Kori Bustard Husbandry Sara Hallager, Biologist, Smithsonian National Zoological Park
Ardeotis kori 2 subspecies [?] Africa s largest flying bird Captive males: 12-19kg Seasonal weight gain up to 4kg Captive females: 6-7kg
Status in the Wild Habitat declining Illegal hunting Naturally low reproduction Reduced breeding in dry years Population numbers unknown Species is declining
Bustards Kept in US Zoos Three species in US zoos Kori bustard* White-bellied bustard Buff-crested bustard*
Koris in US Zoos In US collections since 1940 Breeding > 1992 150 chicks born AZA SSP population since 2000 International Studbook [>700 birds historically] Currently ~60 birds in US
Genetics of US Population Current Potential Founders 13 8 more Founder genome equivalents 6.24 18.87 Gene diversity retained 0.92 0.974 Population mean kinship 0.08 0.026
Disposition Shy birds, easily disturbed by human activity High crowd levels can negatively affect behavior Need ample places to hide Males more likely to show reproductive behavior Non-aggressive to other species best exhibited alone to promote breeding
Husbandry issues General trauma [usually fatal] Hardware disease Limited reproduction Survivability of young birds Diet Flighty species, easily stressed by human interactions
Feeding Strive to feed an omnivorous diet, limit mice Mix pellets with meat Free choice pellet feeders Offer as many insects as can afford Feed twice a day Enrichment important
Kori Bustard Recommended Diet [AZA kori bustard Animal Care Manual] Item Vertebrate prey Invertebrate prey Nutritionally complete feeds* Produce Minimum % of Diet 0 5 40 10 Maximum % of Diet 25 30 55 20 * Mazuri gamebird, Zeigler Ratite, Zeigler Crane Breeder, NARC Production Pellet, Mazuri Ratite, Zeigler Avian Maintenence
Kori Bustard Recommended Diet [AZA kori bustard Animal Care Manual] Diet Vertebrate Prey Invertebrates (Crickets) gut loaded Nutritionally Complete Foods Produce 1 25% (mice) 25% 35% (Zeigler Avian Maintenance 1 ) 15% 2 15% (mice) 25% 40% (Mazuri Waterfowl Maintenance 2 ) 20% 3 0% 25% 55% (Zeigler Ratite Grower/Maintenance 1 ) 20% 4 20% (mice) 25% 55% (Mazuri Exotic Gamebird Maintenance 2 ) 0%
Survivability 150 chicks born since 1992..only 50 still alive First-year mortality is high: 32% for males and 41% for females Mortality rates stay high throughout lifetime ~10% per year [females tend to live longer]
Breeding currently limited to a few birds that produce numerous offspring only way to maintain demographics Many captive hatched birds not surviving to the average age of first reproduction o ~1/3 die before reaching 1 year. o ~75% of the captive born die before reaching 10 years Why? Self-inflicted injuries leading cause Cage mate aggression Other..
Kori bustard Mortality
Buff crested bustard 130 hatches since 1988 Less accident prone than koris, fewer medical problems? Handreared birds can be a problem for breeding Potential model for other small bustard breeding programs
Buff-crested bustard Mortality First-year mortality: 39%, 25% Mortality rates throughout life high for s
Housing Species best housed alone Breeding Aggression from other species Adult males are incompatible! ok until ~3 yrs Recommended sex ratio: 1 :2-3 Females can be aggressive to each other
Enclosure Parameters No trip hazards At least 8 high fence Ample hiding areas Flat ground/grass Areas of sun/shade/sand Hot-wired/covered Winter housing needed Wet climates bad for bustards Natural foraging options
Capture Things to know.. 1. Males are very powerful 2. Bustards have thin skin, easily torn 3. Inherent nature to shed feathers 4. Highly sensitive to stress
Capture Do not use nets! Walk bird into a shed Hand catch Hood vs. no hood Hand carry or crate Keep handling time to a minimum Catch in the AM Handler safety
Weight Monitoring
Weights Chicks from day 1 Birds are trained to step on a scale Adults weekly or monthly Breeding males gain up to 4kg Females no change Good way to monitor health of birds, breeding season start up
Testosterone (pg/g stool) Weight (kg) 30000 Testosterone Weight 25 25000 20 20000 15 15000 10 10000 5000 5 0 Jan-04 Mar-04 May-04 Jul-04 Sep-04 Nov-04 Jan-05 Mar-05 May-05 Jul-05 Sep-05 Nov-05 0 Testosterone and weight changes in a male kori bustard at the Smithsonian s National Zoo
Breeding Strategy in the Wild Dispersed lek Females visit lek for copulation Female incubates eggs and raises chicks Chicks stay with dam for > 1 year Male plays no part in chick rearing Solitary Form small groups during non-breeding season Females stay in natal area / males disperse
Breeding in 1 :2-3 US zoos Not all s will breed Female needs area safe from male Males more likely to display, females shy Males breed at 3 years, females much later
Breeding Eggs start 3-6 weeks after males start booming Females pace area 2-3 days before laying Males chase females - normal Inexperienced males can kill females May need to be separated
Incubation Eggs moved to incubator when found 11-14 days to recycle Grumbach incubator Turned every 2 hours 37.5 C, 50-60%RH ~15% weight loss Moved to hatcher at internal pip : 24 hrs from int pip to hatch on day 23
Hand rearing Hand reared > tractable adults [males can be aggressive to keepers] Reproduction not compromised Increased production Do not pinion Angel wing Sexing DNA from egg or chick Or just wait a few mos!
Hand rearing Avg hatch weight 77-116g. Wt not indicator of sex Prone to dehydration first few days Chicks can be housed together if <14 days apart in age Male chicks more vocal, preen more & skyward look more vs. females
Hand rearing Fed every 2 hours 6AM- 6PM Lose weight for 2-3 days following hatch 7-10% daily weight gain Omnivore diet, insects, no prey until 1 mo Not cold tolerant Feather duster, mirror, heat lamps Exercise very important
Relative proportions of dietary components for kori bustard chicks Dietary Component Day (d) 0-2 d 3-10 d 11-21 d 22-30 Pellet 20% 25% 33% 33% Insects (crickets, waxworms) 10% 10% 7% 7% Egg 0% 5% 5% 5% Greens 5% 10% 15% 20% Vegetables 25% 25% 25% 25% Fruits 40% 25% 15% 10%
Domestic Transport Juveniles shipped ~9 mo or older Adult males & females in large crates Male: 0.89m high x 0.91m long x 0.64m wide Female: smaller Wooden crates, well padded, ventilated, carpeted, strawed floor
Egg Transport
Egg Transport Late stage of incubation: day 21 Portable brooder Land transport Cooler Air transport Hand warmers Clear it with the airlines ahead of time!
Kori bustard Research at NZP Improved nutrition for captive birds Development of a hand-rearing protocol Identification of health concerns and trends for investigation Conducting two in situ field projects focusing on the health of kori bustards in the wild, the results of which will be directly applied to improve the health and husbandry of captive kori bustards Development of an ethogram 12 year behavior study on adults Chick behavior study Documenting seasonal weight changes in breeding males Documentation of a previously undescribed male breeding display Documentation of egg turning frequency and incubation temperature in females Documentation of the effect of crowd levels on individual behavior and space usage Spearheading a retrospective morbidity and mortality study to gather historical data - the results of which will be used to further refine current management techniques
Questions?