lated Turkeys noted by some obser­ vers in heavily cleared areas also argues for their need offorests. Smithe Incubation of (1979) reported the turkeys at Tikal to be widespread but not numerous, and according to Steadman (1979) the density of Ocellated Turkeys in Tikal Ocellated Turkey Eggs is about one individual per square (Agriocharis ocel/ata) kilometer. During the months of February and using the common turkey as a foster mother March, the male turkeys start "sing­ ing", displaying a spectacular court­ ship behavior. Turkeys are poly­ byJohanna Motta gamous, the dominant male being the Wildlife Preservation Trust International only one that breeds with the females of its "harem". By spreading out his body plumage, the cock increases his size and displays his ornamentally colored feathers. He raises his tail and t's five o'clock in the morning and portions ofMexico. The distribution of spreads it fully, showing the blue­ Ithe sun starts to appear in Tikal the Ocellated Turkey with this area is green ocelli of each feather which National Park; surrounded by the somewhat patchy due to habitat attract the hen. The wings are noisy voices of hundreds of parrots destruction and hunting pressure. A dropped until they touch the ground, and the strange vocalization of oro­ more ominous threat to the Ocel­ rattling over the floor making a drum pendolas. We leave our warm sleep­ lated's status seemed to be the fear of like sound. At the same time the bare ing bags after a rainy night. With a domestic poultry diseases to which outgrowths of the head and neck hurry we walk toward the lost world they are extremely susceptible and swell up and intensify in color and a (El mundo perdido). This archaelogi­ regularly exposed through frequent blue horn grows at the top ofhis head. cal site is where a big group of ocel­ contact with free roaming village In this curious posture the cock lated turkeys gathers every evening flocks that can be found through their Photos l1extpage. Text cOl1til1ues 011 page 34. looking for a secure roosting site. One range. Although the Ocellated Turkey of the two traps is located in front of a is one of the most conspicuos mem- ,...... _ Mayan temple. For a period of one bers of the avifauna in the Peten month, Wildlife Conservation Interna­ region and one of the important tional (WCI) personnel have been giv­ gamebirds in the area, relatively little Magnolia Bird ing corn to the Ocellated Turkeys try­ is known about its natural history. ing to adapt them to the presence of The Ocellated Turkey is part of the Farm the trap and to the bait. A few minutes family meleagridae, together with the after spreading the corn, a strange common turkey Meleagris gallopavo. sound fills the environment. Like Its plumage is a bright copper-bronze. small helicopters, one by one, the tur­ The Mayans believed that these keys start to descend from their roost­ feathers were mirrors that allowed the ing sites. With a perfect landing, their turkeys to see their predators before heavy bodies touch the ground. A they were caught. The naked blue group of five turkeys come running head and neck are decorated with toward the trap, looking for the free bright orange caruncles. Each feather banquet. The trap is activated, but in a is decorated with an eye-like pattern matter of seconds, four of them or ocelli from which the bird takes its escape. The only trapped bird is radio name. Ocellated Turkeys prefer open tagged and then released. After a and secondary forest, abandoned corn week, five females were radio tagged. fields, wood edges and savannahs. These birds are not "turkeys" at all! They find almost all of their food on It seems that some birds might dis­ the ground where they consume a 8990 Cerritos Ave. Anaheim, CA 92804 appear faster than others. Birds that great variety of vegetable matter: live under the forest canopy, are chickweed, tender shoots and grass, (714) 527-3387 insectivorous or have a territorial fruits and seeds. A great part of their (closed for vacation, first 2 weeks of July) social system, may be the first to go. In diet seems to be insects such as gras­ 12200 Magnolia Ave. this large group we could include the shoppers, crickets and beetles. The Riverside, CA 92503 Ocellated Turkey, a regional endemic density and distrbution of Ocellated (909) 278-0878 species whose distribution is restricted Turkeys in heavily forested areas such (closed for vacation, first 2 weeks of August) to the lowland tropical forest of Peten, as Tikal National Park may be largely OPEN 9 TO 5 DAILY Guatemala; adjacent Central and controlled by the distribution and size Closed Sun., Mon. & holidays Northern Belize, and the southern of grassy areas. The scarcity of Ocel- afa WATCHBIRD 31 Building where the brood chickenfoster mothers 'were kept in the Hotel Camino Real Tikal. Ocellated Turkeys at three nl0nths old. 32 March / April 1994 IIIII by ~~ HAGEN® NUTRITIO TO LAST ALIFETIME Tropican is the food that meets the needs of your bird through all stages of its life. A scientifically designed blend of seven grains and nuts including; corn, wheat, oats, soyabean, sunflower, peanut, rice plus additional vitamins, minerals and nutrients. 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(2.25 lb.) bag of Cockatiel, or $20.00 for a 2 kg. (4.4 lb.) of Parrot to: ""~ HAG'EN® Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp. ~ AVICULTURAL P.O. Box 9107, RESEARCH Mansfield, Ma. INSTITUTE 02048 . For your FREE SAMPLE or to order larger quantities call: 1-800-225-2700 or 2701 Distributor inquiries welcome. dances forward and back, stamping Wild. We were able to collect nine they are found early in the incubation the ground in his full beauty, making eggs but just three (33 percent) were period they tend to flyaway, aban­ himself irresistible. After a couple of fertile, and none of them hatched. doning the nest for a couple of min­ weeks of serenades, the females dis­ This year, with a grant given by the utes, but when they are found in the appear from the open areas looking American Federation of Aviculture middle or late incubation period they for an appropriate nesting site. (AFA), we were able to continue the would stay on the nest, making a Although the clutch consists of an project with great success. threatening sound to the intruder. average of 10 buff colored eggs, the The common turkeys used as foster With an amazing ability and percentage of poults that survive is mothers were kept in the Camino Real patience on April 21st, Don Luis was very low. Tikal Hotel, 24 kilometers away from able to find one nest which consisted The objective of this project is to Tikal National Park. The flock con­ of 13 eggs. Seven ofthem were placed increase the survival rate of the Ocel­ sisted of four turkeys (three females in a box covered with a sponge and lated Turkey poults using a common and one male). then transported to the Camino Real turkey as a foster mother. Based on By the middle of April, there were Tikal Hotel. The eggs were put under the fact that in Latin America it is a still males singing. The tagged females the foster mother No.1 for incubation. very common practice in the rural were monitored daily by the WCI It was interesting to see that after areas to incubate eggs of any species team. According to the irregular and some days, the wild female that was using hens or turkeys as foster changing radio signal, the females left with six eggs had produced two mothers, why not try to increase the were still looking for a nesting site. more. Of a total of eight eggs that rate of survival of the Ocellated Tur­ After days of waiting for a steady and were left in the nest, five poults key poults using a foster mother under regular signal indicating that the hatched. The next day the female was controlled conditions? females were nesting, it was decided found just with three poults. The three The project was divided in two to rely on the visual ability of Don eggs that didn't hatch were collected, phases: Luis, a park ranger, to find wild nests. marked with a letter A and put in the The first phase developed by WCI We looked in open areas ofsecondary incubator at a temperature of 37.5°C consisted in capturing the Ocellated growth, mostly dominated by the fern (99°F) and 60 to 70 percent humidity.