I // Focus I~// on I .",: / African f~ Buffalo weavers ~:~.... Finches . .. byJosefLindholm, III Keeper /I / Birds • Fort Worth Zoological Park Ghana, which in 1976 received CITES their future import in any numbers Appendix III status for all the unlikely. The African finch trade, "Finches" which occur there, they are deprived of all the traditional species, barred entry under the provision of is not likely to survive based on the the Act prohibiting the COlTImercial lTIOre obscure species. East Africa, inlport of birds listed on any of the which olight otherwise seem a poten­ CITES appendices. (Appendix III does tial source of finches, since olany spe­ not usually ilTIply an "endangered" cies there do not occur in Ghana, was status in the wild, but, rather, the already largely out of the picture desire of a particular country to keep before the passage of the Wild Bird All four of the families whose mem­ records of export of that species.) Conservation Act. Only one East Afri­ bers we traditionally call "Finches" Though 010st of the African Ploceids can country, Tanzania, allows export, have representatives in Africa south of are not covered by the Wild Bird Con­ and because of highly negative pub­ the Sahara. Of the 321 mostly Western servation Act, two other factors 111ake licity resulting from several miSOlan- Hemisphere Emberizids, nine, all OJ CJ) belonging to the genus Emberiza ~ c ..c (Lindholm, 1994a) occur there. o -:> Twenty-six Fringillids, limited to two >­ £J CJ) genera (Ibid. 1994a) are Sub-Saharan, o (5 ..c the other 100 species living in Eurasia a.. and the New World. Seventy of the 130 species of the Old World family Estrildidae are African (Ibid, 1994a). It is the final "Finch" family, the Plo­ ceidae; Weavers, Old World Spar­ rows, and Whydahs, generally consid­ ered the most evolved of the four, that is most proportionately African. Only 30 of the 141 species do not occur on the Sub-Saharan African Continent. The European and North Asian Moun­ tain Sparrows (Montifringilla sp.) and the Indian Ocean island Fodies Fou­ dia sp.) are the only genera (out of 18) not represented there. The bulky nest ofFort Worth Zoo's White-headed Buffalo Weave~, builtfron1 mesquite Ploceids, like the Birds of Paradise, twigs, In contrast to weave~ oJ'the genus Ploceus, White-headed Bujfalo Weave~will use Bowerbirds, and New World Black­ the same nestfrom one season to the other. birds (Icteridae), compose a family in which sexual selection has had a pro­ found effect, resulting in a marvelous diversity of breeding plumages, court­ ship displays, and nesting behavior, often carried to bizarre extremes. Many of the startling birds that have evolved as a result have long captured the imaginations of aviculturists, and sonle have been enormously popular and wide-spread cagebirds, with cap­ tive histories exceeding two centuries. All of the traditionally popular spe­ cies of Ploceids in aviculture ceased to be commercially imported to the United States after October 22, 1993, as a result of the Wild Bird Conserva­ tion Act of 1992. Because the range of Fort Worth Zoological Park's White-headed Buffalo Weave~are kept out-oj:doo~ in the these species includes the Republic of recently openedRaptor Canyon exhibitjorBirds oj'Prey, 40 March / April 1994 aged shipments of birds, with heavy Ethiopia and Kenya, has a white beak American Public Zoos - all males. fatalities, the major airlines on which during the rainy season when it Having seen these birds myself, I can export from Tanzania depended breeds. In the dry season, the beak add that two subspecies are repre­ largely suspended avian transports in turns black. More remarkable than the sented. The five males at the San 1991. As far as I'm aware, only one color change is the seasonal alteration Diego Wild Animal Park have red Tanzanian shipment, in August 1993, of the actual structure of the beak beaks. I believe they are the East Afri­ has entered the U.S. since January (Rutgers et aI, 1977). A ridge forms can B.a. intennedius. The bird at Salt 1992. along the culmen, lending these black Lake City's Hogle Park Zoo is a white­ No African Ploceid can, at this point, birds the appearance of miniature beaked B.a. albirostris. There may be said to be certainly established as a hornbills or anis. This temporal varia­ well be specimens in American pri­ self-sustaining captive population in tion in beak shape is unique to B.a. vate collections, but I doubt that these North America or Europe. Over the albirostris, not occurring in either of rather formidable large birds have years, quite a number of species have the red-billed subspecies. ever had much popularity, so the total been bred, and some have demon­ The South African Bubalornis albir­ number is likely minescule. The Wild strated a clear potential for establish­ ostris niger does resemble the nomi­ Bird Conservation Act does allow for