Abstract
The rare indigenous Cape Parrot Poicepbalus robustus [Editor's Note: the Poicepbalus robustus is sometimes treated as a separate species] has captivated my attention since my adolescent years in the Eastern Cape. As a ten-year-old, I unsuccessfully tried to sweet talk a single bird out of an elderly couple who had him in an antique bell cage on their farm verandah outside Knysna. Every school holiday I would trek up to Rheedendal and put on my boyish charm, but to no avail. The bird had been part of the fat Mrs. Coetzee's life for 20 odd years and she would hear none of my not so subtle suggestions. Sadly for the parrot, Mrs.Coetzee ate herself into a heart attack and her notso-grieving husband took himself off to Mauritius (with his wife's divorced sister), leaving the poor bird to starve to death.
I managed to obtain my own pair of Capes some 14 years later. Since then I gradually managed to locate odd birds and make up a number of pairs. This proved increasingly difficult with the inter-provincial permit requirements for these indigenous birds. Nevertheless after eight years of perseverance I had managed to set up 10 pairs of Capes on permit with the then Natal Parks Board.
In 1998 I was delighted to raise 18 progeny, mostly parent raised. I was especially glad to have bred second generation birds from two tame 10- year-old hand raised cock birds bred by the late Jack Ruff, as well as from a three-year-old parent-raised hen bred by Frank Hilton. These birds made excellent parents and their tameness enabled stressless behavior observation and nest inspection a pleasure.
Although they are shy by nature, I have had no problem in persuading the adult birds to breed. The aviaries used were our suspended design 3.6m long x l.2m x l.2m (approx. 12 x 4 x 4 feet) as well as some which were only 2.4m long x 1.2m x 1.2m (8 x 4 x4 feet). The smaller aviaries were used for rescue cases which could not fly for various reasons: some had survived being shot, some were vehicle casualties and others had permanent wing injuries.
All aviaries have a heavily planted shrubbery (600mm separation) on the outdoor section. Flowering Tecomaria and Hibiscus as well as berry prolific Pyracantha and Nandina species are preferred. The indoor section has no visual barrier between adjacent pairs except that created by the nesting boxes. Birds are fed on the same side as the nests, i.e., indoors. An aviary inspection door on the bottom of each aviary is also situated in the indoor section. The birds perch above human eye level on hardwood fruit-tree and softer eucalyptus perches.
A variety of wooden nests are readily used including natural hollowed syringa logs approximately 250-350mm ID (10 - 14 inches), vertical bootshaped boxes approximately 400mm high x 300mm deep x 250mm wide (16 x 12 x 10 inches), and ordinary vertical boxes approximately 400mm high x 250mm x 250mm (16 x 10 x 10 inches). Chipped eucalyptus and pine are used as substrate which the birds chew into small splinters.
Courtship involves loud vocalization with birds flying rapidly and repeatedly up and down the flights. The cock bird drops his wings and feeds the soliciting hen a number of times while both birds intermittently bob their heads in a vertical plane and raise their wings in an archangel type display. The cock stands on the hen's back while mating, copulating vigorously and rhythmically from alternating sides and all the time balancing with drooped wings. I have only ever observed mating in the early morning and late afternoon, when the birds are particularly active.
Three to four pure white and usually very rounded eggs are laid during Autumn-Winter (April-May-June) or during early Summer (OctoberNovember) at 2-3 day intervals, although pairs may go down in any month. Pairs will double and even triple clutch if first and second clutch eggs are removed for artificial incubation. Eggs are incubated at 37.5°C (99.5° F.) at sea level and because of their round shape are inclined to position themselves with airspace facing upwards in incubators which negatively affects embryonic development unless hand turned at least once daily. In my experience moving carpet turning is preferable to rollers in this species. A typical egg measures approx. 23.5mm wide x 28mm long. Internal pip to hatch is 48- 72 hours.
Pairs left to raise their own young will usually breed twice per year. Unless the first clutch of youngsters is removed, the second clutch of eggs is likely to be damaged by the youngsters who still join the parents in the nest. The breeding birds, however, often start to chase and harass their same sex chicks if they want to recycle.
Incubation is by the hen alone and chicks weigh typically between 9.Sg and l lg at hatch. The cock will spend a lot of time with the hen in the nest. Originally wild-caught cocks will spend most of the time with the hens in the nest during breeding, although aviary-bred cocks tend to stand guard outside the nest entrance.
Originally wild-caught birds usually remain shy and disappear into the nests at the first sign of human approach. Although described as quiet, I have found them to be quite noisy in the early evenings, when they are most active. The recognition call is a short, shrill and very high pitched whistle which is in my opinion loud. The defense and distress growl is similar to that of Greys and is observed during nest inspection. As with Greys, if disturbed on the nest, they will often try to burrow into the nesting substrate.
Chicks are straightforward to handraise and they thrive on Kaytee Exact® from the egg. Like other smaller Poicepbalus they are fed on their backs and although I feed them upright, they are always allowed to lie on their backs to swallow until they roll themselves over. I have successfully used nominate jardines to foster Capes.
Capes are covered in short, slightly offwhite down at hatching. This is replaced by a very dense covering of pure white down until they are feathered. If pulled at 3-4 weeks they do equally well on AviPlus® Handrearing Parrot with a tablespoon of sunflower oil added per cup of feed. Fledged chicks compete with each other for feeding by the adults and flap one or both wings to fend off their nestmates while soliciting.
I use 9mm ID seamless stainless steel rings as Capes are inclined to play with their legbands and will crush softer rings onto their legs. Chicks are banded when small pin feathers appear on the wings.
Adults continue to dig and reshuffle the nesting substrate during the rearing process and I replace this 2-3 times before the chicks fledge. In our climate AspergiLlosis is always a worry when shavings may become fouled and moldy and I certainly don't want the birds chewing on this material. It seems the adults are trying to clean the nest with this scratching behavior. This same behavior occurs prior to laying when the nest is being prepared for breeding. It ceases during incubation and commences again once the chicks have hatched.
Birds which do not feed their chicks may he encouraged to do so by removing, feeding by hand and replacing chicks for the first week. By this stage the strong soliciting noises and movements of the hungry chicks usually stimulate the adults to feed them.
In many ways the birds are behaviorally quite different from the now separately classified Grey-headed Parrot Poicepbalus fuscicollis suabelicus (formerly sub-species Poicephalus robustus suahelicus). They are far more active and the calls are noticeably different. P. f suahelicus, especially hens, are steadier. '
Adult Cape hens often have coral pink colour behind the cere. This may vary from none to quite noticeable. Adult cocks never do. Immature plumage resembles the hen although juvenile males have broader heads and heavier beaks. Hens have shorter beaks than cocks. The beaktip, as with the P. f suahelicus, is very sharp and should not be mistaken as being overgrown. It is used as an extraordinary leverage tool.
Diet for Capes at my breeding facility is much the same as for other African parrots. In the wild the Cape is a habitat feeder and they are almost totally dependent on the Podocarpus (Yellowwood) forest. They breed in dead snags of these trees and eat the oily berries. If these seeds are mashed into a pulp they resemble a thick peanut butter type consistency. A large variety of fresh fruit and vegetables with an Avi-Plus® softfood and pelleted mixture is fed in...