On the Ibis, Ruber, by Spil Walstijn Royal Zoological Society Magistra

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

On the Ibis, Ruber, by Spil Walstijn Royal Zoological Society Magistra Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, 55 (2): 219-232 — 1985 Observations on the behaviour of the Scarlet Ibis, Eudocimus ruber, in Artis Zoo, Amsterdam by H. Albrecht R.E. Spil M.W. van Walstijn & Royal Zoological Society "Natura Artis Magistra", Plantage Kerklaan 38, 1018 CZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands & Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Abstract without overt signs of aggression. The hierarchy was not linear but could be subdivided into three groupings. The The Scarlet Ibis, Eudocimus ruber (Linnaeus), fam. of bird correlated with status a was sex-dependent, weight Threskiornithidae, is the closest relative ofthe White Ibis, and of but length the bill, not with nest-ownership or age. Eudocimus albus (Linnaeus). The two species live in adjoin- The breeding behaviour of the Scarlet Ibis and the is known about the ing geographical areas. Nothing White Ibis seems to be so similar that, bearing in mind Scarlet Ibis’s in the wild and little breeding biology only the be their similarity in morphology, question may posed about its breeding biology in captivity. A better under- whether they are conspecific. standing of the breeding of this species in captivity should its and also elucidate its help to improve management to Zusammenfassung relationship with its much better known counterpart, the White Ibis. Der Rote Sichler, Eudocimus ruber (Linnaeus), Fam. Three of behaviour in types display are recognized Threskiornithidae, ist der vikariierende nächste Verwand- the the and courtship: snap display, dipping snap display te des Weißen Sichlers, Eudocimus albus (Linnaeus). Von also in The latter occurs greeting ceremonies, twig pulling. der Brutbiologie des Roten Sichlers ist aus Freiland und together with the up-down display, and as a precopulatory Ein besseres Gefangenschaft nur wenig bekannt. stable for activity. Breeding pairs are one breeding cycle, Verständnis dieser empfindlichen Art soil dazu beitragen, but occasionally promiscuous matings can be observed. Of sie besser zu schützen und die Beziehungen zum Weißen 16 birds in 1982, 12 bred in all with a breeding again 1983, Sichler zu klären. different partner. Bei der Balz können drei Verhaltensweisen is of Egg laying preceded by a period increasing ap- unterschieden werden: Schnabelschnappen, Beugeschnap- of both members of the the pearance couple on und Letzteres ist auch beim together pen Zweigschütteln. Begrüßen where copulation takes place. Nests contain 2-3 nest, eggs, und, zusammen mit dem Ab-auf, beim Paarungsvorspiel which are incubated for 21-23 is indicated beobachten. Während eines sind Männchen days. Hatching zu Brutzyklus failure a sudden decrease in incubation. Hatching can by und Weibchen fest verpaart, gelegentlich konnten Fremd- be succeeded the of clutches. by laying replacement beobachtet werden. Von 16 die in paarungen Vögeln, Nesting failures were due to destruction of nests or wählten alle in 1983 young, 1982 verpaart waren, Brutvögel (12 often resulting from disturbances humans or domestic by Vögel) einen neuenPartner. cats. One incubated for 4 months without pair over ap- Vor dem Eierlegen sind die Brutpartner regelmäßig zu- interruption, without being parent probably eggs present sammen am Nest, wo auch die Paarungen stattfinden. Ein for of the time. most Gelege (2-3 Eier) wird 21-23 Tage bebrütet. Nach dem than males. Nest Females spend more time incubating Schlüpfen werden die Jungen zunächst gehudert. Streu- reliefs much 1 than in occur at a higher rate (ca. per hour) nende Katzen oder auch menschliche Störungen können the wild 2 For to 3 weeks after (ca. per day). up hatching, den Brutprozeß leicht stören. Mißlingt ein Gelege, wird the almost one parent bird stays at nest continuously. oft sogleich mit einem folgenden begonnen. Ein Paar brü- visited other