Captive Propagation ofthe Collared ( collaris)

by Rebecca Maria Dellinger and Christopher J. Eckart Dallas Zoo Dallas, Texas

Introduction The Collared nested in a The (Anthreptes covered) hemp-rope nest that thefemale collaris) is one of 117 in the sunbird lined with aquariumfilterfloss. family Nectariniidae which is com­ Keepers used dry grasses to add a canopy prised of the Sunbirds and ­ to the artificial nest. hunters. The Collared Sunbird is a common and widely distributed spe­ cies throughout the Ethiopian region occurred in 1987 when a private avi­ ofAfrica (Clements, 1981). culturist succeeded in rearing one Both sexes .9f this actiye and inquis­ chick (Ridd, 1988). In September itive species are metallic green above 1989, the Dallas Zoo fledged a Col­ and bright yellow. below. The male is lared Sunbird chick that is believed to distinguishable from the female by his be the first fledged in the United green throat ~hich: i~ pordered below States. The New York Zoological Park by a narrow purple band. Individuals successfully reared two Tacazze Sun­ Q5 measure about nine centimeters in ( tacazze) in 1960 CJ) length and weight approximately 7.5 (Conway, 1961). The Denver Zoologi­ ~

The male Collared Sunbird is distingui­ shable from the female by his green throat which is bordered below by a purple band.

An intense courtship display in which the male displays yellow breast tufts is performed when the pair is reunited after a separationperiod ofseveral days.

