51 Bird Scene - Summer 2021 by Theparrotsociety

BIRD ISSUE FIFTY ONE: SUMMER 2021

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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

RETURN TO THE WILD

THE NATIONAL A LOOK BACK, PART 3

AU T 6T UM H N SE ED 20 PT ITI 21 EM ON BE O R U

AN AVICULTURAL FAVOURITE – CUBAN FINCH

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OF 39 GREY PARROTS TO KAHUZI-BIEGA NATIONAL PARK

AS THINGS ARE KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH OTHER BIRD KEEPERS, SEEING OTHERS’ BREEDING RESULTS AND GENERALLY HAVING A CATCH-UP IS JUST ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE.

WHY NOT TRY THE PSUK FACEBOOK PAGE’S ‘COMMUNITY’ AREA? POST SOME PICTURES, ASK FOR ADVICE, SHOW OFF YOUR SUCCESSES (AND FAILURES), LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE KEEPING AND HOW THEY ARE GETTING ON.

GIVE IT A TRY!’

CONTENTS BIRD SCENE: SUMMER 2021

CONTENTS DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND…

42 06

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARROT SOCIETY UK: PART EIGHT By Alan Jones

WIRE BREEDING CAGE TRIAL David Allen

AN AVICULTURAL FAVOURITE – CUBAN FINCH Graeme Hyde

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ON THE COVER

BIRD ISSUE FIFTY ONE: SUMMER 2021

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THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION: A LOOK BACK By Les Rance

THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

RETURN TO THE WILD

OF 39 GREY PARROTS TO KAHUZI-BIEGA NATIONAL PARK

THE NATIONAL - A LOOK BACK, PART 3

AN AVICULTURAL FAVOURITE – CUBAN FINCH

42 FR

RETURN TO THE WILD

AU T 6T UM H N SE ED 20 PT ITIO 21 EM N BER

BIRD SCENE: Issue Fifty One: Summer 2021 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

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

INTRODUCT I

n the introduction to the spring edition of Bird Scene I wrote about the difficulties we would have importing birds into this country from the EU. I do not wish to go into that again as you can read about it in the Bird Scene archive. What is certain is that bird dealers are becoming very short of stock and it will be very much down to hobbyist breeders to try to meet the demand for birds. To a very large extent that will depend on us having a good breeding season. So far I am not hearing that hobbyist breeders are doing terribly well with their breeding results. This is not that surprising against a backdrop of the most early morning frosts in April since records were kept and a May which has given us plenty of rain, high winds and thunderstorms, none of which is any good for bird breeding. As I write this on Friday 21st May the rain is hitting the windows in the office and the forecast for the weekend is that the wind and rain will continue, even next week does not sound very good from a weather point of view. On a brighter note the vaccination rollout against Covid-19 seems to be going well with increasing numbers receiving at least their first jab. We just need to be sensible and try not to travel abroad for fear of picking up another Covid variant, The so called Indian variant appears to be gaining momentum in the UK so that will have to be closely monitored as it appears that is more 04

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contagious than previous UK variants. What this all means for our Shows is still a little difficult to predict. Certainly our July Show at Stafford has had to be cancelled but we are hopeful that both the October Show and the Help Bird Keeper’s event on 5th December at Stafford will be able to go ahead. I guess time will tell. What effect this will have on Shows and when we can have them we will just have to wait and see. It may well be difficult to obtain insurance cover to indemnify The Parrot Society against the risks of Coronavirus, as the premiums may be exorbitant, but again we will have to wait and see. During the spring months it is always important to feed your birds each day, not only to ensure they have plenty of food to feed their babies on but also to study your birds and make sure they are not distressed by the weather conditions. Those who keep their stock in breeding rooms where they can easily turn up the heating however, are in a far more satisfactory position. In this edition of Bird Scene we are very pleased to have an excellent article on part 8 of our 50th Anniversary of the P.S UK celebrations held at Chester Zoo by Barbara Heidenreich a world-renowned animal training and behaviour consultant. A quality article on an avicultural favourite the Cuban Finch by Graeme Hyde and a Wire Breeding Cage Trial by David Allen. Also in this issue we have a pictorial

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TION

BY THE EDITOR

review of past National Exhibitions as the event that was due to be held at Stafford County Showground on Sunday 6th October 2020 unfortunately had to be cancelled due to Coronavirus that started in March 2020. The images taken by our Designer Neil Randle are excellent and allow readers of this publication, who may not have been able to attend this event, a real insight into the day. So really quite a lot for you to read and hopefully pick up some pointers that may well assist you with whatever species of birds you currently maintain. This is now the fifty-first edition of Bird Scene, how quickly nine and a half 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 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 85p for a First Class letter became effective on 1st January 2021.With CPI inflation now running around 1.5%, costs continue to rise. 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

LES RANCE

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. As a result of increases to the costs of both postage and printing I am really pleased that we decided to produce Bird Scene as a FREE e-magazine. We have learnt a great deal over the past nine and a half years about this way of communicating with 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 held each year (Covid-19 restrictions excepted) at our October Sale Day/Show at Stafford County Showground. This publication is also used to promote our Conservation efforts for threatened parrots in the wild. An archive of earlier 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. BIRD SCENE 05

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARROT PARTT EIGH SOCIETY UK BY

