done to specifically categorize these ' diets, captive birds (such as at the San Diego Zoo) appar­ ently do well on a combination of mealworms, waxworms, crickets, The Scarlet mixed fruit, and a small portion of soaked cat and dog chow. In the wild, the search for food is often carried out by large groups of and Other Caterpillar Eaters birds, comprised of either extended family parties or of flocks of unrelated by Georgann B. Johnston Sacramento, CA birds numbering as many as 150 mem­ bers. Vocalizations are most common when the birds are in a flocking for­ mation, with some species giving off he very beautiful Scarlet while the females tend towards a com­ only a soft and wheeZing call while Minivet Pericrocotus flam­ bination of dull yellow or orange alter­ other species communicate in shrill T meus, is a member of the nating with black or gray plumage. whistles and harsh calls. Campephagidae family, birds that fall Minivets are found only in a rela­ The nest of all 10 species of minivets within the general category of tively small range in the earth's Eastern is typically a shallow cup made from or songbirds. Hemisphere. Habitats include the twigs, roots, and dried grass. The com­ For some unknown reason, these countries of , , Borneo, ponents are often bound together with colorful and clever little birds have had Afghanistan, the southernmost part of webs and are camouflaged with next to nothing written about them in China, Malaysia, throughout the lower bark or lichen so that they seem to be either the scientific literature or in avi­ Himalayas, and occasionally in the part of the branches upon which they cultural publications and what has been . In fact, it is the birds that sit. Minivets tend to place their nests written is often confusing and contra­ populate the Himalayas that fall into fairly high in trees but whether this is to dictory. For example, there are a wide the two subspecies of Scarlet Minivets avoid predators or for some other rea­ variety of common names given to the - with the birds living at higher ele­ son is unknown, particularly since birds in this family, with minivets being vations tending towards a more red­ much of their food is found at or near called evetything from caterpillar birds scarlet plumage while those living at ground level. Clutch size can vary from to cuckoo-shrikes to trillers or to fly­ lower elevations appearing more a single to as many as three and the catchers. For the purposes of this arti­ orange in coloration. themselves vary in coloration, cle, we will refer to them as minivets. Regardless of locale, the birds seem again depending on the species. Many to like to live in sparsely wooded species' eggs are speckled or blotched Scientific classification of the birds in forests or on hills with moderate brush with a contrasting color such as red­ this family, which is comprised of nine and tree cover. The birds tend to be brown or purple-gray. In some species genera, is somewhat confusing as well sedentary and are not known to the female handles all the incubation and the exact number of species or migrate any great distance, though while in others the parents share the subspecies that should be included in they do wander in a nomadic fashion, burden equally. this group seems to vary from one searching out new sources of food. Another interesting point is that authority to another. Generally speak­ The only exception to the non-migra­ pairs of a given species often nest in ing, ornithologistS have recognized 10 tion rule are, again, those species close proximity to one another and species in the genus Pericrocotuswhich found in the Himalayas, where cold there is some evidence that the parents include the commonly named Scarlet winters force the birds to relocate to (who both participate in feeding the (with at least two subspecies), Rosy, lower elevations to avoid harsh condi­ young) will often feed chicks in a Ashy, Yellow-throated, Flore's, Small, tions and ensure that they find ade­ neighboring nest as well as chicks of Long-tailed, Sunda, Jerdon's, and Small­ quate food to keep them through the their own. billed Minivets. harsh and freeZing conditions. According to ISIS records, only five These 10 species of birds vary con­ These birds are a combination of zoos in the United States house siderably in physical appearance. Size insectivores/frugivores, dining primar­ minivets in their collections. San alone is one easy way to distinguish ily on invertebrates such as , Diego Zoo, as an example, keeps one one species from another since the beetles, flies, and grubs supplement­ subspecies of the Scarlet Minivet, birds can be as small as five inches and ed by buds, berries, and small fruits. Pericrocotus flammeus fohkiensis, in a as long as 12 inches, measured from Caterpillars are a favorite with these mixed flight with Blue-tailed Trogons, beak to tail. Another consistent charac­ birds, hence the family name Tawny-breasted Parrot Finches, teristic is sexual dimorphism, with the Campephagidae, Latin for caterpillar. Yunnan Red-tailed Minlas, and Lesser males tending to be brightly colored While no field studies have been Green Broadbills. The extent and