40 April/May 1991 Housing and Care small, dark-colored bowl. An active adult sunbirds cannot hover long In November 1988, the Dallas Zoo culture of Drosophila is kept in each enough to obtain sufficient amounts received seven wild-caught Collared sunbird exhibit. of from a suspended feeder, Sunbirds from Bellbird, Inc. During During the breeding season, each the hanging feeder was placed in a the quarantine period, the birds were pair of sunbirds is given two to four location so that the chick and hen segregated by sex, four females and in the morning and two spi­ could perch while drinking. three males, into two "cubes" similar ders in the afternoon. Spiders col­ to the exhibits described later in this lected by the keepers are Cellar Spi­ Breeding Behavior article. In January 1989, the birds ders (Pholcus phalangioides) of the Two of the three pairs of Collared moved to the and Reptile House. Pholcidae family and House Spiders Sunbirds nested in 1989, producing a A pair was placed off exhibit. A pair (Achaearanea sp.) of the Theridiidae total of ten and four hatchlings. was placed on exhibit and the remain­ family. All three pairs displayed courtship ing three birds, two females and one Nectar, replaced twice daily, is behavior and nest-building activity. male, were housed together on offered in a small bowl placed on the Courtship activity was frequently exhibit. ground. Each bowl is filled with energetic and spontaneous. The intro­ The exhibits were fiberglas formed about 30 milliliters of nectar. Six duction of small spiders into the "cubes" measuring 145 centimeters apple-flavored Scenic Bird Food pel­ exhibit often elicited vigorous court­ high, 110 centimeters wide, and 110 lets are floated in the nectar. During ship activity and singing from the centimeters deep. The front of each the breeding season, the nectar is sup­ male. Courtship behavior included cube is window glass. plemented with a liquid calcium sup­ rapid darting of the pair about the The exhibits are perched with plement. enclosure. At times, this darting activ­ locally-cut, small trees and vines sup­ and finely ground Soft-billed ity developed into a chase of the plemented with plastic boxwood Bird-Fare are offered in a small, shal­ female by the male. During some vines. The plastic vines are misted low dish. This dish is placed in the chases, the male would grab the daily so the birds can leaf bathe, exhibit in the morning and left until female by her tail, sometimes pulling which they do readily. In each the following morning. The con­ her to the ground. The male, when exhibit, some of the cut vines, Japan­ sists of diced grapes, mashed ripe strongly singing, held his tail cocked ese Honeysuckel (Lonicera japonica) papaya, and mashed banana. and wings drooped (figure 1). Addi­ and Rattan Vine (Berchemia scan­ In the afternoon, a small "tree" tional male courtship behavior con­ dens), are gathered into a wreath and fashioned from dowel rods is hung in sisted of the male posturing with his suspended in a corner by wire cov­ the exhibit. A dowel-rod tree is made body drawn upwards and his bill ered with aquarium air tubing. Tubing by drilling four 5 mm diameter holes pointed up, or the male gaping at the is used to prevent the birds from into a 200 mm length section of a 15 female (figure 2). During courtship, injuring a wing on the wire. mm diameter dowel. Sections of 5 the male was also observed probing Above each sunbird exhibit are two mm diameter dowel are then driven the feathers on the back ofthe female. fluorescent light fixtures. Four Sylva­ through the holes. The drilled holes Each pair frequently probed vegeta­ nia 20-watt, two-foot-Iong lights are are placed about 50 mm apart and tion and nesting material together, used for each exhibit. Three of the adjoining holes are placed at right but only the female would gather lights are cool white and the fourth is angles to each other. The lengths of nesting material and take it to the a Gro-Lux. Lights are turned on at the small dowels are such that the nest. One male was observed hanging 6:45 a.m. and off at 5:00 p.m. during birds can easily perch while feeding at the nest entrance or sitting inside winter months and at 6:00 p.m. dur­ on the fruit skewered on the dowels. the nest during the days that his mate ing summer months. Skylighting Skewered to the dowel rods are small was actively lining the nest with floss. allows the birds some twilight time. sections of fruit. These fruits are ripe A rapid tail quivering given by both The Collared Sunbirds are fed at papaya, grape, apple and orange. The sexes is also associated with breeding 7:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. flesh of the fruit must be exposed as behavior (figure 3). Their diet presently consists of Avico the birds do not easily pierce the skin Sunbird Nectar, Scenic Bird Food Pel­ of the fruits. The dowel-rod tree is Q; lets (apple-flavored), Soft-billed Bird­ removed in the morning and Ol c Fare, fruits and live food. All solid scrubbed and disinfected. ill food items are lightly dusted with Shortly after the chick fledged, it o ~ Super Preen vitamins and oyster shell was observed using its bill and tongue cu tl powder. The policy of dusting the to probe vegetation. The newly Q) .D Q) food began July 2, 1989, after a nest­ fledged bird was not able to easily a: ing female Orangequit (Euneornis descend to the food bowls because of i5' c campestris) developed symptoms of awkward downward movements. o calcium deficiency. After observing this difficulty, the ~ 1ii Live food includes Drosphila, route keeper constructed a dowel-rod g small waxworms of one centimeter fruit tree as a means of having food length or less, fly larvae, and small accessible to the fledgling. house spiders. Each bird receives two In addition to the dowel-rod fruit waxworms and six fly larvae twice a tree, a plastic, hanging nectar feeder day. The waxworms and fly larvae are was added to the exhibit during the FIGURE 1 - During courtship, the male dusted with oyster shell powder and fledgling period. Because of the sunbird frequently sings while holding Super Preen vitamins and placed in a chick's awkwardness and because his tail cocked and his wings drooped.

afa WATCHBIRD 41 iii Gardens (pers. comm., Scamell, were the first to nest. On May 5, OJ 1964; and Ridd, 1988). 1989, the female began sitting in her -'"Qj o The birds at the Dallas Zoo use the nest. On the morning of May 19, a ~ nesting material to line the insides of live chick and fragments from two ~ artificial nests. The nests are a cov­ capped and veined eggs were found () (j) .D ered, pendulous variety made of on the cube floor on the side opposite (j) IT: hemp rope which are hung from the that of the nest. The chick was imme­ E

