61 Bird Scene - Winter 2023 by Magazine

SCENE

BIRD

ISSUE 61: WINTER 2023

BREEDING THE

PAGODA MYNAH OR BRAHMINY STARLING RAY HOLLAND

RED-BELLIED FIRE FINCHES IN BUSH AND AVIARY RUSSELL KINGSTON OAM CONSERVATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN MAJOR MITCHELL’S COCKATOO LES RANCE & RAY ACKROYD THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION 2023! THE

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CONTENTS 8

22 34 40

Conservation of the Australian Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo Les Rance & Ray Ackroyd

Red-bellied Fire Finches in Bush and Aviary Russell Kingston OAM

Pagoda Mynah or Brahminy starling Ray Holland

The National Exhibition Les Rance

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BIRD SCENE: Issue 61: Winter 2023 BIRD SCENE is run by The Parrot Society UK, Audley House, Northbridge Road, Berkhamsted HP4 1EH, 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

INTRODUCTION 04 BIRD SCENE

BY THE EDITOR

LES RANCE

WWW.THEPARROTSOCIETYUK.ORG LES.RANCE@THEPARROTSOCIETYUK.ORG

s you will have read in the introduction to the autumn edition of Bird Scene, I was very fortunate to have bred quite a few baby parakeets during 2023. What is now very important is to ensure that they get through their first winter in good condition. I tend to keep my babies with their parents for a number of months after they have left the nest box as I feel they learn a great deal from their parents and they do appear much steadier than babies that are removed from their parents soon after they have weaned.

To ensure that the youngsters have the best possible aviary accommodation I use five aviaries that are in the centre of my main breeding facility, these aviaries are well sheltered from both wind, rain, snow, and are nice and dry. Over the years, they have proved ideal for over wintering youngsters outside where they receive no heating. I am pleased to say that at the time of writing on 27th November everything is going very well with all my young birds, even though we have experienced our first frosty mornings of the year. After working hard to ensure that quite a few birds were reared in 2023 it is only sensible to see that, they are given the very best of accommodation to see them successfully through whatever the coming winter brings us. In this issue, we have an excellent article about our long term conservation project using flexible sheet tin to protect the nest sites of the beautiful Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo in Australia, a conservation project that The Parrot Society is rightly very proud of financing over a long period. In addition, we have an article about the Red-bellied Fire

Finches in Bush & Aviary. For softbill enthusiasts there is also an excellent article on breeding the Pagoda Mynah or Starling. Even if you do not keep a species written about there are always one or two tips/hints in every article that you can consider using to help your bird breeding to be successful. This is now the sixty first edition of Bird Scene, how quickly over ten years can pass when you are working on a project – 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 monthly magazine, I cringe at the cost. Postal costs appear to have increased far faster than inflation and if The Royal Mail are not careful they will find that their income will reduce even further as people and businesses send less and less by conventional means. A price increase to £1.25p for a First Class letter became effective on 2nd October2023, an increase of 15p on the £1.10p previously charged, my maths are not very good but I think that is almost a 14% increase! With CPI, inflation now running around 6.49%, costs continue to rise far in excess of inflation. These costs obviously affect bird clubs when the show schedules have to be posted to potential exhibitors and equally it affects the exhibitors when they return their entries. In addition, how much longer will bird clubs be able to afford to post magazines to their members? This must be a great worry to many club officials. Fortunately, with an e-magazine we do not have this problem, or for that matter the cost of colour printing. Because of increases to the costs of both postage and printing, I am pleased that we decided to produce Bird Scene as a FREE e-magazine. We have learnt a great deal over the past ten years about this way of communicating with

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INTRODUCTION CONTINUED

bird enthusiasts and I am sure that this knowledge will become more and more valuable as we see further increases in costs to paper magazines. 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 has been produced to publicise The National Exhibition, which is held each year at our October Sale Day/Show at Stafford County Showground, in 2024 it will be held on Sunday 6th October. This publication is also used to promote our Conservation efforts for threatened parrots in the wild. An archive of earlier

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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.

editions of Bird Scene can be found on the Home Page of our website www. theparrotsocietyuk.org so if you would like to see earlier versions please do look at the Bird Scene archive.

