THE



Avicultural Magazine


THE JOURNAL OF THE

AVICULTURAL SOCIETY



Fifth Series .— VoL II.— No. 12. —All rights reserved. DECEMBER, 1937.



THE GREY SIBIA


(Sibia simillima)


By A. Sherriff


The Grey Sibias, so well portrayed on the opposite page by

Miss Dovaston, are new to aviculture. They were imported from

Sumatra by Mr. Frost in the early part of 1936. They are about the

size of a Shama with an equally long tail which is barred with white

on the underside.


Early last year I gave two of these Sibias an aviary to themselves,

and w'as fortunate enough to find that they were a true pair as there

is no apparent sex difference. A nest was built in the fork of a tree

in which two blue eggs, similar in size to those of a Blackbird, were

laid. After sixteen days the young were hatched and were well cared

for by the parents.


Unfortunately, three days later, I decided to try the same experi¬

ment with the Grey Sibias as had been so successful with the Black¬

headed, and allowed them liberty. The second night after, the cock

forsook the aviary and disappeared.


At the same time, a pair of Black-headed Sibias were rearing young

in a neighbouring garden. These birds took great interest in the nest

of the Grey Sibias, having been bred in the same aviary, and, in fact,



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