ALAN JONES

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FEATURE

ur final speaker of the day - and what had proved to be a highly successful seminar – had also travelled from America for the event. Barbara Heidenreich is a world-renowned animal training and behaviour consultant, and has produced several DVDs, books and articles on animal and bird behaviour. She began her presentation and ensured that no-one had nodded off by showing the entertaining video clip of the notorious Kakapo ‘Sirocco’. First featured in a 2009 BBC TV programme focusing on endangered species, with zoologist Mark Carwardine and narrator Stephen Fry, the film shows this heavy parrot attempting to mate with Mark’s head, much to the considerable amusement of his companion. The clip has since become a worldwide hit on YouTube. Barbara went on to explain that the Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) is a unique, endangered parrot species, being nocturnal, flightless but able to climb, solitary, and the heaviest living parrot, weighing in at around 4 Kg (9 lb). It is found only in New Zealand, and in 1995 its population numbered just some 50 birds, owing mostly to predation by introduced cats, rats and stoats. Since that time, conservation projects have slowly increased numbers to around 150, with careful breeding techniques, and placing the birds on predator-free islands. The

birds are potentially long-lived, but slow breeders, coming into breeding condition in response to a flush of their favourite fruit of the Rimu tree, and this flush does not happen every year. Kakapo are Lekking birds – that is to say that males scrape a ‘bowl’ in the ground, and stand guard over it, aggressively chasing away rival males. They use their air sacs to make loud booming noises to attract females, and will vigorously mount anything that passes close enough to attempt mating with. Sexually active males will boom for eight hours a night, over a period of three months, but they play no part at all in nesting, egg incubation, or care of chicks.

Barbara went on to explain that the Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) is a unique, endangered parrot species, being nocturnal, flightless but able to climb, solitary, and the heaviest living parrot, weighing in at around 4 Kg (9 lb). It is found only in New Zealand, and in 1995 its population numbered just some 50 birds, owing mostly to predation by introduced cats, rats and stoats. Since that time, conservation projects have slowly increased numbers to around 150, with careful breeding techniques, and placing the birds on predatorfree islands.

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Sirocco was hatched in 1997, and taken for hand-rearing following a respiratory infection. He therefore became imprinted on humans, and fails to recognise or interact with others of his own kind. As he reached sexual maturity, he started relentlessly to ambush human workers and visitors to his sanctuary, becoming dangerously aggressive in his quest for sex. Traditional methods of diversion, such as feeding a less rich diet, adjusting daylight length and avoiding ‘nest’ receptacles all failed because of the Kakapo’s unique lifestyle; while running away, confronting him with a stern ‘No!’, or building a barricade alongside the path all seemed to make matters worse! Barbara’s expert advice was sought, and she went on to describe her techniques of re-channeling

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his unwanted behaviour. She explained her theory of ‘Modal Action Patterns’, whereby behaviour patterns such as bowl and nest construction, lekking and booming, and sexual activity generally are all learned and improved with time and experience, and as such may be ‘re-trained’ and modified. All these actions have triggers –

FEATURE

Rimu fruits, nightfall, moving feet – and her aim was first to identify these triggers and then to re-direct the resulting response. Sirocco’s reaction and body language was observed – his stalking activity and change in head shape – indicating that he was about to ‘attack’. Training was accomplished using food treat rewards, initially distracting his attention, then re-focusing it on an alternative object. It is well recognised that mating behaviour can be influenced – stallions and bulls are persuaded to copulate with artificial vaginal sleeves, and falcons mate with special hats, to collect semen for artificial insemination – so Sirocco’s amorous behaviour was led towards a large stuffed toy owl. Such training was successful, but tiring for the rangers, since Kakapo can extend their mating interval up to 40 minutes. An alternative target was sought, and they hit upon the plastic footwear known as Crocs® These were plentiful, used as outdoor wear in this very wet area, then discarded by rangers outside their huts as they went indoors. Since Sirocco already had a penchant for moving feet, it was an easy matter to transfer his amorous attentions to this specific footwear. The technique has proved highly successful, and he no longer poses such a nuisance to human visitors. Genetically, Sirocco has no particular importance in the breeding project, so he has been adopted as an ambassador for the

conservation activity, and has appeared at various zoos and sanctuaries in New Zealand to promote interest in the project. Barbara concluded by saying that such techniques have relevance in other conservation projects, by training chicks during critical periods of their development, thereby reducing future stress at subsequent examinations for weighing, sampling, or fitting tracking transmitters. During the 2015-16 breeding season, 32 Kakapo chicks were bred to

An alternative target was sought, and they hit upon the plastic footwear known as Crocs® These were plentiful, used as outdoor wear in this very wet area, then discarded by rangers outside their huts as they went indoors. Since Sirocco already had a penchant for moving feet, it was an easy matter to transfer his amorous attentions to this specific footwear. The technique has proved highly successful, and he no longer poses such a nuisance to human visitors.

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FEATURE

survival – 22 being parent-reared and 10 hand-reared and subsequently released. The current population of these extraordinary parrots stands at about 155. Thus drew to a close the day of fascinating, educational and absorbing lectures, with an audience unanimous in their compliments and enjoyment of the programme. Barbara Heidenreich returned for an additional (extra-cost) session to some 20 delegates on the Sunday morning, for a more in-depth discussion of the methods of dealing with some of the common behavioural problems of pet parrots. We hope that this series of articles reporting on the presentations that were given at the seminar has enabled a wider audience to share in the informative and interesting subjects that were covered, and 10

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that they have stimulated you to look forward to the next such event, whenever that may be!

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Why a hobby in budgerigars?

