Published by

Friends of the National Zoo

National Zoological Park

Washington, D.C. 20009

Phones:

Executive Director and membership:

232-4500

Educational and Editorial offices:

232-5500

Guided tours: 332-9322

Window Shop: 232-4555

FONZ Board of Directors 1972-1973

Peter C, Andrews, President

Arthur Arundel, Vice President

Emanuel Boasberg, Treasurer

Joan L. Jewett, Secretary

Theodore Babbitt

Amy Block

Montgomery S. Bradley

John S. Brown

Timothy V.A. Dillon

Ronald Field

Donna K. Grosvenor

Stephen Hosmer

Robert Mason

Isabel J. McDonnell

Shirley J. McNair

Lavell Merritt

Ruth N. Nelson

John B. Oliver

Mary Poole

Nancy Porter

Gerald G. Wagner

Rosa M. Walker

Richardson White, Jr.

Executive Director

Warren J. Iliff

Editor: Austin Hughes

Design and Production by Tom Jones

Cover photograph by Tom Jones;

all other photographs by Ray Faass.

THE ZOOGOER is published bi-monthly

and copyrighted © by Friends of the National

Zoo, c/o National Zoological Park, Washington,

D.C. 20009. second-class mailing permit

approved at Washington, D.C. Rate

in the United States $3 a year.

CONTENTS

Tiger Cubs

Zoo News — Mammals

Zoo Map

Zoo News — Birds

Zoo News — Reptiles and Amphibians

The Pheasant Family

Zoo Staft

Dr. Theodore H, Reed, Director

Mr. Edward Kohn, Deputy Director

Mr. John Perry, Assistant Director

Mr. Jaren Horsely, General Curator

Mr. Harold Egoscue, Curator

(Small Mammals and Primates)

Mr, William Xanten, Curator

(Large Carnivores and Large Mammals)

Mr. Guy Greenwell, Curator

(Birds)

Mr. Larry Collins, Assistant Curator

(Small Mammals and Primates)

Mr. Miles Roberts, Assistant Curator

(Large Mammals)

Mr. Michael Davenport, Assistant Curator

(Reptiles)

Miss Judy Block, Technician

(Animal Records)

Mr. Michael Johnson, Technician

(Reptiles)

Mr. Lee Schmeltz, Technician

(Reptiles)

Mr. Horsely has requested that any calls

concerning the collection be directed to his office

(381-7283 or 381-7284) and the appropriate staff

member will respond, Calls for general information

should be directed to Mr, Saul Shiffman, Division

of Interpretation, at 381-7228 or 381-7256.

Friends

the

National

The Friends of the National Zoo is a non-profit

organization of individuals and families who

frequently visit the National Zoo and who are

interested in supporting its growth and develop-

ment, particularly in the areas of education,

conservation, and scientific research.

As members of the Friends, you and your family

will be given benefits that will make your zoo-

going more enjoyable and educational.

For more information and a membership appli-

cation, please call 232-4500 or 232-5500.

On April 30th, a litter of six cubs was born

to Kesari the tigress at the National Zoo’s

Lion House (number 23 on map). Kesari,

though daughter of the famous white

tigress Mohini, has normal orange coloration.

Yet, since Kesari undoubtedly bears the

recessive gene for whiteness in tigers, there

is a chance that she passed it on to some of

her normally colored cubs. The cubs’

father is the orange male Poona, on a

breeding loan from Chicago’s Brookfield

Zoo; besides breeding with Kesari, he has

also mated with Mohini. It is expected that

she too will give birth this June or later in

the summer.

Kesari — who was born in February, 1966,

and had never had cubs before — mated with

Poona in late December and again in January.

Since the gestation period in tigers is between

95 and 110 days, preparations for the birth

of cubs conceived at either of these matings

were undertaken in early April. The front

of the cage was boarded up, except for a

small reclosable panel through which

keepers could pass food and periodically

observe the tigress’s behavior. A sawdust-

filled nest-box with four-inch high edges was

provided; its purpose was to give Kesari the

sense of enclosure a tigress needs when

giving birth and nursing cubs.

Beginning on April 16th, Friends of the

National Zoo volunteer ‘‘preg-watchers”’

were engaged to monitor Kesari’s nocturnal

behavior. At 6:30 on the morning of the

30th, a preg-watcher observed a discharge

of blood; and the six cubs were born at

intervals between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

that day. Some of the births were observed

by keepers and Zoo scientists, and contrac-

tions on the part of the mother were seen

once. After each birth, the mother began

licking each cub immediately.

She first took particular care to lick each

cub’s nose, thus ensuring that the amniotic

membrane was not caught over its nostrils

in such a way as to prevent it from breathing.

Next, she licked each cub’s anal region. Like

the newborn young of all other carnivores

so far studied and the newborn young of

a good many other mammals, the cubs were

unable to urinate and defecate without

the stimulation of licking by the mother.

In the wild, young tigers are apparently

unable to eliminate independently until

they begin to leave the cubbing den for short

periods in company of the mother, which

takes place when they are between four and

eight weeks old. This inability is clearly

adaptive, since it prevents odors that might

guide another predator to the den. Kesar!

also licked each cub over its entire body in

order to dry its fur. As in all mammals,

the protective value of the fur depends on

the presence of an insulating layer of air

held within it. This layer can only be present

when the fur is dry and in place, so

licking the newborn cub is important for

preventing it from becoming chilled.

Finally — in all cases but one — the mother

removed each newborn cub’s umbilical

cord, using the sharp shearing teeth (the

last upper premolar and the first — and

only — lower molar) that a tiger uses to cut

through meat. She then ate the severed

placentas — which in the wild provide the

mother with much-needed nourishment

and thus relieve her of the necessity of

leaving the den in search of food very early

in the cubs’ life. The one cub whose

umbilical cord Kesari did not remove was

different from the others, as could be

immediately noticed by the keepers. It

cried frequently and started climbing out

of the nest-box very early on the first day.

At first Kesari was quite conscientious about

getting out of the nest-box to retrieve her

errant offspring, and she was forced to do

so a great many times on the first day.

