pictorial model which is still in use today. The Gloster Fancy continues to thrive today,we have many top Specialist Societies all putting on very good shows the standard of the Gloster gets better by

the year, combining both type and feather quality. We are truly international in our outlook the standard of Glosters world wide is a credit to the fancy. It is amazing that from what was a very small beginning through dedication and hard work the Gloster Canary has become one of the strongest sections within the hobby. Like all varieties we try to make the hobby enjoyable and welcome newcomers to join us in what is a very enjoyable hobby. The Gloster Fancy Specialist Society supports The National Exhibition organised by The Parrot society at Staffordshire County Showground which will be held on Sunday 7th October 2018. For details of how to join the Gloster Fancy Specialist Society contact the secretary:Mr Steve Jones, on 01785- 822533.

wSecretary:- Steve Jones 5 Ashbrook Close, Gnosall, Staffs.ST20 0HB Tel: 01785 822533 email joness74@sky.com

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LESSER VASA PARROTS WRITTEN BY: ANTON SCHREUDERS

O W T T R PA

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FEATURE Breeding Program Because the Lesser and Greater Vasa Parrot was kept so seldom, not mentioning bred, I came to the idea to set up a breeding program. In the Netherlands, it did not get off the ground due to lack of keepers of Vasas. In the late 1990s I made contact with Jörg Asmus in Germany. He also had a pair of Lessers and together we decided to set up a breeding program and keep a pedigree at European level. Meanwhile I had also found keepers of Vasa Parrots in the United States and Canada, though by law it is practically impossible to exchange birds. So it did not make much sense to integrate those birds in our file. We decided to place the breeding program at the bird society VZE called Europäischen Erhaltungszuchtprojekt für Vasapapageien / European Conservation Breeding Programme for Vasa Parrots. VZE (the largest bird club in eastern Germany) enjoys great prestige. That made it easier to persuade zoos and bird parks to register our breeding program. Due to circumstances, I am not very active as a coordinator anymore, but I still have regular contact with members. Recently the breeding program has been separated from VZE. Jörg now manages the breeding program and pedigree. The main goal of the breeding program, in which also the Greater Vasa Parrot is included in the meantime, is preservation of the species, and preferably to breed

pure-bred subspecies. The collection and sharing of knowledge to be able to breed Vasa Parrots at all is an important goal within the program. Jörg and I have done a lot of research in literature and other, in particular concerning Lesser Vasa Parrots. I maintained contact with scientists and especially English and Dutch-speaking members and breeders as well as zoos in the United States. Among others Ann Bollen has given valuable information about the food consumption of Vasa Parrots in the wild. She did research on distribution of plant seeds in Madagascar and the Vasa Parrot plays a role in that. From Roger Wilkinson I have received a detailed breeding report. Jörg has done a great job by doing lots of research on many tissues collected from a large number of museums to get in focus the differences between the subspecies. Subspecies Until recently The Lesser Vasa Parrot was classified into four subspecies: • Coracopsis nigra nigra, the darkcoloured nominate form from Madagascar • Coracopsis nigra libs, the lighter coloured subspecies from Madagascar • Coracopsis nigra sibilans, the smaller brown subspecies from the Comoros • Coracopsis nigra barklyi, the smaller and darker brown subspecies from the Seychelles

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The subspecies Coracopsis nigra sibilans and Coracopsis nigra barklyi are considered as a separate species since 2014: Coracopsis sibilans and Coracopsis barklyi. To my knowledge, in Europe only the subspecies from Madagascar are present in aviculture. It has been reported that the species from the Seychelles (C. barklyi) would be present in a breeder’s collection, however hard evidence for that I have not seen yet. C. barklyi is threatened with extinction and is on CITES List 1. The species from the Comoros C. sibilans has never been imported, as far as I know and about the status in the wild, I have no reliable data. Therefore I will only discuss the subspecies from Madagascar. For a description of the other subspecies, I refer to the website of Jörg: www. coracopsis.de Madagascar thus has two subspecies: Coracopsis nigra nigra and Coracopsis nigra libs. The differences between the two subspecies are evident mainly in the colour. However, the difference is subtle and for a non-expert it may be difficult to recognize. In my collection both subspecies are present, so for me it is easier to compare the subtle differences. Just to prevent this article becoming too long and to keep it still readable I just give a brief description with the