The

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WIRE BREEDING CAGE TRIAL BY DAVID ALLEN LIZARD CANARY BREEDER AND PANEL JUDGE

FEATURE

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Trial - Part 1

n the very first issue of Bird Scene (still available in the archive) David Allen gave us an excellent history and introduction into this beautiful canary. The Lizard is the oldest canary and by 1742 it was well documented as a spangled canary with dark wing markings and tail and “a spot on the head called a cap”. By the 19th century the Lizard Canary had been perfected. A bird depicted in a copy of The London Illustrated News on 12 December 1846 is as the Lizard Canary is today. There are a number of key points that differentiate the Lizard Canary from other varieties of canary, they are fairly easy to breed but there are a few rules that must be applied. A pair must be Gold or Silver it doesn’t matter which one is which. The cap type must also be considered when pairing two Lizards. Broken cap to Clear cap or Broken to Broken. But never pair two Clear caps together as this would probably give over Capped birds. The use of a non Cap to any of the types of Cap is also satisfactory. Why not check out the archive file and see David’s full article? He has now written about his ‘Wire Breeding Cage Trial’. I have been toying with the idea of wire breeding cages for a few years now. I can see the plus for them and I could also see some disadvantages as well. I have seen a number of different types of wire

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A number of British breeders are now using wire cages including my good friend and fellow Lizard breeders Rob & Tina Bunting. There are a number of companies now selling them in the UK so there must be demand for this type of cage. breeding cages when visited world shows. But Brian Keenan’s recent article about what type of breeding cages got me rethinking about this again. A number of British breeders are now using wire cages including my good friend and fellow Lizard breeders Rob & Tina Bunting. There are a number of companies now selling them in the UK so there must be demand for this type of cage. So I decided to try a few out for my 2013 breeding season. I bought two blocks of fours single cages which have doors at either end and one in the front. They have plastic trays but with no wire floor as many of these types of cages do. They are in white and look very nice and clean. These cages come complete with feeders and plastic perches, the feeders are similar to the type I currently use on my wooden breeding cages. I will use one for the canary seed and the other for conditioning seed. My intention is to use all eight cages for breeding in 2013

FEATURE

I intend to make detailed notes of how my breeding season goes with these new cages and how the different types of nest pans perform. The outcome of this experiment will then be looked at and compared with my other breeding results in my old wooden breeding cages. my plan is to have 4 pairs of Blue lizard’s 2 pairs of normal lizards and 2 pairs of my Florinos. I feel I need to give these cages a good trial and by using all of them with a variety of the birds I breed it will give me a fair test. I have put some hens in two of the cages so far and am trailing which type of floor covering is best. I have a number of options for floor coverings. The two I am currently trying is sawdust and white paper. I have decided to use tubular drinkers in all the cages. Also in my trial I will use a variety of types of nest pans. Nest compartments on the outside of the

cage are one option, the other is nest pans on stands in the cage and the other is to hang the pan in the cage. I intend to make detailed notes of how my breeding season goes with these new cages and how the different types of nest pans perform. The outcome of this experiment will then be looked at and compared with my other breeding results in my old wooden breeding cages. This comparison will decide if I invest further in more all wire breeding cages or not. So watch this space for more updates on my experiment. The other beauty of these cages is they

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can easily be cleaned using a pressure washer at the end of the breeding season and they will not need repainting each year or so. Many have told me that they have taken to using them as there is nowhere for mite to get into like wooden breeding cages.

Trial - Part 2 This is my second season using wire breeding cages. I have 8 single wire breeding cages which I purchased at the start of last years breeding season as a trial. But I felt the birds were not settled into the cages to give a true result.

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FEATURE

This season I used all 8 single cages for breeding with a selection of the types of birds I keep, which are Lizards and Fiorino’s. So what were the results? Well they were very mixed as was my season breeding as a whole a very trying one. But I must say I bred as many birds in these cages as I did in my normal wooden cages. However, this was mainly down to the performance of the Fiorino’s as I had three pairs in the wire cages and they bred very well raising a total of 14 chicks from 3 pairs which is more than I had from all my other pairs of Lizards!

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FEATURE

Birds I’ve bred in wire cages: Blue Lizard that won the 2014 National

I like the cages and think they have a lot of advantages over the wooden cages, but there is a few things I would like to change with them. The positive for the wire cages for me are: the plastic tray on the bottom of the cages which can easily be cleaned and washed out. The seed hoppers I also like as they are held in place by a wire door and they have a small perch on the front which means the birds are not standing on the floor while feeding so their feet keep cleaner.The cages I have are coated in plastic so they can be wiped down and they do not rust. The negatives, are the doors are small, well for my hands they are small anyway.

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This also meant that the nest pans I had originally wanted to use would not fit through the door. Although the pans I did get for these cages I did like. My birds seem to be very flighty in these cages which I found strange as I would have thought they would have been steadier. The cages also were singles so you could not separate the hen and cock if I need to, you had to remove the cock totally. I had two blocks of 4 cages which I put together and due to this I placed a sheet of board in between the two blocks so the pairs in each cage could not see each other which would probably cause the pairs not to bond properly and would

THE

BLUE LIZARD CANARY

THIS BOOK COVERS 25 YEAR OF THE CREATION AND DELEVOPMENT OF DAVID ALLEN’S OWN BLUE LIZARD CANARY STUD. How and why he created his own blue lizards. It also contains chapters on:• my own breeding management, • History of the blue lizard, • my birdroom, • Show standard, • The creation of the Blue lizard • Stumpy’s Story, canary club • Where do we go from here? Price £8 plus £2 postage and package UK only [oversea postage on request] Contact details; David Allen 108 Nowell Road 4OX 4TD. Email; david.allen9750@ntlworld.com

Birds I’ve bred in wire cages: Non capped Gold Lizard

probably disturb each other. I have been looking for wire cages that meet all the factors I would like and as of yet I have not found any. And I don’t want to buy cages that are not what I really want. But I am still looking!! I will carry on using these cages next season as I think the experiment is still not fully completed. So watch out for part three in 2015.