ment, but, until recently, there has not nate subspecies regarding sexual been a coordinated effort between dichromatism; in B.a. albirostrisr;==============~ institutions and/ or individuals tow­ both the male and female are black ards long-term propagation of any (Williams, 1980). This is in marked given species. contrast to the East African B.a. inter­ Now that the continued importation medius where the female is very dif­ of any species is in doubt, attempts ferent from the black male, being are being made to establish at least a "greyish-brown above, whitish below, few African Ploceids in this country. streaked dusky" (Williams, 1980). One difficulty is the relative scarcity of From the illustration in Newman published accounts of captive hus­ (984), while not black like the male, bandry of these birds. In the first 15 the female B.a. niger is basically a volumes of A.F.A. Watchbird 0974­ uniformly dark bird, brown with indis­ 1988), there are only four articles that tinct white edging to the feathers of deal at length with African Ploceids the throat and breast. From the mea­ (A.F.A., 1989); Louis Baptista's (978) surements given for B.a. intermedius discussion of cross-fostering Parasitic and B.a. albirostris by Williams Whydahs under Bengalese, and (980), and B.a. niger by Newman accounts of breeding Gray-headed (984), it appears that the latter is Social Weavers (Schulenburg, 1982), slightly smaller than its two nolthero Social Weavers (Collias & Collias, relatives. In addition, the red beak of 1977) and the Red Bishop (Haynie, B.a. nigeris tipped in black. 1984). Only a few more have ap­ Such distinctions are academic at • Rare Pet Species • peared subsequently. In the hope of this point, as this species' West African • Consultatjon • furthering avicultural knowledge of range includes Ghana, therefore plac­ There is no charge for African Ploceids, I intend to present ing it on appendix III of CITES, and telephone consultation by an overview of these species in including it among species prohibited hobbyists, pet owners. captivity. for commercial impolt to the U.S. The two most primitive genera in As of June 30, 1993, the Interna­ EB CRAVENS the family Ploceidae each consist of a tional Species Inventory System P.O. Box 823, Naalehu, HI single species; The Black Buffalo (993) lists a total of six specimens in Weaver (Bubalornis albirostris) and 1-800-929-9933 the White-headed Buffalo Weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli). At ten and co N nine inches in length, respectively, M they are the two largest species in Ray Ackroyd's Australian A"itours their family, stretching many people's Presenting our 1994 'Outback Bird Tours' perception ofthe term "Finch". Discover Australia's magnificent bird life on a twelve day Bird Safari. Enjoy The Black Buffalo Weaver is often your personalised tours within a luxury, air conditioned 4-wheel drive. All tours also called the White-billed Buffalo are reserved for a maximum of four persons allowing for optimum comfort and Weaver, and sometimes the Red-billed mobility. Explore vast waterfowl wetlands, inland river systems, parrot and Buffalo Weaver. This confusing state cockatoo breeding grounds on a full camp-out tour that you will talk about forever. of affairs is due to the fact that there Experience video of still photography at very close quarters. You'll soon feel an integral part of this unique natural habitat. are three well-defined sub-species of Black Buffalo Weaver Bubalornis Please join tour guide Ray Ackroyd, fondly known as 'Cockatoo Dundee' and hostess Beryl Berthon-Ackroyd on this outback adventure of a lifetime. albirostris. B.a. albirostris, with a vast Sales agent and tour enquiries; Liverpool Travel Service, Northumberland Street, range across Northern Sub-Saharan Liverpool, NSW, 2170, Australia. PH; (61 2) 602 0233 FAX; (61 216020403 Africa, from the Atlantic to western afa WATCHBlRD 41 futJre non-commercial importation of ture. (1958), the first Director of the Aviary. prohibited species on a case-by-case If the Black Buffalo Weaver (Buba­ A single pair was purchased in 1954, basis. But as such shipments will be lornis albirostris) most likely will be and placed August of that year in the very difficult to arrange, I think it only an avicultual memory in this Aviary's large "Bridge Room". By Jan­ unlikely that further Black Buffalo country several years from now, there uary 1955, they began accumulating Weavers will arrive in this country. is reason to predict an entirely differ­ "twigs, small branches, and plant This species could quite likely have ent future for Dinemel/ia dinemel/i, fibers" at various locations, only to been established here if anyone had the White-headed Buffalo Weaver. have their efforts shortly interfered been interested in a coordinated pro­ From Robert Webster's (993) compi­ with by Scarlet Ibises and Javan Hill gram.