But, when the same cub persisted in its

efforts to leave the nest-box on subsequent

days, she was less quick about retrieving

it; and finally Zoo officials decided to

remove the cub for hand-rearing.

The other five members of the litter,

however, seemed to be model cubs; in fact,

if anything, keepers found them a little

more aggressive and self-confident than

previous National Zoo litters of tigers.

Their mother, too, acted with surprising

solicitousness and poise for a tigress

with her first litter. While giving birth she

looked around so as to make sure that

she did not injure any of the previously

born cubs. Later, whenever she left the

nest-box to feed or defecate and when she

returned to the nest-box and lay down again,

she was also careful not to step or lie on

any of the cubs.

The cubs were born blind, and it was

difficult to tell when their eyes began to

open since they spent a good two-thirds

of their time sleeping. However, past

experience at the National Zoo indicates

that tiger cubs start to open their eyes

when they are eight or nine days old. The

cub that is being hand-reared, however, had

both eyes fully open at the age of four days.

When they were first born, the cubs’ coordina-

tion was not good. If one tried to walk, its

head shook; and it had a tendency to fall

over. In fact, tiger cubs are not really sure-

footed until they are six to eight weeks

old — about the age at which they begin

to leave the den in the wild. Like the cub’s

blindness, its very inability to walk steadily

has survival value, since it tends to inhibit

the young tiger from wandering away from

the safety of the den..

Sometimes all of Kesari’s cubs would nurse

at once; at other times some would nurse

while others slept. While there did not seem

to be private teat ownership such as has

been described in domestic cats, the cubs

avoided squabbles over access to the teats.

Kesari appears to have six teats, arranged

in pairs of three, so that, when she is lying

on her side in the nursing position, they are

arranged in an upper row and a lower row.

When a number of cubs wanted to nurse,

some would seek the upper row, while

others sought the lower row. If it seemed

necessary in order to help one of the cubs

find a teat, the mother would lift her

upper rear leg and hold it up while the

cub was nursing. While suckling each cub

pressed rhythmically against the mother’s

abdomen beside the teat with alternate

forepaws. This ‘‘milk tread,” familiar from

the domestic cat, is necessary to stimulate

milk flow.

When a tigress at the Zoo is nursing, in

addition to her regular diet of horsemeat,

she is given three eggs each day and Is also

fed milk daily in order to ensure that she Is

continually able to produce milk of her

own. Each day Kesari was given two thir-

teen-ounce cans of evaporated vitamin-D-

fortified cow’s milk mixed with an equiva-

lent volume of water. Past experience at

the Zoo has indicated that the mother

tiger begins to teach her young to eat solid

food when they are about six weeks old.

She does this by bringing the cubs up to

the meat that is provided for her, and she

will also bring them up to her milk dish

in order to encourage them to drink from

it. In the case of previous National Zoo

litters, keepers have observed that when

the cubs were first brought up to the meat

and the milk dish, they would bob their

heads into the meat or milk but would

not eat or drink anything. Only gradually

would they begin to take food on their

own.

Tiger cubs are usually weaned between the

ages of six and ten weeks, although the

date varies greatly; when the mother has

had enough milk, tiger cubs have been known

to continue to nurse, while eating solid

food at the same time, up to the age of

nearly six months. In captivity, tiger cubs

are usually removed from their mother when

they are between six and nine months old.

In the wild they stay with their mother

until they are about a year-and-a-half old;

but this long period in the mother’s company

is necessary because they must learn to

hunt from her — a need that is obviated

in captivity.

At this writing it is impossible to predict

when the mother and cubs will be judged

sufficiently self-confident for the Lion

House to be reopened and the board in

front of the cage removed, but it is likely

that visitors will be able to see them some

time this summer. Meanwhile, before the

building was reopened, in good weather

visitors could occasionally see a keeper

playing outdoors in the tortoise yard

(number 20 on map) with the cub that

was being hand-reared. In addition, after

the other cubs are weaned, an attempt will

be made to reintroduce this cub to the

group; if it is not successful, he will be

exhibited in a separate enclosure at the

Lion House. A further complicating factor,

of course, is that the Lion House may

again be temporarily closed this summer

for Mohini to give birth.

provided with many branches for the animals

to climb on and should show this nocturnal

species at best advantage.

Greater galagos are prosimians or lower

MV Is primates, and the twins could be seen clinging

amma to the fur of their mother’s belly in a manner

reminiscent of the way in which the young

of a monkey or other higher primate clings

to its mother. The clinging reflex is weaker

than in higher primates, however; and

i mothers of this species may sometimes carry

Greater Galago Twins their young by the scruff of the neck. Though

in her current enclosure, the twins’ mother

sleeps most of the day, being active only

in the early morning and occasionally in

the late afternoon, the newborn infants

seemed to be more frequently awake during

the day, looking about occasionally or

searching for her nipples to nurse. Unlike

higher primates, the female greater galago

has two pairs of nipples, one on the chest

and one in the groin region.

The greater galago is found in a belt across

Subsaharan Africa from Tanzania south to

Natal and west to Angola. It shows consider-

able variety in coloration. The father and

mothers of the recent Zoo young and the

young themselves belong to a melanistic

or black strain, while another male at the

Zoo wears the more common brownish

coat. This species is found in a woodland-

savannah habitat, which is neither open

savannah nor dense forest, and spends most

of its time in trees, frequently making leaps

up to three or five yards in length from

branch to branch. When it does descend to

the ground, it usually progresses by means

of a slow quadrupedal gait but may leap

on its hind feet if pursued.

In the wild, greater galagos feed on the

The father of the Zoo’s recent greater resin of the acacia tree, fruit, seeds, insects,

galago young. ne a few small vertebrates such as lizards and

birds, and eggs. Natives are reported to

capture this species by leaving “‘pombe,”’

On the morning of April 23rd, twin or palm wine, in places it is known to.

greater galagos (Galago crassicaudatus) were frequent; after drinking it the animal is

born at the Small Mammal House (number found intoxicated or unconscious and Is

75 on map); this was the first time this easily captured. It is unlikely, however,

species had ever been bred at the National that the galago drinks palm wine through

Zoo. Only three days later a single young any desire for intoxication; rather, the

was born to another female of the same reason is probably that the drink’s smell

species located off exhibit in the basement of and taste resemble those of the rancid sap

the building; she and her infant were later or over-ripe fruit on which it regularly

placed in the nocturnal room at the Small feeds.

