The breeding season in the Breeding Center of Loro Parque Fundación is in full swing and we have already ringed 200 chicks.
The lory chicks are the first ones to hutch and we are pleased to have already the first chicks of Chalcopsitta atra and C. scintillata, as well as Charmosyna josephinae, C. papou goliathina and C. placentis. The rainbow lorikeets are also having a good beginning and we now have young of Trichoglossus capistratus, T. chlorolepidotus, T. euteles, T. forsteni, T. h. haematodus, T. h. caeruleiceps, T. johnstoniae, and T. moluccanus.
For the hand-rearing of lories in the baby station we have put in place the following feeding protocol: the just-hatched chick is hydrated with Ringer lactic solution until the yolk-sac has been absorbed, during the first 10 days the diet is of Versele Laga formula A1 with 10% of dextrose to increase the calorie content. The following 10 days we give them 75% of A1 and 25% of Orlux Lori (also of Versele Laga), and after three weeks we mix 50% of A1 and Orlux Lori until independence. Using this formula we achieve very good results with all species.
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Other species that has begun strongly is Agapornis taranta, of which we have ringed 16 chicks of five pairs. They are being reared by their parents and we hope to have a second laying by these pairs.
We also have the first chicks of cockatoos ringed, and among them eleven young of Cacatua leadbeateri of three different pairs stand out. In the case of this species, the eggs were incubated artificially and the chicks are being reared in the Baby Station. In this way we stimulate the breeding pairs lay a replacement clutch, which will be left in the nest to be reared naturally and in this way the parents can complete their breeding cycle.
Also new for this breeding season is the comparative behavioural study on copulation and courtship behaviour that a PhD student is doing in the breeding centre of Loro Parque Fundación, as part of our collaboration with Max Planck Institute for Ornithology. We are already curious about the first results that will help to understand better the mechanics of sexual selection in parrots. Contribution to research using the parrot collection is one of the pillars of Loro Parque Fundación.
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Title photo: Psitteuteles goldiei in the Baby Station of Loro Parque. (c) Juan Cornejo