Rare Birds From All Parts of 'World in Auckland Aviaries

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 690, 15 June 1929, Page 17

Rare Birds From All Parts of 'World in Auckland Aviaries

Foreign Lands Supply Tempting Morsels To Feed These Happy Exotics . . . Auckland Aviarists and Their Fascinating Hobby.

(Written for THE SUN by

O. A. GILLESPIE.

—~ PREO starlings 1 A|[j i from Abyssinia, I 8 | red-crested carico, Pekin nightingales from the Rrs * love t,ircis . | '- '" R blue buntings ...

these are but a j eW of the foreign birds contentedly living in aviaries in Auckland. To the unititiated the names mean nothing, but to the bird lover they spell Romance. To breed these birds in captivity is an achievement; to care jor them a labour of love. One scarcely cares to use the word • captivity" when writing of the aTiaries of Auckland. The birds, hundreds of them, lead an idyllic existence in spacious homes spotlessly clean. They lack nothing—their food is the best procurable; their homes are open 10 the sun and no enemy is ever allowed within their gates. A genuine love for birds has prompted Auckland aviculturists to devote the whole of their leisure hours to the care of these lovely feathered creatures collected from every corner of the globe. To them the word -profit’’ is anathema. It is the ambition of every aviculturist to breed rare birds in captivity. This can be done only if they are kept in the best of health and living as they would in their natural state. Observation of the birds and their habits is also an attraction for those who cannot travel the world and see them in cheir native haunts. But for the aviculturists many birds would now be extinct. Several varieties of small Australian parakeets, which were rapidly dying out, have been bred so successfully in aviaries In England that there is now no longer any fear of losing them. The Marquess of Tavistock has been one of the principal breeders of these birds.

It Government restrictions were lifted this might be done with rare New Zealand birds, but, as it is, the jjolicy laid down has prohibited genuine bird-lovers from keeping the different species in captivity. A visit to the Auckland aviaries is sufficient proof that the foreign birds, many of them rare and lovely things, are living in an ideal state. Even the rarest of them have reared their young under Auckland skies, for all the aviaries are open to every available ray of sunshine. , Let us pay a call on Mr. G. Rowland Hutchinson, of Keith Avenue, Remuera. Here are yellow, green and blue budgerigars and masked and blackcheeked lovebirds chattering in the warm afternoon sun.

Their big airy home enables them to fly as they would if they were in the Australian bush. When the days grow cold there is ample shelter unoer cover.

Mr. Hutchinson’s birdß have all reared their young in the splendid home he has built for them and now he is eagerly awaiting the results of his cross-breeding. Hanging in the aviary are several small pieces of puriri log, the insides of which have been removed. Here the birds build their nests and rear their young, just as they would in hollow bush trees. The two largest aviaries in Auckland belong to Mrs. P. J. Campbell and Mrs. Hugh Campbell, two sisters who live in Arney Road, Remuera. One might have strayed into the corner of some tropical forest in either of these aviaries. Birds of every hue are perched in the trees and shrubs which grow within the bounds of the netting. There is such a chattering and whistling and chirping that it sounds like some modern musician’s bird symphony. Here again, when the wsather is cold, the birds find warmth

and shelter behind glass, but on sunny ® a i's they have the use of extensive ages, known to aviculturists as ■fights.’’ In Mrs. P. J. Campbell's aviary oue “dn an amazing variety of birds, here are Spreo starlings with wings more brilliantly blue than a midsummer sky. weavers of every kind build“g the quaintest and most ingenious li£ StS ’ >e ' cin nightingales with wings exquisitely painted fans, bulbuls,

waxbilis from Java, biscuit mannikins, _ hydah birds, nuns, nutmeg or spice birds, the indigo bird, strawberry finches, green and grey singing finches, Gouldian finches, zebra finches, canaries . . . the majority of them all living happily together. Altogether there are between 250 and 260 birds here. One of Mrs. Campbell’s rarest achievements is that she bred a Cordon blue finch, the only one ever bred in captivity in New Zealand. Mrs. Hugh Campbell’s aviary is another mass of swift flight and beauti-

i ful colour. She has more birds than her sister, including a number of rare varieties. In the larger corner of the aviary budgerigars and lovebirds live J happily with hundreds of their feathered friends. If any birds become I ferocious they are removed to another j compartment amusingly called the j I "gaol." | It is difficult to decide which is 'he ; most beautiful of the birds, but a | . Paradise whydah, with his long float-i

s, ing tail feathers is an exquisite fellow. 6 Then there is the Gouldian finch with his black head ringed with blue, his ’ bright green back, violet bib, yellow ’j' under-body and black and white tail. The love birds and budgerigars are also exquisitely marked with the most d j delicate shades. Nature seems to have ® I been in her most lavish mood when “ j she designed the vast array of tints r J for her birds. | Mr. A. E. Knowles, of 55 Hinemoa s : Avenue, Devonport, has many visitors i-1 to his aviary and is fostering the love

tor birds among the younger people of the neighbourhood, as is every other aviculturist here.

Although it is well into the winter, he has five nests of young zebra finches. Mr. Knowles specialises in the finch family and has Gouidians, diamond, Bieheno, strawberry, tire and saffron as well as budgerigars. Pekin nightingales, mannikins, and some brilliantly coloured parrots. “It is surprising the number of people who are interested in birds. When people come along to see my collection they always become so keen that they want to keep birds themselves,” he said. “Aviculture teaches people to become observant,” Mr. Knowles remarked that Australia produced the most brilliantly plumaged birds in the world.