the afa WATCHBIRD 11 number of minivets in private collec­ individual species that have been hon­ thing, sold nothing, and been broke in tions is unknown. ored by such countries as Thailand and a couple of months. Finally, despite the fact that these Burma with a colorful stamp. After I moved back to California, a birds are not well known in American friend of mine was importing birds or European avicultural circles, at least The author ofthis article is a graduate stu­ from Vietnam and asked if there was dent in the Avian Sciences Department at U. C. six of the species have been chosen by anything I wanted him to bring back Davis, a lawyer by trade, and rehabilitates various countries as the subject of bats in her spare time. She would like to thank for me. My immediate answer was postage stamps. The web site Wayne Schulenburg of the San Diego Zoo for "Scarlet Minivets and Pittas." www.bird-stamps.orglspecies/ will lead prouiding injormation regarding the captive When the shipment arrived, the you to the family and eventually to the care of these birds. ~ minivets were in poor shape. They were extremely thin and would eat nothing but live food. This was quite a contrast to the birds I had imported the Challenges from Germany a few years before. We tried everything to gradually change the birds over to a dry inanimate food. of Keeping Minivets But, if it wasn't moving, neither were they. Mixing the iive food with a dry by Frank Tromp, Santa Maria, CA softbill food resulted in the minivets picking out the worms and crickets ue to the limited informa­ because of the difficulties in acclimatiz­ and then starving themselves until tion available on the cap­ ing them to captivity and their subse­ more live food was offered. D tive care of minivets, I vol­ quent high mortality rate. After a couple of thousand dollars unteered to write this article. After all, Other insectivorous birds, such as in meal worms and crickets had been Sheldon Dingle already had a photo of Shama Thrushes and Niltavas adjust to consumed, and only a bunch of skin­ a Scarlet Minivet and needed an article captivity and artificial diets much more ny birds to show for it, and still two or two to go with the picture. There's readily. In addition, though the minivets weeks until quarantine was over, only one catch to my article and that is are brilliantly colored, they don't have something had to be done. I started that it's more about my experiences much of a song, making Shamas and mixing ground Cat Chow with pre­ acclimating wild-caught birds to Niltavas more popular with many avi­ pared Knox gelatin, letting it set over domestic diets, than an article on cap­ culturists. night, then cutting it into small strips tive breeding Minivets, with which I The biggest problem in acclimating and offering it to the birds. We then have no experience. I did, though, minivets is their reluctance to accept took the drastic approach and recently set up a few aviaries for the inanimate food (food that doesn't removed their live food and offered sole purpose of attempting to breed move). A diet consisting exclusively of only the gelatinized cat food. The birds these tame and colorful insectivores. meal worms and crickets may extend started to sample this new food and their lives in the short term, but even­ since they were being housed in a Minivets as a group are endemic to tually ends in their demise in the long large group, once one sampled the the entire southern portion of , term. food others soon followed. Mortality ranging into and the The first Scarlet Minivets I imported in the birds dropped considerably, but Philippines. They are mainly insectivo­ came from Germany in 1988. At the the birds were still quite thin when rous, consuming a wide variety of time I owned a quarantine facility in they were released from quarantine. I and particularly caterpillars, Canada. The German supplier had kept a couple of pairs for myself and .which gives rise to their other name, done a great job acclimatizing the birds sold the rest. I told my customers to Caterpillar Birds. before exporting them to me so they only pay for the birds they were satis­ Scarlet Minivets are probably the arrived in good shape and readily fied with after keeping them for a thir­ most beautiful of the group, being accepted a diet of ground dog food ty-day period. The two pair I kept sur­ bright red and black in the male, and and ground myna pellets, as well as a vived, but that's about it. deep yellow and gray in