by Jerry JenningsFallbrook, California

Softbills for aMixed Species Flight

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the hen from 4 p.m. to 10 a.m.Close records must be kept

because the foster parents and tum­blers must lay their eggs at the sametime. This allows for the build-up ofpigeon milk which is regurgitated tothe young for about a week. Withoutthis "pigeon milk;' the squabscannot survive.

At about the 10th day of incubationthe foster parents' role comes intoplay. The tumbler eggs should becandled and if the membranes areseen and the egg has a bluish color, itis fertile. Candling will show a fertileegg as dark, where an infertile eggwill remain clear.

I take the tumbler eggs and placethem under the foster parents untilhatching. By taking the tumbler eggsaway at 10 days it doesn't harm thetumblers, and keeps the breedingcycle going. In another 10 days thebirds will produce another clutch ofeggs. (The foster parents' eggs arethrown and when the tumbler eggshatch under the fosters, they are fedas if they were their own.)

The squabs are fed about one weekon pigeon milk and then on wholegrains. At 10 days old they arebanded. In about 35 days they are fullgrown and nearly on their own.

Young males show their sex atabout 3 months.

For those who'd like to try theirhand at raising this beautiful but chal­lenging breed, here are a few tips:

1. Have a dry loft, free of draftswith good ventilation

2. Separate lofts for breeders andyoung birds

3. Provide an outdoor fly pen foryoung birds

4. Fresh clean water (changedaily)

5. A good feed ration6. Plenty of grit should always be

available7. Bath water should be offered

frequently.I give cod liver oil capsules and

Brewer's yeast tablets twice a week.Like many tumbler breeders, I

strive to breed the perfect bird. It'snot easy. It takes time and effort, plusgood record-keeping. Sometimes it issuch a challenge that the persondecides to go with an easier breed.But I've done some winning at theshows and can say that it's worth allof the time when a judge picks yourbird as number one.

Win, place or show, the tumbler isquite a rewarding breed, thoughquite a challenge! _

Aquariums are said to relax peopleand are often found in the waitingrooms of doctors, dentists and attor­neys. Indeed, anyone should beunderstandably anxious in suchcircumstances. Less frequentlyencountered in the professional'santechamber is the small aviary orbird cage, perhaps because mostpeople automatically' 'think parrot"when contemplating a bird or two.Parrots can be quite noisy, occasion­ally bite, and are prone to great featsof scenery mastication. Hardly thesort of behavior designed to put oneat ease.

Fish, on the other hand, are quietand offer the opportunity to lose one­self in one's thoughts, and to focuson nature and natural things. But fishare not the only route to achievingcommunion with the natural order. Amixed species flight of small softbillsprovides a warm experience that canbe pleasing both to the eye and ear.Small softbills exhibit such pleasingcharacteristics as beautiful voices andradiant colors. A mixed bag providesa riot of color, a symphony ofsounds, and a cornucopia of curiousbehaviors. It is easy to forget whyone entered the room after havingbecome intently absorbed by thespectacle.

Mixed species softbill collectionslend themselves to every occasionand setting including the dinnertable. Dinner table? Yes! And at nicerestaurants, too, such as Samson'sRestaurant at the Koll Center indowntown San Diego. The aviary,over two stories tall, is in the shapeof an octagon, each side of which is aseries of glass panels six feet high byten feet long. The aviary is part of theinitial design of the multi-storied postmodern architecture of the brandnew Koll Center, whose office spaceis leased primarily to professionalcorporations (attorneys, etc.)

Samson's Restaurant is a tastefullyappointed New York style Jewishdelicatessen with an extensive menu.The aviary is the center of attention,near which are situated tables forclose observation of the inhabitantswithin. The main feature of thisenclosure is a very large, artificial,tropical forest fig tree, constructed inthe best Disney style tradition, whichcost over $40,000 and looks quitereal, as it should for that price tag.Around the base of the tree is a smallpond with a waterfall, and numeroustropical plants (real ones). Smallspeakers on the outside emit occa­sional bird songs, though they arenot of the inhabitants', but of nativeCalifornia species.

Approximately 30 birds are main­tained in the aViary. With the excep­tion of the Ringed Teal male, whosemate passed away, all the birds are inpairs. These include Black Crakes,Brazilian Cardinals, Palm Tanagers,Kiskadee Flycatchers, Gray-headedPurple Gallinules, Black-throatedLaughing Thrush, Red-Winged Laugh­ing Thrush, Hartlaub's Touracos,Fischer's Touracos, Finch-billedBulbuls, Spot-billed Toucanets, andLuzon Bleeding-heart Doves. TheKiskadee Flycatchers were busilyhauling bits of Spanish Moss up intothe large tree in attempts to build anest and the other birds were activelyscurrying about their home. All thebirds were in excellent condition andharmony with each other.

The enclosure is maintained in animmaculate state and the feedingstation is situated in an inobtrusivelocation among the plants on theground. The enclosure was stockedby the firm, Wildlife ConceptsInternational, owned by ScottDreischman, former Curator of Birdsat Sea World in San Diego. WildlifeConcepts International also prOVidesfor the daily care of the birds and

afa WATCHBIRD 31

A Ringed Teal drake (Callonetta leucophrys) with an Aftican Black Crake (Limno­corxjlavi1·osta) in the background.

advises on technical aspects of main­tenance and species mix.

The concept of a mixed speciesflight can easily be adapted to thehobby aviculturist in a small back­yard. Aviary size is not a criticalfactor, and enclosures can be fairlysmall. Size and the plantings withinwill determine the number of birdsthat can be comfortably housed. Andcare with selection of the species tobe mixed will determine the har­mony within.

Mixed species flights were rela­tively common in the backyards ofprivate individuals a few years ago,and they are still the source of thegreatest entertainment in the nation'szoos (albeit on a grander scale).What's more, the birds mixed in theflight will generally breed, so long ascompatible species are together.

When in San Diego, visit Samson'sRestaurant at 501 W. Broadway.Other locations featuring birds at res­taurants in the area include theCourtyard Restaurant in Old Town,and the Coronado Hotel. •

The Koll CenterAviaryfronts both on Samson's Restau14antand San Diego's Broadway, and is dominated by a $40,000a11:ificial Ficus tree. JosefLindholm enjoys lunch and asuperb view.

The Aftican Black Crake isprobably the most availabletop17-Vate aviculture ofall the 120-odd menlbers ofthe f'ail family.

32 October / November 1991

A Red-tailed Laughing Th1i-lSh (Garrulax milnei), a species nowft·equently available to American aviculturistsfrom China,unobtainable ten years ago.