PUBLISHED FOR BIRD LOVERS BY BIRD LOVERS
Aviarylife www.aviarylife.com.au
Issue 02/2018 02/2017 $12.45Global FREE Incl. GST E-magazine Australia
ISSN 1832-3405
Macrorhynchus Red-tail Special Feature - Saint Lucia Shines Wisbroek Breeding Centre Harry Carr Nepal kalij Dreams Do Come True Blue-capped Waxbill The Musk Lorikeet Saving the Black-cheeked Lovebird Finch Aviculture - A Masterclass
HARI (Hagen Avicultural Research Institute) continues to evolve into a world class Psittacine captive breeding, nutrition and research facility. · Trusted by veterinarians worldwide · Dedicated to globally supporting the avian community – veterinarians, breeders, rescues, aviculturists, conservation field biologists and pet parents. All formulas are produced in a state-of-the-art food plant
· Complete balanced diet in the form of extruded pellets · No artificial preservatives, colors or flavors · Multi sizes and shapes satisfy a wide range of species
Each batch tested for nutritional value
Each batch fed to HARI’s flock since 1987
· Multi-grain variety with tasty fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and with the added benefit of Tropican · Familiarizes seed eating birds with the nutritionally balanced benefits of an extruded food · Provides a stimulating eating experience and foraging opportunities
ACTP President Martin Guth handing over the key to one of three new vehicles to the Hon. Ezechiel Joseph Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Cooperatives St. Lucia
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Regulars 04
Editors Column
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On The Wing
08
News From Jurong Bird Park
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Centrefold
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Wild Watch
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Aviary Watch
Features 05 10 12 17 18 26 33
Saint Lucia Shines – A Proud Day in the Caribbean
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Simon Degenhard, photos by Simon Degenhard and Adams Toussaint
Pet Owners Are Not Pet Shops!
Canary and Cage Bird Federation of Australia Inc.
Saving the Black-cheeked Lovebird
John Hopgood, photos by John Hopgood and Henk van der Meer
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Save The Pet Macaw
Ashleigh Quinn
The Blue-Capped Waxbill Uraeginthus cyanocephala
Graham Bull, Photos by Graham Bull and Gerhard Hofmann http://www.hofmann-photography.de/
The Nepal Kalij – A Pheasant Well Worth Considering!
John Urane. Photos by Greg Lasley & Dan and Lin Dzurisin
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From the Hunter to the World – Rachel Lewis Wildlife Artist Extraordinaire
Simon Degenhard
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The Freedom of Flight
Kaya Klaw
Harry Carr – The Godfather of Australian Softbill Aviculture
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Simon Degenhard
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Bourke’s Parrots in the Outback
Ben Pearce
Cover Image - Saint Lucia Amazon Amazona versicolor Photographer Adams Toussaint
No. 2 2018
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’day friends and fellow bird lovers, welcome to the second issue of the FREE Aviarylife E-magazine! We are extremely proud to bring you this second instalment of our Global E-mag totally FREE throughout the world! And we hope that you all enjoy it as much as we enjoy delivering it to you all. Many of you will already be aware that I have been in the Caribbean during the second half of February. I travelled to Saint Lucia with ACTP to be a part of the Ceremony marking not only the commencement of the construction of the new state-of-the-art Wildlife Conservation and Education Centre, but also the 10-year anniversary of the conservation partnership between ACTP and the Island’s Government. This is a huge milestone for the conservation of the Saint Lucia Amazon – read all about it starting on the opposite page. In other very exciting news, the Parrot Society of New Zealand 2018 Convention is shaping to be the MUST attend bird event of the year! The recent announcement of two new international guest speakers has completely blown the competition away for 2018, as no other speaker line-up even comes close to this one now. The two new speakers in question are none other than the world-renowned Dr. Cromwell Purchase of AWWP in Qatar and Miss Katrin Scholtyssek of ACTP – their inclusion in the line-up is certainly the icing on the cake for what will no doubt be a wonderful, world-class convention. So, don’t hesitate, book your seat NOW! See pages 23-25 for more info. Many of those in Australia will already be aware of the proposed changes to the Pet Shop Code of Practice currently being entertained by the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Primary Industries (DPI). Should the Minister responsible, the Hon. Niall Blair, pass these changes into legislation this will spell the end of Aviculture in NSW, as we know it – see pages 10-11 for more info on this. On the subject above, it must be noted that the Canary and Cage Bird Federation of Australia Inc. (CCBFA) have been on the front foot fighting for Aviculture in NSW, and Australia, in regards to this issue from the very moment that, then Vice President Sam Davis became aware of these proposed changes to the Pet Shop COP. Sam was the first person in the Australian Avicultural Community to become aware of this issue, and immediately realised the gravity of the proposed changes, should they be passed into legislation. He hastily contacted numerous stakeholders, including other animal groups such as Dogs NSW and the Pet Industry Association, as well as members of the NSW Avicultural Community including myself, to not only spread awareness of this issue, but also to immediately begin planning a coordinated response. Sam also contacted the office of the Hon. Niall Blair to both clarify
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No. 2 2018