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most important differences. Both for C. n. nigra as C. n. libs counts that there is no difference in colour between the sexes. Coracopsis nigra nigra is a uniform brown black coloured bird. Only the outer wing feathers have a steel blue colour. Outside the breeding season, more blue-grey, in the breeding season, more steel blue. The rump and back are equally coloured, just as the rest of their plumage, black and brown. The individual feathers are not uniformly coloured. Especially on the chest, abdomen and wings is a subtle flake pattern recognizable. The head feathers are not equally dark. A darker coloured ear spot is clearly recognizable upon closer observation. Especially in sunlight subtle colour differences are visible, which change with the variety of the angle at which the light strikes. Colour variations of black, brown, grey and blue make this seemingly dull coloured bird a fascinating appearance. The birds are almost always tight in plumage, which gives them an energetic appearance. Overall, I think they are beautiful birds. Coracopsis nigra libs looks almost the same as C. n. nigra, but lighter coloured. When the birds are kept in an outdoor aviary they colour darker and more brownish-grey. Especially in winter it is harder to distinguish them from C.n. nigra. When libs is kept indoor the brown sheen disappears and the birds will colour bright grey. Also in these subspecies, the outer wing feathers are bluish. In the breeding

FEATURE

season appears a steel blue sheen on the wings, which is more or less clearly visible depending on the angle of light fall. Quite clearly C. n. libs encounters a grey back and a blue-grey rump. In combination with a lighter plumage compared to C. n. nigra this is the main distinguishing mark in my opinion. The size of the birds is very variable in both subspecies and is not a good indicator for determination. Jörg’s tissue research shows that the length measured from the skull to the longest tail feather varies somewhat: • C. n. nigra 72 tissues from 29.4 to 39.8 cm, average length 34.9 cm. • C. n. 28 libs tissues from 30.3 to 42.2 cm, average length 34.9 cm.

In my collection in both subspecies I see large differences in size, both wild-caught and captive bred. The other two species, C. sibilans and C. barklyi are on average 30 cm long, so a little smaller, although also individuals of some 35 cm in length have been found. There will be sporadic C. n. nigra for encounters with a lighter blue-grey. It struck me that this type has slightly less pattern in the wings. It is not excluded that this could be a hybrid form. The (live) specimens that I have seen were all wild caught birds. I have had a few of this type of bird in my collection and have observed similarly coloured birds in zoos in Madagascar and Portugal. Jörg’s tissue research also found that intermediate

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forms or possible hybrids exist in nature. Forshaw reports that nigra and libs mix where habitats overlap. Sexing Both sexes are identically coloured. Also the size of the bird tells nothing about sex. Most hens have a slightly smaller beak, but also on this point there are exceptions. The most reliable visual difference is noticeable when adult birds’ beaks are equally light coloured. That is around breeding season. At that time, it is clearly visible that hens have a lighter cere than males. Solely on this feature I determine the sex of my birds and I have never been mistaken. How am I so sure of this? During breeding season I have seen all males mating, either seen the genitals hanging outside the body. The swollen cloaca looks different at hens rather than males. In particular, during defecation males leave (a part of) the genital organ, the so-called hemipenis outside the body. Obviously, this is also a distinct feature which one can recognize the sexes, but not with everyone who keeps Lesser Vasas the birds come in such breeding mood that this can be observed. In young birds there are no visual characteristics regarding sex. Distribution in Madagascar Lesser Vasa Parrots live in the coastal areas around Madagascar. The distribution area of C. n. nigra is located in the east. The distribution area of C. n. libs lies in the

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west. In the north and south of the ranges they can overlap. Lesser Vasas exclusively live in wooded areas and in particular in denser overgrown forests. The Greater Vasa Parrot is also found in rocky areas with less vegetation. Greater Vasas even occur in urban areas, where they are easy prey for hunters. By locals, they are also consumed. In recent decades, there has been extreme deforestation in Madagascar, not just by logging, but also by tropical storms that ravage the country annually. It is therefore understandable that especially Lesser Vasa Parrots and numerous other (often endemic) species decline in numbers. Breeding results Now and then breeding results with C. n. nigra have been achieved in the last few years, but the number is still small. Many breeders do not recognize the subspecies, so it is not excluded that a few random breeding results produced hybrids in the past. The first announcement of breeding results in the Netherlands was published in the February issue of Parkietensociëteit magazine by Mr. Huiskamp in 1991. Roger Wilkinson describes a breeding result in 1993 at Chester Zoo UK. In Germany, among others, Jörg Asmus and Dr. George Sauer recorded breeding results. In recent years, in Switzerland and Great Britain occasionally Lesser Vasas are being bred. In the Netherlands there are some

