Bunneister's Seriema, a worthwhile challenge

Abstract

The Burmeister's or black-legged seriema, Chunga burmeisteri, is a native of northwest Argentina and southwest Paraguay. It is a tall, longlegged, dark grey bird with a pronounced white stripe above the eye. Its white underside and black and white tail are accented by its black beak and legs, which provides good camouflage for its mostly terrestrial habits. Dry woodlands and savannahs with sufficient undergrowth for cover is preferred for remaining well hidden while hunting their favorite foods such as snakes, mice, insects, and grain. Often the only hint of their presence is their very loud call, which has become a daily occurrence at the Baton Rouge Zoo.

In 1975 the Greater Baton Rouge Zoo purchased from Charles P. Chase Company, a pair of imported seriemas which made a great addition to our bird collection. In the following years we were fortunate to be one of the few zoos to breed the Burmeister's seriema. In this article we hope to share our knowledge on the propagation of this somewhat rare bird, so that others will be able to enjoy the success that we have had.

When our birds first arrived, they were placed in one of the individual cages at the Bird House. Their cage is fairly spacious, (15 feet wide, 20 feet long, and 8-11 feet high). The cage is made from aluminum tubing on the east and south side which is covered by one inch mesh chain link. The remaining two sides are cinder block walls which offer shade and some privacy from some of the surrounding cages. About one-third of the rear of the aviary is sheltered and is eleven feet high and covered with chain link. Under the sheltered area of the aviary is located the nest box which is situated about eight feet high. The open nest box is eighteen inches square and four inches deep. During the winter, heat lamps are provided under the sheltered area.

The substrate is mostly sand with some topsoil. Plantings include yucca,: prickly pear cactus and ligustrum bushes. Several vines are provided for use as perches, but because the birds are primarily terrestrial, they are seldom used. There is a concrete pool with continuously flowing water and the feeding platform is located at the rear of the exhibit, approximately two feet from the ground and it is under shelter. The pair is kept on exhibit year-round but there is sufficient cover for the birds to seclude themselves as they wish. Fecal samples are checked monthly and worming or dusting is seldom needed.

In the early spring of 1977 we observed nest building and mating activities. During the mating season, which is mid-spring through early summer, the nest is checked every few days, usually by one attendant. The somewhat flimsy nests are constructed of small twigs, rocks and some mud. The nests are very sparse and the eggs actual- 1 y laid on the bottom of the box. The pair seemed to show no interest in incubating in the beginning and were suspected of breaking their eggs.

Finally, the pair started incubating their eggs, but several clutches disappeared two or three days before they were due to hatch. It became apparent after many tries that artificial incubation was our only alternative. Because of this, we began to pull the clutches. The eggs were incubated at 81 ° F wet bulb and 97.3°F dry bulb, and were turned three times daily by hand. In June of 1978 our first clutch and several clutches thereafter were hatched out in this manner.