Mammal House. It is planned that the other Like the other galagos — two of the other

greater galago mother will eventually join her three species, the Senegal galago or bush

there, along with the father of all three young baby (Galago senegalensis) and the dwarf

(now off exhibit). The cage will be galago (Galago demidovii) are also repre-

sented at the Small Mammal House — this

species has an annual moult, at which time

it facilitates the shedding of its hair by

means of its incisors and swallows the shed

hair. The fur is regularly groomed by means

of along claw on the second toe of each

foot. The other digits of both hands and

feet bear flattened nails. When taking

hold of a branch or other object with its

hand, the greater galago first brings the

palm, which bears six fleshy pads, in

contact with the object, then flexes the

fingers so that the object is clasped between

them and the palm pads.

The greater galago also uses its hands and

feet in scent-marking; urine deposited on

them leaves the animal’s scent on the

branches over which it climbs. This

behavior clearly serves some social

function, but unfortunately little seems

to be known of this species’ social

organization in the wild. They have been

found in groups containing both sexes,

but it is also said that females separate

themselves from males for two months

after giving birth. The separation of the

Zoo’s recent mothers from the male is in

keeping with this habit.

The young are weaned at the age of only

one month; this is surprisingly early for a

primate. They are never actually fed by the

mother but must learn to find food on

their own. Interestingly, in southwest

Tanzania the young were found to eat far

more animal matter than the adults, feeding

mainly on giant land snails and a few insects.

Fanaloka Born

On the morning of April 19th, a fanaloka

(Fossa fossa) was born at the Small Mammal

House (number 75 on map). |mmediately

the front of the cage was boarded up to

prevent disturbance to the mother and her

offspring. When the boards are removed,

however, Zoo visitors will still be able to

see something of the development of an

unusual and rare species.

The fanaloka is native to Madagascar. It

belongs to the family Viverridae or the

viverrids; other members of this family —

which is well represented at the Small

Mammal House — include civets and

mongooses. This family belongs to the

great order Carnivora or the carnivores.

The father of the fanaloka recently born

at the Small Mammal House (number 15 on map).

Such other carnivores as dogs and cats

are lacking on Madagascar, and the

viverrids there have filled many of the

ecological niches filled by other carnivores

in other parts of the world. Although little

is known of its habits in the wild, the

fanaloka is believed to fill the same sort

of niche occupied elsewhere by such small

members of the dog family as foxes; it

seems to feed principally on insects but

has also been known to take lizards and

small mammals.

Certainly the fanaloka is adapted for a

more cursorial and terrestrial, essentially

dog-like existence than the other viverrids.

This can be deduced from the structure of

its legs. Cats and dogs are said to be fully

digitigrade; in other words, they walk on

the tips of their toes. The backward bend

in a dog’s or cat’s hind leg is its ankle, not

its knee, so that the heels of these

carnivores never touch the ground. The

fanaloka is the most digitigrade of the

viverrids, and its long legs are quite dog-

like in appearance.

The young of the fanaloka is unusual among

carnivores in that its eyes are open at birth;

in addition it is better developed in terms

of motor coordination than most newborn

carnivores. Most of the viverrids give birth

to young that are blind and quite helpless

for the first week or two of life; the large-

spotted genet (Genetta tigrina), another

viverrid species that gave birth at the Small

Mammal House this April, provides an

example. No one knows enough about the

fanaloka’s natural history to say why its

young are comparatively so well developed;

but perhaps, either because of the mother

fanaloka’s own hunting patterns or because

of danger from other predators, she must

change dens frequently early in her

offspring’s life. In this case young more

aware of their surroundings might be at

some advantage.

The newborn fanaloka weighs less than two-

and-one-half ounces. It first eats solid food

at the age of about five weeks and is fully

weaned by the age of about ten weeks. In

the wild it becomes independent of its

mother when it is about a year old.

New Binturongs

A new pair of binturongs (Arctictis

binturong) have been acquired and placed

together in an outdoor enclosure (number

18k on map). Yet another member of the

viverrid or civet and mongoose family in

the Zoo’s collection, this species is also

represented by a single male at the Small

Mammal House (number 75 on map). It

is native to Southeast Asia, the Phillipines

Sumatra, Borneo, and Java.

Though like the other viverrids it belongs

to the order Carnivora or carnivores, the

binturong is one of several species in that

order that have adapted to a diet that

contains large amounts of vegetable food.

It has evolved flat, crushing teeth for

feeding on fruit and other vegetable matter.

One of the Zoo’s new binturongs

(number 18k on map).

However, it is also known to take carrion

in the wild and occasionally captures small

mammals and birds. Each of the Zoo’s

binturongs is given two bananas and one

orange daily. The oranges are cut in

quarters, and the binturong picks up each

quarter with its forepaw and carefully

squeezes the juice out into its mouth, but

it does not consume the pulp or skin. The

binturongs are also fed a prepared feline

diet consisting of horse meat, vitamins,

and minerals and are given mice once a week.

The binturong is nocturnal in the wild. It

is unusual among carnivores and virtually

unique among Old World mammals in that

its tail is prehensile at the tip. Young

binturongs are able to support their full

weight by their tails, but adults do not seem

to have this ability. In the wild, however,

the binturong is largely arboreal in its

habits, and it is certain that the tail helps

steady the animal in its slow, careful

climbing.

Pallas’ Cats

A new species of small wild cat has been

added to the collection, the beautiful

The Zoo's new pair of Pallas’ cats.

but little known Pallas’ cat (Felis

manul!); a pair have been placed on exhibit

in an outdoor enclosure (number 18g on

map). These long-haired cats are found

from Iran eastward through the southern

and central U.S.S.R., Afghanistan, and

Kashmir to eastern China; they typically

inhabit dry, rocky areas with little cover.

They are chiefly nocturnal in their habits

and usually spend their days in the

abandoned burrows of marmots or other

animals, in cliff fissures, or in caves.

