204 J. Delacour — Full-winged Birds in Parks and Gardens


FULL-WINGED BIRDS IN PARKS AND

GARDENS


By J. Delacour


Nothing can be more interesting to the aviculturist than the keeping

on his grounds of foreign birds at complete liberty, with the full use

of their wings. But it is not a very easy thing to do successfully, as

it requires good experience of the suitable species and a certain care

in establishing them.


The larger the space one can control, the easier it is to succeed, but

some very sedentary species will be quite content to settle down in

a small garden ; it is only a question of choosing suitable birds according

to the ground under consideration.


The best and most numerous experiments for keeping and establish¬

ing birds at liberty have been made by the Duke and Duchess of

Bedford at Woburn Abbey, where many species of waterfowl, game¬

birds, Cranes and Pigeons, have now been living and breeding free

for many years ; also our readers know of the many successes of the

Marquess of Tavistock with Parrakeets, Weavers and Waxbills.

There are Macaws breeding at liberty at Lilford Hall. At Foxwarren

Park, Mr. A. Ezra has many full-winged Sarus Cranes breeding, and

he has established there Red Junglefowl, Chukar Partridges, Tigrini,

and other Doves, as well as Carolina and Mandarin Ducks, Fulvous

Tree-ducks, Meller’s, Rosy-billed Ducks, and some others. There

are several flying Parrots in the Whipsnade Zoo, and many full-winged

waterfowl at Walcut Hall, Kew Gardens, etc. At Cleres I also keep

at liberty several species of Geese and Ducks, Pheasants, Screamers,

Doves, Parrots, and Cranes.


Perhaps it will be useful to our members to hear of these various

experiences, successes as well as failures, which have taken place at

my own home and at other places, on which I have information.


I am not going to write here about the few flightless birds such as

Ostriches, Rheas, Emus, Weka Rails, and Kagus, which, of course, are

easy to keep at liberty, as they can be confined by any five or six foot

fence. It is the same with all pinioned birds. I will make one exception

only, to say that Scarlet Ibises are well worth keeping pinioned in a.



