The Avicultural Society

A Few Memories of Malcolm Ellis

mark — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:02:12 +0000

I first met Malcolm at London Airport on September 25^th 1973, both of us expecting birds from Tim & Jane Barnley in Kenya. My consignment included pairs of juvenile Crowned cranes, Red-billed hornbills, Jacanas, Grey-headed kingfishers and a Woodland kingfisher; Malcolm was waiting for 10 Lesser flamingos on behalf of The Wildfowl Trust (as was). A strike at Nairobi airport saw us spend hours on the phone trying to get the birds moved off sun-baked tarmac under cover and given water. My brief diary entry for that day ends: “Eventually gave up and drove home. Malcolm Ellis is very nice chap.” He remained so ever since. Home then for me was Padstow Bird Gardens in Cornwall. The birds came the next day – which involved “20 phone calls and much patience, a) trying to get them on a flight to Newquay, or b) to the RSPCA hostel where M.E. was waiting, and also trying his best. Eventually in the evening (20.40) they got there (14 hrs late).”

Thus began a friendship which never faltered. The first letter I received from Malcolm quickly followed on October 4^th, and our correspondence continued from then on wherever we were in the world. His letters from 1980 onwards which I have just collected weigh well over half a kilogram. The only time our correspondence ceased was when we lived together writing books – mostly me writing (under the name Richard Mark Martin), and Malcolm his beautiful illustrations. I suppose our “Cage & Aviary Birds” first published in 1980 by Collins and reprinted many times since is the best known. We wrote this in the Lake District, subsequently Malcolm followed us down to Cornwall, where he remained, becoming a popular and distinctive local ‘character’ in Wadebridge, at the library photocopier and on his little motorbike. To make ‘ends meet’, alongside his editorship of the Avicultural Magazine – which occupied most of his time after he ‘retired’ from illustration – he did a little gardening for people and was even a postman for a spell.

Reading back through his letters I realise once again what a unique and staunch ally Malcolm was through good and bad times, rapidly becoming a firm member of the family. All my children loved him for he became more of an uncle to them, in fact much more so than my own brother ever did. Through his gossip (never malicious) and anecdotes, he was one of the funniest people I’ve ever knew, and about the only person capable of reducing my daughter, Josie, to hysterics – a difficult thing to do. I’m not sure how I’ll manage without his regular letters usually with their selection of wide and varied cuttings, his gentle reminders of my age and jokes about who would get to write each other’s obituary first. Sadly that has fallen to me, I think I’d much rather it had been the other way round.

Dr Richard Meyer
North Devon, February 2013

Malcolm Ellis by Reuben B Girling

mark — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:51:50 +0000

Reading any issue of the internationally respected Avicultural Magazine prepared under his Editorship and admiring his artistic achievements in bird books confirms that Malcolm Ellis consistently exceeded all that is understood by and contained within a phrase frequently used here in Cornwall, where he lived, namely, “a proper job”. Personally, I rate his biographical articles very highly. They are clearly widely researched and to emphasise or clarify a point often include related factual material drawn from Malcolm’s own extensive experiences with birds and animals in captivity and the wild.

Reuben B Girling
Council Member, Avicultural Society
18 Feb 2013

A Tribute by David Woolcock

mark — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:41:08 +0000

Malcolm was invaluable to the World Parrot Trust in its formative years. His stunning artwork gave the WPT collection boards the WOW factor that not only caught the eye but also elicited funds from so many people. These boards have been distributed all over the world and have been responsible for raising large amounts of money which has in turn directly helped parrot conservation. Malcolm also illustrated one off signs for us such as the one which resides in St.Vincent promoting the conservation of its national bird.

Malcolm was a generous and gifted artist. I can well remember visiting him to collect artwork that he had produced for the WPT, and desperately trying to persuade him to charge us more! He was more concerned to know that his work was to be used to save the birds in the wild than to receive its true financial worth.

Malcolm was a gentleman, and one who, in his quiet unassuming way, did more to help the conservation of parrots than many would realise. At the WPT we know of the scale of his contribution and will be forever grateful to him for it.

David Woolcock
Paradise Park
Cornwall

Malcolm Ellis

admin@avisoc — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 22:20:19 +0000

Malcolm Ellis, editor of the Avicultural Magazine for many years, sadly died on February 8^th. He died suddenly at his sister’s house, just hours after returning from a trip to Australia, where he had apparently had a wonderful time birding and visiting old friends. His death was caused by a heart condition of which he was unaware.