Pallas’ cat is very distinctive in appearance.

Its ears are quite short and rounded and

protrude only slightly above the surround-

ing fur. Its eyes are large, and its muzzle

is extremely broad and short. The shape

of the muzzle reflects this cat’s unusual

dentition. Even more than in most other

cats, the teeth are concentrated in the

corner of the mouth; this is made possible

by the absence of the first upper premolar,

which is present in most other cats. In all

cats the last upper premolar and the first

(and only) lower molar — the so-called

carnassials — are modified so that together

they form a highly efficient shearing

apparatus for cutting through flesh. The

arrangement of the Pallas’ cat’s jaw makes

these teeth especially prominent. In

addition, comparatively massive jaw muscles

intensify the power of the bite.

Pallas’ cat preys mainly on small mammals.

In Siberia, it was found that its major

prey consisted of the relatives of rabbits

known as pikas. Next in importance were

mice and rats. In addition, these cats

were found occasionally to capture hares,

insectivores, and birds.

Pallas’ cat’s silky fur is longer than that

of any other wild cat. It lives chiefly in

mountainous regions, reaching altitudes

of over 9,000 feet above sea level, and its

dense coat doubtless serves as a protection

against the cold. The fur on the underside

is twice as long as that on the back and

flanks, and it has been suggested that this

may afford added insulation when the

animal is reclining on snow or frozen

ground.

Prairie Dog Pups

At least four Utah prairie dogs (Cvnomys

parvidens) have been born this spring in

the Zoo’s enclosure for this species ne

17 on map). Judging from the fact that two

females were seen with swollen nipples,

the young were born to two different

mothers. Interestingly, all four young have

An adult Utah prairie dog (left) with one

of the young born at the Zoo this spring.

a surprisingly light coloration. The young

prairie dogs were first seen in mid-May, and

it was difficult to estimate exactly when

they were born. But it is known that

prairie dog pups’ eyes open at between 33

and 37 days of age and that they are

weaned at the age of about seven weeks;

so presumably the Zoo’s young were some-

where between these two ages when they

were seen above ground in the company of

mothers that were still lactating.

There are five species of prairie dog

inhabiting western North America. The

Utah prairie dog is the rarest, with a range

that is restricted to the south-central

portion of Utah. It is also the westernmost

species of prairie dog in the U.S.; and, unlike

other prairie dogs, it does not live in large

“towns” but in small colonies of a dozen to

perhaps 200 at most. Though the Utah

prairie dog has been little studied, other

species of prairie dog have been found to

have a complex social organization. Each

town is divided into independent ‘‘coteries”’

consisting of an adult male, one to four

adult females, and their young. The adult

members of the coterie defend it vigorously

against trespass by members of other coteries

and frequently advertise their possession

of it by rearing up on their hind legs and

delivering a series of distinctive two-

syllable calls.

It is not these territorial calls, but the

sharp “‘bark” of alarm that announces the

approach of a predator that has earned

these rodents the misnomer ‘‘dog.’’ Like

other rodents, prairie dogs are vegetarians,

and they feed on grasses and other prairie

plants. They eliminate taller plants so that

fast-growing plants will grow within the

area occupied by each coterie anda

constant supply of food will be assured

for members of each coterie without

leaving their territory. The removal of

taller plants also deprives potential predators

of cover and gives the prairie dogs a wide

view of their surroundings, which they

augment by building up high mounds of

earth around their burrow openings from

which to scan the surrounding countryside.

The Zoo’s prairie dog pups will attain

their full adult size when they are about

fifteen months old, but they will evidently

not be sexually and socially mature until

they are two years old. In the wild young

males leave their parental coterie when

they reach this age and try to find coteries

of their own. It is believed that females,

on the other hand, remain in the coteries

in which they were born.

New Dorcas Gazelle Enclosure

The Zoo’s main dorcas gazelle herd has

been moved to a new enclosure (number

8a on map), formerly occupied by greater

kudus. The terraced yard has been re-

planted with grass, and two species of

ornamental bamboo have been added. The

herd occupying it consists of an adult male,

eight adult females, one young male born

on April 4th and one young female born on

April 20th.

The dorcas gazelle (Gaze//a dorcas) is an

endangered species. Native to desert and

near-desert regions in North Africa and

on the Arabian Peninsula, it has been

drastically reduced in numbers by

excessive hunting. In the open areas where

these gazelles are found the great speed and

wariness that formerly compensated for

lack of cover in protecting them from

predators can no longer save them from

hunters using motorized vehicles and modern

weapons. The dorcas gazelle has been

accorded protection in Israel and Jordan;

but it is by now very rare in both these

countries and nowhere exists in anything

like its former numbers except in parts of

Members of the Zoo’s dorcas gazelle herd in

their new enclosure (number 8a on map).

the eastern Sahara. The National Zoo has

been very fortunate in breeding these

animals, and 32 have been born here

since 1960.

Summer Junior Program

A Friends of the National Zoo conservation

program will take place this summer.

Exhibits are to be set up in front of ten

animal enclosures, and volunteer FONZ

junior members will be present at the

exhibits to educate the public about man’s

abuse of wildlife and the disastrous effects

human exploitation has had on many wild

animal species.

By the cheetah yard (number 22f on map),

for instance, there will be an exhibit on

the killing of spotted cats for their furs;

this commerce has driven the cheetah

near the point of extinction and has

alarmingly decreased the numbers of most

other spotted cats. At the polar bear

enclosure (number 25e on map), an

exhibit will illustrate the disastrous

effects hunting for sport — particularly

from aircraft — has had on this endangered

species. At the marmoset enclosures inside

the Small Mammal Building (number 75

on map) there will be an exhibit on the

large-scale importation of wild animal pets,

few of which survive. This trade has been

particularly destructive in the case of new

world primates, including the marmosets.

Other exhibits will be located at the wolf

dens (number 28c-f on map); at the turtle

pond in front of the Reptile House

(number 19 on map); at the snapping

turtle and American alligator enclosures

inside that building; at the waterfowl

ponds (number 30b-c on map); at the

pelican pond (number 12b on map); and

at the golden eagle cage (number 7b on

map). Each of these exhibits will illustrate

yet other ways in which human beings

abuse wildlife; and at all of these locations

FONZ junior volunteers will be present

to interpret the exhibits and answer

visitors’ questions.