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08 BIRD SCENE

FEATURE

CONSERVATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN

MAJOR MITCHELL’S COCKATOO IN AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES ARTICLE BY: LES RANCE & RAY ACKROYD

n Issue 10 of Bird Scene we gave a fairly in-depth report on the background to the tree-tinning project to prevent the active nests of Major Mitchell Cockatoos (Cacatua leadbeateri) being predated by goannas, a type of monitor lizard also known as the Lace Monitor. This article is still accessible from our website and well worth studying if you are interested in our conservation activities which to date have seen over £20,000 donated to

this particular conservation project which was strongly driven when John Mollindinia, travelled to Australia to gain first-hand experience of the Major Mitchell’s cockatoo. There he met Ray Ackroyd, who to this day organises tours in the southeastern states of New South Wales and Victoria as well as being a government licensed bird trapper and carries out the tree-tinning work that has done much to increase the numbers of Major Mitchell’s in the wild. At the end of the article in the last issue we reported that the latest news on the Conservation front is that Ray Ackroyd has been asked by

Do Major Mitchell’s cockatoos mate for life? 10 BIRD SCENE

the state of Victoria to help promote ways to save the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo in the state which will involve the assistance of school children. An AUS$10,000 fund is available for this project and we look forward to hearing how this project unfolds in Victoria. The Major Mitchell’s cockatoo is such a beautiful bird we are sure that the school children will rally to support it. The intention is to pay each child up to AUS $100 for reporting the location of active nesting sites of the rare Cockatoos so that they can be tinned. To help the children achieve this goal Ray Ackroyd has written the following guide.

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Do they pick out a special tree?

NESTING OF MAJOR MITCHELL’S COCKATOOS IN THE WILD Do Major Mitchell’s cockatoos mate for life? Yes they do and can nest together for up to 50 years.

Do they pick out a special tree? Yes they do: usually on a sand ridge or in open country away from other trees. They like to be able to see what is If one bird dies or gets killed does the going on around them. It’s a remaining bird seek out a new mate? precautionary thing so that they can Yes identify any predators including mankind. What type of tree do Major Mitchell’s nest in? Dry gum trees and Cypress Pine that is alive or dry. What time of year to Major Mitchell’s go to nest? Late August to early September.

Do Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos nest in big trees? Not really. Some may pick out a dry Cypress Pine tree that has no top or a broken limb that has left a hollow. Some trees are small and nests that are 5 metres from the ground are common.

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Do Major Mitchells like a special entrance to their nests?

Do Major Mitchells like a special entrance to their nests? Yes they do. Major Mitchells like an entrance to their nest that is shaped like an upturned canoe.

Note – it is important to know that when looking for nests.

Do Major Mitchell’s take long to prepare their nesting site? No they don’t. Both birds go into the nest chamber and pare off small chips of wood to form a soft base to lay their clutch of eggs. This usually only takes a few days to prepare.

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How far down from the entrance do Major Mitchell’s lay their clutch of eggs? That can vary but usually about ½ a metre. How many eggs do Major Mitchell’s lay each year? Depending on the season. If it’s a good year with lots of herbage on the ground they will lay up to four eggs. However the norm is three eggs. How long is the incubation period or how long does it take to hatch from egg to chick? 28 days.

FEATURE Who sits on the eggs? They take turns. The Cock may sit during the day and the Hen at night or vis versa.

area. It may not be the same type of tree, so if a nest is lost look for the new site and it should be found within a half kilometre.

Is it easy to find the nest of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos? No it isn’t easy. They are a very secretive bird when nesting and can hear footsteps approaching a long way from the nest tree.

How long do the young stay in the nest? Around seven weeks. When the parents want the fledged babies to leave the nest they will encourage their young to climb up to the nest entrance and feed them there. This is an extremely bad time for predators to attack the young and the parent birds become very aware of that.

When is the best time to find a Major Mitchell’s Nest? When they are on eggs or have small young. Before or after that time is doubtful.

Note – It is important to note that Major Mitchell’s return to the same nest site every year and will continue to do that unless the tree is lost to fire or habitat loss through logging.

How can I study a nest once I have found it? Walk slowly toward the tree and identify the nest entrance. You must walk very quietly or he or she will leave the nest and not return until you have gone. The best way to study a nest is to build a hide just away from the tree and wait and watch. At no time should you disturb the nesting procedure. If Major Mitchell’s lose their nesting tree because of fire or land clearings do they leave that area? No they don’t. Usually they try and select a new nest site in the same

Are Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos reliable breeders? Most certainly. Almost all Major Mitchells return to the same tree every year. Usually around mid August. What is the average clutch size of nesting Major Mitchells? Average: 2.5 some raise 2, most raise 3 and 4 is not unusual. How far do Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos fly from their nesting site in the off season? Up to 300 kilometres. How long do the baby birds stay with the parents after leaving the nest? Approximately six weeks then they join into a small flock situation.

