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Newsletter, January 2018

Program Updates

Crested Guineafowl SSP Maureen Cleary Ardaiolo, Denver Zoo

Meardaiolo@denverzoo.org

Crested guineafowl are a small species of gamebird that live in the

grasslands and forests of Sub-Saharan Africa. This is a newer pro-

gram and had its first planning meeting November 2016. Currently

there are 61.44.6 individuals at 23 institutions. These birds make

great additions to exhibits because they can be housed in pairs, or

as larger flocks, including single sex groups. The AZA sustainability

report link below contains exhibiting information including a long

list of species they are compatable with. Crested guineafowl have

recently been identified as consisting of 3 different species, the pro-

gram leader will continue to contact zoos to identify which species institutions are housing. The most com-

mon species in AZA zoos appear to be Eastern crested guineafowl, seen in the picture below. The SSP is also

in need of some good guineafowl pictures, please send in your best to be used for upcoming publications or

reports. If you are interested in housing this species, please contact the program leader! There are a few

males needing homes.

https://ams.aza.org/eweb/Temp/AZAAnimalProgramReport__netforumaza_088625af-3eca-4448-

a940-5ba91704d7f412312017.PDF

Photo Credit: Mike Owyang, Sacramento

Palawan Peacock Pheasant Mollie Coym, Houston Zoo

Are you looking for a small, attractive, tropical Asian pheasant that mixes

well with other birds, can link well with conservation messaging, and has a

stunning breeding display? The Palawan Peacock Pheasant may fit the

bill! The Palawan Peacock Pheasants are a sexually dimorphic, charis-

matic species. The males are colorful, very active, and display to females

regularly. This is a relatively small pheasant species with a similar display to larger peafowl species, so they are

great exhibit animals for smaller areas.The population is currently male heavy, with the population at 34.26. A

Breeding and Transfer plan was completed in October 2015. Since that plan was completed, Palawans have been

added to the collections at 3 additional institutions and the population size has remained stable. In order to ex-

pand this population, the SSP is looking for new institutions to participate in the program. A new Breeding and

Transfer plan will be done in January 2018, so now is the time to think about adding these to your collection. If

anyone is interested in housing the Palawan Peacock Pheasant, please contact Mollie Coym at

mcoym@houstonzoo.org for more information.

Photo provided by Molly Coym

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Edwards’s Pheasant SSP Sarah Patterson

St. Augustine Alligator Farm

Through the work of the Galliformes TAG, the AZA Ed-

wards’s Pheasant population has seen growth from 11 in-

dividuals at five institutions in 2011, to currently 51 indi-

viduals in 17 institutions. The increase in individuals and

holding institutions, along with the recent publication of a

regional studbook, resulted in the North American Ed-

wards’s Pheasant population to become an official Yellow

SSP in May!! The first draft of the breeding and transfer

plan has been completed with 12 pairs being recommend-

ed to breed.

Although most likely extinct in the wild, this species is

seeing a worldwide increase due to cooperative conserva-

tion efforts. A collective effort is underway to establish a

breeding center in Vietnam spearheaded by Hanoi Zoo

and Viet Nature. To continue the growth of the AZA pop-

ulation, more institutional holders are needed. Besides being a great addition to mixed spe-

cies exhibits, the Edwards’s Pheasants allow for great conservation messaging on one of the

many benefits of zoos. In December 2016, Edwards’s Pheasants were featured by National

Geographic’s Photo Ark as one of 13 species no longer found in the wild that we can save to-

gether. For more information, please contact Sarah Patterson spatterson@alligatorfarm.com

Program Updates

Green Junglefowl Chris Holmes

Houston Zoo

The Green Junglefowl Gallus varius is a Galliformes that has

been plagued by the “boom and bust” population trend in AZA

institutions. This unique species, although currently listed as

Least Concern by the IUCN, only ranges on a few Indonesian

Islands and it is valued in the songbird trade. Male Green Jun-

glefowl are bred with domestic chicken hens resulting in hy-

brid male offspring called Ayam Bekisar. They are valued for

singing or crowing competitions that have increased in popu-

larity.