A 3OMAP

. Connecticut Avenue pedestrian entrance

. Connecticut Avenue vehicular entrance

. Deer and antelope areas (a-j)

. Great Flight Cage

eo)

SOMNOUOAWN=

Bird House

Pheasant and crane line (a-r)

Raptor cages (a-d)

. Delicate-hoofed stock building (a-c)

. Hardy-hoofed stock complex (a-i)

. Panda House (a-c)

. Elephant House

. Water birds (a-e)

. Hawks and owls (a-c)

- Black Rhinoceros yard

. Small Mammal Building

. Lesser Pandas

. Prairie dogs

. Bears and monkeys (a-m)

. Reptile House

. Tortoise yard

. Monkey House

. Hardy Animals (a-o)

. Lion House

. Komodo Dragon

. Bears (a-j)

. Water animals (a-e)

. Sea Lion pool

. Wolves, foxes, and wild dogs (a-l)

. Lesser Cats

. Waterfowl ponds (a-d)

. Police Station—Restrooms—First Aid

. Restaurant

. Picnic Area

. Window Shop

. Souvenir Kiosk

. Rock Creek Parkway entrance

. Friends of the National Zoo Offices

. FONZ Education, Editorial, and Tour

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Deer and antelope areas (a-})

. Great Flight Cage

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. Pheasant and crane line (a-r)

. Raptor cages (a-d)

. Delicate-hoofed stock building (a-c)

Hardy-hoofed stock complex (a-1)

. Panda House {a-c}

. Elephant House

. Water birds (a-e)

. Hawks and owls (a-c)

- Black Rhinoceros yard

. Small Mammal Building

. Lesser Pandas

. Prairie dogs

. Bears and monkeys (a-m)

. Reptile House

. Tortoise yard

. Monkey House

. Hardy Animals (a-o)

. Lion House

. Komodo Dragon

. Bears (a-j)

. Water animals (a-e)

. 9¢a Lion pool

. Wolves, foxes, and wild dogs (a-l)

. Lesser Cats

. Waterfowl ponds (a-d)

. Police Station—Restrooms—First Aid

. Restaurant

. Picnic Area

. Window Shop

. Souvenir Kiosk

. Rock Creek Parkway entrance

. Friends of the National Zoo Offices

. FONZ Education, Editorial, and Tour

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Birds |

cies

New Pigeon Spe

- —

The white-crowned pigeon, one of the most

attractive of native North American pigeons,

Two species of native North American

pigeon have been acquired recently — the

band-tailed pigeon (Co/umba fasciata) and

the white-crowned pigeon (Co/umba

leucocephala). Four of the former species

are on exhibit in the Great Flight Cage

(number 4 on map), and two of the latter

species are located in cage 5 at the Bird

House (number 5 on map).

The band-tailed pigeon has a purplish head

and breast, a dark gray back, and a tail

that is off-white at the end and divided

by a narrow black stripe. It is native to

the West Coast of North America, with

a summer breeding range that extends

from southern British Columbia to Mexico

and Baja California. In winter it leaves the

more northerly parts of this range and

extends further south, being distributed

from southern California, Arizona, and New

Mexico to west Panama. Early in this

century this species was almost exterminated

in the western United States by uncontrolled

hunting; but when it was accorded protec-

tion its numbers recovered rapidly, and

it was saved the fate of the most famous

of all our domestic pigeons, the passenger

pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius).

Band-tailed pigeons are found in large

flocks except in nesting season, when they

scatter into isolated breeding pairs. One

observer found that in an Arizona concentra-

tion of nests of this species, the greatest

density was not more than one nest per

three or four acres and that most of the

approximately thirty-five nests in the area

were much farther apart. But even in

nesting season these pigeons may aggregate

temporarily to exploit an abundant source

of food. They feed principally on berries

and nuts and seem especially fond of

acorns, which they swallow whole, relying

on powerful gizzard muscles to break

them up. |

The closely related white-crowned pigeon, |

which is dark charcoal gray except for

a white head patch, is native year round

in the Bahamas and West Indies and

extends its range in breeding season to

include the Florida Keys. Often breeding

on small islands, it is highly colonial in its

nesting habits, in contrast to the band-

tailed pigeon. On one tiny island in the

Bahamas, no more than an acre in area,

over ten thousand white-crowned pigeon

nests were counted.

Stanley’s Crane Chicks

Two Stanley’s crane chicks (Anthropoides

paradisea) were hatched in late May and

are now on exhibit with their parents

(aumber 6r on map). The young birds’

downy feathers are gray on their bodies

and pale tan on their heads, and they

were quite active following their parents

around the enclosure early in life. This

is the fifth year in a row that this pair

of cranes have produced chicks; their

first pair of offspring are still at the Zoo

and can be seen in the bongos’ yard

(number 3f on map).

The blue or Stanley’s crane is native to

the South African veldt. Like other cranes

it has a long and extremely convoluted

trachea or windpipe, allowing it to produce

a loud trumpeting call. The calls of the

Zoo’s Stanley’s cranes are among the most

familiar sounds in the Bird House area,

and they can be heard in many other parts

of the Zoo.

Black-crowned Night Herons

Every spring, a pair of large trees above the

bald eagle cage (number 7a on map) serve as

a nesting site for a colony of wild black-

crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax).

The birds are nocturnal, and in the daytime

Reptiles and

Amphibians

Spiny-tailed Lizards

New at the Reptile House (number 19 on

map) are two specimens of an interesting

desert lizard known as the spiny-tailed

lizard. There are nine species of spiny-

tailed lizard inhabiting Pakistan and

northern India, Iran, the Arabian Peninsula,

and North Africa, all belonging to the genus

Uromastix; and although Reptile House

officials have not at this writing determined

with certainty to which of these species

the new arrivals belong, it is believed that

they were captured in Saudi Arabia.