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How long before young birds can breed themselves? Three years. If Major Mitchells are such a good and reliable breeder in the wild, why then isn’t the overall population increasing? Good question. • First and foremost it is predators. • Secondly it is bad fire management. • Thirdly it is land clearing. • Fourthly it is competition from other tree hollow nesting species that take over nests of Major Mitchells. Are baby Major Mitchell’s a noisy feeder when being fed in the nest and can that noise be heard from a distance? Good question! Yes they are a noisy feeder and that is to their detriment. The major predator is Goannas and each year they kill large

Can we prevent predators from attacking the nests of Major Mitchell Cockatoo? 14 BIRD SCENE

numbers of baby Major Mitchells and in the early part of the season also take the eggs. Goannas bite into and suck out the contents of the eggs. If the Hen Major Mitchell lays a second clutch, the Goanna will usually return for a second time. It is important to note that Goannas know that Major Mitchells return to the same nest each year so immediately they come out of hibernation they do the yearly rounds of the nests. Other predators at the nests are feral cats, possums and foxes, once the baby Major Mitchell’s leave the nest and at this early age are unsure of predators. Can we prevent predators from attacking the nests of Major Mitchell Cockatoos? Most certainly:

Possum

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If Major Mitchells are such a good and reliable breeder in the wild, why then isn’t the overall population increasing? The most effective method of preventing predators from climbing nest trees is to attach a collar around the tree with the base of the collar one metre from the ground. What is the collar made of? Smooth galvanized tin or heavy duty plastic. Both need to be one metre wide and can be cut to size and nailed around the tree. This method has proven to be fully successful. The tin or clear plastic is very slippery and doesn’t allow the predator to climb the tree. Research has shown that where Major Mitchell’s nesting trees were

collared up – not one nest was lost to predators. Very successful deterrent to protect nests, who thought of that? During October 1990 an elderly English birdman from the English Parrot Society, Mr John Mollindinia conducted a study on Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos in Western NSW. This study clearly indicated that almost 80% of Major Mitchell’s nests were taken by predators that climbed the nest trees from the ground. On his return to England following his study he indicated to the English Parrot Society that they should fund a

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How do we get this message across to landowners whose properties are the habitat of Major Mitchell’s?

trial project to protect the nesting trees of the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos in Western NSW. That could be achieved by placing a smooth tin or plastic collar around the trunk of each nest tree making it impossible for predators to climb to the nest. That trial project set the benchmark for tinning trees to species such as Major Mitchell’s or Glossy Black Cockatoos to mention just a few. Since that time a new heavy duty flat plastic is now available and has proven to be an upgrade on tin. Also clear plastic does not stand out and makes it almost impossible for any person to identify the nest tree. The

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English Parrot Society is very proud of being able to fund a project to protect one of Australia’s most outstanding Cockatoos. The fund has been ongoing for many years thanks to Mr Mollindinia. The Parrot Society attached a plaque at the base of a Major Mitchell’s nesting tree in honour of the late John Mollindinia for his outstanding work. So how can we find the nests to collar them up and how do we inform the landowners? Firstly you have to search for the nests when the Major Mitchell’s are on eggs or very early young. Following that time they are difficult to find at the nest site. A

FEATURE good pair of binoculars is essential and out of bed early. Try and get to an elevated spot and watch for the white birds. Once you find a nest you must remember where it is so you can return and collar the tree, provided the landowner agrees. How do we get this message across to landowners whose properties are the habitat of Major Mitchell’s? Local newspapers and any media coverage is good value. Let them know how important this issue is. Take pictures of any tree protection you are doing and give talks at school meetings. What about Major Mitchell Cockatoo nest trees in national parks? Do the managers protect breeding trees? Most state national parks have their own management strategy. There is evidence that some parks are constructing artificial nest sites at great expense. Whether these additional nests will attract Major Mitchell Cockatoos is yet to be clarified. At this time I do not know of any tree that hosts the nest of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo being protected by way of collars, either tin or plastic in national parks – but it works!