The island habitat of this species is shared by some of the

most endangered bird species in the world. The EAZA Silent

Forest Campaign and most recently Sunny Neslon’s article in

the November issue of the AZA Connect feature more infor-

mation on this region, and the cultural practices that once

were sustainable but now have led to a rapid and extreme pop-

Photo provided by Chris Holmes

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ulation decreases and near extinction in some species. Although currently the trade in

this species is thought to be limited it does cause some concern that this species could be

more at risk of endangerment than previously thought.

Of the four species of Junglefowl the Green Junglefowl is the

most unique in its wild habits and in its coloration. In the

2011 Galliformes RCP this species was recommended to be a

managed population but with the yearly evaluation of the

species under the TAG the population of this species had

dropped considerably and on closer inspection the actual

founder base is mostly unknown. The TAG voted to recom-

mend this species is a non-managed species. The TAG is still

encouraging this species to be housed in AZA institutions

but for now intensive management is not warranted.

A few of the islands where this species range are also inhab-

ited by the Komodo Dragon Varanus komodoensis and the

Island of Flores once boosted a unique population of humanoids

that is still perplexing science Homo floresiensis or Flores Man. A few institutions have

recently advertised surplus on the AIG list serve. If you are interested in this species or

would like further information please contact me directly.

Here is a list of recommended AZA species that the Green Junglefowl shares it range

with. This species can help you illustrate the story further of biome themed exhibits. This

list is only shown so that connections can be made not a mixed species exhibit guide.

Photo provided by Chris Holmes

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Species Spotlight

Cabot’s Tragopan

Chuck Cerbini

Toledo Zoo

The Cabot’s Tragopan (Tragopan caboti)

is a medium-sized pheasant endemic to

the mountain forests of southeastern

China and one of five species of Trago-

pan, or horned pheasant - a name that

refers to the set of fleshy horns that

emerge during the courtship displays of

the males. The genus Tragopan also ref-

erences these brightly-colored orna-

ments, compounding the Greek word

tragos, meaning goat, and Pan, the

Greek god of the wild who possesses the

hindquarters and horns of a goat. The

specific name of the Cabot’s Tragopan

commemorates Dr. Samuel Cabot III of

Boston, Massachusetts, who owned the

specimen after which English ornithol-

ogist John Gould first described the species in 1857. Two subspecies of the Cabot’s Tragopan

are currently recognized, with the more recently described T. c. guangxiensis occurring in the

western part of the species’ range (northeast Guangxi) and the nominate T. c. caboti in the east-

ern part (Guangdong to Zhejiang).

Cabot’s Tragopans are primarily vegetarian, foraging for leaves, nuts, and seeds in the early

morning and late afternoon. The species has an apparently strong association with the broad-

leaf evergreen Daphniphyllum macropodum, the deep green leaves of which are readily taken

by this pheasant. Cabot’s Tragopans also ingest various invertebrates in their native range. In

captivity, this species is maintained well on a pelleted pheasant diet supplemented with

chopped fruits, vegetables, and assorted greens. Mazuri Gamebird Maintenance and Breeder

pellets, fed seasonally, serve as good bases for a complete diet. Invertebrates such as meal-

worms and crickets may also be offered.

The Cabot’s Tragopan is considered monogamous although males may mate with additional fe-

males after incubation of the original clutch begins. In captivity, this species is best kept as a

breeding pair. A breeding pair will typically live harmoniously throughout the year, but the be-

havior of the male should be observed closely during introductions and breeding season. Court-

ship in this species begins in February with breeding season commencing in March and extend-

ing through May. The spectacular display of the male is one of the most impressive in the bird

world. Typically starting behind a piece of deadfall or a rock, the male Cabot’s Tragopan bobs

his head repeatedly as the pair of fleshy bright blue horns above the eyes are engorged and re-

Photo by Eric Kowalczyk

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vealed. The bright blue, red, and orange patterned bib is simultaneously unfolded over the

breast. The bird then beats his wings and after fanning his tail, rears his body upward quickly.

Like all tragopans, the Cabot’s Tragopan is highly arboreal and females nest up to thirty feet

off the ground in large trees. In a captive environment, Cabot’s Tragopan hens will nest in a

simple open-topped ply wood box measuring 18” x 18” x 12” lined with shavings and pine straw.