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Trial - Part 3 This is the final part of my trial of wire breeding cages. I have made the choice not to go for any more, but what else then? And why you ask? I will try and explain my reasons, I knew what I wanted from a wire breeding cage but I was unable to find one the fulfilled all my wishes.

FEATURE Birds bred in wire cages: Crested Fiorino owned by Mrs Bolton

Also I found the birds were more flighty in the wire cages than in wooden cages which seemed strange to me, as I would have though it would have been the other way. But it was not. So at the end of last breeding season I decided I was going to revamp my bird room, and in this I would replace my wooden cages. The question was with what? I looked at plastic breeding Cages, but a friend had some and was not happy with them pointing out the problem he saw with them, so I had to look at some thing else. It looked like I would be going back to wooden cages, but which ones?

Then I came across some cages made of UPVC, these would be washable and would not require painting, and they had removable trays which my current wooden cages didn’t have. But they were only available in doubles. I took the plunge and brought 8 double breeders which would go along the back of my revamped bird room. The bird room revamp involved lining the whole bird room out with insulation board, then papering it with lining paper which was then painted in a light colour. Carmel Cream which was left over from decorating my house. This was all done in less than a week, and I am happy with the result. My new cages arrived on the Friday and were in place a day later,now we just need to have a good breeding season. So to sum-up wire cages, I am pleased I tried them out but they just didn’t seem to suit my Lizards. I know many use them with great success on the continent, maybe the weather has a effect on this I am not sure. I have still retained the cages I brought and am using them to breed my Fiorino frill’s in.

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FEATURE

I came across some cages made of UPVC, these would be washable and would not require painting, and they had removable trays which my current wooden cages didn’t have. But they were only available in doubles. I took the plunge and brought 8 double breeders which would go along the back of my revamped bird room. So this concludes my wire cage trial, I would not say it was a complete failure, but I think I am more comfortable with the box type breeding cages. But I am glad I tried them because if I hadn’t I would always wondered about them. I must say though because they didn’t suit me it doesn’t mean they will not suit you

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and your birds. I think it always worth trying different ideas, and thinking out side of the box.

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PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES

ARTICLE BY: GRAEME HYDE

AN AVICULTURAL FAVOURITE –

CUBAN FINCH

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Introduction Of all the finches, waxbills and other finch-like seedeaters legally imported into Australia before World War Two (1939-1945) the Cuban finch Tiaris canora was and continues to be an all-time favourite avicultural species due to its charming nature, willingness to breed and its daylong activity as an aviary bird. It is easy to cater for, is an outstanding bird in every way and well established in Australian aviculture.

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From the time of the ban on importation of exotic finches into Australia no wild caught Cuban finches have been introduced into our small gene pool of this popular species. Description The accompanying painting of a male Cuban finch by renowned artist, Howard Robinson - a member of our society, illustrates the distinctive coloration of an adult male. Unlike many other finch species the male and female are dimorphic (i.e. plumage colours are different). The female has dark chestnut-brown around the head instead of black, the yellow is paler, and its appearance is quite different to the male. Length 9cm. Juveniles, which resemble females at the time of fledging, except for their short tail, usually cannot be sexed at that time except for young males, which often sport an odd black feather shortly after leaving the nest The Genus Tiaris The Cuban finch is one of five species in the genus Tiaris and the “only one that is well-known in aviculture” (Restall 2007). The five small tanager-finches, also known as grassquits, are: 1 Cuban finch T. canora 2 Black-faced grassquit T. bicolour omissa 3 Yellow-faced finch T. olivacea (formerly known as the olive finch) 4 Sooty grassquit T. fuliginosa 5 Dull-coloured grassquit T. obscura

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Distribution and habitat It is distributed in Cuba and nearby islands. In the wild it apparently frequents woodlands, pinewoods, coffee plantations, cultivated areas, house gardens and areas of grassland bordering fields. The average temperatures throughout the year in their natural range are from around 10 degrees Celsius, through to 35 degrees Celsius (Kingston (1998). Housing Although it is an interesting species when housed in a large, well-planted aviary, they have been successfully bred in aviaries of all types and sizes. After a few years of keeping and breeding the Cuban finch I realised it didn’t matter what the aviary was like - so long as the basic needs were available, eg dry brush in the shelter section for roosting at night and nest building. An earthen floor is desirable as it spends a lot of time fossicking on the aviary floor. The aviary, regardless, of type or size, must be draught-free. They enjoy bathing in a fine mist spray especially in the warmer months of the year. It is wise to keep only one pair in a mixed collection of finches and, importantly, not to include species that feature yellow as part of their plumage colour, eg green singing finch or star finch, as the male Cuban might become aggressive towards them. It is preferable; if possible, to avoid housing them in adjoining aviaries that have wire mesh divisions as their aggressive

FEATURE

nature, to their own kind, can cause bickering between neighbouring males. Feeding It is an easy species to cater for and the usual small seeds are relished including white panicum, red panicum, white millet, jap millet, canary, and niger. They are fond of seeding grasses - especially panic veldt grass Ehrharta erecta, flowering heads of milk thistle, soaked or sprouted seed, plain cake, lettuce, silverbeet, pear, apple, orange and the vinegar fly Drosophila which is attracted to rotting fruit. To create a rotting fruit culture I cut up citrus fruit as