How do you tell the difference between the Cock and Hen Major Mitchell’s? Both birds are the same size: Cock – has black eye and not as much yellow in the comb as the hen. Hen – has pink eye and more yellow in comb. How do you tell the difference between the Eastern race of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo and the Western race called ‘Mollis’ Mollis have a longer crest and upon maturity, ie 3 years, has a comb without yellow. Do Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos fly at great heights when travelling? No they don’t. Major Mitchell’s, no matter how far they are going, do not fly at great heights. In essence Major Mitchell’s fly just above tree height and in fact sometimes between trees. I believe the reason is because they are white and a slow flyer compared to other cockatoos. The tree line allows them to identify hawks or eagles that may attack them and escape into that tree line as a form of protection.

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Background of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos Other Names: Genus – Cacatua Calcatua Leadbeateri • Chockalott • Cocklerina • Desert Cockatoo • Inca Cockatoo • Leadbeaters Cockatoo • Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo • Pallid Cockatoo • Pink Cockatoo • South Australian Pink Cockatoo • Southern Pink Cockatoo • Wee Juggler

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Distribution Semi-arid and arid interior regions of Australia with the exception of North East Australia Sub Species Cacatua Leadbeateri Mollis Distribution West of Ceduna SA West to Esperance WA – North to Carnamah WA

FEATURE Other Names • Mathews Pink Cockatoo • Western Pink Cockatoo What do Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos feed on in the wild? Like all birds Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos have a built-in mechanism that allows them to follow an annual food pattern. Listed below are some of the most common seeds utilised by Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos:• Wild Orange [capparis mitchells] • Crows Foot [eleusine indica] • Wilga [geijera parviflora] • Camel Melon [ citrullus lamatus] • Paddy Melon [cucumis myriocarpus] • Currant Bush [exocarpos aphyllus] • Murray Cypress Pine [callitris

preissii murrayensis] • Mallee Cypress Pine [callitris preissii verrucosa] • White Cypress Pine [callitris columellaris] • Black Cypress Pine [callitris endlicheri] Mulga [acacia ameura] • All other acacia beans Introduced Seeds • All cereal grains • Almonds • All citrus Do Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos drink every day? Major Mitchell’s visit watering places usually twice daily, very early morning, late afternoon.

Do Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos drink every day?

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FEATURE Major Mitchell’s have that very special mechanism for finding water and will travel many kilometres to drink. They very seldom drink from rivers, they like small dams, water troughs or house tanks. During very hot weather they may visit their water base several times each day. Do Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos bath? Major Mitchell’s are always lovely and white in all weather yet after 60 years studying them I have never seen one bath.

The Council of The Parrot Society UK sincerely hopes that the above notes which obviously took Ray some considerable time to compose help the school children of Australia to make every success of this new venture. We will continue to monitor this exciting new development that will we hope will do much to increase the status of the rare indigenous Australian Cockatoos.

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Ray Ackroyd at John’s Tree 20 BIRD SCENE

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RED-BELLIED FIRE FINCHES IN BUSH AND AVIARY

here is a small Finch that frequently slips under the radar in Australian aviaries. Maybe it is its docile nature or quiet call. What is it about this delightful little bird that continues to thrive in captivity after fifty-six years of having no injection of fresh blood while many other species have suffered a serious decline - or worse? In this article I will explore the possible

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In the field they are regularly encountered and their trusting nature enables one to approach to within a few metres. They are particularly tame around human habitation and carry this docility into captivity.

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reasons for this and other matters surrounding one of the most delightful finches to come out of Africa. Here in Queensland, the Red-billed Fire Finch goes under the obscure jargon of Ruddy or plural, Ruddies. At times it has been incorrectly referred to as the African Fire finch. Other common names include Senegal Fire Finch, Common Fire finch, Fire Finch and the seldom used Australian name of Pigmy Blood Finch. The Afrikaans call them Rooibekvuurvinkie. Whatever common name one wishes to use, they are in the genus Lagonosticta and loosely related to Twinspots and Pytilias. There are eleven species of Lagonosticta. These are: Red-billed Fire Finch, L.

