September is one of the nicest months to visit Tenerife. The sun shines brightly, the temperatures are high and a gentle breeze blows. It will be during this season in 2018 that the International Parrot Convention will take place in Loro Parque. Make sure to mark this important date in your calendar. Some breeders have already confirmed their attendance at the event, where expert breeders and parrot lovers of every stripe come together and share their passion for our ornithological friends. The convention is held every four years, bringing together the best minds from ornithology. We are looking forward to welcoming you to this particular international parrot convention.
The first highlight of this month has been the birth of another Yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Zanda funerea xanthonota) which is native to Tasmania. A great joy since the couple is still active and eager to have offspring. The first chick is one month old and it already bears its elegant black plumage, while its little brother is still a delicate yellow ball that moves vigorously and restlessly.
The members of Loro Parque Fundación have again started visiting the breeding centre during this month in order to see the chicks hatching out of their shells. Among them are the nestlings of Charmosyna placentis, Pyrrhura cruentata and Pyrrhura roseifrons. It is amazing to discover more than six birds in some aviaries, where months before we only could see a pair. It is an intense experience for the people who are in charge of providing the birds with everything they need in order to achieve successful reproduction. Also it is a real reward for the pair that proudly defends its nestlings, trying to divert attention away from them.
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Two chicks of Zanda funerea xanthonota (c) Rafael Zamora Padron
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Another significant development is the incorporation of a new member to our team. We are very pleased to welcome Marcia Weinzettl as the new bird curator of Loro Parque Fundación. She is a biologist and comes from Brazil, where she is a breeding expert of recognised prestige. She is certainly well-equipped for the challenge, as she brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience from different zoos in Brazil. She will oversee the largest parrot collection worldwide with the help of the technical team of Loro Parque and Loro Parque Fundación.
We are currently witnessing the rapid growth of many young birds. Some of them are already in the phase of becoming independent. They have learned to eat alone, and to interact with other birds. It is a delicate time for the young birds but once developed into strong birds, we will be able to recognize the skills of each one: the most dominant ones, the most outgoing, the bravest or weakest. It is important to distinguish between the different characters in order to form appropriate groups. These birds constitute the bird population for future breeding to ensure the survival of their own species. We focus our efforts on the full development of each individual so that they can lead a healthy life. In this sense, the birds are divided into groups according to their capacities. A rather weak bird will be integrated in a smaller group with less competition in order to develop strength and to gain self-confidence.
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from the left: Pedro Martin, Marcia Weinzettl and Pau Puigcerver
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It is also important to identify the sex of the parrots. Loro Parque Fundación uses videoendoscopy in order to obtain reliable identification of the gender. It also allows the veterinarians a better insight into their health. The process is applies to the young birds every season in order to strike a proper balance between the sexes.
Preserving this balance is important in many aspects. Every parrot will receive enough food in each group. To achieve this, the aviaries are equipped with several feeding troughs allowing all the birds to get fed properly. Providing them an enriched environment is also important, for it will help the parrots to grow healthy, and will dictate their health for a lifetime.
We welcomed the group of Primaroute from the Czech Republic at the end of September. The members enjoyed a technical visit to the breeding centre of Loro Parque Fundación. This was a unique experience, not only for the visitors but also for us, as an opportunity for a lively exchange on matters of breeding and species. The visitors could also benefit from personal contact to the bird experts and get to know methods of innovative parrot husbandry.
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A large group of Czech aviculturists visited LPF breeding centre in La Vera (c) Rafael Zamora Padron
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Loro Parque Fundación strives every day to develop the knowledge and conservation of parrots at all levels. We rely on the active participation of our members to achieve these goals. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members and sympathizers for their years of support.
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Title photo: (c) Rafael Zamora Padron
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