FEATURE breeders, among them Michel van der Plas for example, who manage to produce offspring regularly. In Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark and Sweden Lesser Vasas are present, but except for Loro Parque Tenerife, there haven’t been recent breeding results yet, as far as I know. In the UK I know one breeder who managed to breed with one pair. In the United States San Diego Zoo booked some breeding results as well as a small number of private breeders. But the Americans are not concerned with the pure-breeding of the subspecies. In general, they are happy if they breed at all, so breeding pure-bred subspecies has no priority under the motto: “If you hardly see any difference, who cares?”

I have a different vision and will concentrate fully on breeding the even rarer subspecies C.n. libs, which is being bred sporadically. Meanwhile I even have been breeding second generation. The problem with this subspecies is the limited gene pool. Almost all offspring comes from my collection. Almost all captive bred birds I have in my collection now are related. Because of the import ban on parrots and the small amount of birds in aviculture currently threatens the species from disappearing if unrelated offspring doesn’t become available soon. When we remember that these birds in the wild are also endangered by deforestation and trapping, the future for Lesser Vasa Parrots does not look good. Should it come that far in the future that

I had the hope that the species could be bred in captivity in sufficient numbers, but this seems to be extremely difficult. Although Vasa Parrots are not difficult birds to keep, breeding is not easy. any reintroduction in Madagascar will be desirable and possible, I hope that we can stand to our European stock. I had the hope that the species could be bred in captivity in sufficient numbers, but this seems to be extremely difficult. Although Vasa Parrots are not difficult birds to keep, breeding is not easy. I urge anyone who has the ability to house these birds to meet this challenge.

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Behaviour When I started keeping Lesser Vasas there was hardly anything known about their behaviour in nature. Following the experience of Roger Wilkinson I kept my birds together in a flock. That went well, only breeding results were not forthcoming. But I saw that hens preferred a large cockatoo block (type hollow trunk) versus smaller square nest boxes. I also noticed that they mostly eat seeds. When I am offering them for example melon, papaya and figs (figs fresh or dried), first they will eat the seeds and only secondarily consume the flesh.

FEATURE

Ann Bollen has done field research in seed dispersal of plants in Madagascar, in which Vasa Parrots play a role also. From her observations it is seen that Vasa Parrots pick seeds from fruits and only eat a small part of the flesh. She describes Vasa Parrots as fruit predators. Like other parrots they are messy eaters, which often gnaw fruit to drop it to the ground and attack the next fruit thereafter. Jonathan Ekstrom was one of the first scientists who has done field research into the behaviour of the Greater Vasa Parrot. Vasa Parrots, both Greater and Lesser have polygynandric behaviour. This

means that both males and females have multiple partners. Vasa Parrots breed in the dry season, when relatively little food is available. Therefore hens mate with several males. During breeding the hen is fed by all males with whom she is associated. This increases the chance of survival of the chicks considerably in times of food scarcity. In my aviary hens feed each other also. Also hens are fed by males they don’t mate with, even males feed each other, in short a complete orgy. The moment when the young birds fledge is around the beginning of the rainy season

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when the forest carries more fruit. The newly fledged chicks will thus find sufficient food. They are still fed by the parents for a few weeks, but get independent quite soon. The behaviour and also the breeding behaviour of the Greater and Lesser Vasa Parrot is almost identical. It seems that especially hens of the Greater Vasa are more aggressive in the breeding season, so males need more places to hide. Incidentally, there are also reports of aggression in breeding season with the Lesser Vasa hens. Although the hen is dominant victims of injuries never happened with me. In a group there is a clear pecking order. For me, there are always a few birds (males mostly) that are lower in the ranking and are picked on. This cannot be avoided. Incidentally hens also pair with these bedraggled males. It does not matter where in the ranking the males are placed they can also be good fathers. The Lesser Vasa has a greater range of melodic whistling than its big brother. Especially in the breeding season they let us hear a large variation of (short) melodies. They rarely screech. If they screech, there is usually something wrong. It clearly is a panic reaction, which they emit when they are attacked or, sometimes if they are held in the hand after being caught. Outside the breeding season they are calm yet vibrant birds. At the start of the breeding season, however, they really are noise generators. I know several breeders

