Abstract
Among other beautiful and exotic creatures residing at the Playboy Mansion live numerous avian species. Located on approximately six acres in the hills of West Los Angeles, the Playboy Mansion is home to some 140 species of birds and mammals.
When Hugh Hefner moved to the property in 1971, he developed a park-like setting with an abundance of trees including California Coastal Redwoods and beautifully manicured lawns. An avian-mammal collection was started and in 1975 John Heston came to work as managing supervisor of the animal department. The first thing John did was to sit down inside of each aviary with a copy of Bates' and Busenbark's Finches and Softbilled Birds (one of the only "soft bill encyclopedias" available at that time) to identify each species and then to determine the diets and needs of the birds.
After working at the mansion for over ten years, John wanted to test the waters and diversify his life. With a Bachelors Degree in Biology and a Masters Degree in Education, he obtained a job with the Los Angeles Unified School District and has worked as a biology instructor in downtown Los Angeles for the past four years. He currently teaches the advanced placement students and feels that this is quite a challenge. Part of John's time is now devoted to his students but part is still devoted to the animal life at the mansion. In his '' free" time, John drives to Fresno, California (where he spent his childhood) and works on the restoration of an old house.
Through the years, under the direction of Heston, the Playboy Mansion aviaries have produced numerous breeding softbills and psittacines. One family with which there has been tremendous success is the hombills. Of the four species housed, Yellow-billed (Tockus jlavirostris), Tarictic (Penelopides panini), Redbilled (Tockus e. erythrorhynchus) and Jackson's (Tockus jacksoni), young have been reared of all. The greatest successes have been with the Jackson's and Yellow-billeds. Currently there is a very prolific pair of Yellow-billeds set up in a large flight measuring approximately 20' x 20' x 20'. The nest box they use measures 18" h x 10" d x 15" w which is elevated about 18 feet above the ground. When nesting, the hen is enclosed in her box by her mate for 60 to 70 days during which period she lays and incubates her eggs and rears her young until the time they are due to fledge. She then chips away the mud-closed entrance for herself and her young to emerge. During this enclosure time, the male is responsible for gathering all food and delivering it to the hen and young. If something should happen to him, the hen and young would die. This particular pair seems to produce chicks year round, just having fledged three young a few days prior to my visit. Also housed in this community flight are Nicobar Pigeons, Guinea Touracos, Silver Pheasants, Plush-crested Jays, Plantain-eaters, Crowned Pigeons and Chachalacas. For more information on experiences with rearing hornbills, please refer to two articles written by John; "Handrearing Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills" in the Aug/Sept 1983 issue and "Captive Breeding and Management of the Jackson's Hornbill" in the Feb/March 1989 issue of the AFA Watchbird.