the female, few crickets and mealworms. I really Then, this past year an acquain­ though the other members of the fami­ enjoyed the fact that these birds were tance of mine offered to import Scarlet ly have similar colors. The Scarlet is also fearless and readily took mealworms and Long-tailed Minivets from China the largest minivet, being up to eight from my hand. for me. During the quarantine period and a half inches in total length. Unfortunately, I didn't have the they were fed crickets and meal­ Exporters in Southeast Asia frequently facilities to keep a personal collection worms, which they readily accepted, ,offer the Scarlet Minivet and the Long­ of birds once they were released from and ground Mazuri pellets which they tailed Minivet (differing from the Scarlet quarantine, so they were all sold. That readily disposed of in search for more mainly in its smaller size) for sale.' was probably a good thing at the time, crickets and mealworms. Since I was However, they are rarely imported otherwise I would have kept every- unable to care for the birds during 12 July/August 2000 quarantine, that was their diet. After five and cut the live food out com­ got that they needed to be color-fed in quarantine, I again was left with many pletely. Within a day they were eating order to keep those intense colors. skinny, fluffed-up minivets, who want­ the new diet. Luckily, minivets are rel­ Without a carotenoid colOring agent, ed nothing less than abundant quanti­ atively tolerant of each other in a non­ the males become a peach color and ties of mealworms and crickets. breeding situation. So, once again the the females a soft yellow. I mix ftfty per­ Previous to this shipment, I was colony approach worked in getting the cent canthaxanthine (the same stuff you having good luck weaning Shama and birds to eat a new diet. buy to color-feed Red-factor Canaries) Dhyal Thlushes onto a diet of soaked This diet seemed to work better and ftfty percent spirulina and place the dog food and ZuPreeln Primate Diet, than the Cat Chow gelatin and was mixture in a salt shaker. Every other mashed together with a fork. I've even much less titne consuming to prepare. day I add one shake to about three raised a few babies on this diet, with­ Within a few days the birds were no cups of food while it's still slightly out the addition of live foods. So, this longer fluffed and they put on a fair warm. This allows the canthaxanthine is the diet I tried on the minivets. At amount of weight, though not to the to dissolve. Then I mix the food with a first I kept the minivets in individual extent I would have liked. At the time fork and refrigerate for an hour. The cages, like I had with my Shamas. Male the birds were being housed in my amount of canthaxanth ine in the food is Shamas will usually kill other male garage and not until they were outside so minute that it doesn't change the Shamas. But, keeping the minivets as in full sunlight, did they become strong color of the food. Too much coloring individuals did not have the best of and gain weight to an acceptable level agent will change the female orange results in getting them to sample this (no sternUln protruding). rather than yellow and both sexes will new food. So, I put them in groups of When the birds started molting, I for- exhibit orange skin if too much is added to the diet. This can be harmful to the bird's liver as well. I currently keep the minivets as pairs in flights measuring two feet wide, eight feet long and seven feet high. The roof is made from Lexan panels, half covered in white and half in clear, as these birds really enjoy sun­ light. Minivets seem to ignore most other birds, so that in larger flights they can probably be mixed with smaller softbills and larger finches. I live along the central coast of California where our summers are foggy and rarely above 70 degrees, so the moist food has worked out well, though in hotter climates it would probably have to be changed twice a day to prevent spoilage. When the food begins to dry out, the birds don't eat it as readily. But, I have found that most of my softbills prefer moistened food to dry and this was the original purpose for trying the gelatin diet, as well, as the current soaked dog food and monkey biscuit diet. Now that I seem to have a stable group of minivets, the next challenge and ultimate goal will be to breed them. Something, I'm sure all of us hope to do with our birds.

Frank Tromp been raising birds since he was nine years old, starting with chickens, then raising quail which he sold to a market in L.A. s Chinatown, He received a Bachelors ofSciences degree in the department ofAvian Scarlet Mtntvets are enaemtc to tbe southern portton of ASia, ranging tnto Sciences frOm the University of California at Indonesia and the PhilipPines. Davis. ~ the afa WATCHBIRD 13