The nesting basket or box should be installed off the ground in an elevated location with lim-

ited disturbance. Females lay between two and five eggs and incubate them for 28 days. Cab-

ot’s Tragopan hens are typically capable sitters and can be adept mothers in the appropriate

environment. The slow-growing chicks hatch well-feathered and are capable of flying within the

first several days of life. Hand-rearing of this species is also straightforward. Male Cabot’s

Tragopans show adult color and reach sexual maturity in their second year.

The Cabot’s Tragopan is considered Vulnerable by the IUCN due mostly to logging and sweep-

ing destruction and encroachment of

its habitat for agricultural purposes,

while illegal hunting for food is also

a threat. Currently, the global popu-

lation, estimated to be below 10,000

individuals and possibly even less

than 5,000, is regarded as declining

throughout the bird’s range. The

species is protected nationally in

China and is listed in CITES Appen-

dix 1, which affects the international

trading of this pheasant. Domesti-

cally, the Cabot’s Tragopan is also

listed as Endangered by the U.S.

Fish & Wildlife Service, so both buy-

er and seller must maintain the

proper USFWS Captive-bred Wild-

life permit with this species listed if

individuals are to be sold or traded

between state lines within the Unit-

ed States.

The Cabot’s Tragopan has been the

subject of monitoring programs and

conservation research in China since

the late 1980s. Work has included radio-tagging and tracking birds, providing artificial nesting

sites, and reintroduction of captive-bred birds in the Taoyuandong National Nature Reserve.

Currently, the AZA population of Cabot’s Tragopan is 32 birds (15.17) at 15 institutions. Sever-

al of these institutions have been successful in propagating the species over the past few years

and it is hoped that with continued and expanded success, this pheasant will become an estab-

lished program in zoos. The Cabot’s Tragopan is an overall hardy pheasant that can withstand

harsh weather if given dry protected roosting sites and shaded areas. Exhibits should include

ample cover, which is easily accomplished with grasses, bamboos, and evergreen shrubs and

trees. Despite historic infertility issues in breeding birds, Cabot’s Tragopans can be long-lived

and will breed readily if kept properly. Individual birds, as in other tragopan species, are

known for taming to the point that favored food items are taken from the hands of their care-

takers.

Photo by Chuck Cerbini

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References

Howman, K. 1991. Pheasants of the World: Their Breeding and Management. Hancock House

Publishers, Surrey, B.C. Canada.

Beebe, W. 1990. A Monograph of the Pheasants. Reprint. Originally published: London:

Witherby, 1918-1922, Dover Publications, Inc., Mineola, NY.

Johnsgard, P. A. 1999. The Pheasant of the World: Biology and Natural History. 2nd ed.,

Smithsonian Press, Washington D.C.

Delacour, J. 1978. Pheasants: Their Care and Breeding. T.F.H. Publishing, Neptune, NJ.

Wayre, P. 1969. A Guide to the Pheasants of the World. Hamlyn Publishing, London, U.K.

Madge, S., McGowan, P. 2002. Pheasants, Partridges, and Grouse. Princeton University

Press, Princeton, NJ.

McGowan, P.J.K. & Kirwan, G.M. (2018). Cabot's Tragopan (Tragopan caboti). In: del Hoyo,

J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the

World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/53480 on 5

January 2018).

Why did the guineafowl cross the road?

To prove he wasn’t chicken!!!

Photo by Gwen Harris

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“Gallinformed” Kelly Pardy

Houston Zoo

Earlier this year, the AZA Helmeted Curassow (Pauxi pauxi) population underwent its first

breeding and transfer plan in nearly 10 years, with the last publication being the 2007 Popu-

lation Management Plan. This most recent publication also marked the populations change

from a Red SSP to a Yellow SSP designation. Since

the publication of the 2017 Breeding and Transfer

Plan, four recommended breeding pairs have pro-

duced offspring, all of which being first time par-

ents. Adding 8 new breeders to the captive popula-

tion has been a big step in its management. Dispar-

ity between age classes, with only a few successfully

breeding individuals, was a concern for the future of

the population. However, with new pairs set up in

the population, and increased recruitment from

younger age classes, the AZA population is set up

for success in the upcoming years.

Although the population has continued to grow, one

potential barrier in the management of P. pauxi relates to recom-

mended rearing techniques. Behavioral issues have been observed in hand-raised individu-

als in the past, so minimizing the number of hand-raised birds will make breeding and

transfer recommendations easier in the future. Current management strategies include an

emphasis on parent-raising or foster-raising offspring. However, older birds who have not

bred (and/or may be on the edge of being post-reproductive) would be suitable candidates for

hand-raising offspring in order to preserve their genetics in future generations.

