female - often bits of shredded banana leaf! In mid-May, the female built a cup­ shaped nest, quite substantial for a Diademed tanager, from mostly dead material from Ficuspumilia, the vine in which the nest was built. The nest was at a height of about 12' and was located very near the Tanager visitor walkway. After completion ofthe nest, a ruddy ground dove made at­ a first U.S. breeding? tempts to usurp the nest for its own pur­ poses. This led to the desertion of the nest by the tanagers - and exile for the by L.C. Shelton, Curator of Birds It Philadelphia Zoological Garden ruddy ground dove and its mate. was also the end of any breeding activity for 1980. Early in April, 1981, the same court­ ship display was frequently observed A diademed tanager (Stephanophorus to most plants in a large exhibit or between the bonded pair. Soon con­ diadematus) with its bullfinch-like beak, aviary. In our experience at the Zoo, the struction ofa nest was begun in the Ficus and its small erectile red crest, does not only really visible harm done to plants pumilia near the 1980 nest location. By have a typical thraupid appearance. In was the shredding ofbanana and Strelit­ the 17th or 18th ofApril, incubation had face, when I first saw a live specimen in a za leaves. begun, and the first feeding of young cage with several blue-and-yellow tana­ InAugust, 1978, the Philadelphia Zoo was observed on the 2nd of May. gers at a bird importer's in the '60s, I was purchased four specimens in immature Although the female performed all the initially puzzled as to its identity, but plumage from a Florida importer. After incubation chores, both parents carried purchased the single specimen anyway a period of quarantine, the birds were food to the nestling(s). They fed mostly for my private collection. Obviously, placed in Jungle Bird Walk (then called mealworms with lesser quantities of from its very untanager appearance, the Hummingbird House). This heavily grubs. However, actual pieces of fruit Argentines refer to the species by the ver­ planted walk-through exhibit measures being carried in adults' beaks to the nest nacular name ofcardenal azul (blue car­ approximately 100' long, 35' deep and was also seen after five days. The feeding dinal). 20' high. The birds adjusted quite well to of"non-live food" so early was extreme­ In color, the bird is basically deep blue their new environment and soon ly unusual in comparison to other with darker wings and tail, and a lighter moulted into, delight of delights, two tanagers which we had bred. blue shoulder patch. The black-fronted males and two females. Housed with ap­ Since several other tanager species, head is capped with a white crown proximately 30 other species of birds, which had nested in the same exhibit, (hence, "diadem" and the source of its mostly small- and medium-sized soft­ had frequently thrown their young from other popular English name "white­ bills, they never harassed any other the nest after a week to 10 days, we capped tanager") at the front ofwhich is birds, even the tiniest species, and rarely decided to pull the young from the nest a small red tuft. The blue ofthe female is bickered among themselves. They for handrearing at the eighth day. There duller and the crown is grayish. Not in became exceedingly tame and would was only one chick and no sign ofthe re­ the same class of beauty as, say, a perch within two feet of visitors and mains of another egg. However, we paradise tanager, this tanager is, burst into their cardinal-like warble. assumed that, in typical South American however, truly handsome. Sturdily Because of this disposition, the species tanager fashion, the female had pro­ built, it measures approximately 7Yz in­ became a favorite with local bird bably laid two eggs, and the second non­ ches in length. photographers. At the same time, fertile one had disappeared. The species occurs from coastal because ofthe above-mentioned habit of The diademed chick proved easy to southeast Brazil to Uruguay, eastern shredding banana and Strelitza leaves, handrear. It was fed hourly, from 7:00 Paraguay and eastern Argentina. Accor­ they did not exactly endear themselves to a.m. t07:00p.m., a diet ofapproximate­ ding to Alexander Wetmore, the birds the Zoo horticulturist. ly 750/0 soaked Gaines Meal and 25% which he observed in Uruguay inhabited Despite this perfect adjustment to chopped peeled grapes rolled in Vionate dense thickets where they perched often captive life, there were no obvious in­ powder. In addition, a few mealworms, on the tops of trees and bushes. He also dications ofbreeding among the birds in beheaded by a razor blade, not a commented on their pleasant song, "fin­ 1979. During this year, one ofthe males guillotine, were given at each feeding. chlike in tone". Indeed, the species does died of pneumonia. In July, 1980, a After 18 days ofage, the bird was hand­ have an exceptionally good song for a replacement male was obtained from a fed every two hours until it was self­ tanager - another desirable attribute California importer, again giving us two feeding at approximately 30 days ofage. for the species as an avicultural subject. potential breeding pairs. However, we Live mealworms were placed on top of The atypical tanager beak was also noted then lost one of the oriiinal females open dishes ofmashed Gaines Meal and by Wetmore: "The bill inthis species sug­ from an injury incurred during the chopped grapes to stimulate the fledgl­ gests that ofPhytotoma(plantcutter), as night. The two original birds, which then ing's interest in eating by itself. it is evidently designed for cutting and remained, were developing a pair bond. Soon after removal of their nestling, crushing". And the diademed tanager The female would solicit copulation the parents renewed their interest in does love to eat buds and leaves - a less through a wing-fluttering submissive breeding. The female began constru~­ desirable trait in an avicultural subject. posture. As part of the courtship tion of a new nest, again 'in Ficus However, the species does little damage behavior, the male would feed the pumilia, but far from the public area. 34 deductible. 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