It is believed that the species of this genus

inhabiting desert areas in southwestern

Asia generally frequent rock crevices, into

which they burrow head first. The tail,

armed with spines that are arranged in

regular rings, blocks the entrance of the

they can usually be seen sitting motionless

on their nests of dead sticks.

This familiar species is found throughout

much of both North and South America,

Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the United

States, most of the black-crowned night

herons from the more northerly states

move south for the winter. The herons

that breed on the Zoo grounds also usually

migrate after raising their young, but a

few may occasionally remain behind. At

least one did so last winter, roosting daily

in a tree overlooking the pelican pond

(number 12a on map).

One of the two spiny-tailed lizards on exhibit

in cage A-8 at the Reptile House

(number 19 on map).

crevice, providing a formidable defense

against predators. The lizard may also

thrash about violently with its tail to drive

off a predator. These lizards belong to the

family Agamidae, an exclusively Old World

family comprising some 300 species. Most of

the agamids feed mainly or exclusively on

animal food, but Uromastix is an excep-

tion. Members of this genus are largely

herbivorous as adults, although they do on

occasion capture insects, especially when

they are immature. The adult spiny-tailed

lizard’s jaw bones form sharp ridges inside

the mouth, and the teeth are flattened;

evidently these are adaptations for biting

off vegetation.

There is no single English name for the

members of the family of birds scientists

call the Phasianidae. A literal translation

of the Latin term would be ‘‘the pheasant

family,’ but by no means all of the

Phasianidae are known as pheasants. The

smaller species are called partridges or

quail, and the term pheasant is reserved

for the more brilliantly colored, middle-

sized species. Besides, yet another name

is used for the peafowl, as also for such

other members of the family as the

domestic chicken and the red jungle fowl

(Gallus gallus) from which it is descended.

In fact, one of the simplest ways of refer-

ring to this family is as “chicken-like birds.”’

All one has to do is to watch a crested

green wood partridge or roulroul

(Rollulus roulrou!l) scratching with its

feet in the soil in search of food to

recognize a behavior pattern familiar

from the domestic chickens. Yet in many

members of this family, the males are more

brilliant in plumage than any domestic fowl,

though the females are usually not spec-

tacularly colored. The Indian or common

peafowl (Pavo cristatus) is perhaps the best

known example of a member of this

family in which the male has outstand-

ingly brilliant plumage; but males of all of

the pheasants and several of the smaller

species are brightly colored.

The National Zoo’s bird collection

illustrates some of the diversity of sizes

and plumages to be found in this family.

The partridges and quail are represented

by three species: the blue-breasted quail

(Coturnix chinensis), the smallest of all

the Phasianidae, located in cage 5 at the

Bird House (number 5 on map); the bare-

throated tree partridge (Arborophila

brunneopectus) in cage 9 of the same

building; and the crested green wood

partridge or roulroul in the indoor flight

room and a number of other cages there.

Next, a group of unusual pheasant-size

arboreal members of the family known as

tragopans are represented by Temminck’s

—tragopan (7ragopan temmincki) in an out-

door cage behind the Bird House (number

-6n on map). \n addition, the Zoo’s

collection includes five species of true

pheasants. Located in enclosures behind the

Bird House are Hume’s bar-tailed pheasant

(Syrmaticus humiae) (number 6j on map),

the white eared pheasant (Crossoptilon

-crossoptilon) (number 6k on map),

- Swinhoe’s pheasant (Lophura swinhoei)

(number 67 on map), and the white-

crested Kaliji pheasant (Lophura leucome-

lana) (number 6m on map). A male Swinhoe’s

pheasant is also found in the Great Flight

Cage (number 4 on map), along with males

of the golden pheasant (Chryso/ophus pictus).

A male and three females of the white-crested

kalij are found in another large flight cage

(number 12e on map).

There is also a pair of great argus pheasants

(Argusianus argus) in cage 5 at the Bird

House; this large and rather specialized

species differs in a number of ways from

the other pheasants. Finally, a number

of Indian peafowl are allowed to roam the

Zoo’s grounds at liberty; usually they are

to be found in the neighborhood of the Bird

House, where food is provided for them,

but they are at times seen in other parts

of the Park.

The Phasianidae are believed to have origi-

nated in the Old World, although there

is a group of quail that moved to the New

World and radiated there. In the eastern

United States, these quail are represented

by the bobwhite (Co/inus virginanus).

The well-known ring-necked pheasant

(Phasianus colchis), it should be noted,

is not native to either North America or

Europe but has been introduced by man to

both continents from Asia. In fact, the

great majority of phasianid species are found

in Asia, and every species of the family in

the National Zoo’s collection is native to

that continent. The only member of the

family at the Zoo whose range extends out-

side of Asia is the blue-breasted quail,

which is also found in eastern Australia.

In Asia there are two areas where particu-

larly large numbers of species belonging to

this family are found. One is the region of

the Himalayas, especially the montane

forests and alpine meadows of the foothills

that surround that chain both to the south

and east and to the north. The white eared

pheasant, for instance, is found in grassy

and plant-covered meadows above the

timber line in Tibet and Szechuan. Another

example, the white-crested kalij, is found

in brushwood forest at elevations up to

12,000 feet from Nepal through Burma.

A second area where this family has

speciated extensively is the tropical forest

of southeast Asia and the Malay archipelago;

this area is the home of both the roulroul

and the great argus pheasant.

A male Hume's

bar-tailed pheasant

(number 6j on map).

The Phasianidae are typically omnivorous

ground feeders whose diets consist of

seeds, roots, and tubers and some small

invertebrates, especially worms and

insects. Most dig for these foods with their

feet like the domestic chicken and the

roulroul, but some use their bills. The white

eared pheasant is a species that uses its bill

to burrow for roots, tubers, and plant bulbs,

as well as such soil-dwelling invertebrates

as it can catch. In gizzards of this species

there has been found a mixture of plant

matter, insects, and worms, together with

a large quantity of soil, evidently ingested

along with the food.