It is an easy species to cater for and the usual small seeds are relished including white panicum, red panicum, white millet, jap millet, canary, and niger. They are fond of seeding grasses - especially panic veldt grass Ehrharta erecta, flowering heads of milk thistle, soaked or sprouted seed, plain cake, lettuce, silverbeet, pear, apple, orange and the vinegar fly Drosophila which is attracted to rotting fruit. well as adding pieces of apple and tomato, replacing the ingredients as necessary. Many breeders also supply an egg and biscuit food to which is added a hard-boiled egg, as this type of supplementary food is popular with the Cuban finch. Fine shellgrit, crushed eggshells and cuttlefish bone should be available all the

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time. Clean fresh water is important and they enjoy bathing regularly. Breeding in captivity A special feature of the Cuban finch is its continuing interest in breeding. They will breed virtually all-year-round except for the colder winter months of a cooler climatic area when, of course, it is unwise to allow them to nest. If given adequate and draught-free quarters they will live happily in colder climates and breed regularly. When the male is in breeding condition he will pursue the female around the

aviary relentlessly, often with nesting material in his beak. This species has the fascinating habit of being able to conceal its nest and often you are not aware they are nesting. This is compounded by the female who is at

FEATURE all times is a light sitter, leaving the nest whenever she hears someone approaching the aviary. The male utters a short alarm call. Usually she will stay off the nest until you leave the aviary vicinity. Even the closing of a back door of a house has been known to make her leave the nest. They prefer to build their dome-shaped nest a growing bush, or dry brush in the shelter section of the aviary, the latter according to Russell Kingston is their favoured nest site. In his experience he has never observed them having their nest site below one metre in an aviary (1998). Nestboxes are rarely used for nesting, although they will use receptacles such as a wire mesh cylinder. The nest, which is large for such a small bird, is made from materials such as fine grass, swamp grass and pampas grass fronds. Feathers are popular for lining the nest. Both male and female are involved in nest construction. The entrance to the nest is low and access to the nesting chamber is upwards - this is a special feature of their nest. Copulation, which may take place in the open, commences with the female crouching low on the perch, quivering excitedly, and calling to her mate. Pair bond in this species is strong and mutual preening is common. Although several experienced aviculturists have commented on them plucking their own kind I did not have this experience with the breeding pairs I have kept. Certainly allopreening (where one

bird raises the feathers on the back of its head and neck and the other bird preens this area) is a popular activity. The usual clutch is 2-4 small eggs that are white with reddish-brown spots over them. Only the female incubates the eggs, which take 12-14 days to hatch. Nest inspection which, due to the design of the nest as mentioned above, is unwise. I remember the first time I bred them [in the 1960s] they deserted the eggs after I made the mistake of inspecting the nest. A nesting female Cuban is evident by her curved tail. Faecal sacs and dead young are removed from the nest by the parents - often some distance from the nest site. The begging call of the young is usually audible at 7-10 days. They usually fledge around 21 days, leaving the nest together - regardless of the feathering. Often the male will commence building another nest when young are still in the present nest. They are excellent parents and show great concern for their

Nestboxes are rarely used for nesting, although they will use receptacles such as a wire mesh cylinder. The nest, which is large for such a small bird, is made from materials such as fine grass, swamp grass and pampas grass fronds. Feathers are popular for lining the nest. Both male and female are involved in nest construction. The entrance to the nest is low and access to the nesting chamber is upwards - this is a special feature of their nest.

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“It ranks high among the most graceful and beautiful inhabitants of the bird-room; in consequence of remarkable ease with which it can be bred, long the darling of all amateurs and breeders.” This is an indication of the Cuban’s popularity for more than 100 years.

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fledglings, which become independent about three weeks after leaving the nest. They will rear their young without the aid of livefood, or even seeding grasses, even though it is preferable to supply one, or both, items to ensure strong healthy young birds. Unless the aviary is large it is not advisable to leave the young with their parents. It is recommended that they be removed to another aviary once they are completely independent of their parents. Adult coloration occurs about eight weeks after fledging. It is not uncommon for young birds to nest at 3-4 months of age, although it is obviously better that they are older before being allowed to breed. A SELECTION FROM SOME AVICULTURAL WRITINGS DR ARTHUR BUTLER In the definitive book, Foreign Finches in Captivity (1899), Dr Arthur G Butler of Beckenham, England, documented the available information on finches held in captivity in England and the Continent. For the Cuban finch he quoted the experience of Dr Karl Russ, a successful German aviculturist of the day, who said: “It ranks high among the most graceful and beautiful inhabitants of the bird-room; in consequence of remarkable ease with which it can be bred, long the darling of all amateurs and breeders.” This is an indication of the Cuban’s popularity for more than 100 years.

They are excellent parents and show great concern for their fledglings, which become independent about three weeks after leaving the nest. They will rear their young without the aid of livefood, or even seeding grasses, even though it is preferable to supply one, or both, items to ensure strong healthy young birds. Unless the aviary is large it is not advisable to leave the young with their parents. It is recommended that they be removed to another aviary once they are completely independent of their parents. ERIC BAXTER In the informative book, The Avicultural Writings of Eric Baxter (1963), when discussing the Cuban finch, Eric said: “It is also interesting to note that when they made their initial appearance in aviculturists’ collections many years ago broods of four, sometimes five young were reported, which compares favourably with the results obtained today. It must be remembered that the birds we have in collections at the present time are the progeny of birds that were in [Australian] fanciers’ collections at the time the ban was imposed on imports of all foreign species of birds, which dates back to 1938.” BIRD SCENE

BILL HUNTINGTON In an article “It Can and Does Happen” (Australian Aviculture 1976) based on his experiences with the Cuban finch Bill wrote: “I agreed to a friend’s request to temporarily keep in one of my aviaries a young Cuban cock as he did not have a spare aviary and it had to be separated from its father. The young Cuban soon became a favourite mainly because he had

an attractive and different colour pattern and was so bright and cheerful.” After buying the male, and a female from another source, Bill began breeding Cuban finches. In discussing his breeding results he said: “…I had gained some experience since my introduction into the hobby, and not only did I not lose one of those Cubans but they produced 23 young in a period of 12 months and every Cuban that fledged matured into a fine specimen. Third generation birds from the original pair, together with 2 outcrosses, are now VOLUME 64 - No. 12 breeding for a grand December 2010 total of 42 in a period of 17 months.”

