reeding the Spectacled ( perspicillata)

by Bruce W Bohmke, Curator ofBirds and Michael Macek, 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 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(/) 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 . 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. Box 56218, Phoenix, AZ. 85079-6218/ (602) 484-0931 / FAX (602) 484-0109 MEMBER NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS American Cockatiel Society, Inc. • Avicultural Society of America Gold Triangle Parrot Club, Canada • International Aviculturist Society Society of Parrot Breeders and Exhibitors • World Parrot Trust

MEMBER CLUBS Northeastern Region NEW JERSEY FLORIDA (SOUTH) OHIO MISSOURI State coordinator: State coordinator: State coordinator: State coordinator: Linda S. Rubin, regional vice pres. Peg Whitney (908) 542-7126 Kathleen Harring (305) 258-2377 Dianne Holloway (419) 636-3882 (617) 469-0557 Central Jersey Bird Club Cage Bird Club of Charlotte County Beakers Bird Club Gateway Parrot Club CONNECTICUT Feather Fancier's Society Greater Brandon Avian Society Classic Feathers Greater Kansas City Avicultural State coordinator: The Real Macaw Parrot Club GEORGIA Firelands Exotic Bird Club Society Golden Crescent Cage Bird Club Missouri Cage Bird Association Gustave Seehorst (203) 745-3697 State coordinator. PENNSYLVANIA Miami Valley Bird Club Connecticut Association for Mimi Shepherd, DVM OKLAHOMA State coordinator: Mid-American Exotic Bird Society Aviculture, Inc. Debra Foote (814) 967-2866 (404) 248-8977 State coordinator: Northwest Ohio Exotic Bird Club Richard Bewley, (918) 366-7427 MAINE Anthracite Bird Club KENTUCKY Central Pennsylvania Cage Bird Club WISCONSIN Bird Fanciers of Oklahoma, Inc. State coordinator: State coordinator: Chester County Avian Society State coordinator: Central Oklahoma Bird Club Margaret Fisher Thomas B. Angel, Jr., DVM" Delaware Valley Bird Club David Bluma Oklahoma Avicultural Society Maine State Caged Bird Society (606) 371·4929 Erie Cage Bird Club Avian Insights Bird Club Oklahoma Cage Bird Society Central Kentucky Cage Bird Club MASSACHUSETTS Greater Pittsburgh Cage Bird Society Kenosha Exotic Bird Club State coordinator: TEXAS (NORTH) National Cockatiel Society MISSISSIPPI Madison Area Cagebird Association State coordinator: Nancy Meyers (413) 256-3129 Philadelphia Avicultural Society State coordinator: Wisconsin Cage Bird Club, Inc. Boston Cockatiel Society, Inc. Linda Smith (817) 790-8015 York Area Pet Bird Club Nancy Weaver (601) 853-2967 Dallas Cage Bird Society Exotic Cage Bird Society of Central Mississippi Bird Club North Central Region New England VIRGINIA Fort Worth Bird Club Massachusetts Cage Bird State coordinator: NORTH CAROLINA James McCabe, regional vice pres. Plano Exotic Birds Association Association, Inc. Dawn Kopl (703) 594-3841 State coordinator: (612) 753-5241, TEXAS (SOUTH) Blue Ridge Caged Bird Society Bob Beech (919) 855-8292 lax (612) 753-6772 State coordinator: NEW HAMPSHIRE Raleigh-Durham Caged Bird Society Commonwealth Avicultural Society IOWA Ray Wangler (210) 732-8025 State coordinator: National Capital Bird Club Alamo Exhibition Bird Club Susan Fellows (603) 887-4930 PUERTO RICO State coordinator: Parrot Breeders Association 01 Coordinator: Capitol City Cage Bird Club New Hampshire Avicultural Society Virginia Triangle Bird Breeders Club David Negron (809) 251-1153 Mid America Cagebird Society The Aviary Bird Club 01 Central Westwings 01 Austin NEW YORK Midwest Parrot Club State coordinator: Virginia SOUTH CAROLINA Charles Galusha (518) 686-5263 Tri-State Bird Club & Foundation State coordinator (acllng): MINNESOTA Northwestern Region Broome County Caged Bird Club Beth Rowan (803) 862-2852 State coord Inator: WEST VIRGINIA Aiken Bird Club Natalie Frumln-Weiss, Buffalo Hookbill Association State coordinator: Steve Estebo (612) 432-4758 Capital District Cage Bird Club Palmetto Cage Bird Club 01 Anderson Eclectus World regional vice pres. Alexis Seifert (304) 866-3433 (206) 927-6983, Central New York Caged Bird Club TENNESSEE NEBRASKA Finger Lakes Cage Bird Association lax (206) 952-6983 State coordinator: State coordinator: Greater Rochester Hookbill Southeastern Region Wanda Elder (901) 853-9988 ALASKA State coordinator: Association Cage Bird Club 01 Northeast Greater Omaha Cage Bird Society Long Island Feather Enthusiasts Dwight Greenberg, regional v.p. Tennessee Michelle Keener (907) 345-2220 Northern New York Pet Bird Club (407) 631-9800, Middle Tennessee Cagebird Club NORTH DAKOTA Alaska Bird Club State coordinator: RHODE ISLAND lax (305) 258-4574 Tennessee Valley Exotic Bird Club IDAHO State coordinator: ALABAMA VIRGIN ISLANDS State coordinator: Margie Loewen (208) 378-8201 . State coordinator: State