Abstract
Little has been written and even less documented about the domestic breeding habits of the Red-crested (Brazilian) Cardinal. With encouragement from Kenneth Reininger, Curator of Birds at the North Carolina Zoological Park, private aviculturalists have begun a cooperative information exchange with zoos on behalf of this beleaguered softbill. Only six zoos nationwide successfully reared Red-crested Cardinals in 1992, from a pool of 86. There were 62 birds in zoos in 1987. and 52 five years earlier. in 1982. perhaps reflecting the growing trend toward walk-in rainforest exhibits.
Colonies of Brazilian Cardinals have been sighted sporadically in Miami, but Hawaii remains the only American region with a sustained alien population. There, the species inhabits areas of O'ahu, lowland Kaua'i, Moloka'i, and Lana'i, with growing numbers on Maui. Ornithologists will find them plentiful at parks and golf courses, with colony flocks at the Manoa campus of the University of Hawaii, the Coast Guard Air Station at Barbers Point at Waikiki, and on the grounds of the Honolulu Zoo. The birds were introduced into Hawaii in 1928 for insect control, and soon joined an exotic population of imports that today includes the Yellowbilled (Pope) Cardinal, the common mynah and the Lavender Wax bill. To capture and sell such birds is illegal.
In Finches and Soft-billed Birds, Bates and Busenbark describe the Brazilian Cardinal as "extremely hardy," "ideal for the beginner" and "inexpensive and usually readily available (pg 233)," comments that reflect the once-plentiful supplies of imports. Hobbyists may remember occasions as recently as I 965 when these bird could be purchased in lots of 50 or more for $15 apiece. Housed in groups in freestanding cages, such captive Red-crested Cardinals frequently perished from maiming and stress, and those that survived often bore the scars of combat, including missing toes and eyes, mauled feet, or amputations.
Pairing and Sexing Birds
Brazilian Cardinals thrill to the company of their own kind, and avidly observe and imitate one another. An older bird who knows your flight well can be an invaluable asset, regardless of its breeding performance. A tame bird is even more help to you, as wilder members of the aviary will readily come to the cage of a confined bird, and will respond to its calm
demeanor. On the other hand, once a bird reaches puberty, it will fight for and defend its hen to the death. A bird can be fully scalped and left bleeding to death in the course of I 0 minutes; a bird can lose one or more toes, or an eye, in five minutes. Two birds housed together may be congenial at dawn, but mortally maimed by afternoon, should spring fever strike them. For that reason, never leave two unsexed birds nearing puberty together, or even housed side by side, from February through August, the breeding months, unless you have every guarantee they are a bonded pair.
Both sexes will sing at about six weeks. Hens as well as cocks will trill and canyon at this age. The most reliable gender indicator is bone structure. At about nine months, the hens will begin to take on the shape of an English Budgie, with thick breasts, wide shoulders, and a gener-
ally more square appearance. Males will retain the lanky look of the adolescent, gaining length but little weight. Both hens and cocks will strut, fan the tail, arch the back and court.
Often, the hen will clack her beak during advances by the male, indicating her interest. As the birds reach puberty, males will become noticeably aggressive, charging at the cage walls, calling, stretching their necks and engaging in combat with anything that moves. A new male released into my aviary one February crushed the skulls of eight Green Singing Finches within an hour. At the height of spring mating, the Red-crested Cardinal will attack Fairy Bluebirds, Black-crested Finches, Grenadiers, Violet-ears Waxbills and any other aggressor.
During courtship, hens will become absorbed in feeding and other activities, and will generally appear preoccupied. However, should a true pair be separated, the male will give sharp, deep staccato calls and will hasten to the hen's side wherever she goes. To verify a pairing, release the birds into a larger area and watch their movements. A true pair will never range out of sight of one another, and should they become separated, the male will thunder out his summons, a call that is unique and unmistakable, guttural and demanding.*
Never venture to test two males, even for a moment. Their combat is vicious and the results permanent. Any two sparring birds, regardless of their sex, should be separated immediately, at least for a cooling down period. Terrified birds-even lifelong mates-will attack one another in a crisis. Avoid such disturbance at all cost. Never place two birds, even a pair, in a closed container such as a shipping crate. When frightened, they will maul each other.