AUSTRALIAN AVICULTURE

FRED BARNICOAT From a South African perspective our long-time member, Fred Barnicoat of Johannesburg, contributed an interesting article to Australian Aviculture titled, “Cuban Finches Reach South Africa Again, Thanks to the Efforts of Aviculture in Australia”(1977). He wrote: “Cuban

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FEATURE Finches died out in South Africa during the Second World War. I saw them for the first time in 1955 when they were again imported and, as the price asked at that time was very modest, roughly the equivalent of $10, I purchased a pair before the end of that year, and almost immediately bred my first baby Cuban in the November. In the following six years I bred them consistently. They were very easy to cater for and reared their young without livefood. Various grasses and weeds at the seeding stage were the only extras provided and these are certainly very beneficial and perhaps even necessary to rear young successfully.” He added: “I pay tribute to the Australian aviculturists who have so carefully and efficiently kept this delightful species going without importing any new blood since 1939! Their success with the Cuban Finch is unique in world aviculture.” JEFFREY TROLLOPE When discussing the Cuban finch in his book The Care and Breeding of Seed-Eating Birds (1983) English aviculturist Jeffrey Trollope wrote: “Prior to the ban on export of these birds [into England] by the Cuban Government, this species was the most frequently imported grassquit. Although a free-breeding species in captivity, it is apparent that aviary stocks were inadequate for it to become established”. He describes the Cuban’s voice as: “A

cheerful if not accomplished singer, a series of loud but not unmelodious notes. The calls are psew - ee – eeh and a psew, psew-ee.” ROBERT TROTT In his article, “The Breeding Machine” (Australian Aviculture 1986), Robert detailed his breeding results with the pair of Cuban finches he bought in 1983. He wrote: “In 1984 they bred 16 young from 6 nests and in 1985 16 young from 8 nests. So far this year (1986) they have fledged 8 young from 3 nests. They have only lost two young after fledging; these were from their second and fourth nests in 1984. There doesn’t appear to be any time of the year when this pair won’t breed. In 1984 the young fledged in February, March,

The young Cuban soon became a favourite mainly because he had an attractive and different colour pattern and was so bright and cheerful.” After buying the male, and a female from another source, Bill began breeding Cuban finches. In discussing his breeding results he said: “…I had gained some experience since my introduction into the hobby, and not only did I not lose one of those Cubans but they produced 23 young in a period of 12 months and every Cuban that fledged matured into a fine specimen.

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As far as special feeding goes they particularly like slices of orange, which when laid flat on a bird wire shelf enables the birds to stand directly on the orange slice tear the pulp away with their beaks. The Cubans are especially fond of panic veldt grass seed heads.”

April, June, September and October. In 1985 - January, March, April, May July, August, September and November.” He added: ”As far as special feeding goes they particularly like slices of orange, which when laid flat on a bird wire shelf enables the birds to stand directly on the orange slice tear the pulp away with their beaks. The Cubans are especially fond of panic veldt grass seed heads.” MARK SHEPHARD When discussing the Cuban finch in his book, Aviculture in Australia (1989), Mark Shephard wrote: “To solicit the male, the female raises here tail, crouches low over the perch and quivers excitedly, calling to her mate. Copulation may take place in the open. The pair bond is usually strong, but if a bird is lost, a new partner will be accepted. Mutual preening is common, but occasionally this activity can be taken to extremes, with feathers being plucked from

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the neck”, Adding, it …”is a very active nest builder and may change its nest site regularly.” RUSSELL KINGSTON In his book Keeping and Breeding Finches and Seed-Eaters (1998) Russell Kingston states: “They will readily learn to take mealworms and greenfood from the hand, however, I discourage this practice due to the Cubans becoming jealous and aggressive towards other species in the aviary, who also show a tendency to become friendly towards the aviculturist.” … “For aviculturists in colder climates, I recommend breeding their Cubans between spring and summer. Indeed, even in the sub-tropical climate [Queensland] where I live, I have found Cubans have a preference for this time.” THE EXPORTATION FROM AUSTRALIA OF EXOTIC SPECIES At the committee meeting of the National Finch and Softbill Association (NFSA) held on 4 July 2010, in Adelaide, a discussion on the “Exports of Exotic Species” took place and the members present were deeply concerned to learn that 13,000 foreign finches had been legally exported overseas by Melbourne dealer(s). The break-down figures being 93% goldfinches, 3.2% redfaced parrotfinches, 1.6% Cuban finches and 1.8% greenfinches. David Pace, president of the NFSA, writes: “Regarding these export figures the 1.6%

FEATURE of 13,000 is 208 individuals and although it does not sound like many but you only need to look at the recent figures of Australian finches held in Victorian aviaries. Some species such as black-throated and crimson finches, pictorella and yellow-rumped munias etc, have fewer than 500 individuals - if 208 individuals were shipped out in one year alone, it would cause a huge loss in genetic material. If it were to occur over 5 years, the species would be in a dire situation. Aberdeen and other foreign finch species are likely to be under 100 individuals.”