Unattended nests are quickly by birds, über 4 Monate ohne vermutlich tete Unterbrechung, sogar males. One the predominantly parent, mostly male, ohne Eier. almost chases intruder varia- immediately an away. Slight Weibchen brüten mehr als Männchen. Brutablösungen tions in behaviour could not be correlated with in viel öfter 1 breeding treten Gefangenschaft auf (ca. pro Stunde) breeding success. als im Freiland Bis 3 Wochen nach (ca. 2 pro Tag). etwa A dominance hierarchy could be distinguished between dem Schlüpfen ist ein Elternteil beinahe konstant am Nest. adult birds. Aggressive encounters consisted of three dif- Unbewachte Nester werden schnell durch fremde Vögel behaviour threat ferent patterns: fighting, forward and (meist Männchen) besucht. Diese werden sogleich verjagt, stab-and-counter stab. Often bird another meist Männchen. Aus dem Verhalten eines festen one gave way to vom 220 R. E. SPIL ET AL. - BEHAVIOUR OF SCARLET IBIS 1. Distribution of the Scarlet Ibis in South America of Ch. Its northwestern Fig. (courtesy Luthin). counterpart, the White this the Ibis, overlaps range only near border of Colombia and Venezuela (Luthin, pers. comm.). Brutpaares ließen sich keine Rückschlüße ziehen, ob sein geographical distribution is restricted to Bruterfolg gut oder schlecht sein würde. and inundated in the mangrove swamps plains Adulte Vögel lassen eine Rangordnung erkennen. Bei northern part of South America (fig. 1). The agonistischen Begegnungen lassen sich drei Verhaltens- birds live in often mixed with weisen unterscheiden: Kämpfen, Drohen und Schnabel- large colonies, of the Ciconiiformes fechten. Oft gibt ein Vogel seine Über- oder Unterlegen- other members order heit durch oder Ausweichen erkennen. nur Verdrängen zu (herons, spoonbills). The number of Scarlet Die Hierarchie ist nicht strikt lineär. Drei Ranggruppen Ibises is decreasing rapidly, as the birds are konnten unterschieden werden, innerhalb deren sich auch very sensitive to human disturbance and Dreiecksverhältnisse oder andere komplizierte Beziehun- limited in their choice of habitat erkennen ließen. Der eines (ffrench & gen Rang Vogels hängtab von In French Geschlecht, Gewicht und Schnabellänge, jedoch nicht von Haverschmidt, 1970; Spaans, 1982). Alter oder Nestbesitz. Guiana, intensive hunting takes place for the Das Brutverhalten des Roten und Weißen Sichlers zeigt feathers which are then used in imitation so viele Übereinstimmungen, daß die Frage berechtigt ist, flowers (Betlem & De Jong, 1983). ob wir es mit zwei Arten oder nur mit einer Art zu tun ha- Little behavioural research has been ben. done on the Scarlet Ibis. Some behaviour in the field has been described by ffrench & Haverschmidt INTRODUCTION (1970); Risdon (1969) and De Tarzo Zuquim Antas (1979) mention some breeding records in The The Scarlet Ibis, Eudocimus ruber (Linnaeus, zoos. White Ibis, Eudocimus albus (Lin- is of the coloured has been the of extensive 1766), one most strikingly naeus, 1766), subject members of the family Threskiornithidae. Its ecological and ethological research by Kushlan - 1985 221 BIJDRAGEN TOT DE DIERKUNDE, 55 (2) Fig. 2. The old aviary in Artis Zoo, built in 1863-1866 (cf. Anon., 1867). Reproduced from an engraving after a drawing 1868 in “Geillustreerde medaille Natura Artis Amsterdam”. A by W. Hekking Jr., published ca. van Magistra te nearly identical lithograph, drawn by the same artist, has been published in the yearbook of the Royal Zoological Society “Natura Artis for the 1869. the round in the middle is the summer residence of the Magistra” year Nowadays, cage Scarlet Ibises. (1973, 1976, 1977 and 1978) and Rudegeair records from some other zoos have also been (1975). taken into account. Cross breeding between Scarlet and White Ibises has occurred in Florida, where the Scarlet Ibis in 1961 THE COLONY IN ARTIS ZOO was introduced (Zahl, 1967) and in the northern part of South America where the distribution of Scarlet and The Scarlet Ibis has been in Artis Zoo range kept Ibis White overlaps slightly (Ramo & Busto, since 