THE



Bxucultural iHbacjasme,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



VOL. V. —NO. 53.



All rights reserved.



MARCH, 1899.



THE AGES TO WHICH BIRDS ATTAIN IN


CONFINEMENT.


By E. G. B. Meade-Waldo.


There is an exceedingly interesting paper in the January

number of the Ibis, by Mr. J. H. Gurney, on this subject, which

seems to me to be one that might be advanced by members of the

Avicultural Society. Authentic ages of the smaller passerine birds

would be of great value. Many large birds attain to great ages,

notabty the Eagles, their kin, and the Owls ; while many water-

fowl, Geese, Pelicans, and Ducks seem to live nearly as long.

The Parrots are credited with living a very long time, and, as

they are very largely kept, many great ages might be recorded:

80, 64, and 54 seem, however, to be the greatest ages that careful

research could produce.


The question naturally arises—Do birds in confinement

live longer than in a wild state? It is, of course, impossible to

answer this, but I should be inclined to think that, under

favourable conditions of food and surroundings, they would.

For, as birds get old, they are beaten by the vigorous younger

members of their species in the competition for mates ; and this

does not, as a rule, occur in confinement; where it can occur, I

have often seen that the older birds have to “ go under.” Many

solitary birds, those that have no opportunity of ever nesting,

are, undoubtedly, among the longest lived : while birds that breed

regularly do not, as a rule, live so very long. (I do not include

among these the birds of prey). The oldest authentic breeding

pair of small passerine birds with which I am acquainted, are a

pair of Trumpeter Bullfinches (A. githaginea) which I have at

present. I caught them myself, on Feb. 24th, 1888, in the Island

of Fuertaventura. The pair in question were then particularly

brilliant in colouring, perfectly different from anything ever

seen in confinement or in a skin—for the beautiful rose



