THE NATURAL CHOICE: Orebyan Notes

Abstract

Our first Derbyan Parakeets were obtained in the summer of 1991 from a reputable Northern California breeder who had a banner season with his numerous breeding pairs. The delightful pet qualities of this species were then (and still are) unpublicized so he was having trouble selling all the babies. We purchased five feathered but unweaned seven week old chicks - offspring of two unrelated pairs - for an extremely reasonable price.

We hoped to obtain at least one unrelated pair and to sell the extras at retail to pay the lab fees, shipping, etc. Blood sexing revealed two males and three females. Three were sold and one pair was sent to its new home in Hawaii in early 1992.

Our fascination with this lovely lavender-hued psittacine began years before despite the fact we had never seen one. Fellow aviculturists could tell us little about the pet characteristics and captive behavior of this, one of the

largest parakeets in the world. Reputedly, males were more scarce and valuable possibly because they were so esteemed in Asia for their brilliant coloration.

Had we the experience back then, perhaps we would have opted not to breed Psittacula derbiana in the subtropical clime of Hawaii. This is definitely a cold weather species. The birds have tight down feathers, sleek waterproof coats, and may quickly take to panting when summer days turn hot (above 80° F.). Indeed, one breeder specified that Derbyans in his collection took joy in breaking the ice glazing their water dish and bathing outdoors in the wintertime. It was not until we moved the birds in Hawaii up to new aviaries at an 1, 100 ft elevation that breeding was successful. Even then, the female would leave the nest box frequently in the warmth of the day. Sprinkler baths were avidly taken and seemed to stimulate the pair.

With babies pulled for handfeeding, aviculturists should be aware of nursery temperatures which make the young uncomfortable - especially in clutches of multiple birds. My first chicks were kept in a one-room cabin with me. It was several nights of restless activity before I recognized that the Derbyans were, in fact, overheated in a 60° F. room with a towel over their plastic tub. The breeding pair, named Lapsang and Souchang after a favorite Himalayan tea, were installed in a 3 ft. X 3 ft. X 10 ft. cage with a 4 in. thick log perch at the eastern end and a l 1h in. hardwood branch perch at the other end. Unclipped derbiana are phenomenal flyers even in cramped quarters and can achieve tremendous speed in a cage.

Ten inch food and water bowls rest on the bottom of the cage at the sheltered end in a spot where the birds never defecate. We feed all birds on

 

the floor of their cages to encourage flight up and down. It also keeps any occasional rodent activity down and away from the nest boxes.

The aviary was constructed of 1/z X '/z in. 14 gauge welded wire - a mesh which after three years is proving too weak for even pet Derbyans. Fresh plum, kukui and guava branches are introduced into the cage weekly at one or both ends and wedged above the perches. With fresh material to chew, the pair still have not destroyed the original perches. Nevertheless, the male has learned how to pinch and pop the welds on the wire at certain spots near the roof. We are preparing a new flight made of 1 in. X 1 in. 12 gauge mesh and, hopefully, can make it 16 ft. long. Derbyans are avid chewers and can become quite destructive in an unsupervised environment.

The nest box for the pair is 10 in. X 10 in. X 24 in. deep mounted inside the cage near the sheltered eastern perch. A wire ladder provides entrance down to a 3 in. layer of thumb sized wood chips at the bottom. A new box of hollow log material is being planned with an inner space of 7 in. X 7 in. as we are finding out that tighter nest boxes eliminate many potential aviary problems during the female's incubation cycle.

This pair has chosen to sleep at the western end of the cage where a single plywood board covers all but the top two inches of the wire. They either sit on the perch next to the open wire cage sides or hang on the wire with beak and claws, looking towards sunset. Most of the time the male is in the right corner, the female on the left. When fresh branches are introduced they will both crowd together amongst the greenery, but as these are normally chewed bare of leaves and twigs in one day, this does not last long. There is very little affection between the birds. No reciprocal preening has ever been observed during the non-breeding season. What's more, they can sometimes be heard bickering over a perch spot or a brief squawk in the night seems to announce "stay on your own side of the bed."

Pair bonding seems weak with Psittacula derbiana. It is likely that sleeping positions in the wild are determined by flock norms and associations more than by strong pair behavior. 

 

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