1916 in separate summer and winter The residence is of 1982; Luthin, pers. comm.). quarters. summer a cage ap- 6 7 back The present study has been carried out in the proximately 4J4 x x m (fig. 2). The of Artis Zoo under the auspices of the University the cage is a brick wall covered with ivy. Seven of Amsterdam and the Royal Zoological Society prefabricated nests are placed in the ivy at "Natura Artis Magistra", Amsterdam. Obser- heights varying from 2.5-5 m (fig. 3). More concentrated loose material added the vations were on breeding nesting is on ground. and social interactions. several behaviour Breeding The cage contains branches, some 222 R. E. SPIL ET AL. - BEHAVIOUR OF SCARLET IBIS 3. Ibises with artificial sometimes build 30-40 Artis A. F. Nord- Fig. nest platforms, which they up cm high (photo: Zoo, heim). bushes and a small pond. From our observation last 6 years has varied from 2-9 young (mean The birds be point it was not possible to look into the nests. 4.7). can recognized individually In 1983 the consisted of 27 birds. coloured both May group by rings worn on legs. The ibises varied in from 1 20 age to years. died Three birds during the breeding season, of probably as a result disturbance caused by METHODS OF OBSERVATION domestic cats. Two birds suffered from a broken bill from some earlier mishap. They, On April 26th, 1983, the birds were transferred and did in the winter observa- 12 others, not participate from their quarters, where no breeding process. Fledging success during the tions could be made, to the summer aviary. - 223 BIJDRAGEN TOT DE DIERKUNDE, 55 (2) 1985 1983 made From 28 April up to 31 August we 30 minutes observations, spread throughout the day, totalling 134.5 hours. Initial observations of had been made in the summer 1982. all birds of behaviour For on nests three types recorded: were standing, incubating or reliev- ing partner. Incubating birds were identified by the of the recording ringing combination part- elsewhere in the Each ner off duty aviary. brood scored for duration and of relief was variety behaviour. Besides also followed activities at the nest, we agonistic encounters, foraging and resting. Apart from these quantitative observations, of behaviour qualitative descriptions were made such and patterns as courtship, copulation greeting.
Recommended publications
  • IAGNBI Newsletter 3 July 2004
    International Advisory Group for Northern Bald Ibis newsletter 3 July 2004 An update on current projects involving wild and captive Northern Bald Ibis Edited by Christiane Boehm 1. What is IAGNBI ? page 1.1. IAGNBI: Its role and committee 4 1.2. Statement on the conservation priorities 5 2. Ongoing research and release projects: updates of 2003 2.1. The Austrian Bald Ibis Migration 2002-2004: A story of success and failure Johannes Fritz 7 2.2. News from the Gruenau semi-wild colony of the Waldrapp Ibis Kurt Kotrschal 14 2.3. A study of different release techniques for a captive population of Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) in the region of La Janda (Cádiz, Southern Spain) Miguel A. Quevedo, Iñigo Sánchez, José M. Aguilar & Mariano Cuadrado 20 2.4. Waldrapp Project „Bschar el Kh-ir“ in Ain Tijja in Morocco Hans Peter Mueller 27 3. Wild colonies: updates of the programmes, situation, projects 3.1. The Bald Ibis in Souss Massa Region ( Morocco) Mohammed El Bekkay, Widade Oubrou 30 3.2. First month of Ibis protection programme 2004 in Syria: never a dull moment… Gianluca Serra 32 4. Meeting reports 4.1 Report on the Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita: Conservation and Reintroduction Workshop, Innsbruck July 2003 Christiane Boehm 34 4.2. Species Action Planning Meetings for the Northern Bald Ibis, Madrid, Spain, January 2004 Species Action Planning Meetings for the Southern Bald Ibis, Wakkastroom, South Africa, November 2003 Chris Bowden 37 4.3. The status of the Northern Bald Ibis within the EAZA Ciconiiformes and Phoenicopteriformes Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) Cathrine King 38 5.