42 April/May 1991 removing floss from the floss nest. had lasted 41 days. The necropsy was Collared Sunbird chick at the Dallas The keeper was not able to determine inconclusive. The primary examina­ Zoo succeeded when the male parent where she was taking the floss. Build­ tion showed no abnormalities in the was removed from the exhibit at the ing activity subsided afterJuly 1. brain nor visceral organs. The histo­ time the female showed egg-laying pathological report stated encephal­ behavior. The male parent was not Mortality in Nesting Females itis, likely viral in origin. It is possible returned to the exhibit until the chick The off-exhibit female was that the encephalitis was a secondary was 53 days old. The chick was observed to be less active on July 25 development. In case an inadequate removed when the male parent was and remaining in the lower branches. level of serum calcium was the pri­ returned. By July 28, she had reduced coordin­ mary trouble, the Collared Sunbird The pair which produced the fledg­ ation and a mild twitching problem. that nested in September 1989 had a ling was on public display in an She was observed at the food liquid calcium supplement added to exhibit designated Cube 12. The bowls, but was clumsy in her descent her nectar. dimensions and set-up of this exhibit and landing. Collected fecal samples Illnesses in which nesting female are described in the section titled tested negative. The veterinary staff sunbirds experience fits and seizures Housing and Care. found no obvious signs of head are described by Reed (1969) and Van­ On May 13, a broken egg was found trauma. Degrift (1989). on the floor of Cube 12. At this time, By August 4, the mild twitching the exhibit contained one male and had progressed to jerking move­ Successful Rearing ofChick two female Collared Sunbirds. The ments. The male sunbird was The hatching and fledging of a smaller of the two females was removed from the exhibit and paired with the fourth female Collared Sun­ bird on August 4. The female's condition continued to deterioriate. On August 12, the bird was having difficulty staying erect .--AVI·TIPS--- and tended to flip backwards. By August 18, the bird was having trou­ by Laurella Desborough ble controlling her feet and had Martinez, California begun using her wings to help her when she was on the floor of the Quarantine exhibit. She was almost exclusively eating small waxworms that the keep­ Newly acquired birds should be quarantined for 30 to 60 days before ers placed on the floor of the exhibit. they are placed in your collection or bird room. Considerthe following She consumed about one waxworm when quarantining a newly acquired bird: each hour. Medication was adminis­ tered to the bird by injecting the med­ 1. Your quarantine area should be separate from where your other ication into a waxworm immediately birds are housed. before it was consumed by the bird. Medications administered by injec­ 2. Feed and clean cages of your other birds first, then of your quar­ tion into the waxworms were Neo­ antine area. Never travel from quarantine area to your main col­ Calglucon (glubionate calcium lection without changing clothes (consider purchasing several syrup), Caldex, and Chloramphenicol full-length lab coats) and disinfecting footwear (dipping rubber BID. Medications given to the bird by boots in disinfecting solution). direct injection into the bird were vitamin B, vitamin E, selenium, Bana­ 3. During quarantine, birds should be examined and weighed peri­ mine (Flunixin meglumine) and a odically. steroid. The bird was placed in a brooder 4. Clean dishes and water bottles with 1/4 cup bleach to half gallon on September 2 as she was having dif­ warm tap water (plus a few drops of dish soap). ficulty eating. The shaking was noticeably worse. While the bird was 5. When changing cage paper, roll the paperup while removing from in the brooder, a keeper would offer the cage, avoid creating dust from dried feces. nectar hourly. The bird frequently drank the offered nectar. 6. Spray floor with plant mister when sweeping to prevent fecal dust On September 3, the bird weighed from becoming airborne. 6.2 grams. She had weighed 7.8 grams when she arrived at the Bird 7. Don't automatically administer medications. Have your birds House. On September 3, the bird tested (fecal and blood) and administer the appropriate medica­ began to experience seizures in which tion with consultation of your avian veterinarian. she thrashed about the floor of the brooder. She would recover and resume perching. Preparedby Laurella Desborough, Professional Standards Committee. For The duration and frequency of the more detailed information, refer to L.M. Withey's article in the 1990 Pro­ ceedings ofthe Avian Pediatric Seminar. seizures continued to worsen. The bird died September 6. The illness

