Abstract
After the publication of our Pintail Nonpareil article Erytbrura prasina in the March/ April 1995 issue of the AFA Watchbird (Vol. XXII, No. 2), we had a very pleasant conversation with Robin Restall of Hong Kong. For those of you who are unfamiliar with him, he is known worldwide for his writing on finches and is currently finishing his new book on mannikins Lonchura species. His field work throughout Southeast Asia has disclosed a disturbing trend in Pintails which we feel should be passed on to American aviculturists. In many areas of its range, he is afraid the population has fallen below the level from which it can recover, and in many of the bird markets where it was once plentiful, it is now absent. This is not due to overtrapping for the bird trade, as is so often stated to explain the drop in numbers of wild bird populations, but rather a result of government pressure put on farmers to produce more rice. Robin shared with us the horrifying account of children with coffee cans filled with Pintail eggs collected in the effort to eliminate this crop pest. We have urged Josef Lindholm, as members of the Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) on finches, that zoos should take this species seriously as a breeding subject. We urge American aviculturists to do likewise, for captive breeding could well be its salvation.
Robin Restall considers the Bamboo Parrot finch the highland equivalent to the Pintail, and we agree. Breeding considerations are very similar to that of the Pintail, with some differences. Those we shall discuss here. Unlike the Pintail, we do not consider the Bamboo a colony bird, but individuals live very well in a colony situation. We believe this to be the best formula for success. In fact, Bamboos will live in harmony with Pintails. We have even videotaped a hen Bamboo feeding a recently
fledged clutch of Pintails. We have not observed any inclination to hybridize, and do not feel that this would be a problem.
Bamboos like to nest high, so we suggest placing nests as high as possible. These birds will readily utilize the nesting stations we described for Pintails, and we feel another good idea would be to obtain orchid baskets (the hanging type used for Vandas) and strategically locate these around the birdroom. These need not be placed against a wall, as silk foliage and grass tussocks could be tied around the wood. A large wicker finch basket can be placed inside, with an access perch stuck between the wooden slats. These orchid baskets are generally made of cedar or teak and can be an aesthetic addition to the birdroom.
Like the Pintails, Bamboos are primarily vegetarians, so be sure to provide Romaine lettuce, especially if you have live plants in the birdroom and wish to keep them. Unlike the Pintails, Bamboos tend to be calm and quite bold. In fact, when giving out lettuce to the birds, they will often come to steal their portion from the "mother lode" before they are served theirs.
Bamboos like to nest in secluded areas and this can be accomplished in many ways. The first and undoubtedly most aesthetic is by the arrangement of live plants and trees. Live plants obviously need light and we suggest Vita-lites. Obtain 4-foot shop fixtures housing two tubes each and hang these from the ceiling. Arrange these in rows no more than 3 feet apart.
Many plants do very well in an indoor situation and the most vigorous are weeping figs Ficus benjamina and philodendron Philodendron species. Philodendrons are reportedly dangerous to birds, but we have not noticed any problem. Our only consideration
would be to stay away from the variegated forms, as these tend to be too fragile. If you wish to look a bit more tropical, musas are ideal - bananas, heliconias, Birds of Paradise, Travelers Palm, etc. However, chances are these will not flower in an indoor situation.
If you are feeling a bit bolder and wish to really go for the jungle book, many true palms are ideal in the birdroom. Besides the popular Arecas and Kentias, palms of the genus Licuala are very striking and beautiful, particularly grandis and ramsayi. Larger simple-leaved palms such as Pboeniopborium species can be the focal point for a room, due to the needle-like spines they produce Aiphanes caryotifolia also produce large spines and are very hardy. If you place large grassy tussocks rising to the ceiling behind these, birds will feel secure here. This is particularly true of the African estrildids. Some stilt-root palms produce these roots quite early with the addition of needle-like trunk spines and large simple leaves. verscbaffeltta splendida is a stilt-root palm of breathtaking beauty and one of our favorites.
Palms require high humidity, and this is also good for the birds. Birdroom humidity should not fall below 70% and temperature should not go below 78°F. We have heard accounts of Bamboo Parrot finches being kept outdoors, hopping around in the snow. We do not believe in hardening off tropical finches and it is unusually cruel to abuse a bird with such low body mass in the misguided belief that it is somehow strengthening the bird. We have heard too many reports of such birds dying of egg-binding and "unknown" causes. A season outside in the snow will not alter a bird's thousands of years of evolution to fit its natural environment. In ideal situations, finches can conservatively be expected to live for seven years and remain fertile for at least four of these. The actual count can be much higher. For example, we had a Black-capped waxbill hen Estrilda nonnula that remained fertile for at least eight years, eventually dying from egg-binding. Of course, your choice of birds for an indoor tropical birdroom should be limited to those which do well in this type of environment. The reference we use to determine this is Derek Goodwin's classic work, Estrildid Finches of the World (1982).