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senegala; Bar-breasted Fire Finch, L. rufopicta; Brown Fire Finch, L.nitidula; Black-faced Fire Finch, L.lavata; Blackbellied Fire Finch, L.rara; African Fire Finch, L.rubricata; Jameson’s Fire Finch, L.rhodopareia; Mali Fire Finch, L.virata; Rock Fire Finch, L. sanguinodorsalis; Chad Fire Finch, L.umbrinodorsalis and Pale-billed Fire Finch. L.landanae. L.lavata, L. sanguinodorsalis, L.umbrinodorsalis and L.landanae are monotypic whilst the remainder have a number of subspecies, which I have not dealt with here. Red-billed Fire Finches are monogamous breeders. They are also the primary host of the Village Indigo

FEATURE Bird, Vidua chalybeata, a parasitic Whydah. Natural breeding seasons vary across their wide range depending on the climates. In captivity, they have been so domesticated that they have lost their instinct for seasonal breeding with the result that they will reproduce at almost any time of the year. In confinement, Redbilled Fire Finches are prolific breeders and will successfully rear fifteen or more youngsters in a single year. A dimorphic species of under 100mm in length, the red body colour of the males may not be confused with the brown females. Both sexes carry fine white spotting on the upper flanks. The male’s brown wings are

A dimorphic species of under 100mm in length, the red body colour of the males may not be confused with the brown females. Both sexes carry fine white spotting on the upper flanks.

suffused with red. The red underparts vignette into pale brown or off-white on the belly and ventral region. In both sexes, the mandible is wax red with black along the culmen. Red plumage on the female is restricted to lores, rump and upper tail coverts. Both genders carry a distinctive yellow eye-ring. Fledglings are alike and cannot be determined until they commence colouration. Red-billed Fire Finches are widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Open savannah and lightly wooded areas are preferred habitat, although I have seen them by

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FEATURE roadsides and tracks in such high veldt as the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest of Uganda. Mostly, they gather food and socialize on the ground. The diet consists of small cereals and insects. They are opportunistic in that they will avail themselves of human presence, taking discarded or spilled grain and drinking from leaking taps, drains and dams. Because of their propensity to spend a lot of time on the ground, they are open to invasion by intestinal worms and Candida. Both are issues for aviculturists to deal with on a regular basis. In the field they are regularly encountered and their trusting nature enables one to approach to within a few metres. They are particularly tame around human habitation and carry this docility into captivity. Redbilled Fire Finches are seldom troublesome when confined with other species. Because of its high numbers in Australia and subsequent low monetary value, it is unlikely that fresh stock has been brought into the country illegally over the past 56 years. Why then do Red-billed Fire Finches continue to flourish while many other species have fallen by the wayside due to the lack of fresh genetic stock? I believe the reason is two fold. Firstly, prior to the cessation of live imports into Australia in 1956,

there were a number of various Fire Finch species imported. All have disappeared with some, no doubt, being cross-bred with Red-Billed Fire Finches. Such “hybrid vigour” would ensure their longevity well past the time when one would expect pure strains to survive. Through continual breeding back to the Red-billed Fire finches, the resulting birds that we have today resemble Red-billed Fire Finches with the following variations: the intensity and hue of the red in individual birds. This varies from deep, blood red through to orangered. In some instances, there is evidence of a suffusion of pink (not to be confused with the “Pink” mutation); A variation of flank spotting from individual to individual. Some birds carry no spots at all while others have a clear cluster of spots. Colouration of the mandible whereby most are

Why do Red-billed Fire Finches continue to flourish while many other species have fallen by the wayside due to the lack of fresh genetic stock?

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wax-red while others display a hint of bluish suffusion. The second factor influencing the longevity of Red-billed Fire Finches in Australian aviaries is their possible tolerance of genetic closeness. In other words, some species are more tolerant of lack of fresh blood than are other species. In captivity, Red-billed Fire Finches are easily catered for and, provided with suitable conditions will readily reproduce. A large well-planted aviary, whilst aesthetically pleasing and enjoyed by the birds, is not essential for successfully breeding of Redbilled Fire Finches. I have seen them kept and bred in everything from small cages through to large enclosures. They do tolerate halfopen flights. However, care may need to be exercised in cold climates. In deference to their natural habitat, the housing should be devoid of residual

Feeding Red-billed Fire Finches is relatively simple. The basis is a good quality dry finch mix of seeds, additional small seeds will be appreciated.