Despite the unique challenges presented by hand-raised birds, several institutions have set-

ups capable of dealing with problematic individuals. One such institution is Houston Zoo,

Inc. (HZI). HZI has a large bird collection with plenty of off-exhibit space capable of housing

multiple pairs of curassows. These off-exhibit enclosures allow recommended breeding pairs

to be kept side-by-side, which allows the birds to have physical access to each other during

monitored reproductive introductions. These introductions are done throughout the breed-

ing season to maximize reproductive suc-

cess. Social introductions may also occur

throughout the non-breeding season to

help strengthen/reinforce pair-bonds be-

tween birds.

HZI’s breeding pair of P. pauxi had been

together for several years at their previous

Photo provided by Kelly Pardy

Photo provided by Kelly Pardy

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institution, but have been housed separately for nearly two years since arriving at HZI. The

male (Studbook Number 137) is a hand-raised bird that, when housed with the hen (Studbook

Number 148), had exhibited aggression up to the point of causing injuries. Once both birds

were transferred into side-by-side enclosures, HZI began providing introductions throughout

the year, primarily during the breeding season. The hen had not appeared very keen on the

male after first arriving in Houston, but has become more receptive towards him during this

past breeding season. Keepers were able to record consistent copulation within the few days

before the start of each clutch and during the interval between each egg laid. This has been the

hen’s first consistent year of egg-laying (7 clutches) and fertility has been proven to be success-

ful throughout the breeding season. Three chicks successfully hatched out before keepers be-

gan pulling eggs from later clutches.

The reproductive success of HZI’s hen has been a big step, but she has shown no interest in the

incubation process. Due to this uninterest, or lack of experience, the first several clutches were

given to broody domestic chickens for foster-incubation and foster-rearing. Two domestic chick-

ens successfully hatched out 3 P. pauxi

chicks, with 2 of them surviving past the first

few weeks of life. Both surviving chicks con-

tinued to live with their foster-mothers for

about the first 3 months after hatch, before

removing the domestic chickens from their

enclosures. This method has proven success-

ful in minimizing imprinting in the past, but

future breeding efforts with Houston’s P.

pauxi will focus on attempts to parent-raise

offspring. HZI has never successfully parent-

raised P. pauxi, but is working towards creat-

ing situations conducive to these ideal sce-

narios.

HZI has been working with P. pauxi since

1970, with its first institutional hatch occurring in June of 1987. Since that time, HZI has gone

on to hatch 37 (16.19.2) individuals, including the three birds from 2017. The hatches from

2017 are the first for P. pauxi at HZI since August of 2009. HZI currently houses 16 curassows

in total (Blue-billed, Wattled, and Helmeted) and has had a long history of breeding all three

AZA-managed curassow species. It is just one of many institutions dedicated to working with

these birds long-term. The AZA P. pauxi population continues to expand with the help of near-

ly 20 institutions (and growing). Any insti-

tution interested in housing any of the three

AZA-managed species of curassow, please

contact any of the program leaders for more

information.

Photo provided by Kelly Pardy

Photo provided by Kelly Pardy

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Curassow Introductions at the Smithsonian Na-

tional Zoological Park Heather Anderson

We are very excited to share that we have a new and successfully introduced pair of blue-billed

curassows at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Our pair is comprised of an 8 year old

male (Albert) and a 20 month old female (Jackie).

Our male had been previously paired with a

much older female in a mixed species exhibit and had

never been observed copulating nor even showing any

courtship behaviors. Therefore they never produced

eggs/chicks. After the older female passed away we

requested a female to pair with our male. Because of

the blue-billed curassows’ low numbers we literally

had to wait until one was born. Our wait was over in

April 2016 with the hatching of Jackie! She came to

the National Zoo from White Oak Conservation Cen-

ter, Florida in September 2016. Since she was too

young and small to start introductions, we put the two

birds in adjacent outdoor enclosures so that they could

see and hear each other. They remained in adjacent

exhibits for one year before direct introductions were made. A colleague and I were fortunate

enough to visit White Oak before the introduction of our pair to gain as much knowledge of their

courtship behaviors as possible before proceeding on this endeavor. The keepers at White Oak

were wonderful and obviously share our love of the blue-billed curassows!