coordinator: SOUTH DAKOTA State coordinator: VERMONT Carolyn McElroy (205) 664-2162 MONTANA Bird Club 01 Greater Birmingham Royce King (605) 393-1720 State coordinator: State coordinator: Central Alabama Avlcuiture Society Black Hills Cage Bird Club Peter Lowry (802) 754-6494 Mid-Eastern Region Laura Lee Neva (406) 322-4444 Rocket City Cage Bird Club Bob Smith, regional vice pres. South Central Region OREGON Mid-Atlantic Region FLORIDA (NORTH) (517) 764-5170, State coordinator: State coordinator: lax (517)764-5103 Richard Hazell, regional vice pres. Dotlle Sheffield (503) 564-9179 Kayla Snyder, regional vice. pres. Mary Glep (407) 892-1837 (316) 942-8864, Birds Exotic All Bird Club (215) 855-4463, Central Florida Bird Breeders ILLINOIS lax (316) 942-9030 Emerald Exotic Bird Club State coordinator: lax (215) 362-1842 Association ARKANSAS Fluttering Wings Bird Club, Inc. Emerald Coast Avian Society Bonnie Doane (708) 223-2117 Mid Oregon Bird Club State coordinator: DELAWARE Exotic Bird Club 01 Florida Northwest Bird Club INDIANA Jim McGuire (501) 965-2427 State coordinator: Florida West Coast Avian Society State coordinator: Cage Bird Fanciers the Ozarks Nancy Selz (302) 798-8625 Gulf Coast Bird Club 01 WASHINGTON Nicole Vander Heyden, DVM DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Imperial Bird Club KANSAS State coordinator: (317) 786·1826 Jeri Wright, leglslallve liaison State coordinator: Jacksonville Avicuitural Society State coordinator: Central Indiana Cage Bird (206) 838-9802 Thomas Marshall (703) 777-3252 Sunshine State Cage Bird Pall Hazell (316) 942-8864 Kentuckiana Cage Bird Club Avicultural Society 01 Puget Sound Society, inc. Kansas Avicuitural Society, Inc. MARYLAND Michiana Bird Society Avis Northwest Bird Club Tropical Cockatiel & Lovebird Northeast Kansas Cage Bird Club State coordinator: West Florida Avian Society, Inc. MICHIGAN Cascade Canary Breeders Assoc. Brad Clark (301) 242-8471 West Pasco Exotic Bird Club State coordinator: LOUISIANA Greater Spokane Avicuitural Society Dave Bowman (616) 381-5779 State coordinator: Northwest Exotic Bird Society Ann Arbor Cage Bird Club Jeanne C. Murphy (504) 833-4241, South Sound Exotic Bird Society B.E.A.K.S. lax (504) 833-4241 Motor City Bird Breeders, Inc. Acadiana Bird Club Saginaw Valley Bird Club Bayou Bird Club Town & Country Feathered Friends Louisiana Avicullure Society

6 September / October 1994 Marsh Farms Roll-X incubator. The other chicks. This bird was sent out of chick hatched after a 34 day incuba­ the collection prior to molting into tion and was handreared with little adult plumage. difficulty. A second clutch consisting Housing of Spectacled Owls seems of two eggs was laid in late February to follow guidelines established for 1993 but both eggs proved to be infer­ other species of raptors. Spectacled Western Region Central Coast Avicultural Society tile when pulled from the nest. Owls at the St. Louis Zoo were housed Coastal Avian Society 'Kelly Tucker, regional v.p. Contra Costa Avian Society To summarize the reproductive in both indoor and outdoor exhibits. (505) 298·3876, Foothill Bird Fanciers efforts of the first pair, six clutches The pair housed outside remained in lax (505) 237-2405 Gold Country Aviculture Society totaling nine eggs were laid over a five their enclosure throughout the winter. IARIZONA Gold Country Bird Society state coordinator: Golden Gate Avian Society year period. Three eggs were infertile, Although temperatures reach -12°C, ~Ichelle Rietz (602) 973-9282 Monterey Bay Cage Bird Club two eggs were addled, and four eggs the owls exhibited little discomfort. i~rizona Avian Breeders Assoc. Redwood Empire Cage Bird Club Arizona Aviculture Society Redwood Exotic Bird Society hatched. Two chicks were handreared On cold days and especially at night, Mizona Seed Crackers Society Santa Ciara Valley Bird Club and two chicks were parent reared. one owl would seek shelter in the ~vicultural Society of Tucson HAWAII One ofthe handreared chicks hatched barn while the other would stay in the ~uma-Imperial Exotic Bird Club State coordinator: from an egg which was incubated nest box. COLORADO Joe Baker (808) 966-6966 State coordinator: Hawaii Parrot Fanciers Inc. artificially from day one while the As with many raptors, the normal Ray Vander leest (303) 795-2088 other was from an egg which was pri­ social grouping is a pair. Both pairs front Range Avian Society marily incubated by the parents. showed no aggression on introduc­ Rocky Mountain Society of Southern California Aviculture, Inc. Region The second pair of adult birds was tion and neither pair exhibited com­ NEVADA housed in an outdoor enclosure mea­ patibility problems. When one pair Aletta M. long, regional v.p. State coordinator (acting): suring 