afa WATCHBIRD 43 believed to be the bird that had laid from 6:30 a.m. until 5:45 p.m. more days to learn how to descend in the egg as she appeared fluffed and through the plastic ceiling grate. a controlled manner. On October 3, listless on May 13. Both females had Beginning September 5, Day 3 of the the chick was observed going to the been nest building in the days preced­ chick's life, keepers began dusting hen to receive a waxworm. Previ­ ing the discovery of the broken egg about 20 percent of the spiders with ously, the chick had waited for the and the male had been courting both Super Preen bird vitamins and oyster mother to present the food item. The females. The larger, more dominant shell powder. The hen learned to anti­ chick was seen catching a spider for female was moved to an off-exhibit cipate the introduction of spiders to the first time on October 13. The hen cube on May 17. The female remain­ the exhibit and frequently caught one showed some mild aggression tow­ ing with the male continued her nest or two of the spiders immediately. ards the chick on October 20 and was building. She sat in the nest most of Some of the spiders were later seen last seen giving the chick food on the day on August 4. This nesting hanging in corners of the exhibit. The October 30. The chick was removed attempt ended on August 6 when two hen seemed to overlook these spiders from the exhibit on November 5 and eggs were thrown from the nest. The until one ofthem moved. the male parent was returned to the keepers papered over the front of the The female brooded the chick for exhibit. exhibit at this time and the temporary the first few days. She was first On December 1, at 79 days of age, rope barrier that was already in place observed offering the chick a tiny the chick began its first molt. During was modified to ensure greater pri­ waxworm on September 20. Because January 1990, the remaining horn vacy for the pair. The keepers moni­ the chitinous exoskeletons of color at the base of the chick's bill tored the birds through a peek hole. waxworms are difficult to digest and darkened. Throughout February and The female in Cube 12 was seen may cause impaction and since the March 1990, the chick continued its carrying filter floss to her nest on spiders were readily available, the molt. On February 23, the bird had a August 7. Nest building and courtship keeprs decided to limit the number of tail-less appearance. At the time of activity continued throughout the waxworms offered to only one or this writing, May 1990, the chick next three weeks. During the morn­ two per hour. appears to be in excellent condition ing of August 27, the male was seen The chick was first seen on Septem­ and has the characteristic bright yel­ hanging at the nest entrance when ber 21. By this date, the hen was no low underparts and metallic green of the female, carrying floss in her bill, longer removing all the legs from the its species. The and behavior flew to the nest entrance and pushed spiders. On September 25, which was of the chick indicate that it is a past the male to enter the nest. Later Day 11, the chick seemed to have an female. in the morning, the female was increased appetite as the hen was observed tail quivering. During the observed to make more frequent vis­ Reintroduction ofMale to Exhibit early afternoon, the female was its to the nest with food for the chick. On his return to Cube 12, the male observed sitting in the nest. On The chick fledged at first light on immediately courted the female in an August 31, the female was observed September 28 which was Day 14 of intense display. His wings were held while she perched in a tree to be its life. The newly fledged bird out. His tail flipped up and down and fluffed and breathing harder than appeared cold so a heat lamp was tufts of yellow breast feathers normal. added above the exhibit with care extended from the sides of his upper The female was again in the nest on being taken that the lamp would not breast. The male's song was loud and the morning of September 1. On this cause the chick to overheat or dehy­ energetic. The female responded with date, the male was observed to repeat­ drate. A Sylvania Heat Infrared Resist­ mild wing flipping and some tail edly fly to the top of the nest and to ant, 250-watt bulb