Throughout the past year we observed many positive behaviors between the two birds.

These behaviors seemed to indicate an interest in each other and were in no way aggressive.

For example, Albert started booming almost immediately upon Jackie’s placement next door

and continued to do so until they were introduced. Jackie would also frequently preen with her

back to Albert up close to the fence. Albert would fly up to a perch and back down to the ground

repetitively while making a whistling vocalization, seemingly trying to get Jackie’s attention.

In the mornings, I started to notice that their fecal piles were next to each other on opposite

sides of the fence which showed me that they roosted as close to each other as possible for most

of the night. I also witnessed Albert picking up food items as well as feathers and small rocks

and taking them over to the fence where Jackie was. Although she could not take it from him

through the fence, she did respond to his whistles by coming over to him. We tried to capitalize

on the natural attraction they had by feeding them in pans on the ground on opposite sides of

the fence so that they “shared” that experience with each other prior to being introduced.

And so the day came for the much anticipated introduction. We opened the gate between

the two enclosures and waited. Albert came over to Jackie’s side and just walked around the

enclosure. He went over to her food pan and to her pool. Jackie did the same on Albert’s side.

They both seemed to walk the perimeter of the other’s exhibit. Finally they both were on Jack-

ie’s side when Albert went to Jackie’s food pan to eat, but instead called to Jackie with the food

item in his mouth and she took it from him immediately! Success!

Photo taken by Heather Anderson shortly after intro-

ductions in October 2017

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Photo taken by Heather Anderson – “Jackie” 2017

This is a magnificent species with unique vocalizations and a storied past in the mountains of

Colombia. They deserve to be studied and saved for future posterity. Hopefully we can play a

part in their survival and increasing the understanding of their behaviors. As our pair of blue-

billed curassow continue to strengthen their bond we eagerly wait for breeding season to begin!

Photo taken by Heather Anderson – “Albert” 2017

Using Camera Traps and Training for New Cab-

ot’s Tragopans Maureen Cleary Ardaiolo, Denver Zoo

Meardaiolo@denverzoo.org

Denver Zoo acquired a new pair of Cabot’s Tragopans

in July 2017. This was a very nervous pair, so when

keepers were servicing them during their quarantine

period, they would hide, or flush into the air. They

also ate very little during this time. Once out of quar-

antine, the birds were moved to our Avian Propaga-

tion Center and housed in a 4’x10’ indoor stall and

had a heavily planted, 10’x28’ outside yard. In their

new enclosure, their behavior was very similar to

their behavior in quarantine. They remained fearful

of staff and it became challenging to observe their

“calm” behavior and even more difficult to determine

how well they were eating. In an effort to make them

more comfortable around staff, we planned to be

hands off, to allow the birds to acclimate to their new

surroundings at their own pace. We did this by al-

ways allowing the tragopans to have choice of their

two enclosures. In allowing the birds this choice, they

have best opportunities to be able to experience the Photo provided by Maureen Cleary Ardaiolo

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sights and sounds of our prop center, adjust to neighboring birds, and have ample outdoor pri-

vacy. Since Denver can experience cold nights, 24 access was an appropriate option because

Tragopans are a cold tolerant species. We installed a Reconyx Hyperfire ® camera trap to ob-

serve the tragopans without being nearby. This camera trap takes pictures using a motion sen-

sor and has night vision capabilities. Staff set up the camera trap and gave the birds’ space. Af-

ter a few days of observations, we were able to see their favorite perching spots, identify their

food preferences and note the time of day they preferred to eat. Being “hand’s off” helped the

birds acclimate to their new surroundings with little disturbance from keepers. After a few

weeks, keepers began to slowly vary the time food was offered and move the food bowls closer to

the indoor holding. The camera trap helped to confirm the tragopans continued to eat after

each approximation. After a few short months, the birds began entering the indoor holding

stall for their morning diet, and continued to stay inside while staff was nearby. Even though

night temperatures were dropping, we continued to allow the birds to have enclosure choice.

Presently, staff finds the birds perched inside at AM checks, the birds wait inside patiently

while staff distributes diets, and often come in on their own to investigate staff activity in the

building. Attached is a picture of the birds eating their food while the shift door is closed behind

them.

