Early in the morning and late in the afternoon, they are usually back in a Paradise : wooded area near the fence which noise from encloses an acre of lake and forest. Our other waterfowl give them a (Tadorna variegata) wide berth. Occasionally, one will be seen threatening another with lowered head. Never, however, have byJosef H. Lindholm, III, LeadAviculturist I seen any physical contact between Emerald Forest Bird Gardens Fallbrook, California them and any other species, includ­ Specialty Writer - Waterfowl/History ing our male wild Muscovy and the pair of Cuban Tree , both notoriously aggressive, and the only in our collection that have displayed an aggression towards the Paradise . I find it inter­ esting that I have observed no inter­ action at all with our pair ofCommon Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna), the only other member of this seven species genus presently kept here. Paradise Shelducks have been tradi­ tionally considered an aggressive species in mixed collections, to be combined with care (Rutgers & Norris, 1970; Todd, 1979). I was, therefore, most surprised to find the German aviculturist Hartmut Kolbe (1979) asserting that they are' 'Good tempered" and "even breeding birds are not aggressive toward other ducks." As he further states, another reason that the Paradise Shelduck is the "most suitable" Shelduck for private aviculture is that it "does not disturb with noisy, obtrusive calls," Paradise Shelducks atEmeraldForest Bird Gardens, the[enzale in the lead. one wonders if he is indeed talking He1' head is lowe1'ed in an aggressive display. about the same species that Frank Todd (1979) states is "among the Incoming shipments are always the "Wail of Death" 0 ohnsgard, fiercest and most pugnacious of the exciting, especially when species are 1978). No less a person than Jean Shelducks." As Kolbe gives a very new to one's collection. It was, there­ Delacour dismissed their noise as detailed species account of this bird, fore, with great anticipation that I ,'positively tiresome" (Todd, 1979). I'm inclined to believe that these approached a jumble of various size On the other hand, I find their calls remarkable discrepancies may be shipping boxes heaped in a corner of charming, divided as they are, accounted for by a mutation arising an air-cargo terminal - a long­ between the sexes. While the darkly out of the very likely highly inbred awaited collection from Sylvan somber male stomps around, his European population. Heights Waterfowl in North Carolina, head held low, his guttural" Onggka­ Although the Paradise Shelduck is America's largest assemblage of ongka-ongka!" punctuated with not a rare bird in New Zealand , and swan species. As if tenor" Gawoo's," the rich chestnut Oohnsgard, 1978; Todd, 1979), total they were Christmas presents, I female, her white head tipped up, exports, in common with other New wondered which box held Green­ maintains a steady high pitched Zealand wildlife, have been small in winged Teal, and which one had commentary of "Kek-kek-kekek-keh­ number and it has traditionally been Rosy-billed Pochards, when a loud keh-kek-kek-keh... !" as she accompa­ considered a collector's item, and discordant "Onngk!" from the nies him on patrol. "Patrol" is used standing out in zoos and private biggest box ceased any speculation advisedly as, except during the post­ collections. This species was first as to its content. On April 2, 1991, breeding molt, the normal social unit bred in England in 1865, and shortly Paradise Shelducks arrived at is one highly territorial pair aohns­ afterwards in France (Rutgers & Emerald Forest Bird Gardens. gard, 1978; Todd, 1979), fiercely Norris, 1970). The first U.S. breeding Of the 23 species of waterfowl guarding an area not only against took place in the New Jersey collec­ maintained here in Fallbrook, Para­ others of their species, but other tion of T.A. Havemayer, sometime dise Shelducks are certainly the most sorts of birds as well. between 1917 and 1926 (Crandall, vocal - a trait that has not been over­ At Emerald Forest, our pair mono­ 1927). It apparently was not bred in looked. The Maori of its native New polizes the island in the lake, often America again until 1957, when one Zealand call this bird "Putangi" - being the only birds present on it. hatched at the San Diego Zoo from a

