All Rights Reserved. April, 1923 



BIRD NOTES. 



THE 

 JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. 



Some African Thrushes. 



By W. Shore Baily, F.Z.S. 



The TuRDiDAE have one g'reat drawback from an 

 aviculturist's point of view — their extreme quarrelsomeness with 

 each other, and with other members of the family. I have not 

 noticed them interfere with Finches and similar small birds, 

 but they will not hesitate to tackle doves, pigeons, and, at times, 

 even such large birds as pheasants. Nevertheless, as they are 

 such handsome birds, one is always inclined to keep a pair in an 

 aviary. More than one pair, even if of different species, in the 

 same aviary will not do, as they would fight to the death. 

 Strange to say, the hens are quite as pugnacious as the cocks, 

 and, as very often they are actually bigger than their would-be 

 husbands, they not seldom prove themselves the masters. On 

 one occasion I had a male Olivaceous Thrush actually killed in 

 this way. Once the breeding season is well under way they 

 agree a little better, but even then quarrels are by no means 

 infrequent. Up to the present the Thrushes most often kept 

 b} our members have come either from India or America, and 

 1 know of no case where an African Thrush has been bred here ; 

 but provided that true pairs can be obtained, there should be 

 no difficulty, as they are all easy to cater for, and are usually 

 quite tame and confiding in captivity. The great difficulty with 

 all the South African Thrushes is to get true pairs, as the sexes 

 are alike. 



For years' now I have been trying to breed the Olivaceous 

 Thrush (Tnrdus olivaceiis), and I think that my lack of success 

 i.: due to my having had no hens. At the present moment I 

 have four of these Thrushes, the last one being purchased a 

 month ago at Gamage's, where the experts assured me that this 

 one really was a hen; however, last night I heard it answering 