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who abandoned their Vasa Parrots due to complaining neighbours. Even less fun for the neighbours (and often also for me and my wife) is that they also make noise at night. At night the hen occasionally leaves the nest box to be fed. Just like during the day and she produces whistle tunes at high volume. After being fed by one of the males she is quiet again after a few minutes. But also males are heard at night sometimes. They produce a gentle soft whistling tone as they probably want to let know the hen know that they are nearby. This sound can take longer. This behaviour is not acceptable for everyone and one’s sleep (temporarily) can suffere. Therefore breeders of Vasa Parrots are advised to house the birds not directly under the bedroom window and it is appropriate to modify a known proverb: a distant neighbour is better than a good cousin........ Vasa Parrots don’t show any sign of affection. Brushing each others head and neck feathers, as we see for example in Amazon parrots and Macaws, they never do. Individual birds keep to themselves and do not look for others. Only in the breeding season, the birds feed each other, but even that goes pretty rough and fast. After feeding the feeding party is chased, which flies away quickly, usually noisily with a kind of chattering sound like a duck. Lesser Vasas are sensitive to stress, especially when it comes to changes in their environment. This also applies to offspring.

FEATURE

Vasa Parrots don’t show any sign of affection. Brushing each others head and neck feathers, as we see for example in Amazon parrots and Macaws, they never do. Individual birds keep to themselves and do not look for others. Only in the breeding season, the birds feed each other, but even that goes pretty rough and fast.

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If a breeding pair is moved, it can take two years (sometimes even longer) before they feel at ease again and want to breed. One breeding pair that I had moved to a (in my opinion) more comfortable aviary never wanted to breed anymore thereafter. Although they like to peel the bark of willow, placing branches in their aviary gives initial stress, any change in the aviary is responded to nervously. Therefore, nest boxes I never remove although nest boxes are not used by the birds outside the breeding season. Sleeping is done on a branch and not in the nest box. My Lesser Vasas bathe frequently. So some large water bowls are used in my aviaries. Lesser Vasas are also fond of sunbathing. Because I have housed most birds inside, not all birds have this opportunity. But the birds that may come in the outside aviary, even at high temperatures I see them hanging with spread wings against the mesh (behind glass!), and sometimes even lying on the floor in the most unflattering poses the birds panting from the heat, otherwise one might think they lie dead. Lesser Vasas are curious and biting all over, but they are not chewing as cockatoos and other larger parrots. I also keep them in old-fashioned wooden aviaries. The square corners of the wood are gnawed round, but only recently my first 8 year old wooden in-between-door had to be replaced. The doors in more recent built aviaries I actually have made of aluminium containing a little feed platter.

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I recommend it to apply firm wire netting, because thin wire will be bitten through. That experience I have gained now too already. Housing Lesser Vasa Parrots make few demands on housing and diet. Although they can get used to our climate, I recommend a frostfree stay. In Madagascar, the temperature never drops below freezing in their habitat and the birds (at least mine) hate cold. The toes are susceptible to frostbite. I keep all my birds indoors. Even the one and only outdoor aviary is covered by a roof and is surrounded by (insulated) glass. The front can be opened by a sliding door. The advantage is that the birds are always sheltered from our climate and the glass is reducing the noise of the birds. Third advantage is that the birds have no contact with wild animals. Faeces of wild birds flying over cannot be dropped in the aviary. So I never had any illness amongst my birds. They love to fly, so in an aviary of a few meters in length, they feel like home. But during the breeding season, they can be perfectly housed in a smaller space. One of my breeding pairs breed in a fenced L-shaped area of approximately 1.2 x 1.2 meters almost every year. In my oldest aviary, about 5 meters long including the indoor part, I housed two pairs. In the breeding season I close a door in between the inner enclosure, allowing

FEATURE

the two pairs to be separated. With this I achieve breeding results almost every year, at least with one pair. The advantage is that I know which male the eggs are fertilized by. After the breeding season last year, I have housed a trio C. n. nigra separately in an indoor enclosure of about 2.5 x 2 meters. It is a hen with two males. The birds tolerate each other well. The birds have been feeding each other, but didn’t breed, although the hen dropped eggs from the branch. This has everything to do with the long period they need to get used to a different environment I presume. My other birds stay in an aviary about 8 meters long and more than 2 meters wide. In here I can put dividers to create cages more than 2 meters deep and about 1.5 meters wide. Here I can put pairs aside.