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dampness. It is important that they be shielded from cold winds and driving rain. Feeding Red-billed Fire Finches is relatively simple. The basis is a good quality dry finch mix of seeds, additional small seeds will be appreciated. One such seed is Phalaris, a small canary seed that is enjoyed by most waxbills. Half-ripe grass seeds may be taken, although less so than some of the other waxbills such as the Common Waxbill, Estrilda astrild. I have never seen them taking broad-leaf greens such as silverbeet. Soft foods, sprouted seed mixtures and plain cake may also be offered. In my experience though, most of their diet in captivity is confined to the dry seed mix and small live food. By far the most successful live food that I feed my waxbills is live termites. Other breeders report success with frozen termites, live or frozen maggots and small mealworms. Larger live food in the form of live crickets, live moths and cockroaches are not taken by the Fire Finches. Because Fire Finches like to pick around on the aviary floor, there is a temptation to place their food on the floor. In the interest of good health, however, I urge against this practice. The grit mixture I provide consists of finely ground,

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baked eggshell, fine shell grit, Diatoms (Avi-Natural), charcoal and finely ground cuttlebone. All drinking and bathing water must be pristine at all times. Whilst Red-billed Fire Finches will reproduce without the availability of live food, reliable breeding results with high productivity are unlikely. I have had pairs rear small numbers of youngsters during my time abroad when the live food has been withdrawn. When setting up breeding pairs, one should select partially or half-coloured birds. They will go to nest at six months of age and by their third year, their breeding potential is

They are opportunistic in that they will avail themselves of human presence, taking discarded or spilled grain and drinking from leaking taps, drains and dams.

in decline. The longevity of Fire Finches is lower than that of most other waxbills and one can only expect a lifespan of only four years in confinement. Red-billed Fire Finches will accept a variety of nest sites within a cage or aviary. Small enclosed or half-open nest boxes, woven wicker baskets,

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dried gourds, dried brush and shrubbery growing in the aviary will all suffice. In keeping with their opportunistic habits, the preferred nest building material is variable. This may consist of soft, dried pliable grasses of lengths up to 250mm, soft white feathers and swamp grass. The dome-shaped structure has an entrance hole on one side. A feather of grass head may be placed strategically at the entrance so as to inhibit viewing of the interior. Four or five small elliptical eggs are laid with serious incubation commencing upon the arrival of the fifth egg. In extreme circumstances,

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up to eight eggs may be laid by a single hen bird. The incubation period lasts for 12 or 13 days. Whilst there are eggs or very young chicks, both parents will brood at night. During daylight hours, the male bird carries out the majority of the incubation duties and, in the evenings, the hen takes over or shares with the male. An increased taking of insects, such as the termites, precipitates the imminent hatching of the youngsters. The parents do this when they hear the youngsters within the eggs. The discarded eggshells are removed from the nest by the parents and deposited at some distance. The

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Whilst there are eggs or very young chicks, both parents will brood at night. During daylight hours, the male bird carries out the majority of the incubation duties and, in the evenings, the hen takes over or shares with the male.

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FEATURE parents do not feed the dark skinned hatchlings for their first 24 hours of life. They are brooded by their parents for the first nine or ten days. If after that period, there is a sudden drop in ambient temperature, the nestlings are at risk of dying of exposure. Fledglings emerge from the nest after twenty days. They are usually well-developed, albeit with short tails, and capable of short flights. The plumage is almost entirely brown, lighter on the underparts. There is a smudge of Alizarin Crimson on the rump. The mandible is charcoal in colour. The parents will lead the fledglings back to the safety of the nest for the first three or so nights. The fledglings usually stay together and much of this time may be spent on the aviary floor. Whilst some of the chicks may be seen to be picking around food bowls or on the floor, it should not be safely assumed that they are fully weaned until they are at least two weeks old. I have not experienced issues with parents attacking independent juveniles that are left with their parents. Nor have there been any problems of juveniles interfering with subsequent nests or fledglings. I have never observed older juveniles adopting a supportive role in the

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rearing of subsequent broods. At the current cost in Australia of an average AUD $60.00 a pair, the Red-billed Fire Finch is a lovely little bird that is a must have for novices and experienced breeders alike. The only sobering note I make is that it is important that every effort is made to ensure sufficient stocks of “normal” birds are bred. Three colour mutations have been established in recent years and whilst attractive in their own right, could in time, threaten the viability of our stocks of normal birds. These mutations are: pied, pink and fawn. While I continue to maintain a small number of pairs of pied birds, I have discarded the Pink mutated birds. I found this dominant mutation difficult to eradicate from my Fire Finch population and only succeeded in doing so by restocking with all new normal birds. With dedicated breeders and a little luck, such a colourful, inexpensive and easily catered for species is assured a place in Australian bird keeping for decades to come. The Society would like to thank Russell for taking the time out of his busy schedule to write this article as we know he is very busy in aviculture. Special thanks to Graeme Hyde for his support with this article.