Bibliography Baxter, E. 1985. The Avicultural Writings of Eric Baxter (ed. M Shephard & C Welford). The Avicultural Society of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. Barnicoat, F. 1977. Cuban Finches Reach South Africa Again, Thanks to the Efforts of Aviculture in Australia. Australian Aviculture, pp.47-48. Butler, Dr A G. 1899. Foreign Finches in Captivity (Second Edition) Brumby and Clarke, Hull and London, England. Hyde, G. 1995. The Cuban Finch: A Delightful Foreigner. Australian Aviculture, pp.64-67. Huntington, W G. 1976. It Can and Does Happen. Australian Aviculture, pp. 108-109. Kingston, R J. 1998. Keeping and Breeding Finches and Seed-Eaters. INDRUSS Productions, New Farm, Queensland, Australia.

National Finch and Softbill Association Inc. Committee meeting, Adelaide, 4 –7-2010. Pace, D. October 2010. Personal communication. Shephard, M. 1989. Aviculture in Australia. Black Cockatoo Press, Prahran, Australia. Restall, R. 2003. Breeding the Black-faced Grassquit Tiaris bicolour omissa With Some Notes on Behaviour. Avicultural Magazine, Vol. 109 No. 4, Journal of the Avicultural Society, England. Updated 2007 by the author for the AS website. Trollope. J. 1983. The Care and Breeding of Seed-Eating Birds. Blandford Press, Poole. Trott, R. 1986. The Breeding Machine. Australian Aviculture, pp.237-238. Acknowledgement Painting: © Howard Robinson, The Forge, Front Street, Wheatley Hill, County Durham, DH6 3PS, England.

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A LOOK BACK • A LOOK BACK • A LOOK BACK • A LOOK BACK • A LOOK BACK • A LOOK

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION A LOOK BACK 9 1 0 2 0 201

PART 3

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BY LES RANCE

ince the spring issue of Bird Scene we are still learning about Coronavirus and how this may affect our National Exhibition. The rollout of the vaccination is progressing quite well in this country which is obviously excellent news. However on the flip side we are now hearing that the ‘Indian’ variant seems to be producing more cases than previous variants which is rather worrying as the number of daily cases seems to be accelerating again. It now seems to be a race between the vaccination roll out and the more virulent ‘Indian’ variant, which

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force will be the most successful I guess only time will tell. We hope to hear at the end of May the results from the trials taken at the Snooker at The Crucible Sheffield where people were allowed into the venue and the three day mini pop festival held in Liverpool. It is hoped that these trials will tell us if large indoor events can be held in the relatively near future, the National Exhibition is planned for 3rd October. As the 2020 National Exhibition had to be cancelled due to Coronavirus I have asked our designer Neil Randle to trawl through the ten years of National

Exhibition images and send us some memories from the past. I do hope you enjoy his selection. Every year Neil takes around 1,000 pictures at the show so there is no shortage of images for him to select from. When we do 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, when you enter the showground with your birds you need to turn left and drive to the left-hand side of the complex. By buying prepaid entry wrist bands from your Show Secretary when you submit

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your entry forms, you enter the two Show halls quickly after 7.30 am. The sale of hobbyist breeding stock both from our member’s and non-member’s tables who can sell finches, canaries and budgerigars but not other members of the parrot family is always very well supported with over 640 tables in the Bingley Hall and Prestwood Centre. A large number of hobbyist bred stock always finds new homes from the buyers who come in large numbers to our events not only from the UK but also Ireland and continental Europe. However, Brexit may well impact on the numbers visiting in

the future. There is no doubt that 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. The exhibition in the Argyle and Sandylands Centres organised with the assistance of the 18 clubs that support

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this event 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 midday 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. Crystal glass rose bowls were kindly donated by our

trade supporters for best bird in Show and by Steve Roach of Rosemead Aviaries for the best junior exhibit, their generous donations for these valuable awards is always very much appreciated. Cage and Aviary 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.

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Again Neil Randle our magazine designer will take over a 1,000 images on the day of the next show which is scheduled for Sunday 3rd October 2021 so that we have plenty of images for the next twelve months. Please do enjoy the pictures on the following pages. In 2021 the Show will be held on Sunday 3rd October (Covid-19 permitting) and will follow similar lines to the 2019 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, The Waxbill Finch Society and Java Sparrow 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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PART ONE

RETURN TO THE WILD

OF 39 GREY PARROTS TO KAHUZI-BIEGA NATIONAL PARK

INTRODUCTION This is the first time a “soft release” of Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) has taken place in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This represents a huge step forward in the DRC’s commitment to address the issue of capture and trade in this species and provides a model for conservation efforts elsewhere. 42

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The trade in African Grey parrots has caused wild populations of this species to collapse in many parts of their range. In Ghana populations have declined by more than 90% in the past two decades and declines have been detailed in the southwest region of Cameroon, Guinea- Bissau and Nigeria. In DRC similar declines are reported anecdotally in many other areas.

