56 Alfred Ezra—Rearing of the Papuan Golden-heart Pigeon



SUCCESSFUL REARING OF THE PAPUAN

GOLDEN-HEART PIGEON


(Gallicolumha rufigula)


By Alfred Ezra


The curious Bleeding-heart Ground Pigeons of the Philippine Islands

are replaced in New Guinea and neighbouring islands by the smaller

brown Golden-hearts, whose breasts are tinged with deep bright yellow

instead of blood red. Like their cousins, they are forest dwellers and

they walk and live on the ground, perching only at night. Golden-hearts

have been seldom imported and have never been bred so far. A pair of

these rare birds was brought for me by Mr. Frost, the well-known

collector, and were turned out into a large aviary with a good many

other birds. They laid only one egg, which was creamy white and rather

glossy and oval in shape, and pointed at the smaller end . This egg was

noticed when nest-boxes and baskets were being removed on 16th Sep¬

tember for the winter. The nest was constructed of small twigs and leaves

in a basket hung up 10 feet from the floor on the wall in the sleeping

quarters. The actual date when the egg was laid is unknown. Although

these Pigeons were always building nests, no eggs were found, and all

hopes of their breeding had been given up. On 29th September a young

one was noticed, being about two days old. It grew rapidly and when

it left the nest on 17th October it was quite strong and about two-thirds

the size of its parents. After leaving the nest the parents guarded it from

every bird or Pigeon for about ten days, by sitting close to it. After that

they took no more notice of it, and we often saw it at the seed tray where

it always picked out white millet seeds from the remainder. The colour

of the young bird is very much like its parents only slightly paler.



