Breeding Successes in New Zealand



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to hatching, the parents were given apples, dates, the usual Parrakeet

mixture, Budgerigar mixture, and green foods. The nectar and bread

mixture was added just before the young were due to hatch.


For your further information, the pair of Lorikeets are again

thinking of nesting, while their tw o youngsters are very active indeed

in the aviary.


Mrs. E. Jones.



BREEDING OF GALAH PARROT


Three eggs were laid between the 21st and 25th August, 1935.

One young was hatched on 16th September, and left the nest on

7th November.


J. Smith.


[For further details see “ Breeding Notes from Mr. Smith’s Aviaries ”.)



BREEDING OF ROYAL STARLINGS


These birds were acquired from one of the importations for the

Society. One young one was bred in the 1935 season.


The birds chose as a nesting site a hollow puriri log, the opening

having a diameter not much more than 3 inches, and apparently a little

on the small size for the size of the bird. The opening of the log was

towards the passage-way in the aviary. The other end of the log was

blocked by a piece of wood, forming a rather good nesting hollow.

This was lined almost exclusively with white, soft fowl feathers.


Being away at the time, I cannot give full details, but young definitely

were hatched on 6th January, 1935. In all, it is thought that four

young were hatched, but successively three young ones died, leaving

one only in the nest. The food was mealworms, gentles, mincemeat,

grasshoppers and spiders, in addition to the usual soft-bill mixture.

The parents were very attentive to the young, and the loss of the three

other youngsters was probably on account of insufficient live food to

support that number. When the aviary attendant came with meal¬

worms each two hours, the parent birds were waiting for him at the

gate, evidently listening for the outside gate to be opened.



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