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C. H. MacJclin—My Aviaries



Whydah laid last autumn and if the Waxbills nest the parasitical

breeding habits of the Whydahs might have a chance ; at any rate it is

an interesting experiment. A hen Malachite Sunbird completes this

collection, the long aviary gives her a chance of showing off her

extremely rapid powers of flight.


No. 4 Aviary has been divided into four small compartments each

about 10 by 4 feet. In the inner two are five pairs of Black-cheek

Lovebirds ; two pairs are sitting on four eggs each, in nest-boxes

hung in the flight ; my flock of these birds have reared over 100 young

ones in the last eight years. I must-confess I am getting a little tired

of them. Lovebirds are very stupid and in my experience hardly ever

get at all tame ; they are also occasionally murderous and cannibalistic,

not very lovable traits. The other two compartments of No. 4 contain

a Racket-tailed Drongo and a Blue Whistling Thrush, each by himself

of course. These two birds are both very tame and most amusing, they

both have a very loud whistle and are wonderful mimics. The Drongo

copies our Spaniel puppies’ excited bark exactly and any other noises

in the house or garden. He recently escaped and spent an hour or

so flying round my neighbour’s park ; he was a wonderul sight with

his two rackets trailing behind him as he indulged in aerobatics high

above the trees ; he came down when he was hungry and was enticed

home with meal worms.


No. 3 Aviary, 7 by 20 by 10 feet high contains a mixed lot; a very

tame Pied Rock Thrush, Magpie Tanager, Striated Tanager, Gaboon

Blue-bill Weaver, two cock Giant Whydahs, handsome birds now in

full colour with 15 in. tails, a pair of Pekin Robins in their seventh

year here ; my old cock Amethyst-rumped Sunbird, as lively as ever ;

Cape Paradise Whydah, Queen Whydah, two Greater St. Helena

Waxbills, and two Australian Plumed Ground Doves, the latter

attractive little birds are, I am afraid, both cocks, they occasionally

fly up and perch but spend most of the time on the ground, they have

an amusing display bowing low with their tails spread and raised behind.

The Gaboon Blue-bill is seldom seen, he prefers to hide his handsome

scarlet breast in the foliage and bushes at the back of the aviary.

The magpie Tanager is always on show, very spick and span in black



