4 J. Delacour—Breeding and other Notes from Cleres


Blyth’s and three Satyr and Temminck’s Tragopans, five Sonnerat’s

Junglefowls, twenty-two Blue Crossoptilons, four Mikados, seven Grey

and two Bronze-tailed Polyplectrons, two Imperial Pheasants, and

three Bheinarte’s Argus. I find these last birds quite hardy, but they

need much room. Many Junglefowl, some Silver Pheasants and Wild

Turkeys were reared at liberty. The Brush-Turkeys were tiresome at

first. The old cock, in April, chased away two young cocks bred in

1934 and forced them out of the park. They remained with two hens

for a time in the deer park outside, but all disappeared afterwards in

the woods. Three hens were left in the park with the old cock, who

insisted on building his mound in a most unsuitable place, right along

the main road. We disturbed him several times, but he insisted on

building there, so much so that we had to fence round the spot. He

then went back to his old nesting site in the wood, but it was already

late in June. However, he worked hard and two hens laid in the nest.

Young began to appear at the end of August and were still hatching

late in October. Several were found dead, but about eight or ten have

been fully reared.


Some Madagascar Guinea-fowl were foolish enough to bring out a

huge brood at the end of October. All died within two days of course.

They had not laid earlier in the year ! Three Demoiselle Cranes and one

hybrid Australian and Eastern Sarus were reared. White-necked and

Stanley’s had two infertile clutches each.


For years I have had two female Manchurian Cranes. I was able to

exchange one for what I hope is a cock, and another one arrived from

Corea so with luck I may some day breed that wonderful species.


White Rheas did very badly indeed, and we never had such bad

luck with them for many years : only two were reared. We had lost

our two best hens in the spring, and the cold spring no doubt upset

the others. My old cock Darwin’s Rhea killed a White hen put to him.

I fortunately have now secured six fine semi-adult imported birds of

this rare and attractive species.


Waterfowl were quite satisfactory in 1935. Some 400 were reared,

which is not a bad result when one realizes that there are between

2,000 and 3,000 birds here of about 600 species, belonging to the most

varied groups. And all need looking after carefully ! The Swans, however,



