Breeding and Captive Management of the Red & Blue Lory

The Asiatic Breeding and Captive Parrot Society Management of the he Asiatic Parrot Society of Red & Blue Lory T America (APSA) was launched in 1993 in Redondo Beach, California by Marriette Rogers to ful by Lawrence Kuah fill a need for more and better pub Singapore lished information on keeping and breeding birds of the Psittacula genus. Rogers, herself, had kept There has been much interest gen servationists ought to be applauded, as Psittaculids in Hawaii for 14 years erated recently, about the Red & Blue more often than not, papers presented and was frustrated at the dearth of Lory, Eos histrio, by both aviculturists and by conservationist and projectionist data on the the various species. conservationists alike, as for the very first groups are exaggerated, especially When she moved to California, she time, a commercial shipment of these when indicating the levels of exploita thought, there would be a plethora of lories occurred in 1992, with a signifi tion and trade. information available on all aspects of cant number of birds destined for However, a call for a full review of keeping the birds she loved. Not so. Singapore. the species' current CITES listing by the There were more birds and more Conservationists were gravely con same author, would be more harmful in aviaries, but little information-and cerned about this exploitation by the my opinion, as it basically calls for this that was still hard to come by. She live-bird trade which may endanger species to be placed III Appendix I of began typing up flyers and data sheets the survival ofwild populations ofthis CITES and subjecting more restrictive to give to the folks who bought the lory. And even before any great extent movements as defined under Article III babies she raised. From that, an idea of trade occurring, funds had been ofthe Convention. This calls for assess arose about starting a national society raised by the International Loriidae ment by the so called Berne-Criteria, in for gathering and disseminating infor Society, sponsoring an East Anglian accordance with Resolution Conf. 1.1 of mation on Psittaculids. University expedition to study and CITES. [The species has been, in fact, The Asiatic Parrot Society of America assess the population dynamics ofthis placed on Appendix 1. Ed.] was formed and went on to publish lory in its native habitat. (Low, 1992) Notable examples are of Goffin's the Quarterly Psittaculid Review (QPR) Previously, Red & Blue Lories Cockatoo Cacatua goffini and the Blue which completed its first year of publi occurred extremely rarely in trade, with streaked Lory Eos reticulatus both cation in 1995. The QPR has an 8 liz X a personal estimate of about five birds endemic to the Kai and Tenimbar 11 format, comb-bound, printed on 24 appearing in imports annually, in con Islands, which were more recently lb. laser paper, with a color photo signments ofRed Lories Eos bornea. This placed in Appendix 1. Personal obser cover showing a composite of mem was because the traders at Manado, a vations have revealed that serious avi bers' birds, featuring a rotation of town at the Northernmost tip ofSulawesi, culturists have abandoned the breeding species. Clear lucite covers protect the had not been active and any birds trad of these birds, and some even dis contents in the hope that the QPR will ed were taken as pets, presumably posed of their stock. The obvious rea find a permanent place in members' owned by local natives ofKepulauhan sons were because ofthe more restrictive libraries. Sanghir - Talaud, who occasiOnally measures caused by this listing and Each issue of the QPR offers a vari brought these to Manado, as items of the very virtue of these birds being ety of articles on the different species trade. No deliberate move was made to inexpensive and common, thus it was of PSittacula---articies on how to care obtain these birds in any numbers. not worth the trouble to wrestle in for and breed these parrots. And there However, in 1992, this situation changed abounding legislation and red-tape just are other useful articles, such as differ and local traders found an incentive to to keep or breed it. Listing in Appendix ing viewpomts on how ro construct the obtain this previously unassuming local I, in which interpretation being car best nest box, and, quite possibly, the pet as a commodity, which represent ried out intelligently, contributed to most complere list oftoxic flora in print ed a significant value in itself. And this the conservation and preservation ofwild appears in an updated version each was all the motivation that they need populations; but interpreted by over spring. ed to generate a supply for the demand protectionist authorities to constitute a In 1995 the APSA membership caused by the export market. reason sufficient to them, to put up unjus