A few species have adapted to rather atypical

diets. Peafowl, for instance, frequently feed

on snakes, including young cobras; in India

they are considered important for controlling

the numbers of these venomous snakes. The

arboreal Temminck’s tragopan, living on

the slopes of rainy mountain forests from

northern Assam through central China,

spends its time in the branches of large

trees, feeding on tender leaves, buds, fruits,

and some animal matter.

Since in the many brilliantly colored

phasianid species it is the male that bears

the more striking plumage, it is not surprising

to find that the plumage finds its primary

use in the male’s courtship of the female.

The common peafowl is of course the best

known example, and the peacock’s court-

ship display is a familiar sight every spring

and summer at the National Zoo. In court-

ship the male spreads his green blue-spotted

fan and shakes it vigorously to produce a

rustling noise, meanwhile lowering and

vibrating the orange-brown flight feathers of

his wings. The fan or train is not actually

composed of the peacock’s tail feathers;

rather, it is homologous with the ‘‘tail

coverts” that overlie the feathers of the tail

in other birds. When the fan is spread the

peacock’s true tail feathers — which are very

stiff and gray in color — are raised to support

it from behind. The displaying male turns

away from the hen, then spins around again

suddenly, shaking his fan. This may be

repeated several times before the female

crouches and copulation takes place. Some-

times, however, the female may run around

behind a displaying male on her own; and

then he will turn again to present his fan

to her.

Though less well known, many other

phasianid courtship rituals are no less

spectacular. An example is the courtship

of the golden pheasant, which is perhaps

the most beautiful of all the pheasants. In

display the cock stands at an oblique angle

to the female, erecting his long golden crest

and expanding his orange and brown neck

A male great argus pheasant (above). The

close-up at left shows the “’eye-spots’’ on

the male’s wing that caused this species to be

named for Argus, the many-eyed monster

of Greek mythology.

feathers to form a ruff so wide that it covers

most of his head on the side next to the hen.

One red eye is visible to the female above

the ruff. Meanwhile the cock’s body is

tilted towards her so that the green, brown,

and blue feathers of his back and the

golden feathers of his rump are visible to

her. Then he jumps around to present his

other side to the female, raising his ruff on

that side and making a snake-like hissing

sound. As with the peacock’s turning away

from the female and back again, this

repetition of the display doubtless serves

to enhance its value as a stimulus.

Temminck’s tragopan has evolved other

morphological features besides feathers to

enhance its display. The male of this species

has a lappet of bare blue skin on its throat

which can be greatly expanded and erectile

fleshy “horns” on the back of his head.

The courtship begins with the cock walking

around the hen; he lowers the wing towards

her and raises the shoulder on the opposite

side, thus exhibiting to her the red and white

plumage of his back. Then he rushes towards

the female with his wings spread; at this

time the lappet may be extended and the

horns erected. Finally, the male stops

suddenly, fluffs out most of the whitish

feathers on his underside, moves his half-

spread wings slowly up and down, spreads

A male crested green wood partridge or roulroul.

the lappet, and erects the horns fully. The

male may then walk off to feed, only to

return and repeat the entire display.

Even from so few examples it should be

apparent that courtship displays in the

Phasianidae have many elements in common.

Circling the female, display of the side and

back accompanied by lowering of the wing

on the side towards the female, and head—

on rushes at the female with plumage

expanded are all elements that recur in.

species after species. Even in so relatively

primitive and dull-colored a species as the

blue -breasted quail, the male circles the

female and displays his side to her while

lowering one wing, although interestingly in

this species — as opposed to most of the

pheasants — it is the shoulder towards the

female that is raised and the wing away

from her that is lowered. Thus it is the

breast and flank rather than the wing

and back that are displayed, but in the

blue-breasted quail these are the areas that

show the most conspicuous coloration.

In the peafowl, on the other hand, the

head-on display has been developed at the

expense of the lateral display. It is

believed, however, that the peacock’s

spectacular display can be seen to have

evolved from a less specialized head-on

display comparable to those seen ina

number of other species. The Impeyan

monal,(Lophophorus impejanus) for

instance, has a frontal display in which the

cock faces the hen, spreads his light brown

tail like a fan, lowers both wings, and bends

his head downwards so that the bill touches

the ground; like the frontal display in

Temminck’s tragopan, this display culminates

a courtship ritual that begins with the

cock’s circling the hen and displaying

laterally to her. In this display, though the

tail feathers are spread, the white patch on

the male’s lower back and the blue and green

feathers of the rump also play a prominent

role in the display. Presumably the peacock’s

display evolved from a display that similarly

emphasized the feathers of the lower back —

particularly the upper tail coverts.

It has been suggested that the evolutionary

transition between simple lateral display

and a courtship ritual that begins with a

lateral display but culminates with a head-on

display was provided by one of the most

characteristic of all phasianid behavior

patterns, a gesture known as tidbitting.

It is so named because the same gesture Is

_also used by a phasianid parent pointing

out food to its young. In tidbitting, the

cock lowers its head as if to peck the

ground and in some species may give a

characteristic call. This may have originated

in aggressiveness towards the female on

the part of a courting male that, because of a

conflicting tendency to appease the female,

was redirected towards the ground. However,

since in tidbitting the male assumes a

position in which his back and tail are

prominent, it is logical to suppose that this

behavior pattern — interrupting a series

of lateral displays — eventually led to a

display in which these areas were emphasized.

Despite broad similarities in the court-

ship ritual itself, the Phasianidae show

considerable variety in the number and

duration of consort associations they form

in the wild. Many, particularly the smaller

and less spectacularly colored species, form

monogamous pairs in the breeding season.

Examples include the blue-breasted quail and

the bare-throated tree partridge, and the

roulroul.

Both the roulrou! and the white eared

pheasant are examples of species that

appear to be gregarious year round, the

former forming small flocks seven to

fifteen in number and the latter found in

larger groups that may sometimes number

as many as one hundred. Yet in both

species monogamous pairs are formed in

the breeding season that remain together

while traveling with the flock. For

instance, the white eared pheasant roosts

colonially in the branches of trees, but

the members of mated pairs roost side

by side. It does not seem to have been

recorded, however, in either of these

species how the females space their nests

with respect to one another’s nests when

the time comes to lay eggs and incubate

them.

