THE AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE Vol.113, No.1, includes:

BREEDING THE BLACK-THROATED BARBET (Tricholaema melanocephala) by Martin Davies
A UK member's account of breeding this small East African barbet. After a surprisingly long time, 40 days, one youngster successfully fledged.

CIRL BUNTING (Emberiza cirlus) REINTRODUCTION PROJECT by Jo Gregson
In 2001, Paignton Zoo, the RSPB, National Trust and English Nature, combined forces to set up this project, with the aim of re-establishing this bunting in Cornwall and other parts of southern England. In 2001, 2003 and 2004 chicks were collected from wild nests in south Devon and hand-reared. In 2006, 72 were hand-reared and later released in an area of Cornwall.

THE BIRD COLLECTION AT WADDESDON MANOR by Andrew Owen
In 2006, four White-crested Turacos (Tauraco leucolophus) were raised, five Blue-crowned Laughingthrushes (Garrulax courtoisi) and a number of other species were bred including the Chestnut-backed Thrush (Zoothera dohertyi), Bearded Barbet (Lybius dubius), Spot-flanked Barbet (Tricholaema lachrymosa) and Spotted Morning Warbler (Cichladusa guttata). Several species were hand-reared including Rufous-bellied Niltava (Niltava sundara), Large Niltava (N. grandis) and Sumatran Laughingthrush (G. bicolor). The hand-rearing diet is described and there are colour photos of the Chestnut-backed Thrush, Rufous-bellied Niltava and Sumatran Laughingthrush.

THE CORNCRAKE SPECIES RECOVERY PROGRAMME by Jamie Graham
A partnership between the Zoological Society of London, RSPB and English Nature (now Natural England), to breed Corncrakes (Crex crex) at Whipsnade Wild Animal Park and release them on the RSPB's Nene Washes reserve, with the ultimate aim of securing the future of this species in the UK. In 2005, 78 Whipsnade-bred birds were released and in 2006 four males were heard calling at the release site, three of which were males released in 2005. They are presumed to have migrated to Africa and in the following spring returned to the release site, where their behaviour suggested that they had all found mates.

KEEPING AND BREEDING THE GREATER BIRD OF PARADISE (Paradisaea apoda) AT AL WABRA WILDLIFE PRESERVATION, QATAR AND WALSRODE BIRDPARK, GERMANY by Simon Bruslund Jensen
Methods developed at Walsrode, where the species was bred in captivity for the first time in 2001, were implemented at Al Wabra in 2002 and resulted in successful breeding. Up to the time of publication, 22 chicks had been hatched at Al Wabra. The author provides detailed descriptions of feeding, housing, artificial incubation and hand-reariing. There are colour photos of males displaying, a nest and egg, and chicks aged five days, 10 days, 18 days and 25 days.

ON A VISIT TO CHESTNUT LODGE by Fred Barnicoat
Fascinated by the history of the Avicultural Society (he has every issue of the magazine since 1894, except for four), on a visit to England from South Africa, Fred was delighted to be invited to lunch with the sociey's President Ruth Ezra (Mrs Raymond Sawyer) and Vice President Raymond Sawyer, and writes about the magnificent aviaries at Chestnut Lodge and of the garden parties hosted by Ruth's father, Alfred Ezra, at Foxwarren Park, the first account of which was written by David Seth-Smith and published in the magazine in 1925.

TWO SPECIES OF COTINGIDAE BRED IN GERMANY
The two species are the Andean or Scarlet Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruviana) and Purple-throated Fruitcrow (Querula purpurata) bred at Wuppertal Zoo. Chris Brack's colour photo shows a male Cock-of-the-Rock hatched at Wuppertal, aged almost one year old, that has started to acquire adult plumage.

NEWS OF THE CAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF LEAR'S MACAW (Anodorhynchus leari) by David Waugh & Matthias Reinschmidt
Includes a table showing the distribution of the managed population: 19 males and 24 females distributed among seven institutions in Qatar, Brazil, UK and Spain (Canary Islands). Other tables show the genetic relatedness currently and what could be achieved following possible re-pairings within each institution.

BOOK REVIEW. Waterfowl Ecology and Management.