The Avicultural Society has long been renowned for the quality of its magazine. For the last twenty years this has been due to the energy and care that Malcolm brought to the editorship. He more than maintained the high standards set by his predecessors, and has ensured that the Avicultural Magazine continues to find a place not only on the shelves of amateur breeders, but in the libraries of zoos and universities around the world. As well as making a huge contribution to the society Malcolm, who started his career as a keeper at London Zoo, was well known as a gifted bird artist and book illustrator.

He achieved all this with a personal touch. He acquired, and actively kept in touch with, a wide network of friends because he was as interested in people as in their birds. He would remember their interests, and take the trouble to send on information or contacts that he encountered on his travels, so that a postcard or email from Malcolm would always contain something of interest.

Malcolm’s personality and dedication will be greatly missed by the avicultural community and all who knew him.

Nigel Hewston
Chairman, Avicultural Society

Read some of Malcolm’s contributions to the magazine …
LOOKING BACK AT RAYMOND’S FIRST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AT COBHAM
RAYMOND SAWYER – THE END OF AN ERA
W. J. C. (WILFRED) FROST: AN INCOMPLETE BIOGRAPHY

THE AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE Vol. 118, No. 4, 2012

admin@avisoc — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 00:46:47 +0000

Further thoughts on the dietary requirements of quail and their keeping and breeding
By Carl Garnham

Keeping and breeding the White-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes cactorum
By Richard Green

Breeding the Orange-breasted Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta gulielmitertii and the Double-eyed Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma at Weltvogelpark Walsrode
By Anne Hoppmann and Norbert Neumann

The Black-throated Canary or Seedeater Serinus atrogularis
By John Santegoeds

The European Fruit Dove Project
By Daan Witlox

The Avornis Show
By Rosemary Wiseman

The Avicultural Society trip to the Czech Republic
By Laura Gardner and Geoff Masson

The society’s visit to the Overbrook House collection
By Paul Schofield

News and Views

THE AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE Vol. 118, No. 3, 2012

mark — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:30:57 +0000

Rearing couas at Weltvogelpark Walsrode in Germany
By Anne Hoppmann

Mixed fortunes for the society’s adopted hornbills

The Southern Screamer Chauna torquata at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park
By Jo Gregson

Releasing macaws in Costa Rica
By Bryan Andrews

Native passerines in North American Zoos
By Justin C. Hickman

Having been an aviculturalist for fifty years: Part 1
By Bernard Sayers

Book Reviews
Grassfinches in Australia
International Zoo Yearbook, Volume 46
Animals in the Blood: The Ken Smith Story

News & Views

2013 SPRING SOCIAL MEETING

mark — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 02:12:00 +0000

The society is planning to hold the 2013 Spring Social Meeting at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park on Saturday, April 27^th, with visits to Newquay Zoo and Paradise Park at Hayle the following day, Sunday, April 28^th.

Further details of the arrangements, which are being made by Mike Curzon (E-mail: mcurzonmbe@hotmail.co.uk / Tel: 01373 824077), will be announced once they are finalised.

Avian Egg Incubation Workshop

admin@avisoc — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 04:26:33 +0000

This is a four day intensive workshop at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust designed to equip you with the necessary skills to artificially incubate a wide range of avian species. Internationally renowned incubation experts Susie Kasielke (Los Angeles Zoo) and Pat Witman (San Diego Zoo) will be leading the workshop.

October 13^th through 10^th 2012.

Captive Breeding and Conservation Husbandry of Birds

admin@avisoc — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 04:21:02 +0000

Captive Breeding and Conservation Husbandry of Birds is a five day course at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust designed to equip you with the necessary skills to successfully manage birds in captivity.

September 3^rd through 7^th 2012.

Autumn Social Meeting and Annual General Meeting

admin@avisoc — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 02:53:18 +0000

The Society’s AGM will be held on September 22^nd at 1:15 pm at the Cowper’s Oak, Weston Underwood MK46 5JS, followed by a buffet lunch, and a tour of Christopher Marler’s collection in the afternoon.

Tickets are £10.50 per person. Please send a cheque and SAE by Sept 1^st to:
The Secretary/Treasurer,
The Avicultural Society,
Sheraton Lodge,
Station Rd.,
Southminster CM0 7EW