    [Show full text]
  • January 2020.Indd
    BROWN PELICAN Photo by Rob Swindell at Melbourne, Florida JANUARY 2020 Editors: Jim Jablonski, Marty Ackermann, Tammy Martin, Cathy Priebe Webmistress: Arlene Lengyel January 2020 Program Tuesday, January 7, 2020, 7 p.m. Carlisle Reservation Visitor Center Gulls 101 Chuck Slusarczyk, Jr. "I'm happy to be presenting my program Gulls 101 to the good people of Black River Audubon. Gulls are notoriously difficult to identify, but I hope to at least get you looking at them a little closer. Even though I know a bit about them, I'm far from an expert in the field and there is always more to learn. The challenge is to know the particular field marks that are most important, and familiarization with the many plumage cycles helps a lot too. No one will come out of this presentation an expert, but I hope that I can at least give you an idea what to look for. At the very least, I hope you enjoy the photos. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!” Chuck Slusarczyk is an avid member of the Ohio birding community, and his efforts to assist and educate novice birders via social media are well known, yet he is the first to admit that one never stops learning. He has presented a number of programs to Black River Audubon, always drawing a large, appreciative gathering. 2019 Wellington Area Christmas Bird Count The Wellington-area CBC will take place Saturday, December 28, 2019. Meet at the McDonald’s on Rt. 58 at 8:00 a.m. The leader is Paul Sherwood.
    [Show full text]
  • Geronticus Eremita) in Moravia in Gallašʼs Manuscript
    ISSN 2336-3193 Acta Mus. Siles. Sci. Natur., 66: 163-165, 2017 DOI: 10.1515/cszma-2017-0019 Published: online 30th October 2017, print November 2017 The Hermit Ibis (Geronticus eremita) in Moravia in Gallašʼs manuscript Jiří J. Hudeček The Hermit Ibis (Geronticus eremita) in Moravia in Gallašʼs manuscript. – Acta Mus. Siles. Sci. Natur., 66: 163-165, 2017. Abstract: J. H. A. Gallaš (1756-1840) mentioned in his manuscript the occurrence of Corvus eremita L. in Moravia. Mlíkovský (2007) says incorrectly that Hudeček & Hanák (2004) had stated in was a discovery from the 19 th century. We have not written anything of this sort. Nevertheless, the author of his text persists on its potential occurrence in the 18 th century. The species Corvus eremita L. (= Geronticus eremita) has been taken as made-up and non-existent since the beginning of the 19 th century but its application in relation to the species Corvus graculus L. (= Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) was overcome in Europe at the end of the 19 th century. Key words: Geronticus eremita, Corvus eremita L., Moravia, Czech Republic, existence, 18 and 19th century, incorrectly interpreting, historical ornithology Gallašʼs note to Moravian territory The occurrence of the Hermit Ibis (Geronticus eremita (Linnaeus, 1758)) in central Europe reached up to Austria, southern Germany, Hungary, Switzerland and Moravia (for example Bauer & Glutz von Blotzheim 1966). J. H. A. Gallaš (1756-1840), Moravian polymath, military physician and writer (biography see Šmídek 1877, Hanuš 1895, Indra 1931, Kirnerová 2011, Spáčilová 2012) recorded the species Corvus eremita L. in Moravia already in 1822. Present: "inhabit in Smolna (right Smolno) and Radíkov Mountain in local parts" (in present time, Skutil 1936, Hudec et al.
    [Show full text]
  • IUCN-SSC Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group Special Publication 2
    IUCN-SSC Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group Special Publication 2 Proceedings of the IX Workshop of the AEWA Eurasian Spoonbill International Expert Group Djerba Island, Tunisia, 14th - 18th November 2018 Editors: Jocelyn Champagnon, Jelena Kralj, Luis Santiago Cano Alonso and K. S. Gopi Sundar Editors-in-Chief, Special Publications, IUCN-SSC Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group K.S. Gopi Sundar, Co-chair IUCN Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group Luis Santiago Cano Alonso, Co-chair IUCN Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group Invited Editors for this issue Jocelyn Champagnon, Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, Arles, France Jelena Kralj, Institute of Ornithology, Zagreb, Croatia Expert Review Board Hichem Azafzaf, Association “les Amis des Oiseaux » (AAO/BirdLife Tunisia), Tunisia Petra de Goeij, Royal NIOZ, the Netherlands Csaba Pigniczki, Kiskunság National Park Directorate, Hungary Suggested citation of this publication: Champagnon J., Kralj J., Cano Alonso, L. S. & Sundar, K. S. G. (ed.) 2019. Proceedings of the IX Workshop of the AEWA Eurasian Spoonbill International Expert Group. IUCN-SSC Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group Special Publication 2. Arles, France. ISBN 978-2-491451-00-4. Recommended Citation of a chapter: Marion L. 2019. Recent trends of the breeding population of Spoonbill in France 2012- 2018. Pp 19- 23. In: Champagnon J., Kralj J., Cano Alonso, L. S. & Sundar, K. S. G. (ed.) Proceedings of the IX Workshop of the AEWA Eurasian Spoonbill International Expert Group. IUCN-SSC Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group Special Publication 2. Arles, France. INFORMATION AND WRITING DISCLAIMER The information and opinions expressed in this publication belong to the authors.