28 August / September 1991 The HAGEN AVICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (HARI) located in Rigaud, Quebec was established in 1985 to study the captive breeding and maintenance of companion birds. At present, the breeding colony houses 150 pairs of 40 various parrot species. The birds are housed in separate, double door rooms incorporating the latest techniques in environmental control. • Insulated walls and ceilings are totally waterproofed with PVC plastic sheeting. • Sloped poly-urethane concrete floors are drained to an environmentally secure in-house septic system. • Down draft ventilation is connected to a high tech air-to-air heat exchanger and Mark Hagen is Research multiple fan system which provides fresh warm air. Director at HARI. He has a Master of Agriculture • 400 watt sodium and fluorescent lights with timers prOVide photoperiodic from the University of manipulation. Guelph and specializes • Green House misting system prOVides continuous humidity control and a rain­ in Psittacine Aviculture. like effect which the birds love. His continued Research includes Nutrition, • Large eight and ten foot suspended flights and gravity feeders prOVide privacy Incubation and other and minimal human disturbance. Psittacine Aviculture Research fields include disease control, pair bonding, nutrition and the influence of temperature, research projects. humidity and light cycle on breeding. Progress has been rapid in the area of feeding research at HARI. Hagen's new VME seed line (Vitamin and Mineral Enriched) incorporates the most effective supplementation for smaller bird species. HARI research determined that vitamin and mineral enrichment of dehulled seed kernels was more effective than other industry methods, such as coloring the outside hull or simply mixing seeds with poultry type pellets, which are often rejected by the birds. PRIME, a unique vitamin/mineral and limiting amino acid supplement which includes beneficial and digestive enzyme , was also developed by HARI. The formula is de igned for birds on a soft food or eed diet, ensuring that all essential nutrients are made available in the diet. The TROPICAN line of formulated, fruit flavored extruded foods for parrots is the direct result of intensive nutrition re earch at HARI. The TROPICA line includes both a High Performance formula for breeding birds, or periods of stre s and the Life-Time formula for normal maintenance conditions. Both PRIME and TROPICA have been fed to HARI's own colony of bird since 1985 with excellent results. Hari has raised many of the larger parrots and is presently supplying pet stores with tame babies.

U.S.A.: ROLF C. HAGEN (U.S.A.) CORP. Mansfield, Ma 02048 CANADA: ROLF C. HAGEN INC. Montreal, Que. H4R 1E8 U.K.: ROLF C. HAGEN (U.K.) LTD. Castleford, W. Yorkshiure, WF10 5QH pair that arrived from the Auckland Avifauna at Alphen (the Nether­ Cat~y Zoo in 1951. Long time zoo historian, lands), the Los Angeles Zoo, and Sea 'l-Iouse Marvin Jones, San Diego's registrar, World San Diego. The ducklings at informed me that only one duckling the two U.S. locations did not survive was produced, the only offspring of (Zoological Society ofLondon 1991). that pair, which arrived with four Frank Todd (1979) states that the other birds, two of which were sent average clutch size of the Paradise 1'utton <4!ail to the Brookfield Zoo. K.C. Lint, San Shelduck is eight eggs. Of the above­ Diego's Curator of Birds for more mentioned collections hatching this NORMALS'-• MUTATIONS than 30 years, told me he designed a species in 1987, only one exceeded 269 Orange Avenue "real speCial nest" to induce these this number; Perth, where nine were Goleta, California 93117 birds to breed - a six foot long hatched. Otherwise, five hatched at [VISA 1 (805) 968-4024 • tunnel-like structure of wood, set in a Jihlava; four were hatched at Los large hillside. The parents hatched Angeles, Moscow, and Rotterdam; the egg themselves, after 28 days. two at Alphen and Poznan; and one I learned from Marvin J ones that at Kharkov, Ortorohanga, Rostock, Kathleen Szabo Harring the San Diego Zoo made several and SeaWorld, San Diego. As