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Erroneous Clutch of Coxen's Fig-Parrot

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Erroneous Clutch of Coxen's Fig-Parrot Erroneous Clutch of Coxen's Fig-Parrot There is but one published record of the nest and eggs of Coxen's Fig-Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma coxeni, the endangered southern subspecies of the Double-eyed Fig-Parrot inhabiting south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales. On 2 August 1934, Valdie Christensen found two eggs 'in an old, rotted off, boomerang-shaped stump which was half buried in the ground, thus forming a hollow, and the eggs were laid about twelve inches from the entrance' at Urangan, near Maryborough in Queensland (Kinghorn 1936). No other description of the nest was given and, if there was a data sheet completed by Christensen, it cannot now be found. The measurement given by Kinghorn for the eggs was 15 x 12 mm. Christensen told Kinghorn that he had seen a 'Lorilet [Fig-Parrot] as it sat on the limb of a tree near a log which later proved to be the nesting site' (Kinghorn 1936). No detail is given as to how Christensen determined that this log 'proved to be the nesting site'. The eggs, now in the Queensland Museum where they are registered as QM 0.3940, are still assigned to C.d. coxeni. The registration card with the eggs bears the word 'Type', although technically it could only be a type clutch if it was described at the same time as the type specimen of the bird. Forshaw (1969) accepted the identity of the eggs at face value, but later (Forshaw 1979) rejected the identification of these eggs, saying, ' .. .I have examined them and concluded that they are not the eggs of P. [now C.] d. coxeni'. This amendment was incorporated into Forshaw & Cooper (1980). Forshaw (1979) gave the measurements as 15.1 x 13.3 mm and 15.0 x 13.4 mm, which are correct. I have examined these eggs several times to try to determine what they are, and agree with Forshaw's assessment. Furthermore, I suggest that they are Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus eggs. VOL. 19 (6-7) JUNE-SEPT. 2002 Eggs of Coxen's Fig-Parrot 197 -------------- Table 1 Body length (bill tip to tail tip) and average egg size of Double-eyed Fig-Parrot (three subspecies), Little Lorikeet and Spotted Pardalote, from Beruldsen (1980), Higgins (1999) and Pizzey & Knight (1999), compared with the Urangan, Qld, eggs. Species Body length (cm) Egg dimensions (mm) Double-eyed Fig-Parrot: Cyclopsitta diophthalma coxeni 13-15 Not known Cyclopsitta diophthalma macleayana 13- 15 21.8 x 17.8 Cyclopsitta diophthalma marshalli 13-15 21.6 x 17.5 Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla 16-18 20.0 x 16.6 Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus 8-10 16 x 13 Urangan, Qld, eggs 15.1 x 13.3, 15.0 x 13.4 In Australia, birds that use hollows in trees or logs in which to nest are some ducks, a few raptors, parrots and cockatoos, owls, Australian Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles cristatus, kingfishers Todiramphus, kookaburrasDacelo, the Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis, Tree Martin Hirundo nigricans, a few thornbillsAcanthiza, Southern Whiteface Aphelocephala leucopsis, treecreepers (Climacteridae) and pardalotes Pardalotus (Beruldsen 1980). In the context of the present issue one can first eliminate the raptors, Tree Martin, thornbills, Whiteface and treecreepers, for they all lay eggs with markings. Then one can eliminate ducks, for they lay cream-coloured eggs. Then, on the basis of egg size, one can eliminate cockatoos, owls, Owlet-nightjar, kingfishers and kookaburras, and Dollarbird. That leaves parrots and pardalotes. Most parrots can then be eliminated by egg size, leaving only the Fig-Parrot, several lorikeets Glossopsitta and the pardalotes. If one then takes account of distribution, having in mind the location of the find, one is left with Coxen's Fig-Parrot, Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla, Striated Pardalote (Black-headed form) Pardalotus striatus melanocephalus, and Spotted Pardalote. As each of these four species lays small white eggs, one next has to consider eggshell size and texture. A summary of size comparisons is given in Table 1. In relation to eggshell texture, generally speaking Fig-Parrots and lorikeets lay eggs with a minutely pitted, finely textured, lustreless shell, the nature of which tends to allow rapid staining from the decayed wood on which they are usually laid, combined with the relatively high humidity within the nest-hollow. Eggs are sometimes stained within a day or two of laying (Beruldsen 1980, Higgins 1999). Pardalotes lay eggs with an even finer texture and, particularly in the case of the Spotted Pardalote, lustrous, thus resisting staining. In addition they are laid in a nest lined with fine dry vegetation, from which staining is much less likely (Beruldsen 1980). Lest it be thought that nest height is a possible criterion, Christensen (in Kinghorn 1936) gave no indication of the height of the nest-hole. The eggs may have been laid before the limb fell, as in a case of Musk Lorikeets Glossopsitta concinna completing incubation and rearing two young after their nest-limb fell from the tree (pers. obs.). Furthermore, I have observed a nest of Macleay's Fig­ Parrot C. d. macleayana within a metre of the ground in suburban Cairns, northern Queensland, lower than heights recorded by Higgins (1999) for this species. Fig-Parrot and Little Lorikeet eggs tend to be more rounded than pointed at one end (Beruldsen 1980). Striated Pardalote eggs, on the other hand, tend to be AUSTRALIAN 198 BERULDSEN BIRD WATCHER more pointed at one end, more so than the eggs of the Spotted Pardalote (Beruldsen 1980). Like the two parrots, Spotted Pardalote eggs tend to be more rounded. Fig-Parrots increase in size from north to south: average wing-lengths of subspecies C.d. marshalli are 85.9 mm (male) and 85.4 mm (female); macleayana 89.1 mm (male) and 88.3 mm (female); and coxeni 98.5 mm (ages and sexes combined; Higgins 1999). Thus, coxeni is the largest of the three subspecies of Cyclopsitta in Australra, and should have the largest eggs of the three subspecies. The eggs under examination are too small to be those of a Fig-Parrot. They are clean, rounded and have a lustrous surface. They must have been in the nest for some days, for Kinghorn (1936) noted that 'incubation had commenced'. It is my opinion that the eggs are those of the Spotted Pardalote and not the Fig­ Parrot. The nest and eggs of Coxen's Fig-Parrot are yet to be described. The author wishes to record his appreciation to Dr Ian Gynther, Stephen Debus and two referees for valuable assistance with this paper, and the Queensland Museum for access to the bird collection. References Beruldsen, G.R. (1980), Field Guide to Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds, Rigby, Adelaide. Forshaw, J.M. (1969), Australian Parrots, Lansdowne, Melbourne. Forshaw, J.M. (1979), 'Eggs of the Double-eyed Fig Parrot', Australian Bird Watcher 8, 98-99. Forshaw, J.M. & Cooper, W.T. (1980), Australian Parrots, Lansdowne, Melbourne. Higgins, P.J.JEd.) (1999), Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, vol. 4, Oxford nivers1ty Press, Melbourne. Kinghorn, J.R. (1936), 'Nest and eggs of the Blue-browed Lorilet', Emu 36, 31. Pizzey, G. & Knight, F. (1999), Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, Angus & Robertson, Sydney. GORDON R. BERULDSEN, 47 Broadmoor Street, Kenmore Hills, Queensland 4069 Received 30 November 2001 • .
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