In Madagascar, the temperature never drops below freezing in their habitat and the birds (at least mine) hate cold. Several hens have bred in these cages, unfortunately with unfertilized eggs until now. Perhaps I separated pairs too late in the year, while unfertilized eggs are due to males that don’t want to mate. Undoubtedly it has something to do with stress by environmental change. I also tried to let the group stay together, but that gave troubles, because sometimes several hens wanted to use the same nest box. I did observe mating in the group. During mating, there were some males sitting next to the copulating pair, that imperturbable and unashamedly continued what it was doing. Unfortunately, it didn’t result in fertilized eggs. BIRD SCENE 23

FEATURE Nutrition Such as field investigations revealed Vasa Parrots are feeding on seeds. On a daily base I provide a standard seed mixture for parrots without peanuts or dried pepper. They are big consumers. In the breeding season I double the seed supply. Additionally I provide egg food, sometimes mixed with boiled white rice. Occasionally I add a multivitamin powder to the rice. And of course I provide fresh fruits and vegetables. Outside the breeding season, I only provide this in addition to the seed diet every other day. In the breeding season fruits and veggies varied with egg food is supplied every day. The kind of provided fruit depends on the supply in the market where I usually purchase. I provide grapes, mango, papaya, pear, melon, banana, sometimes figs and I always have apples at home. I also give carrots regularly and peppers and lettuce

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occasionally, sometimes cauliflower or broccoli. I never feed citrus as this dilutes the faeces. In the breeding season the faeces is naturally thinner. I also occasionally give hardened old (stick) bread. They like gnawing this and it is (like mango kernels) also used as a toy. In the breeding season, they need extra calcium and magnesium. I see the birds gnaw on the stucco and concrete walls and concrete floor. Cuttlefish bone they don’t like. They even don’t play with it. In order to provide sufficient calcium and magnesium I give them clay sometimes, which I first boil with water for disinfection and then mix with oyster shells grit or crushed cuttlefish bone. I let it dry and when still soft I turn it into little balls. They play with the balls and chew on it, so they naturally get in calcium and other minerals. Oyster shells grit provided in bowls is not consumed by my birds. Continues in the next edition...

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ZEBRA FINCHES

PART THREE

BY KEN LOCKWOOD AND GERALD MASSEY

When the time comes to split up breeding pairs of Zebra Finches There comes a point in every breeding season when pairs need to be split up. In our case it is almost always at the end of the second breeding round. Feeding chicks takes a lot out of parent birds so we are never tempted to let them go on to feed a third round though, if the early chicks of a particular pair are outstanding we have been known to let a hen lay a third clutch of eggs and then foster out the clutch. Compared to feeding, laying eggs has no adverse effect on a zebra finch hen’s physical condition. One of the benefits of maintaining a relatively large

26 BIRD SCENE

stud of zebra finches is that it is not too difficult to find suitable foster nests for eggs – without ever making pairings with the express intention of using them as foster pairs. If there is a possibility that eggs will need to be transferred, a hen with a clear clutch will be permitted to carry on sitting. If a hen has four fertile eggs, there is room for a couple from another pair. In set-ups such

FEATURE

as ours it is usually possible to transfer eggs to a pair of a different colour so that there can be no confusion over parentage. For the decision to be made to split up a pair, their last chick or chicks must be ready for weaning. Full details of the chick – parentage, hatching date, colour and sex – are entered in the record book at the time. You may think you have a good memory but leaving such details until later can bring doubt about pedigrees. Our approach to housing parent birds that have just been split up is very similar to the way we deal with weaning chicks. Cocks and hens are housed separately in flight cages. While they are breeding, the pairs are given access to baths every three or four days. The breeding season causes feathers to get dirty and damaged – [particularly those of the hens – so bathing is permitted more frequently during the recuperation period. Success with zebra finch