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Grey parrots are particularly vulnerable to overexploitation because their highly social nature means they aggregate in high concentrations to roost, feed and nest meaning they can be trapped with great efficiency. They are also slow to reproduce and populations cannot withstand high levels of exploitation. Concerns over the impact of trade on

declining populations prompted, governments around the world to vote overwhelmingly to transfer Grey parrots to Appendix I of CITES in 2016. This ended international trade in wild birds for commercial purposes, although trade in captive-bred animals is still permitted under certain conditions. Before the ban, more than 1.2 million wild African Grey parrots were trapped and BIRD SCENE

The DRC government together with ICCN has made an international commitment to end exports. Although there are indications that trapping has decreased, trapping is still ongoing in eastern DRC.

exported from Africa. The DRC has been one of the sources of Grey parrots for the international market where they are sold as pets or used in breeding farms. Most of the trapped parrots are destined for the Middle East and Southern Asia. The DRC government together with ICCN has made an international commitment to end exports. Although there are indications that trapping has decreased,

trapping is still ongoing in eastern DRC. In response to concerns over an increase in capture in the early 2010s, the Provincial Ministry of the Environment in Maniema Province issued a provincial decree prohibiting the capture and sale of Grey parrots in 2015 and conducted an awareness campaign via radio and community meetings. This led to several groups of parrots being confiscated.

HISTORICAL The Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Center (LPRC) sheltered 83 parrots. From 5 different confiscations:

April 4, 2018 27 GREY PARROTS from Kindu (Maniema Province).

September 2010 523 GREY PARROTS confiscated at Kavumu airport. The dealer arrived with CITES permits and took them back. Three of our parrots came from this confiscation. March 15, 2017 33 GREY PARROTS from Shabunda (Kahuzi-Biega National Park).

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August 3, 2019 42 GREY PARROTS from Kindu (Maniema Province). October 21, 2020 6 GREY PARROTS from Virunga NP in Mutsora. Of the 83 parrots, 40 of them were selected for initial release on the basis of good health and flying ability.

FEATURE N° RING MICRO-CHIP ORIGIN/ OBSERVATIONS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

403 958 000 010 772 641 291 985 113 000 442 91 543 862 985 113 000 464 468 437 985 113 000 445 932 229 985 113 001 207 620 436 985 113 000 453 821 479 985 113 002 437 844 207 985 113 000 445 514 519 985 113 001 256 220 713 985 113 001 207 774 492 958 000 010 772 305 381 985 113 000 445 545 513 985 113 001 160 576 410 985 113 001 166 110 239 985 113 001 166 103 495 985 113 002 471 443 901 985 113 001 165 681 493 985 113 001 207 686 256 958 000 010 772 436 400 985 113 000 445 268 701 985 113 001 165 320 857 985 113 001 165 527 410 985 113 002 471 466 883 958 000 010 773 324 13 985 113 002 471 392 738 985 113 000 456 635 775 958 000 010 772 179 811 985 113 001 161 216 783 985 113 001 165 929 312 958 000 010 772 325 299 958 000 010 772 124 900 958 000 010 773 489 455 985 113 001 202 51 408 985 113 002 485 472 345 958 000 010 773 902 217 958 000 010 772 398 791 958 000 010 772 000 695 958 000 010 772 492 803 958 000 010 772 780

Kindu II Shabunda Kindu II Shabunda Shabunda Shabunda Shabunda Kindu II Shabunda Shabunda Kindu Kindu II Shabunda Shabunda Shabunda Kindu Kindu II Shabunda Kindu Kindu II Shabunda Shabunda Shabunda/ One eye Kindu II Kindu II Shabunda Shabunda Kindu II Shabunda Shabunda Kindu II Kindu II Kindu II Kindu II Kindu II Kindu II Kindu II Kindu II Kindu II Kindu II

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STEPS FOR REHABILITATION AND RELEASE Confiscation Parrots selected for release were confiscated between 2017 and 2019 in Shabunda Territory (South Kivu) and in Maniema Provence, by ICCN and government officials. Rescue In all three cases, the parrots were transported by plane to Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center. Rehabilitation After confiscation each animal underwent a general examination, normally under anesthesia. The examination included a complete examination of the animals focused on the physical condition (weighing) and the condition of the feathers and blood collection. Faecal samples were examined at the Centre de Research en Sciences Naturelles (CRSN) laboratory. They were dewormed against external and internal parasites and an additional multivitamin was administered in addition to subcutaneous and oral hydration. An antistress antibiotic treatment was administered in the water during quarantine. Each animal has been identified with a subcutaneous micro-chip on the back and a metal ring on the foot. The state of arrival of animals was very poor, many of them had low fitness and their wing (primary) feathers had been cut, which

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The physical recovery process is long. First parrots were housed in smaller aviaries to prevent injury from falling before they had recovered the ability to fly well. In a large aviary they faced the risk of falling and sustaining injuries, particularly to their furcula (wishbone). Most of the animals showed poor plumage condition. did not allow us to release them directly to nature, requiring a recovery process of several months. The physical recovery process is long. First parrots were housed in smaller aviaries to prevent injury from falling before they had recovered the ability to fly well. In a large aviary they faced the risk of falling and sustaining injuries, particularly to their furcula (wishbone). Most of the animals showed poor plumage condition. The first and secondary feathers were not well developed. We had to wait for the feathers to molt and sometimes remove the feathers to stimulate it. When they were ready, they were transferred to a larger flight aviary that was purpose built with the support of the World Parrot Trust and partners. In this aviary where they had the space to fly to strengthen flight muscles and were encouraged to fly several times every day throughout the final stages of rehabilitation.

After confiscation each animal underwent a general examination, normally under anesthesia. The examination included a complete examination of the animals focused on the physical condition (weighing) and the condition of the feathers and blood collection.

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We provide food for parrots twice a day (Food weight for 40 parrots): Day

Food

Weight per parrot

Total weight

Hour

Monday

Sweet potato

0,1