First Successful Breeding of lue~rumped Parrot at Lora Parque

Roger Sweeney Curator, Loro Parque he Blue-rumped Parrot (Psittinus cyanurus) inhabits its own mono-typic genus, with its closest relatives being the Philippine Guaiabero Parrot (Bolbopsittacus lunulatus) and the genus of Psittacella parrots which are unknown in European aviculture. In size, the Blue­ rumped Parrot measures just 18cm (7 Photos by Roger Sweeney in.) in overall length and seldom fruit soon after these birds have -----.,.,- exceeds 85 grams in body weight, fledged. Three regional sub-species making this one of the smaller species have been described (Forshaw, 1989) of Asian psittacines. but visible differences appear to be marginal. Dimorphic The small size and quiet nature of Sexual dim~rphism is clearly appar­ these birds make them suitable for ent in adult birds and in newly fledged keeping indoors in countries which birds there is slight dimorphism while have a temperate climate. At Loro they are still in their immature Parque the sub-tropical climate of the plumage. The male bird has a grayish­ Canary Islands means that our birds blue head with a red upper mandible, remain outside throughout the year, brownish-red lower mandible. The one pair on exhibition and two pairs female bird, by compari on, has a located in our off-exhibit breeding brown head with greyi h-brown centers. mandibles. Young birds still in imma­ ture plumage have green heads and Breeding Pairs at Loro Parque generally green body plumage; in most The pairs which are housed in the juvenile male birds, a slight blue wash breeding areas are accommodated in can be seen in the green head feathers suspended cages which measure at this age giving an early indication of approx. 3m x 1m x 1m, (10 x 31/4 x 31/4 their gender. ft.) while the pair on exhibition have a large conventional aviary which allows Range the birds access to the floor. The Blue­ The natural range of this species rumped Parrot is, however, very rarely commercial dietary pellet. During the covers mainland south eastern Asia found at a low height in the aviary. breeding season a special supplement from Thailand though Malaysia and Rather it prefers to spend practically all cake is baked at Loro Parque fresh also on Borneo and Sumatra, of the time on the highest perches each day and a few pieces of this are Indonesia. It is most commonly report­ available. added to the food dish which contains ed that pairs or small groups of adult the dietary pellet. birds are seen in their favored habitat Diet Afternoon feed at 7 P.M.: The after­ of lowland forest and woodlands, The diet of these birds "is as follows: noon feed provides these birds with sometimes also being found in Morning feed at 7 A.M.: Salad feed seeds such as millet, hemp, niger, sun­ orchards and plantations. At the end of which contains diced items such as flower (small amount), safflower etc. the breeding season young birds are apple, pear, papaya, tomato, orange, and some cooked beans such as Mung generally more gregarious than the kiwi fruit, prickly-pear, alfalfa, beet­ beans and black-eyed beans. Lentils adults and can be seen flying in larger root, lettuce, carrot, pepper and other and cereal grains are added along with groups and often feeding communally seasonally available fruits and vegeta­ pine nuts and peanuts. on Oil Palm plantations which aTe in bles. A second smaller dish contains a All drinking water provided is puri-

24 MarchiApril 1997 fied by first being chlorinated then passed through a reverse osmosis machine which is equipped with an ultra-violet light sterilization unit. Bathing water is provided for the birds by daily showers which are built into the design of every avialy in the park.

Success After many Years Despite having been in the collec­ tion at Loro Parque for many years, successful breeding was not recorded until the current 1996 breeding season. Towards the end of May we noticed that copulation was taking place much more frequently between the two birds on exhibition and that the female was statting to spend much time working inside the nest to prepare a scrape in The Blue-rumped Parrot baby bred at Loro Parque in 1996for the first time. the wood shavings. The nest hox pro­ vided measures 45cm x 21cm x 21cm so it was left to be parent reared. On Iy slow when compared to other (18 x 8 x 8 in.) with an 8cm (3 in.) all subsequent occasions when the psittacines but when considering that it diameter entrance hole. Wood shav­ chick was observed in the nest it had had already achieved in the region of ings are used exclusively as a nesting a full crop and seemed to be develop­ 85% of its expected adult weight medium inside the nest hox. ingwell. (when compared to the average of Once the female began to spend However, on 30 July I observed the adult weight records) by the age of 24 extended periods of time in the nest hen bird outside the nest box and was days, then the slower development in box, more regular nest inspections concerned about her stance and the second half of its growth is not were carried out and it became clear movement. The bird was briefly cap­ surprising and reflects the initiation to that she was in the process of prepar­ tured and examined by one of the weaning. The chick began weaning at ing a scrape area in the nesting medi­ Loro Parque veterinarians and an age that would have been expected um. When the nest box was inspected returned to the avialy for fulther obser­ had it remained with the par<7nts. And on the 10th ofJune we found that one vation. By the afternoon our concern after weaning, its weight settled to egg had been laid and a week later the had grown and so with regret the hen being the same as adult birds weighed clutch had increased to four eggs Of was captured and taken to our clinic at Loro Parque. these four eggs only one hatched faCility while the chick was removed to which took place on 6 July. our nurselY depaltment for hand rear­ Blue-romped Parrots in Aviculture ing. At this time the chick weighed The Blue-rumped Parrot has been Newly Hatched Chick 66.8 grams. impolted into western aviculture on On first viewing the chick in the several occasions during recent nest box, it was instantly reminiscent Chick Weans and Fledges decades and on each occasion the of the newly-hatched chicks of the The chick continued its develop­ birds generally adjusted well to captiv­ Guaiabero Parrot (Bolbopsittacus ment without problems in the nursery ity, living for many years, but this was lunulatus) the progress of which I had where it was fed with Pretty Bird hand not followed by consistent breeding carefully followed when breeding this rearing formula (18% protein and 12% success. Indeed the opposite has been species three years earlier. fat). By 23 August the chick was fully the case, with velY few breeding suc­ The newly-hatched Blue-rumped feathered and close to being weaned. cesses ever being documented for this Parrot had pink skin and was without The natural fledging age of this species. If such species are to remain natal down. Some reports have stated species has been reported as being six in aviculture for future generations of that Blue-rumped parrot chicks do weeks (42 days) and the adult weight birdkeepers to enjoy, a much better have a few strands of natal down on as 85 grams (Low, 1992). Adult birds understanding of their needs is their back'which are often lost during measured at Loro Parque have required and consistent breeding must the first few days after hatching. The weighed between 75-83 grams (aver­ be more widely achieved if the captive chick described here was already dly age 78 grams). It is not known what population is to remain in aviculture. and active after hatching and at this degree of natural variance in body References: time had no natal down present. The weight is present in wild birds from Forshaw ]. (989) Parrots of the World (3rd Edition), Lansdown Editions, chick seemed well cared for by the different regions of the wild range of Willoughby, NSW hen, which seldom left the nest box this species. The chick's growth rate Low R. (992) Parrots in Aviculture, Blandford even when it was being inspected and while in the nurselY was comparative- Press, Dorset, U.K ..... afa WATCHBIRD 25