with the domestic handraised babies further importations of Paradise Shel­ preViously noted possible behavior (305) 258-2373 ducks; from , New changes, inbreeding may be a factor. lOV THEM BIRDS, INC. Zealand and Sydney and Melbourne, Be that as it may, Paradise Shel­ P.O Box 0285, Goulds, FL33170 in Australia. K.C. Lint brought back a ducks are available to private avicul­ pair from Sydney in 1958, with a turists from American breeders. large shipment of Australian , Though certainly expensive com­ and recalls that it was necessary, pared to many other domestically Gamini Ratnavira Wildlife Artist during the boat trip across the warm reared waterfowl, a pair may be 850 Hillcrest Place (studio) Pacific, to dump several buckets of purchased for about the same price (619) 7n-9256 water on the Shelducks each day to as a quarantine station Umbrella 300 N. Brandon (gallery) Suite 7, VictorianVillage keep these New Zealand natives Cockatoo or a wholesale domestic (619) 7n-9256 cool. babyJenday Conure. Fallbrook, CA 92028 A bird that came to San Diego from Brimming with personality, a pair Wellington on February 4, 1966 was of this hardy species will do well in a sent to Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo backyard. K.C. Lint suggests that, by The Wright Roost Jeri Wright 1 on March 10, 1983 where, I am told themselves, they are rather quiet. (206) 838-9802 by Wendy Wienker, Woodland Park's The distinctive sexual dichromatism, NOO HAND-FEEDING registrar, it died May 2, 1986. Though where the female, rather than being Hyacinths & other macaws, Cockatoos Conures & Amazons it is not certain, this bird was thought drab, sports a colorful that Domestic, Close-Banded to have hatched in 1964. Marvin may be considered more attractive Roudybush Distributor Jones is not aware of a comparable than the male's elegant severity, is longevity, which is fairly impressive unique. And, of course, one has the for waterfowl in general. rare opportunity of maintaining a Tell the advertiser During the period 1959 to 1963, member of the marvelous and you saw his ad in the the International Zoo Yearbook lists peculiar New Zealand avifauna only three institutions where Para­ which, aside from the Yellow­ WATCHBIRDI dise Shelducks were bred: and Red-fronted Kakarikis, the New Wellington, in 1961 and 1962; the Zealand Shoveler and Scaup and, Parc Zoologique de Paris in 1963; only rarely, the , is not otherwise The Avicultural Society and the encyclopedic waterfowl available to American aviculture. collection at Slimbridge, England in of America, Inc" 1963 (Zoological Society of London, References Welcomes new members. 1961-1964). For 1970; the IZY lists Crandall, L.S., 1927. Hecords of birds bred in one American Zoo, St. Louis; as well captiVity. (Ncw York) Zoological Society as two British collections; West Bulletin XXX, :B.' ]ohnsgard, P.A., 1978. Ducks, G'eese mId Berlin; Delacour's collection at Swans a/the World, University of Nebraska Cleres; Parc Zoologique in Paris; Prcss. Rotterdam; and Sydney (Zoological Kolbe, 1-1., 1979. Ol'/wmelltal u'ate/jozl'l. Society of London, 1972). The most Edition LeipZig. Founded 1927 Rutgers, A. & K.A. Norris, (:'ncyclopedia of recent volume, covering 1987, cata­ avicu!ture, Vol. 1, Blandford Prcss. We publish a monthly bulletin on all logues eleven collections. Surpris­ Todd, r.s., 1979. Wate/jowl - Ducks, geese aspects of aviculture. For member­ ingly, five of these are in Eastern and and swans oftile world. Sea World Press/ ship information please contact: Central Europe: Jihlava (Czechoslo­ Harcourt Bmce]ovanovitch. Helen Hanson, (714) 780-4102, ASA., vakia), Rostock (formerly in East Zoological Socicty of London, 1959-65, 1972 Inc., P.O. Box 5516, Riverside, CA & 1991. International Zoo Yea/·/Jook. I-IV, Germany), Poznan (Poland), XII & XXIV. 92517. Yearly dues $15. Foreign Kharkov (U.S.S.R.) and Moscow. members please add $5 to cover OtherWise, hatchings took place in 'I am gratefuL to Steven P. Johnson, I.ibrarian postage. (U.S. funds only) of the New York Zoological Society, for Otorohanga (New Zealand), Perth prOViding the proper citation for this largely (Australia), Rotterdam, the Bird Park forgotten, but import'lnt, reference.• 30 August! September 1991