Breeding and studying the critically endangered

Edwards’s pheasant at Paignton Zoo, United King-

dom.

Joseph D’Souza, Andrew Bowkett and Peter Smallbones

Edwards’s pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) is a Critically En-

dangered species from Vietnam, which has not been seen in

the wild since 2000. Very little research has been published

on this species and nothing is known about its behaviour in

the wild. Fortunately, there is a substantial population in

captivity descended from birds imported to Europe in the

1920s. In response to the situation in the wild, Viet Nature

(BirdLife in Vietnam) established the Vietnam Edwards’s

Pheasant Working Group in 2014. In the following year, the

group published a 5-year action plan (2015-2020) with the

vision of a self-sustaining wild population of L. edwardsi by

2030. To achieve this vision, the plan recommends estab-

lishing a captive breeding programme in Vietnam to pro-

vide birds for research and reintroduction.

With previous experience of the species, and ongoing sup-

port for conservation projects in Vietnam, Paignton Zoo received two 2-year old males and two 1-year old

females from private collections in August 2015 on the recommendation of the international studbook.

The young pheasants were paired in separate enclosures not on view to the public. The aviaries were of

identical size and similar design - an outdoor area (5.3 x 3 m) consisting of live trees, water trays, sus-

pended perches and additional Leylandii branches placed in the corners of the aviary to provide extra

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cover; a walkway (0.85 x 3 m); and an indoor area (1.3 x 3 m) also with perches, branches and feed

bowls. A sand substrate was used in both the outdoor and indoor areas. The birds were fed once a day

with our basic seed mix supplemented several times a week with lettuce and a mixture of fruit and

Universal Pate (Witte Molen) – a soft food for birds. To increase protein and encourage reproduction,

Red Band (Haiths) - a Pigeon conditioner, was added to the seed mix just before and throughout the

breeding season. When chicks hatched, they received mealworms three times a day as well as Chick

Crumb (Fancy Feed Company).

During their first breeding season both pairs produced fertile clutches

(eggs candled by staff), however incubation of eggs was quite poor with

both females observed to leave their nests frequently. One egg hatched

in June 2016 and the parents successfully raised the female chick. In

the 2017 breeding season, both pairs produced fertile eggs and the fe-

males sat a lot tighter. One pair failed to hatch eggs for a second sea-

son while the other hatched five chicks, four of which were successfully

raised to independence (3 males and 1 female).

The behaviour of the pheasants was studied during both breeding sea-

sons and compared to non-breeding periods. Observations were per-

formed remotely using security cameras which recorded 1 hour per day on a randomised schedule dur-

ing daylight hours. State behaviours and proximity of individuals to each other were recorded every

minute while specific behaviours associated with courtship and reproduction were recorded continuous-

ly.

Results indicate a difference in behaviour between seasons and between males and females. When the

data were pooled for all the birds, time spent in locomotion was higher in the breeding seasons with a

corresponding decrease in sitting. There was no difference between seasons in time spent foraging,

standing or preening. When the data were compared between individuals, males were found to spend

more time in locomotion than females while females spent more time foraging. In both years, proximity

of the female to the chicks declined during the first month as the chicks became more independent

(20% of time spent more than 1 meter from female by 30 days old).

Three specific behaviours appeared to be associated with courtship. The most frequent was the rapid

opening of wings, which has been described as ‘wing-whirring’ in related pheasant species. We also ob-

served the males approach the females side-on while bobbing their heads and holding their tails out

straight. To the best of our knowledge, this ‘lateral display’ has not been described for Edwards’s

“Wing-whirring” Photo provided by Peter Smallbones

Photo provided by Peter Smallbones

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pheasant previously. The lateral dis-

play was sometimes, but not always,

followed by the third behaviour in

which the male charged at the female

and attempting to mount her. The lat-

eral display and charging were rare

events only captured on film on a few

occasions. In contrast, wing-whirring

was relatively frequent and occurred

at higher frequencies during both

breeding seasons (up to 20 times per

hour) compared to the non-breeding

seasons, providing a potential indica-

tor for the onset of breeding.