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exhibition finches depends upon getting them into the right condition at the right time. For example, when the show season comes to an end, it is necessary to bring them down from their high show condition. This is achieved, in the main, by being housed in flights for six to eight weeks. The change in their appearance after that period can be so striking that a winning bird can be almost unrecognizable. After a hard breeding season, they need to be rested before being brought back into show condition. The staple diet consists of a budgerigar mixture that is strong in millets and weak in canary seed. Millet sprays, which were withheld during the breeding season, are now made available. The sprays offer extra nourishment and promote activity. We do not experience problems of hens putting on weight during the breeding season. Feeding a couple of rounds of

28 BIRD SCENE

youngsters keeps them trim. Any egg food that is left over after catering for the needs of pairs that are still breeding or weaning youngsters is given to the recuperating adults. When it comes to mineral/vitamin supplements, we have found that those specifically developed for pigeons are very good. We use two types, one that is given in the drinking water and another, a powder, that is sprinkled onto the mixture of mineralized and oyster shell grit that is always available. Our birds pounce on the powdered supplement as soon as it is added. If, after a couple of weeks close observation, the breeding birds are still fully fit, they are transferred from the flight cages into flights. Again, the sexes are segregated. With zebra finches, you get a certain degree of chasing and squabbling even in single-sex accommodation, but mixing the sexes

FEATURE

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FEATURE

makes potential problems even worse. Youngsters are given a little longer in cages, where it is easier to keep an eye on them, before being given access to flights. Some take longer than others to reach the maturity needed for the more strenuous and demanding conditions of a flight but, in general, three or four weeks in cages is usually long enough. Although, to the casual observer, not much seems to be happening during this part of the zebra finch year, it is, in fact, a very important period. It is all about exercise, complimented by plenty of bathing. Youngsters are left to their own devices and given a chance to develop physically – without trying to get them to put on weight and without paying any attention to their show potential. Only two measures are taken in preparation for show training – Fitting show cages to the flights and fixing show cage perches to the wall of the cages. Millet sprays in the show cages encourage the youngsters to

30 BIRD SCENE

enter and the separate perches are set at the same distance apart as in a show cage. Both measures give youngsters valuable experience and build up their confidence. The time will come when stock needs to be sorted into three categories – candidates for the show team, the breeding team and those that will be discarded.

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BIRD SCENE 31

BY DR. DAVID WAUGH DIRECTOR, LORO PARQUE FUNDACIÓN

AFTER 20 YEARS, GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE AMAZONS OF TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO

he coastal plain of eastern Tamaulipas State in Mexico supports isolated populations of two globally endangered Amazon parrots, the Yellowheaded Amazon (Amazonaoratrix) and Green-cheeked Amazon ( A. viridigenalis), and healthy populations of the Red-lored Amazon (A. autumnalis). A. viridigenalis has a small range and is found only on the Atlantic slope of north-eastern Mexico. In the 1990’s intense studies of these species in the Tamaulipas region, focused on 550 ha of the Los Colorados Ranch, 5km from the Gulf of Mexico, were undertaken by Dr. Ernersto EnkerlinHoeflich, now of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Mexico. Back then, the research site was made up of a mixture of native woodland 06 32

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FEATURE

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fragments, wooded pastures, and open pastures set in a broader landscape dominated by open pastures. The studies included counting parrotsat large nocturnal roosts, and the calculation of nest densities, and provided important natural history and conservation information on these species. In fact it is still used in making conservation assessments, but there has been uncertainty about whether these species of parrots could persist long-term in this landscape highly modified by man. It was not known if the parrots had moved from recently deforested areas into this pastoral landscape or if they could sustain their populations in the pasture habitats. In the 20 years since the last work much has changed. Europe banned importation of wild caught birds in 2007 and Mexico passed a ban on the capture and sale of native birds in 2010. Both actions should have reduced the impact of the pet trade in the region. The region was heavily deforested by the early 1990’s, but the deforestation ban passed in the 1980’s has apparently reduced the rates of forest loss, because the region is no longer considered to be losing forest cover. Remote images of Google Earth show that there has been almost no loss of tree cover in the area from the early 1990s through 2011, suggesting that the habitat has remained relatively unchanged over the past 20 years. The

