forms or possible hybrids exist in nature. Forshaw reports that nigra and libs mix where habitats overlap.
Sexing Both sexes are identically coloured. Also the size of the bird tells nothing about sex. Most hens have a slightly smaller beak, but also on this point there are exceptions. The most reliable visual difference is noticeable when adult birds’ beaks are equally light coloured. That is around breeding season. At that time, it is clearly visible that hens have a lighter cere than males. Solely on this feature I determine the sex of my birds and I have never been mistaken. How am I so sure of this? During breeding season I have seen all males mating, either seen the genitals hanging outside the body. The swollen cloaca looks different at hens rather than males. In particular, during defecation males leave (a part of) the genital organ, the so-called hemipenis outside the body. Obviously, this is also a distinct feature
which one can recognize the sexes, but not with everyone who keeps Lesser Vasas the birds come in such breeding mood that this can be observed. In young birds there are no visual characteristics regarding sex.
Distribution in Madagascar Lesser Vasa Parrots live in the coastal areas around Madagascar. The distribution area of C. n. nigra is located in the east. The distribution area of C. n. libs lies in the
16 BIRD SCENE
west. In the north and south of the ranges they can overlap. Lesser Vasas exclusively live in wooded areas and in particular in denser overgrown forests. The Greater Vasa Parrot is also found in rocky areas with less vegetation. Greater Vasas even occur in urban areas, where they are easy prey for hunters. By locals, they are also consumed. In recent decades, there has been extreme
deforestation in Madagascar, not just by logging, but also by tropical storms that ravage the country annually. It is therefore understandable that especially Lesser Vasa Parrots and numerous other (often endemic) species decline in numbers.
Breeding results Now and then breeding results with C. n. nigra have been achieved in the last few years, but the number is still small. Many breeders do not recognize the subspecies, so it is not excluded that a few random breeding results produced hybrids in the past. The first announcement of breeding
results in the Netherlands was published in the February issue of Parkietensociëteit magazine by Mr. Huiskamp in 1991. Roger Wilkinson describes a breeding
result in 1993 at Chester Zoo UK. In Germany, among others, Jörg Asmus and Dr. George Sauer recorded breeding results. In recent years, in Switzerland and Great
Britain occasionally Lesser Vasas are being bred. In the Netherlands there are some
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