As a boy, Mr. E. V. Clay, of Mount Albert, grew to love birds. That was in England. When he came to New

Zealand he began to build up an aviary and now he is breeding quite a number of rare birds, principally Gouldian finches. These birds were becoming rare in Australia, but now that aviculturists have been able to breed them in captivity there is now no longer any danger of their becoming extinct. Mr. Clay has been most successful with them and this year he has 10 young ones. His flock of green and yellow budgerigars has increased by 70 this year.

“Feed your birds as near to nature as possible,” is this bird lover’s advice. Mr. T. Graveson, of Oaklands Ave., Mount Eden, has made a special study of breeding mules, which are obtained

by crossing goldfinches and canaries Apparently the object is to produce a light-coloured bird, and those with the least markings are the fnost valuable. Mr. Graveson has just produced a mule which is almost white, and this is said to be the most valuable ever bred in New Zealand or Australia. In his beautifully-clean aviary Mr. Graveson has numbers of canaries, redpolls, chaffinches, green finches, bullfinches, yellow hammers and goldfinches. These last he traps in a plot of thistles in his garden. “Birds have been my hobby all my life,” he said, “and all my spare time is devoted to their care.” The spotlessly clean cages, and the cheerful

whistling of the birds was proof of this.

In Mr. W. J. Crowther's aviary m Remuera Road, there are several varieties of finches and budgerigars. He finds aviculture a fascinating hobby and has been successful in breeding many birds.

The only yellow English linnet in New Zealand is owned by Mr. A. E. Henley, of the City Dairy, whose aviary is in the heart of the city, in Victoria Street West. This bird-lover has a magnificent collection of finches from all parts of the world, Pekin nightingales and budgerigars, and their happy song can be heard by the residents of houses nearby. The whole world Is scoured for food for the happy “captives.” and some amazing cargoes find their -way to New Zealand.

For instance, quantities of dried flies are brought from Mexico and ants’ eggs come from Finland. A rather nasty-smelling mixture known as crissel, or dried prairie meat, is imported from South America, and egg yolk, dried in flakes, is brought from England. The birds must be given a diet as near as possible to that which they enjoy in their natural state, but it seems that all of those in the Auckland aviaries fare far better than they would if they were living in their native haunts. Nothing is too much trouble for the ardent lover of birds. As an instance of this Mrs. P. J. Campbell, of Arney Road, breeds gentles, or, as everyone knows them, maggots, for her more delicate birds. She buys fish-heads, hangs them in the sun and allows the flies to settle on them. As the maggots fall they drop into a box of bran in which they clean themselves before being fed to the birds. Mrs. Campbell also breeds mealworms in specially-made boxes for some of her birds. These insects live

on bran. She also grows a quantity of seed, bet it has to be covered with fine netting as the wild birds raid the plots whenever opportunity offers. Every bird must have its special food all the year round. Niger seed Is brought from India to be used in the mating season. Wild meadow seeds are gathered from the English lanes and fields. Grey sunflower seed is imported from South Africa and the white sunflower from Hungary. India supplies brown finch millet and Holland sends maw seed, which contains oil and opium. Thistle seed comes

from Scotland. France also sends j thistle seed, teasle seed and spray | millet. Italy supplies v.’hite millet, j Austria a tonic seed known as *‘*rold , of pleasure,” Morocco produces yellow i millet, and Manchuria and Chile send j hemp seed. A special variety of mixed millet comes from Persia, canary seed from Spain, Morocco and Turkey, and i

buckwheat comes from Japan. The ordinary dandelion is gathered in England for its seed, and linseed is sent from Holland. Getting nearer home paddy rice and unpolished rice come from Australia, and the South Island of New Zealand sends the best white oats. On one or two beaches In the Hauraki Gulf there is a special mixture of sea shells which has been found most useful. Several varieties of birds keep their bills in order by pecking at pieces of cuttlefish bone brought from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. When aviculturists desire to improve the colour of their birds they give them sweet pepper from Spain and a special colour food which turns the plumage orange. Other foods, more easily obtained, are given the birds in season. Mrs. P. J. Campbell says that some of her birds like rolled oats and that she frequently gives them pieces of apple,

! banana, pear or orange, insects which j ! she herself catches, crushed biscuit ! ; and hard-boiled egg; all of which goes | to show that the life of a well-cared-for bird is extremely happy. Even rain-water is collected by Mr. Hutchin- : son for the birds as he does not regard the city water as sufficiently pure. 1 The most recent development amonk

the bird fanciers in New Zealand is the formation of the Avieultural Society which is affiliated with the parent body in England. Already members have joined from all parts of the Dominion, one coming from as far south as Invercargill. The formation of the society will give an additional stimulus to the study of birds and w r ill be of great benefit to the younger generation of bird-lovers. The president of the society is Sir George Fowlds, and the vice-presi-dents. the Mayor (Mr. George Baildon), Mrs. Hugh Campbell and Mr. J. M. Corbett. The executive committee consists of Professor Sperrin-Johnston

(chairman and editor of the avieultural journal), Messrs. W. J. Crowther, E. V. Clay. Mr. G. Rowland Hutchinson is the hon. secretary and treasurer. Auckland’s genial climate enables almost any foreign bird to be kept in an aviary, providing that it is given sufficient care and attention. Should the Government ever reverse its decision and allow- the aviculturists to

j keep the native birds it will find that the privilege will not be abused. The ; devotion of the bird-lovers to their feathered friends is too deep and sen- : sitive for that. | Since this page was written we re- ; gret to announce the death of Mrs. Hugh Campbell, which occurred on 1 Thursday evening.