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The numbers of parrots detected per evening were higher than the average over the period 1992 – 1994 and were most similar to the values from 1992, the year with the highest counts from the original study. These results indicate that after 20 years the parrots are continuing to use this area successfully. reduction in deforestation and increased legal protection for wild parrots leads to cautious optimism about the fate of the wild parrot populations in Tamaulipas. However, enforcement of environmental laws is still weak and widespread illegal activity remains common. As a result, capture for the pet trade may remain high in rural areas like the coastal plain of Tamaulipas. During his work, Enkerlin-Hoeflich hypothesized that the three species of Amazona parrots would be able to survive in the highly impacted matrix of pasture with large isolated trees (about 85% of the landscape) and native forest fragments (about 15%) as long as poaching rates remained low. Testing the hypothesis that these Amazon parrots can survive in these highly impacted landscapes for > 20 years is of great importance to the conservation of these species, as it has broad implications for

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Green-cheeked Amazon (Roger Moore)

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Red-lored Amazon (Peter Tan)

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Habitat of cattle pastures with mature trees as found in Los Colorados Ranch. (LPF)

future conservation planning and landscape management. If true, it would suggest that work with ranch owners and their employees could go a long way to improve the conservation status of these birds in areas dominated by cattle grazing. Therefore the Loro Parque Fundación supported a follow-up project of Dr. Enkerlin-Hoeflich, together with Dr. Don Brightsmith of Texas A&M University, USA, to return to the same sites and repeat the methodologies to determine how the numbers of birds roosting and nesting in this field site has changed over the past 20 years. The immediate intention is to use the resulting information with other researchers to verify conservation status, set conservation priorities and create conservation plans for the endangered species A. oratrix and A. viridigenalis.

Between April and July of 2013 the field coordinator, Jose Luis Manzano, conducted a total of 17 counts of the Amazon parrots as they arrived to roost in a forest patch in the same locality of the study area. On average 148 ± 38 parrots were detected going to roost. The numbers of parrots detected per evening were higher than the average over the period 1992 – 1994 and were most similar to the values from 1992, the year with the highest counts from the original study. These results indicate that after 20 years the parrots are continuing to use this area successfully. The numbers of Yellow-headed Amazons coming to roost were much higher than the values recorded during the same months in 1992 – 1994. Throughout the 2013 season the roost counts averaged 85 ± 20 individuals per count which is much BIRD SCENE

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FEATURE

The numbers of Yellow-headed Amazons coming to roost were much higher than the values recorded during the same months in 1992 – 1994. Throughout the 2013 season the roost counts averaged 85 ± 20 individuals per count which is much higher than the average of less than 15 from the same time period in 1992 – 1994. This finding is quite surprising given the reported grave status of this species in many areas of Mexico. Yellow-headed Amazon

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Red-lored Amazon

higher than the average of less than 15 from the same time period in 1992 – 1994. This finding is quite surprising given the reported grave status of this species in many areas of Mexico.

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The numbers of Greencheeked Amazons were relatively high in April (70 individuals), but by May they had dropped to very low levels (3 ± 5 per count). The average value per count for 2013 (12 ± 17) was significantly lower than the average over the same period in 1992 – 1994 (29 ± 26). However, while these numbers are very low, they are similar to those recorded in 1993 and 1994. Therefore this species persists in this environment even though it has not shown the dramatic increase in numbers over the last 20 years like A. oratrix. The numbers of A. autumnalis coming to roost were about 20% higher in 2013 (40 ± 10 per count) than over similar date ranges in the 1990’s (33 ± 13 per count). To examine nesting densities, Jose Luis Manzano surveyed an area of 258 ha between April and July 2013, to locate and confirm parrot nests. The project located a total of 19 confirmed nests and an additional three probable nests. The most abundant nester was A. viridigenalis with eight confirmed nests, followed by A. oratrix with six confirmed and two suspected and A.

FEATURE autumnalis with four confirmed and two suspected. Using the 258 ha, the estimated nest densities were 7.0 (confirmed) to 8.5 (suspected) nests per 100 hectares for all three species combined. Confirmed nesting density per 100 ha was 1.6 nests for A. autumnalis, 2.3 for A. oratrix and 3.1 for A. viridigenalis. The nesting densities for A. oratrix were 270% to 360% higher in 2013 than the average during 1993 to 1998. This increase is real as during the 1990s research teams never found eight or more nests of this species even though they searched an area roughly twice the size of that searched in 2013. The nest density of A. viridigenalis, was about 36% higher in 2013 than in 1993 to 1998. This likely represents a real increase, although not nearly as pronounced as that seen for A. oratrix. The nest density for A. autumnalis in 2013 was nearly identical to the 6 year average (1993 to 1998). However, given the late start on the field season (April – May in 2013 versus February – May in the 1990’s) and the smaller field team, the expectation was to find lower numbers of nests in the 2013 season, especially for A. autumnalis which is exceedingly cautious around its nest making its nests much more difficult to find. Additional nest searching effort would likely pay off a great deal more in finding nests of A. autumnalis and for this reason it is suspected that the actual nest densities

