386 The Marquess of Tavistock—Breeding Notes for 1933


The Senegal Sunbirds have also done nothing although I think

their breeding season must be later as the cock is just starting to sing.


The Fairy Bluebirds laid three times, but the hen got egg-bound

with the second egg of both the first clutches. I removed the cock

as he appears to be an egg-eater. The first time the hen sat unsteadily

and soon upset her egg. For the second venture we made her a nest

in an open wire box which she took to readily and she sat quite well,

hatching one young one, but throwing it out of the nest when about

a week old. The third time she would not sit.


My failure to induce the Rothschild’s Birds of Paradise to nest was

explained when this summer the “ hen ” moulted into a young cock.

The curious thing was that the fine adult cock was desperately afraid

of the immature one, but I have known the same thing happen with

Fairy Bluebirds. It hardly supports the new theory that the object

of the bright colours of male birds is to terrify rivals ! The Rothschild’s

are moulting at rather a sensible time of year for Birds of Paradise,

i.e. in late summer and autumn. The hen King Bird of Paradise carried

nesting material about a few weeks ago but the cock had not fully

completed his moult.


The big Banksian Cockatoo is sitting but I fear the result will be

the usual clear eggs.


The cock Palm Cockatoo seemed disposed to feed his mate but they

are still very wild and go no further. They seem to be partly nocturnal

in their habits as I often hear their strange cries during the hours of

darkness.


I have unfortunately lost one of my Imperial Amazons from

enteritis. It had been ill earlier in the year, but recovered. The

survivor, Mr. Porter’s bird, with the broken wing, I decided to release,

as it never seemed happy in confinement and I thought it would enjoy

climbing about with the shot-damaged Bouquet’s. It never used its

wings in the aviary and the only time I saw it try to do so it fell to the

ground like a stone. What was our surprise, therefore, on letting it

out, to find that it could fly as if it had never had the slightest

injury. It is at present living wild in the wood at the back of the

aviaries, feeding on apples and acorns and refusing to come down for

artificial food.



