148 H. Hampe—The Nesting Habits of Agapornis pullaria


THE NESTING HABITS OF AGAPORNIS

PULLARIA


By H. Hampe, Brunswick


In my article on “Inseparables” (Vogel ferner Lander, viii, 1934)

I surmised that the difficulty in breeding Bed-headed Lovebirds was

to be explained by the fact that in freedom they make their nests

in anthills, and therefore did not take to the usual hollow log nest-box.

My attempt in 1933 to solve this question led to partial success, which

I will briefly record.


In order to give the birds a somewhat natural substitute for the

anthill, I built a hill about three feet high out of a mixture of clay,

sand, and chalk, and in addition, I made an inner wall at the top

corner of their flight about 2 feet high and 10 inches thick of clay and

mud. The hen, which replaced the one lost in 1933, came into breeding

condition in 1934 and set to work on a wooden box, enlarging the

entrance considerably. She continued this the following year, and

then began as her predecessor had done to try to make a hole in

the mortar of the wall. Early in May, 1936, she began at last to pay

attention to the artificial wall into which I had meanwhile driven a

couple of short perches. From now on she was always to be found

there and continually occupied in making a hole. By the beginning

of July her task was finished with a little help from me in loosening

the hard clay. She had made a hole as big as my fist, reaching right

back to the permanent wall, first straight and then turning left, an

almost horizontal passage which, like the entrance, measured about

If inches across. The female ran in and out like a weasel, she usually

stayed four to five minutes in the hole and then came out for a short

time. She appeared to use her beak only. The male took no part

in the work, but continually sat singing and swaying by the hole.


By the beginning of August the female began carrying in nesting

material in the shape of very small pieces of fresh willow leaves, very

occasionally bark as well; she did not pack them in her rump feathers

only as hitherto observed, but like Agapornis taranta in every bit

of plumage she could reach with her beak except the flight feathers.