his interpretation of the proposed changes and to also set up a meeting to discuss the position of the NSW Avicultural Community on the matter. A meeting was granted and attended by both Sam and Bob Barnes. On behalf of the NSW Avicultural Community and myself, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the CCBFA and Sam in particular, for their dedication and effort towards the support of our beloved hobby. I would also like to congratulate Sam Davis on recently being elected the new President of the CCBFA, and thank outgoing and long serving president, Warren Wilson for his contribution over many, many years. Warren will continue on the committee as Vice President. I would like to also draw your attention to the latest piece by John Griffith, a very interesting and at the same time extremely worrying account of the effect of Climate Change on the Australian Eclectus Parrot across it’s small range in Far North Queensland. Please do yourselves a favour and read this article starting on page 46. On a personal note, John’s article really hit home with me, as it is now so clear to see that Climate Change is real, and the reality of it is that it is having negative effects not only on the environment and animal species right across the Globe, but of course also on the human population. During my time in the Caribbean last month, this subject came up numerous times, and unanimously the consensus was that in recent years Climate Change has been happening at an ever increasing, and very alarming rate. The people that I spoke to in Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Dominica all spoke about the wide ranging effects that are being felt in their region, with particular mention of the changing weather patterns – the seasons simply are not as they used to be. As with the Eclectus Parrots of Cape York, these rapid changes are causing negative impacts for all forms of life throughout the world. We, the Human race, may not be the only cause of Climate Change, but there is no doubt that we are at the very least partially to blame. We simply must do better; we must look after the planet in every way possible; we must use less, and reuse more; we must conserve the fragile ecosystems and take responsibility for our actions. We must do all of this, if not for us, for our children and our children’s children and our children’s children’s children; surely a healthy planet is the very least that we can leave for them! Now, without further ado, please go a head and enjoy this latest offering of your favourite bird mag. And until next time, take care, enjoy life and don’t forget to keep spreading the bird word! Cheers,
Simon
Aviarylife Editor Simon Degenhard Ph. 0429 008 850 Email: simon@aviarylife.com.au Assistant Editor Graham Banks Subscriptions Simon Degenhard Ph. 0429 008 850 Email: simon@aviarylife.com.au Display Advertising & Classified Advertising Simon Degenhard Ph. 0429 008 850 Email: simon@aviarylife.com.au Design, Layout & Artwork Graham Banks ICT Support Officer Graham Banks Contributors If you wish to submit an article or if you have an idea, please contact our office on 0429 008 850 for details Printing Graphic Impressions Distributor Gordon and Gotch Contact Details Australian Aviary Life Ph: 0429 008 850 PO Box 39, Bellingen, NSW, 2454, Australia Email: simon@aviarylife.com.au Website: www.aviarylife.com.au ISSN 1832-3405 Disclaimer While every care is taken the publisher accepts no responsibility for the content of advertising or editorial material submitted and published. It is the responsibility of advertisers to ensure that their advertisement is truthful, law abiding and meets all statutory government requirements. Articles represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the publisher. Australian Aviarylife also reserves the right to refuse any advertising that it considers to be detrimental or conflicting with the integrity of this publication. Australian Aviary Life. Copyright It is an offence under the Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968 to reproduce any part of this publication, including advertising, artwork and photography without prior written consent of publisher. ©2018 Australian Aviary Life. All rights reserved
By Simon Degenhard, photos by Simon Degenhard & Adams Toussaint
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t isn’t every day that you get to not only witness, but also be a part of the realisation of a dream – a dream, the beginning of which was hatched some 10 years ago, on the island paradise of Saint Lucia. Friday the 23rd of February 2018 saw the coming together of four countries – Germany, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Dominica - to celebrate the first step in what will be a ground-breaking chapter in the history of both St. Lucia and ACTP. The first sod was turned to make way for the construction of a Wildlife Conservation and Education Centre (WCEC) like no other; a state-of-the-art facility setup to showcase the incredible endemic wildlife of this Caribbean paradise. And of course, among the Iguanas, Boas and other natives, the Crown Jewel of the Island’s rainforest, the Saint Lucia Amazon will be the Shinning Star! The construction of the WCEC has long been at the forefront of ACTP’s plan for the continued conservation of
not only the St. Lucia Amazon, but all other endemic wildlife and also their spectacular rainforest habitat as well. Whilst it took some time for all of the stars to align, align they did and with this the excitement continued to build. This WCEC has been a part of ACTP’s overall conservation strategy for the St. Lucia Amazon from the beginning. The purpose of which is to not only provide a world-class facility in which to display the local animals and birds to both the tourists and the St. Lucians, thereby offering a real alternative to having to go to the forest to search if you wish to see them, which is a huge plus for the habitat, but also to educate people, and especially the school kids of St Lucia, on how they can help to conserve the natural heritage of this beautiful country. The WCEC will also provide employment and training, and as an added bonus all profits generated by the centre will go directly towards real life conservation efforts on the Island. The celebration also saw the handing
Adams Toussaint
A Proud Day in the Caribbean
Adams Toussaint
Saint Lucia Shines
Adams Toussaint
ACTP President Martin Guth with L-R the Hon. Johnson Drigo – Minister for Agriculture Dominica, Dr. Didicus Jules, Director General Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, the Hon. Saboto Caesar – Minister for Agriculture St. Vincent and the Hon. Ezechiel Joseph - Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Cooperatives St. Lucia.