was used. Shortly quivering. The male was later seen grab the canopy of the nest with his after the heatlamp was installed, the shaking the nest. Fortunately, the bill and shake the nest. The male was hen was observed sunbathing. The courtship activity subsided. With the then seen entering the nest while the chick perched high in the exhibit and cooler weather, the spider population female was believed to be in the nest. when it fell to the ground, had to would have been too small to supply The male was removed from the spend several minutes fluttering and enough food for another chick. exhibit. On September 2, the female scrambling to reach the higher began sitting for an incubation periof branches. Much of the excess nesting 1990 Season of 14 days. She seldom left the nest. material had been removed from the The 1990 breeding season began Shell fragments of a capped and exhibit in anticipation of the fledg­ with two hens on eggs in February. veined egg and a perforated second ling. In addition, the water bowl and Regrettably, both clutches met with egg were seen on the exhibit floor the nectar bowl contained rock islands so failure. A pair unrelated to the 1989 morning ofSeptember 15. the chick could not soak itself if it fell chick lost their chick on Day 3 as a Throughout the day on September into the bowls. The chick spent most consequence of the hen becoming 15, the female was observed catching of the time sleeping during the first entangled in nesting material. The fruit flies and spiders. The female few days of the fledging period. After parents of the 1989 chick laid in Feb­ removed the legs from each spider the fledging, the chick and hen did ruary 1990. Their first clutch failed before taking it to the chick. The not return to the nest. with one infertile egg and one late keepers placed 59 spiders into the The chick soon learned to feed dead embryo. A second attempt in exhibit on September 15. The hen from the suspended nectar feeder and March resulted in a late dead embryo was also seen taking a tiny, newly to poke at the fruits which were and a weak chick that died at three molted, white cockroach to the nest skewered to the dowel-rod tree. days of age. The staff determined that on September 15. Spiders were Within a few days of fledging, the these losses were caused by the close dropped into the exhibit onto the chick mastered horizontal and proximity of a heating duct to the vine-wreath by the keepers hourly upward movements, but took several nest thus reducing the humidity in 44 April/May 1991 the exhibit. The low humidity trouble Conway, W.G., 1961. Breeding of the Tacazze was corrected and on April 29, 1990 Sunbird (Nectarinia tacazze) at the New York Zoological Park. Avicultural Mag. ~ the pair hatched a healthy chick. 67(6): 173-174. Unfortunately, this chick became Reed, B. E., 1969. Further Experiences with ~. Lories·Tanagers entangled in floss by its tongue and Scarlet-chested Sunbirds (Cbalcomitra sen­ Fin~hes died on Day 4. egalensis gutturalis). Avicultural Mag. T Rare 75(7): 237-240. Ridd, A., 1988. Breeding the Collared Sunbird /0ii Park Blrds Summary (Antbreptes col/aris). Avicultural Mag. Successful captive rearing of mem­ 94(3): 136-138. Singing Birds bers of the Nectariniidae family are Scamell, Mrs. K.M., 1964. Breeding of the Mal­ other birds upon request achite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa). , Also have high infrequent. In September 1989, one ~ AUrea' Foreign Birds, 30(6): 230-233. quality nectar diets! -"-"c of the three pairs of Collared Sunbirds Skead, C.]., 1967. Sunbirds of Southern Dick Schroeder Don Wells at the Dallas Zoo fledged a chick. . Capetown, South Africa: A.A. (213) 77?o;~~~eaJ~!~~71-8330 This fledging is assumed to be a first Balkema for the Trustees of the S.A. Bird for the species in the United States. Book Fund. The birds nested in a pendulous, Skead, c.J., 1962. A Study of the Collared Sun­ burd (Antbreptes col/aris) (Vieillot). hemp-rope nest that the female lined Ostrich. 330une): 38-40. with aquarium filter floss. The use of VanDegrift, N., 1989. Care and Management of filter floss is hazardous as it can Sunbirds (Nectariniidae). AFA Watchbird. entangle a bird. Because of male Aug/Sept: 12-14. aggression towards the eggs and nes­ Suppliers • OUl

afa WATeRBIRD 45