    [Show full text]
  • At the Dallas World Aquarium Silver-Beaked, Blue-Gray, and Palm Tanagers Can Be Heard More Readily by Shelly Nice, Dallas, TX Than Seen in the Rainforest
    ignored with live palm trees being pre­ Birds ferred. This is probably due to all of the live vegetation. at the Dallas World Aquarium Silver-beaked, Blue-gray, and Palm Tanagers can be heard more readily by Shelly Nice, Dallas, TX than seen in the rainforest. Although he Dallas World Aquarium, the other birds. When food is first intro­ once you hear then1 they are easily no longer just a place to see duced, it is the smaller birds like the seen. They eat a variety of fruits, fish, is celebrating the first Black -necked and the Green Aracari worms, and seeds. They will stay T that eat first - before the larger toucans together or close by each other. anniversary of a pennanent South Alnerican rainforest exhibit. The pri­ fly in to eat. Even larger birds such as Although they are the last ones to eat vately owned aquarium allows visitors a curassows will wait for the toucans to fruit, they will be the first ones to arrive glimpse of the flora and fauna from eat before getting their share. when food is put out in the morning. places that many may never see in per­ , Nesting is another story. The nesting They will perch with toucans just a foot son, such as Lord Howe Island, Banggai sites of the Black-necked Aracari are away and wait their tum. Periodically I land, and Venezuela. The aquarium taken over by the Keel-billed, regard­ one of these birds will disappear, but it contains several large exhibits of marine less of location.
    [Show full text]
  • Satellite Tracking Reveals the Migration Route and Wintering Area of the Middle East Population of Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus Eremita
    Satellite tracking reveals the migration route and wintering area of the Middle East population of Critically Endangered northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita J eremy A. Lindsell,Gianluca S erra,Lubomir P ESˇ KE,Mahmoud S. Abdullah G hazy al Q aim,Ahmed K anani and M engistu W ondafrash Abstract Since its discovery in 2002 the small colony of coastline in Morocco now subject to intensive conservation northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita in the central Syrian management. A Middle Eastern population was thought desert remains at perilously low numbers, despite good extinct since 1989 (Arihan, 1998), and extinct in Syria since productivity and some protection at their breeding grounds. the late 1920s (Safriel, 1980), part of a broad long-term The Syrian birds are migratory and return rates of young decline in this species (Kumerloeve, 1984). Unlike the birds appear to have been poor but because the migration relatively sedentary Moroccan birds, the eastern population route and wintering sites were unknown little could be was migratory (Hirsch, 1979) but the migration routes and done to address any problems away from Syria. Satellite wintering sites were unknown. The discovery of a colony of tracking of three adult birds in 2006–2007 has shown they northern bald ibises in Syria in 2002 (Serra et al., 2003) migrate through Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen to the confirmed the survival of this migratory population. The central highlands of Ethiopia. The three tagged birds and Syrian birds arrive in the breeding area in February and one other adult were found at the wintering site but none depart in July.
    [Show full text]
  • Occurrence of Four Species of Ibis Near Dauphin Island, Albama
    OCCURRENCE OF FOUR SPECIES OF IBIS NEAR DAUPHIN ISLAND, ALBAMA Gary R. Gaston There are four species of true Ibis (Family: Threskiornithidae) which occurr along the Alabama coastline: Glossy Ibis, White-faced Ibis, White Ibis, and Scarlet Ibis. All four have been sighted near Dauphin Island during the past year, but apparently only the Glossy Ibis nests in the area. The Wood Ibis is actually a member of the stork family (Ciconiidae), and shoul d not be included with this group. Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus (Linnaeus» have been observed nesting . at Cat Island, Alabama (near Dauphin Island) for several years. A s tudy of the avifauan of Cat Island was undertaken in 1975 , being concluded in September, 1976. Data from this s tudy show that seven Glossy Ibis nests were identified on the island in 1976, and once hatched all of t he young birds survived to f ledgling status. The nests observed each contained 3 eggs, with one exception: on May 26 a nest was located with a clut ch of 6 eggs. This nest was later abandoned and a second nest constructed within a few feet of the first. Photograph records of both young and adult birds were made. The Whi t e-faced Ibis (Plegadis chi hi (Vieillot», though very similar to the Glossy Ibis, does not share Cat Island as nesting habitat . One adult specimen was photogr aphed on the west end of Dauphin Island in September, 1975, but it was not in breeding plumage. The Alabama coastline is included within the nesting range of these birds, but thus far nesting records are not availabl e.
