Reeding the Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix Perspicillata)
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reeding the Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) by Bruce W Bohmke, Curator ofBirds and Michael Macek, Bird Zoologist, St. Louis, Missouri Q5 The nest is a box made out of ply c he St. Louis Zoo first acquired (/) Q) wood which measures 50 cm x 50 cm o Spectacled Owls in 1986 for a dis .Y play in the Bird House. A commitment x 75 cm. The entrance is a hole 25 cm U ::J ..c was made at the time to ultimately in diameter near the top of the box. o >. .D house two pairs of owls. Both pairs of The nest is painted a dark brown and o(/) birds produced offspring over a five elevated so the hole is 1.2 m off the (5 ..c 0.... year period. This paper reports on the ground. Oak bark mulch is added to captive management of Spectacled the box to a depth of 20 cm. The nest Owls and their reproductive efforts. was put in the exhibit as soon as a pair Two captive reared female owls was introduced together. were acqUired from the Oklahoma In February of 1988, a single egg City Zoo and a wild caught male was was found on the floor of the exhibit obtained from the Cheyenne Moun and was removed for artificial incuba tain Zoo in Boulder, Colorado. In tion. The egg proved to be infertile. 1989, a second male was purchased The next egg was laid in late February from the San Diego Zoo. This bird was 1991 in the nest box. Egg laying was handreared. None of the birds had a preceded by the male feeding the history of reproduction prior to arriv female and increased vocalizations ing at St. Louis. between the pair. In late February, the The first pair of owls was housed in birds began spending an average of an indoor enclosure at the Bird four hours a day in the nest. The 30th House. The exhibit is triangular in of March was the first time one bird shape and measures 2.5 m x 2.5 m x was constantly in the box. A single 4 m. The two short walls are solid and egg was pulled for artificial incubation the long side is of piano or harp wire. on April 30 and the egg hatched on The height of the enclosure is 2.5 m. May 3. The estimated incubation per The ceiling has a skylight and incan iod was 35 days. The chick was raised descent lights provide a minimum without difficulty by bird department daylength of 12 hours. Live plants keepers. decorate the exhibit and are planted in OnJune 6, 1991, an egg was seen in a soil substrate. Fresh water is pro This im,1nature Spectacled Owl is nine weeks the nest box and a second egg was ofage. It 'will n10lt into its adultplun1age vided daily in a small dish. The birds noticed in subsequent nest checks. A during itsfirst n'lolt. It will lose its light head are fed dead mice once daily in the decision was made to leave these eggs and body coloration. late afternoon. in the nest to determine the adults' ability to rear their own offspring. The first chick was heard vocalizing on July 11 which was 36 days after the firSt egg was seen. A few weeks later a second chick was seen in the nest. During this period, the owls were dis turbed as little as possible during cleaning and feeding. Food was offered twice daily in sufficient quan tity to always have extra food in the exhibit. The next clutch was laid in March of 1992. The two egg clutch was left with the adults for incubation but neither egg hatched. When removed from the nest, both eggs were addled and fertil ity could not be determined. In December of the same year, courtship feeding was noticed and an egg was laid on the 14th ofJanuary. This egg was removed for artificial incubation The Spectacled Q'wl is a tropical owlfron1 Central and South America. The St. Louis Zoo has promptly. The egg was incubated at raisedyoungfrom twopairs in thepastfew years. 98°P dry bulb and 85°P wet bulb in a 4 September / October 1994 AMERICAN FEDERATION OF AVICULTURE Dedicated to conservation ofbird wildlife through encouragement of captive breeding programs, scientific research, and education of the general public. 1994 OFFICERS LAURELLA DESBOROUGH, President (51 0) 372-6174 • Fax (510) 372-0306 GARY CLIFTON, 1st Vice President (602) 830-4920, fax (602) 994-1707 RICK JORDAN, 2nd Vice President (61 0) 683-5701, fax (610) 683-9333 JIM HAWLEY, JR., Chief Financial Officer (602) 987-9206, fax (602) 987·3389 DIANA SKALSKY, Executive Secretary (407) 892-0643 LEGAL COUNSEL VICE PRESIDENT • LEGISLATIVE AFA office, P.O. 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