With the goal of the action plan being

a sustainable wild population of Ed-

wards’s pheasants by 2030, we hope

our research will assist those working

with this species in Vietnam. To this

end, we have created a website to

share our results, including behaviour-

Photos provided by Peter Smallbones

Scale Training Edwards’s pheasants (Lophura

edswardi): A Success Story

Erin Watts, Sarah Doherty, Susan Petrunio

Memphis Zoo

The Edwards’s pheasant is an intelligent member of the order Galliformes, but very little is

known about their behavior in the wild. Because they are critically endangered and elusive,

ethology is solely noted within captivity. Much is still undocumented about these birds in the

wild, including factors such as their normal behavior, diet and average weights. The Edwards’s

pheasant is a yellow SSP and currently has 51 (24.27) birds in 18 AZA institutions.

Memphis Zoo’s 1.1 Edwards’s pheasants came from Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and Zoo Miami

respectively. They are both two years old and arrived in July 2017. Our birds spend most of

their time on the ground under a tall bush in the exhibit and typically sit together. But during

cold weather, they will roost up in a large tree in their exhibit. This is different than the other

pheasants found in the CHINA section, such as Temminck’s tragopans and golden pheasants,

who spend most of their time in trees or on high perching.

Because this pair was new to each other and the zoo, and because we were heading into win-

ter, it was important for keepers to be able to monitor their weights as an indicator of overall

health. For CHINA’s 2017 fall internship, one of the projects was to scale train the Edwards’s

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pheasants. The birds

were trained in the

morning before they

received their AM diet

so we could ensure

they were motivated.

Next, the trainer intro-

duced a bridge (in this

case, a clicker) with a

high-value item (which

turned out to be wax-

worms.) By the second

week, the pheasants

understood the bridge,

so the decision was made to take the next step -- stationing.

Station boards were cut and painted. The male was assigned a black board and the female was

designated to a brown board. The boards were laid flat on the grass and the birds were then

cued to their respective stations. The vis-

ual cue was a finger point and the verbal

cue was “station.” Several days passed,

but eventually both pheasants began to

step onto the boards. At first, the birds

were rewarded for just putting a foot on

the board. Over the course of two weeks,

the criteria was refined until the birds

were only rewarded for standing with

both feet on the board and remaining

still. By the fourth week, both birds were successfully station trained.

Initially, the trainer did have problems with the pheasants standing on their own station and

stealing rewards from the other. A clump of grass in the exhibit was used as visual barrier-

this served to prevent competition. From then on, they consistently stayed on their own boards.

The last step to the training plan was to introduce the scale. The scale was placed on the grass

with the board on top. The cue was given and the male pheasant

stepped fully on the scale. The female then followed onto the scale af-

ter the male stepped off. They were both heavily rewarded with wax-

worms. Both of the pheasants’ weights were successfully recorded.

The training continued for two weeks before the internship ended,

but CHINA keepers have continued the scale sessions.

Because of this training, Memphis Zoo is now able to measure our

Edwards’s pheasants weights in a stress-free manner. It is our hope

that the information we gather and the training program we will ex-

pand can be used to aid the SSP in future work and help the popula-

tion of Edwards’s pheasants overall.

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Common name Scientific name

Malay great argus pheasant Argisianus argus

Edwards's pheasant Lophura edwardsi

Attwater's prairie chicken

Tympanuchus cupido attwa-

teri

Blue-billed curassow Crax alberti

Northern helmeted curas-

sow Pauxi pauxi

Wattled curassow Crax globulosa

Crested guineafowl Guttera pucherani

Vulturine guineafowl Acryllium vulturinum

Congo peafowl Afropavo congensis

Palawan peacock pheasant Polyplectron emphanum

Cabot's tragopan Tragopan caboti

Crested wood patridge Rollulus rouloul

Galliformes TAG Recommended

The updated Galliformes TAG regional

collection plan will be updated later this

year

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A big THANK YOU to everyone that contributed to the sec-ond edition of the Galliformes TAG newsletter

Please send your thoughts, comments, suggestions and ide-as for future articles to Katie Vyas (KVyas@denverzoo.org)

TAG Chair: Chris Holmes (cholmes@houstonzoo.org) TAG Vice-Chair: Gen Anderson (GAnderson@alligatorfarm.com) TAG Secretary: Katie Vyas (KVyas@denverzoo.org) Steering Committee Members Peter Bibeault Joe DeGraauw Terry Lincoln Julie Lindenmayer Josef Lindholm Shawn Pederson Dave Rimlinger

Photo provided by Chris Holmes