    [Show full text]
  • Developing a Research Network on Glossy Ibis, a Neglected Cosmopolitan Species
    Developing a research network on Glossy ibis, a neglected cosmopolitan species Álvaro Arenas Patiño © 2014 The Project in a nutshell The Glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is the only cosmopolitan species of the Threskiornithidae family (ibis and spoonbills) and among the most widely distributed bird species in the world ([1] see map at the bottom of the document). Nonetheless, no knowledge exists on the intraspecific phylogeny and very little is known about the (meta)populations dynamics. We aim to fill this gap by setting up a research network and by implementing modern analytical tools (e.g. molecular and statistical) we nowadays dispose of. Some puzzling aspects of Glossy ibis abundance and distribution Little is known about the movement ecology of this species especially when focusing on a large spatial scale. In most ornithology books the Glossy ibis is described as migratory with nomadic elements [2] with populations at tropics being more sedentary than others. However, references are rarely provided and, to the best of our knowledge, only a few data have been ever collected on the Glossy ibis dispersal behavior. According to historical records, breeding was very rare in W Europe while common in North Africa and S Spain before the 20th century when it became almost absent in all these regions [3–5]. In 1996 seven pairs settled at Doñana, a wetland area in SW Spain, from where the species begun an astonishing population increase reaching about 8,000 pairs in current times [6,7]. Since then, the Glossy ibis has started to colonize other areas in W Europe and the Mediterranean Basin from where it had been absent for decades or even had never been recorded as a breeder species.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bare Head of the Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus Eremita) Fulfills a Thermoregulatory Function Ismael Galván1* , Daniel Palacios2 and Juan José Negro1
    Galván et al. Frontiers in Zoology (2017) 14:15 DOI 10.1186/s12983-017-0201-5 RESEARCH Open Access The bare head of the Northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) fulfills a thermoregulatory function Ismael Galván1* , Daniel Palacios2 and Juan José Negro1 Abstract Background: Dark pigments provide animals with several adaptive benefits such as protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation and mechanical abrasion, but may also impose several constraints like a high absorbance of solar radiation. Endotherms, with relatively constant and high body temperatures, may be especially prone to thermoregulatory limitations if dark coloured and inhabiting hot environments. It is therefore expected that adaptations have specifically evolved because of these limitations. Bare, highly vascularised head skin may have evolved in birds with dark plumage from hot geographical regions because of favouring heat dissipation. Using the Northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) as a model species, we measured the surface temperature (Tsurf) of the head, the bill and the black feathered body of 11 birds along ambient temperatures (Ta) ranging from 21 to 42.5 °C employing thermal imaging. Results: While Tsurf of the bill and the feathered body was only slightly above Ta, head Tsurf was considerably higher, by up to 12 °C. Estimated values of heat loss followed similar variations. We also found that the red colour intensity of the head of ibises increased with head Tsurf, suggesting that birds are capable of controlling blood flow and the thermoregulatory function of the head. Conclusions: These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that bare skin has evolved in dark pigmented birds inhabiting hot environments because of their ability to dissipate heat.
