Abstract
I was pleased to see an article on the Cape Parrot-a neglected species-in the May/June 1997 issue of A.F.A.Watchbird. The authors rightly state that more emphasis should be placed on breeding this declining bird. A major problem, however, is the identification of the subspecies. This can be difficult.
In the article it stated that the nominate race has a much browner head. This statement needs to be clarified. The color is not brown but nearer to khaki or golden-brown. The authors infer that the nominate race is not sexually dimorphic. However, adult males have no orange on the forehead and in females this color is less extensive than that of the other sub-species. Also, the nominate race has a noticeably smaller head and beak. It is almost non-existent in aviculture outside South Africa. I was surprised to learn that there was a pair in the United States. My photographs depict a pair in a private collection in South Africa.
The main confusion arises in identifying suabelicus and fuscicollis. Ron and Val Moat have kindly lent me excellent photographs of hoth subspecies to illustrate these notes. The photographs were taken at the same time under the same conditions. Note that the head is more silvery in adult suabelicus and that there is a dark patch on the shoulder in some birds. Size and beak size are the same. In young birds of both subspecies the head may he browner-more so than in an adult bird of the nominate race hut gradually becomes grayer. In adult fuscicoilis the head is darker gray or brownish-gray hut not truly brown. In some birds the feathers of the lower cheeks remain quite brownish.
Some immature female fuscicollis have orange extending right over the crown. This is lost when they molt into adult plumage at about nine to 11 months.
Incidentally, identification hy photograph can he difficult as an overexposed.fuscicolliscan appear like a suabelicus.
Dale Thompson and Eh Cravens mention the hazards of ringing this species. Because their beaks are so powerful in relation to their body size, they can remove almost any ring. In attempting to do so, they will place something between the ring and the beak to grip it better. I believe that this is why some birds pluck themselves on the side on which the ring has been placed-not due to an allergic reaction. They pluck a feather and place it over the ring. If acceptable to the relevant authorities, micro-chipping is preferable to ringing, where Cape Parrots are concerned. I have also seen Hyacinthine Macaws placing
material over the ring hefore hiting at it. This is another species which can remove rings. The great danger is that the ring will be crushed into the leg. Regular inspection should he made of the ring leg of both of these species.
I am very concerned about the status of the Cape Parrot, in aviculture and in the wild. Aviculturists have the opportunity to ensure its survival in aviculture. But it will not survive if most of the young are hand-reared. Can anyone contradict the statement in the article that "there is still no record of a handfed male robustus having successfully reproduced in captivity"?