of A. autumnalis may also be higher in 2013 than they were in the 1990’s. However, the results clearly show that all three species are still surviving and nesting at Los Colorados Ranch. Another factor is that the region is still in the grips of a serious drought, which began in 2010. Nevertheless, the visits to the research site confirm confirm the similarities in the 1993 habitat map and the 2010 Google Earth images. The nest data from 2013 show that there is still some nest-poaching happening, however the Los Colorados Ranch owner, as a result of his interest in the repeat project, now receives reports from his manager so as to maintain control of these kinds of activities on his land. This is good news for the Amazons of Tamaulipas.

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D E C N A ADV TICE NO

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BIRD SCENE

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION 7TH OCTOBER 2018 BY LES RANCE

t is now eleven years ago that The Parrot Society started out on a venture of hopefully rebuilding “The National Exhibition” that had been run up until 2003 at the Birmingham NEC. 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 the numbers of exhibits have increased and we are working hard to ensure that even more varieties of exhibition quality canaries are on the show bench for the 2018 event, the Yorkshire Canary Club will be joining our ranks this year so do look out for these special canaries at the exhibition. The Parrot Society can only thank the

44 BIRD SCENE

bird club officials that have all worked so hard to increase the number of exhibits year on year and made this exhibition the success it has become. We are pleased that the Norwich Canary Club and the London Fancy canary club two of our newer recruits are settling in very well and are both enjoying being part of the National Exhibition. At our annual National Exhibition management committee meeting held in Coventry on 13th May a proposal, placed before the Parrot Society six months previously, that the National Exhibition should be extended to a two day event was discussed in detail. There is no doubt that clubs with large entries like The Fife Fancy have to work very hard to stage and judge the birds in just one morning. Clubs with smaller entries can cope very well. The clubs had discussed the

FEATURE

suggested change with their individual members and their view was that the existing arrangements worked well and avoided them travelling twice to the show or staying over on the Saturday evening, both costly actions. By a vote of 12 to 3 it was agreed that The National Exhibition would continue in its existing one day format. Arrangements are well in hand for the next Show on Sunday 7th October 2018. 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 continue to achieve these goals. Due to the need to cater for the ever increasing numbers of exhibits last year we ordered another three blocks of staging which was supplied by Ray Howells of Birds and Things. We will

again continue with the five trophies, one for each section, these this year will be sponsored by Johnston & Jeff Ltd. I am sure the clubs and exhibitors are very happy with the outcome. In order to store the additional staging last year we purchased a 40’ long storage container located at Stafford County Showground, this has worked very well. UK bird exhibitors now view this event as the premier ‘all variety show’ on the UK calendar. 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 fairly short time 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

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demand from continental traders to attend this event, further increasing the range of products available to all our enthusiastic visitors. 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. 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” will be again sponsored by Richard Johnston of Johnston and Jeff Ltd who is now our sole sponsor and has supported us from the start.

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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 again be spread over a number of editions to ensure that the event obtains maximum publicity in this excellent publication, it will as previously carry advertisements from all the exhibiting clubs and details as to who to approach to obtain the Show Schedule for your chosen species. This supplement has now become a feature of “The National Exhibition”. At this point I must congratulate Cage & Aviary Birds in being awarded ‘Niche Market Newspaper of the Year 2018’ very well done to their entire team.

FEATURE

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 this year. So whatever your bird keeping requirements they will be on offer at Stafford on 7th October. 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 Centre. In addition part of the Prestwood Centre will be given over to clubs stands for those clubs that participate in the National Exhibition. This facilitates the management of the exhibition during the judging of the birds and allows both

exhibitors and general visitor’s access to the exhibition at the earliest possible time on the day. The Parrot Society Council members hope that all the exhibitors and the officials of the specialist exhibiting clubs have a very enjoyable day and we 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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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.