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BREEDING THE

PAGODA MYNAH OR BRAHMINY STARLING RAY HOLLAND

his was a new pairing for me put together in an aviary shared with a pair of Grey Backed Thrushes. There were no problems until I noticed the Mynahs taking live food into the nest box – they had earlier laid two clear eggs and I thought this was probably the end of their breeding attempt for the year. It was now apparent that they had young, but it was only after ten days that any calls for food were heard. With two pairs of adult birds

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competing for food it was obvious to me that the Thrushes had to be removed before any real trouble occurred. After they were moved everything seemed to calm down. I continued to feed mixed mealworms and some wax worms at least three times a day and twice a day I gave a ration of small and/or medium crickets. Something which should be mentioned now is that both the cock and the hen fed the young, usually entering the next box at separate times. Rarely was the cock seen to feed the hen at the nest box entrance for her to then feed the chicks.

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After about three to four weeks the young began to fledge. This was a very exciting time for me – they were really beautiful birds. At this stage I had no idea how many chicks were in the box as I had tried not to interfere too much. The first chick left the nest followed by the second three to four days later and the third and final chick fledged after a further two more days. I thought to myself that this was great, the parents are doing a fine job looking after their family and all I had to do was to carry on feeding and all would be well. Is anything that simple and predictable in bird breeding?

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All the chicks and their father are now sharing a flight and there seems to be no noticeable bickering – though he will force them off the roof of the nest box when they have the audacity to perch on it.

Shortly after the last chick fledged, as little as an hour or so, the cock bird set about the hen and I found them on the aviary floor with the back of the hen’s head badly pecked. Unfortunately she did not survive this attack – I could not believe what had just happened. I kept asking myself WHY? Looking back over the previous weeks when they had been rearing their young (perhaps even before) there always seemed to be competition between them for the live food. This competition was heightened when they had young in the nest box. There were at least four feeding stations and they could always go and pick up crickets off the floor. I still cannot understand this behaviour – has anyone else experienced this? The cock bird has proven himself to be an exemplary father and brought up all three chicks by himself. I thought that I might have to hand rear the chicks but the pleading for

food by the chicks worked wonders and he got on with it. All the chicks and their father are now sharing a flight and there seems to be no noticeable bickering – though he will force them off the roof of the nest box when they have the audacity to perch on it. I decided that as the cock had proved that he was willing to raise youngsters on his own he was worth pairing to a new hen. This, however, proved to be a mistake because he attacked his new wife. I can only assume that in his desire to reproduce he did not consider the hen which was obviously not in condition when he made his advances. He attacked her on the head just like his original wife and even a year and a half after this attack, which fortunately did not prove fatal you can still see the point of attack as the feathers have not

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fully re-grown. He found a new owner who was prepared to give him another chance even though I fully explained his violent shortcomings. As soon as the hen recovered I supplied her with a new less aggressive cock and during the 2013 season produced three young in the first round, one of these youngsters was picked on by the father and when they were sexed by DNA they were two hens and one cock so I guess it was the young cock that was being picked on by the father. Not content with three young they then went on to breed again and in this second round produced one youngster. The nest boxes I use are fairly deep and when I looked to see how the baby was

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progressing I was surprised to see that the parents had been very busy almost filling the box with pine needles gathered from the floor of their flight, there were about 8 inches of these on top of the fledging baby, I thought all was lost but as I started to remove handfuls of the needles I felt movement in the bottom of the box which greatly surprised me the baby was still alive! This has also been reared to maturity and proved to be a hen. So for 2013 the results were three hens and one cock. Results that I am very proud of because 2013 is not going to go down as the best breeding season UK breeders has experienced!! Roll on 2014.

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THE

NATIONAL 2023 LES RANCE

his was the third National Exhibition since we were affected by Covid-19 and had to cancel the 2020 National Exhibition at Stafford. I thought that it was an excellent event and with numbers of clubs attending now at 18 we are back to the support pre Covid-19, a very satisfying situation. With the National being held in October we were extremely fortunate that this date meant that we only missed one Exhibition due to Covid, we were very

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lucky. Prior to the event, I was busy dealing with the myriad of background tasks to ensure that both our Sale Day and the Exhibition of birds went well. I now feel that as far as our shows are concerned the worst effects of Covid-19 are well and truly behind us. This was the third Show we have been able to stage following the