3 m x 5 m x 2 m. The enclosure Joanne Edwards (702) 436-0110 (310) 596,7429, had two chicks in the nest, there were Las Vegas Avicultural Society fax (310) 429-1892 included an attached barn measuring times when both adults would be in Reno Area Avian Enthusiasts CALIFORNIA (SOUTHERN) 2 m x 1.5 m x 2 m to which the birds the nest for considerable periods. The NEW SAN DIEGO AREA: had year-round access. The barn had female performed the majority of State coordinator (acting): State coordinator: Shareen Blrd·Shelton Marty Muschinske (619) 468-3201 a concrete floor covered with shav­ incubation and when there were phonellax (505) 891-3380 Finch Society of San Diego County ings, a 250 watt heat lamp and suitable chicks the female spent most of the Las Cruces Parrot Club Hookbill Hobbyists New Mexico Bird Club North County Aviculturists perches. The outdoor aviary was day in the nest box. During this per­ San Diego County Bird Breeders planted with low evergreen shrubs UTAH Association iod, the male was seen to bring food State coordinator (acting): and contained a nest identical to the to the nest and, as the chicks grew, to CALIFORNIA (SOUTHERN) Steve long (801) 647-3653 one described for the preceding pair. the female outside the nest. Parent Avicultural Society of Utah LOS ANGELES AREA: State coordinator: This pair was introduced to each reared chicks have been left with the WYOMING Jaml Kennedy (805) 296-4451 i ~tate coordinator: Antelope Valley Bird Society other in the fall of 1990 when the male adults for six months without any Avicultural Society of America was a little over a year old. They were signs ofaggression. International Parrotlet Society long Beach Bird Breeders moved to the described enclosure in Eggs removed for artificial incuba­ Northern California Norco Valley Bird Breeders June of 1991. The first egg was laid in tion hatched in 34 days. The average Region Orange County Bird Breeders late April of 1992. This egg was pulled of three hatched chicks was 37.5 Plonus Breeders Association Donna Tondreaull, regional v.p. Simi Valley Bird Society in earlyJune and was addled. A clutch grams. Chicks were fed five times a (916) 642-9050, Valley of Paradise Bird Club of two eggs was pulled for artificial day with diced pinkie mice which lax (916) 338-5016 Ventura County Bird Club CALIFORNIA (NORTH) West los Angeles Bird Club incubation in early September. Both were supplemented with vitamins and :State coordinator: West Valley Bird Society these eggs were fertile but neither calcium. As the chicks grew, the diet Jim Pritchard (707) 887-9462 hatched due to incubator malfunction. was slowly changed to small mice IAviary Association of Kern Butte County Bird Club Philippines Another clutch oftwo eggs was pulled with hair and eventually to adult mice. Capitol City Bird Society Avian Society of the Philippines for artificial incubation in late Octo­ The brooder was initially set at 36°C Central California Avian Society ber. Both eggs were fertile and both and slowly reduced to room tempera­ • Position open - contact regional vice president if interested •• Indicates 2 year term has been fulfilled. if no new interested party hatched. One chick died at two days ture over a .three week period. The comes forward and indicates adesire to ~erve, incumbent remains in and the other was handreared. chicks began to selffeed at four to five position. Another two egg clutch was pulled in weeks and their growth stabilized at early December with one infertile and seven to eight weeks. , For information about contacting any of these member clubs, the second dead in the shell. No eggs Spectacled Owls make excellent please call that club's state coordinator. were laid in early 1993 and the pair of zoo exhibit due to their SCHEDULE FOR birds was sent out of the collection in striking coloration. The captive popu­ AFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS May. lation of these birds has historically Mark these dates and plan to attend! The second pair of birds laid seven been small. In the last several years, eggs in four clutches in a one year the number of zoos breeding Spec­ period. One egg was infertile, one was tacled Owls has increased substan­ BOARD MEETING addled, and five were fertile. Of the tially. The number of wild caught 27,28,29 October 1994 five fertile eggs, three failed to hatch birds in the population is small which Phoenix, Arizona and only one of the two hatches sur­ makes the risk of inbreeding substan­ vived to fledge. This chick was very tial. Close attention must be given to pale in color. The brown areas of the the management of the captive popu­ face and wings were a light brown lation to avoid genetic problems in the instead of the dark brown seen on all future.• afa WATCHBIRD 7