became international with members in Further information about this lory can tified and complete barriers to move Spain, Holland, Germany, Canada, be obtained from an article, published ments ofstock already in captivity or bred Korea and Australia. in the TRAFFIC Bulletin Vol. 13 No.3 in captivity, but not given exemptions For further information on APSA (1993). I found this to be a reasonably under Article VII, Paragraph 4 and 5, both please address your queries t'? APSA, fair and, more importantly, unbiased of these exemptions requiring sepa 734 S. Boulder Highway, SUite 400, account for trade and assessment ofsta rate treatments and approach. In extreme Henderson. NY 8901 S. ,. tus for this lory. Such articles by con- cases, all movements of Appendix I 22 January/Februaly 1996 species is prohibited, in obvious detri that can more readily be recognized by mercial export. And continued assess ment to the continued survival of the its smaller size and different form. But, ment ofsuitable reserves on Karakelong species in captivity which constitutes a the blue on the plumage is too variable Island, located in the Talaud group is valuable genetic source; in which excess to be used reliably as a tool for identi being conducted, directed to the con captive bred young cannot be disposed fication. servation and preservation of the Red and unpaired birds are unable to be For the general description it has a & Blue Lory. paired with suitable mates to become coral red body, and is of a more slen Literature indicates that it had been active breeders. der form than that of other Eos lories, long known in aviculture, and as long In a celebrated case in point, a a very broad band of blue extends ago as 1871, it had been exhibited at famous European park and breeding cen across the breast, and a band ofthe same London Zoo. Occasional mention ofthe ter for many species of rare parrots color across the crown, with a streak, species was also made by several and other birds, was told by the local extending from the eye, which meets the authors at Birdland, BOUl,ton-on-the CITES Management Authority to split up blue on the nape and mantle. Scapulars, Water, u.K., San Diego Zoo, USA,Japan their breeding pairs of Appendix I most the flight feathers and thighs are and Denmark. species, so as not to create surplus black. The tail is a duller, reddish-pur Recent importations have introduced stock, in the view of mounting protests ple color, and is longer and more this handsome lory to Europe, South because of the refusal of permission to tapered. It has a white cere, gray peri Africa, the Philippines, with the bulk of dispose and expolt excess captive bred opthalmic skin and an orange beak. the original imported stock, remain young from their stock to other breed Length of about 31 cm (12 in.) for ing in Singapore. To my personal know ers. (Low, pers. comm.) histrio and talautensis, 25 cm (lOin.) for ledge, at least three other importers, This is definitely against the very challengeri. including myself, have obtained this lory, principle and spirit of CITES and ofavi Previously, the Red & Blue LOIY was but I have not known of any other culture. As one of the aims of CITES is very rare in aviculture and it still is, as breeding successes in Singapore, other to gradually restrict and regulate trade a moderate number of birds were than in my own collection. However, to those species which may be suc expolted before coming to a complete another collection in the Philippines has cessfully managed and bred in captiv halt. Currently, it is included as a per bred this 100y, according to my personal ity. And velY sadly, this continues to be manently protected species by decree observations. the practice of many bureaucrats with of the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, Of all my imports of this lory, none in authority, much to the frustration of Directorate-General ofForest Protection have been sold to date, as part of my many dedicated and serious avicultur and Nature Conservation. No longer will effOlt to consolidate a viable captive pop ists. Even when the CITES Secretariat it be legal to trap this species for com- ulation. From the other importers, it wascontacted~rcomment,in hope of ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ bringing about a more enlightened sit uation, the reply came in which the CITES Secretariat could only advise and sole discretion and final approval belonged to the CITES Management Authority ofthe particular sovereign state or country. Back to our Red & Blue Lory. There are three recognized sub-species, of which the nominate histrio comes from the main island of Sanghir, talautensis from the Talaud group, the largest pop ulation occurring on Karakelong Island within this group and challengeri belonging to the Nenusa Islands.

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