Coronavirus epidemic that ravaged the UK. In this article, we are now able to show you a mass of excellent pictures taken by our designer Neil Randle at the 2023 National. Unfortunately, this year The UK Gouldian Finch club and the Gloster Canary club did not exhibit but the

FEATURE English Cinnamon Canary club who joined us in 2022 attended and I understand that they experienced a good day. As the 2020 National Exhibition had to be cancelled due to Coronavirus, I was pleased that we managed to run a National Exhibition this October. Now that we can start holding shows again at Stafford,

please remember that The National Exhibition for the Exhibition of Show birds is held in the Sandylands Centre and the Argyle Centre. We use these same Centres for our Help Bird Keepers Shows. The date of the next National Exhibition is on Sunday 6th October 2024. Just to give you details of some of the winners this year here are a few of the exhibitors who did very well, The Parrot Society pass on our congratulations to them all. • Best Exhibit in Show and Best Lovebird S. Stewart • Best Border Canary in Show M. Lowe • Best Coloured Canary in Show Bright & Luff • Best Rare in Show K. Stud • Best Fife Fancy Canary in Show Dams & Vickers • Best Irish Fancy Canary in Show D. Hadley • Best London Fancy Canary in Show A. Early • Best Yorkshire Canary in Show S. Hackney • Best Old Variety in Show D. Franz • Best Zebra Finch in Show N. Smith BIRD SCENE

A large number of hobbyist-bred stock always finds new homes from the buyers who come in large numbers to our events. The National Exhibition is the leading and most popular bird show held in this country for hobbyist bird breeders, not just because of the sales tables but also the Exhibition that is held in the Argyle and Sandylands Centres. There is something for everyone available from the 60+ traders who so generously support this event, especially from our sponsor Johnston & Jeff Ltd the leading UK seed supplier. This year the exhibition in the Argyle and Sandylands Centres was again organised with the assistance of the 18 clubs that support this event and it continues to receive plenty of entries, may this be the case for many years to come. These enthusiasts work so hard to construct the staging from mid-day on the Saturday and take in many entries in the late afternoon and Saturday evening. This judged event will be as popular as ever in the future, with many high-class birds on view. At this year’s event a crystal glass, rose bowl has been donated by Johnston & Jeff for best bird in Show and by The Parrot Society for the best junior exhibit, their generous donations for these valuable awards is always very much appreciated. Cage and Aviary

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18 clubs supported this event and it continues to receive plenty of entries, may this be the case for many years to come. Birds give the Exhibition a special supplement in their publication so that all their readers are aware of which clubs to contact to enter their exhibition stock into the Show. Again, Neil Randle our magazine designer took over a 1,000 images on the day so that we have plenty of images for the next twelve months. Please do enjoy the pictures on the following pages. In 2024, the Show will be held on Sunday 6th October and will follow similar lines to the 2023 event but more use will be made of the Prestwood Centre to house the stands of such supporters as The Australian Finch Society, The Bengalese Fanciers Association, and The Waxbill Finch Society. Within the two exhibition halls, there is always a great buzz of chatter and excitement, it is always a pleasure just to stand there and absorb the environment and listen to people enjoying themselves and promoting their hobby.

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Best Exhibit in Show and Best Lovebird S. Stewart

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MANAGING SUNFLOWER FOR A HAPPY AND HEALTHY PARROT We all know parrots love sunflower seeds. They’re high in energy, fats and carbohydrates which are essential nutrients for parrots. However, some birds can become addicted to sunflower, too much of which can cause problems such as, a vitamin A deficiency or lymphomas. At Johnston & Jeff, we first developed two specialist blends that are rich and nutritious, right for the particular species but low in sunflower.

Low Sunflower for African Greys

Low Sunflower for Large Parrots

We then devised our Parrot Lean & Fit blend, which contains no sunflower seeds and no nuts and is perfect for parrots that require a lower energy or maintenance diet. It also allows you to feed nuts and sunflower seeds separately as a treat or even a training aid, without adversely affecting the diet. Parrot Lean & Fit

Please note, Johnston & Jeff’s foods are only available through retailers or online. Please contact us to find your nearest stockists or for more information. Johnston & Jeff Ltd. Baltic Buildings, Gateway Business Park, Gilberdyke, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU15 2TD T: 01430 449444 • E: mail@johnstonandjeff.co.uk • www.johnstonandjeff.co.uk Johnston & Jeff Ltd @johnstonandjeff @johnstonandjeff