    [Show full text]
  • South Australian Ornithologist
    .- TH E South Australian Ornithologist. VOL. XL} 1ST APRIL, 1932. [PART 6. The South Australian Ornithological Association. MONTHLY MEETINGS. .No meeting was held in December, 1931. -January,1932.- . The monthly meeting was held at the Royal Society's Rooms <on Friday, 29th January, 1932, at 8 p.m. The President (Dr. A. M. Morgan) was in the chair. Prize-winners. - For the prizes offered by Mr. F. B. :Shoobridge for bird observations by children attending private .and public schools in the State the awards made by the adjudi­ cators (Dr. A. M. Morgan and ]VIr. J. Neil McGilp) on the 'diaries were as follows:-First, Miss Joan Cleland, Presbyterian 'Girls' 'College, Glen Osmond; second, Master Chris. Cain, Public School, Port Augusta; third, Miss Mary B. Jolley, 'Presbyterian Girls' College, Glen Osmond. Bird Notes were supplied by Messrs. W. W. Weidenbach, J. .Neil McGilp, and J. Sutton. Exhibit.-Dr. A. M. Morgan exhibited the stomach of a .Nicobar Pigeon (Caloepas nicobarica) and pointed out that a~ each end of the stomach was a horny concave plate of stony 'hardness, and loose between these plates was a rounded pebble, 'The bird had been sent to the South Australian Museum QY the Adelaide Zoo. , Subject.-Mr. Marwood W. Mules described his journey to :and stay at Coniston Station, Central Australia, and exhibited ',the specimens he had obtained. (1M) 156 The S.A. Ornithologist, April 1, 1932. -February, 1932.- The monthly meeting was held at the usual place and time on Friday, 26th February, 1932. The Vice-President (Mr, Alfred Crompton) was in the chair.
    [Show full text]
  • Observations on the Behaviour of the Scarlet Ibis, Eudocimus Ruber, In
    Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, 55 (2): 219-232 — 1985 Observations on the behaviour of the Scarlet Ibis, Eudocimus ruber, in Artis Zoo, Amsterdam by H. Albrecht R.E. Spil M.W. van Walstijn & Royal Zoological Society "Natura Artis Magistra", Plantage Kerklaan 38, 1018 CZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands & Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Abstract without overt signs of aggression. The hierarchy was not linear but could be subdivided into three groupings. The The Scarlet Ibis, Eudocimus ruber (Linnaeus), fam. of bird correlated with status a was sex-dependent, weight Threskiornithidae, is the closest relative ofthe White Ibis, and of but length the bill, not with nest-ownership or age. Eudocimus albus (Linnaeus). The two species live in adjoin- The breeding behaviour of the Scarlet Ibis and the is known about the ing geographical areas. Nothing White Ibis seems to be so similar that, bearing in mind Scarlet Ibis’s in the wild and little breeding biology only the be their similarity in morphology, question may posed about its breeding biology in captivity. A better under- whether they are conspecific. standing of the breeding of this species in captivity should its and also elucidate its help to improve management to Zusammenfassung relationship with its much better known counterpart, the White Ibis. Der Rote Sichler, Eudocimus ruber (Linnaeus), Fam. Three of behaviour in types display are recognized Threskiornithidae, ist der vikariierende nächste Verwand- the the and courtship: snap display, dipping snap display te des Weißen Sichlers, Eudocimus albus (Linnaeus). Von also in The latter occurs greeting ceremonies, twig pulling.
    [Show full text]
  • Since Four Year a Team of Biologists and Pilots Work on A
    Mutters, 12. 2. 2006 Dear friend of the project Waldrappteam.at I am happy to inform you about a further successful year of our project. We brought a second group of birds to the Tuscany. Both groups are together now; they are free-flying and feed on their own. Beside we had again different activities. In Burghausen, Bavaria, we carried out a study on feeding-ecology with a free-flying group of one year old birds. The birds attracted lots of local people, just as our exhibition did, which was first placed in the Museum INATURA in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg, and later on in the Zoo Schmiding, Upper Austria. A group of six birds, hand-raised in the Zoo Schmiding during the exhibition, flew free during summer near Waidhofen a.d. Thaya, Lower Austria, and were then integrated into the local Waldrapp group placed in a spacious aviary. A great success was the behaviour of the seven birds, which fly free in Italy since April 2005. These birds behave ‘biologically meaningful’ just as juvenile migratory birds are expected to do. They have proper distance to humans, they feed independent, and they seem to have knowledge about the migration route. None of these birds got lost yet. After this summer Dipl.Biol. Alexandra Wolf left the project. For year she was a very relevant member of the team. Thanks a lot! I also thank all the sponsors and supporters as well as all the people, whose interest and enthusiasm motivated us a lot. With best wishes Johannes Fritz Project leader Waldrappteam.at Literature cited - 14 - Indroduction - 3 - Articles and presentations 2005 17 Autumn Migration 04 - 6 - Vernal migration 2005 - 6 - Autumn Migration 2005 - 7 - Responsible for the content:: Wintering at the Laguna 2005/06 - 7 - Dr.
    [Show full text]