Another form of monogamous pairing is

evidently represented by the golden

pheasant in the wild. In this species, each

pair is reported to set up a territory and

drive away intruders. However, as in

many other phasianid species which are

monogamous in the wild, if one male ts

kept in captivity with more than one

female, he may abandon his monogamous

habits and form a harem. Some species

form polygamous breeding groups in the

wild as well; in such cases each male may

establish a territory during breeding

season, and a number of females may live

there with him and raise their young. The

A female white eared pheasant; this is one of

the few pheasants in which males and females

are similar. The Zoo has two females

(number 6k on map).

Impeyan monal appears to have such a

social organization. Interestingly, during

the winter this species is highly gregarious

but forms flocks that are sexually segregated.

In winter continuous snows in the high-

altitude forests and grassy slopes along

the southern Himalayas that are the

summer range of this species drive the

pheasants down into lower oak and

chestnut forests. There males that have

attained their full adult plumage — those

in their second winter or older — form

bands numbering up to thirty. Separate

bands are formed by females along with

juvenile males in their first winter. In

spring, when the birds move higher up the

mountains, the groups disband, and the

adult males establish territories. The cock

announces his possession of a territory to

females and to neighboring territorial males

by means of a loud plaintive whistling,

and he attracts a number of females to his

territory to mate with him and nest there.

One of the most interesting types of avian

reproductive behavior is known as ‘‘arena”

or “lek” behavior. A classic case of lek

behavior is the sage grouse of the American

West (Centrocercus urophasianus). This

species belongs to the same order as

Phasianidae, the Galliformes; it and

other grouse have traditionally been placed

in a separate family, the Tetraonidae,

although some recent workers have assigned

them to the Phasianidae. In the sage grouse

as many as 100 males gather together at a

traditional display arena or lek. Each has a

display court of his own, adjacent to those

of other males, which he defends against

other males and to which he attempts to

attract females to mate. A majority of the

females mate with only one of the males,

the so-called ‘“‘master cock’’; and after

mating each female leaves to nest and raise

her young alone.

Lek behavior occurs in a great many other

avian species not closely related to the sage

grouse, and it is always characterized by

the fact that the pair bond between male

and female is very brief, often lasting

only long enough for courtship and copula-

tion to take place, and the male takes no

part in building or guarding the nest, in

incubating the eggs, or in raising the young.

A further characteristic of true lek species

is that the display grounds are traditional

and used year after year.

There is one species of Phasianidae, that

closely approximates the classic lek type.

This is the great argus pheasant, whose

courtship is perhaps more specialized —

and more spectacular — than that of any

other member of the family, although one

might not guess it from a first glance at

these large but apparently rather drab birds.

The great argus pheasant is native to the

forests of Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.

The 19th Century British naturalist Alfred

Russel Wallace — co-discoverer with Charles

Darwin of evolution by natural selection —

visited its habitat on Mount Ophir on the

Malay Peninsula and described it vividly:

“After descending onto the saddle between

the two peaks we found the ascent very

laborious, the slope being so steep as often

to necessitate hand-climbing. Besides a

bushy vegetation, the ground was covered

knee-deep with mosses on a foundation of

decaying leaves and rugged rock, and it was

a hard hour’s climb to the small ledge just

below the summit, where an overhanging

rock forms a convenient shelter, and a

little basin collects the trickling water.

Here we put down our loads and in a few

minutes more stood on the summit of

Mount Ophir, 4,000 feet above the sea.

The top is a small rocky platform covered

with rhododendrons and other shrubs. The

afternoon was clear, and the view was very

fine in its way — ranges of hill and valley

everywhere covered with interminable

forest, with glistening rivers winding among

them... 24. This was the country of the

great argus pheasant, and we continually

heard its cry.”

In the depths of such forests, the argus

pheasant cock establishes a display court

on a level spot, usually on top of a hill or

ridge. Each display court is eight to ten

yards in diameter, and the bird assiduously

clears it of all weeds, twigs, and fallen

leaves. Several display courts are found in

one area, sometimes being as close as fifty

yards from each other. While this is nowhere

near the proximity of sage grouse males

on their adjacent courts, it is clear that a

neighborhood occupied by several argus

pheasant courts constitutes a kind of

extended lek. As is typical with lek species,

the courts are traditional, and one naturalist

wrote of a display ground on Borneo: ‘‘An

old, old Dyak chief led me to this arena and

told me that his father had trapped many

argus in it, and no one knew when there

was not an arena there.”

The male maintains his court for at least

six months of the year and perhaps may

only leave for the two or three months when

he is moulting. While there, he begins

calling at dusk and continues to call

throughout the night. His “how-ow”’ call —

frequently heard at the Zoo’s Bird House —

can carry over a mile and keeps him in

contact with neighboring courts as well as

serving to attract females. It is possible to

distinguish the call of a fully adult male from

that of a young male. Although young males

call, they are nomadic and do not have

courts of their own. Thus it seems likely

that the female is able to recognize the

call of a fully adult male and approach his

court; as she does so, she calls in reply.

The male argus pheasant’s courtship is one

A male of

Temminck’s

tragopan

(number 6n

on map);

this species is

one of the more

arboreal of the

phasianids,

of the most specialized found in any of

the Phasianidae and involves unique modifica-

tions of the structure of the wing. The

flight feathers on the wings are divided

into ‘‘primaries’’ and ‘‘secondaries.” The

primaries are the feathers attached to the

part of the wing that was originally the

hand of the reptilian ancestors of birds; the

secondaries are attached to the part of the

wing that is descended from the forearm.

In all birds but the argus pheasant, the

primaries are longer than the secondaries;

but in this species the secondaries have

become much longer than the primaries.

The secondaries are covered with silvery

spots, so shaded that they appear to be

three-dimensional beads. These markings

are the reason this species has been named

for Argus, the many-eyed monster of Greek

mythology.

When a female argus pheasant approaches a

male’s court, the male stalks around her

with his neck strained forward, taking such

heavy steps that he makes a tapping sound

on the ground. Next he places himself in

front of her and spreads his wings, the long

secondaries forming a wide circle around

his blue unfeathered head. He holds this

pose for a while, then jumps up suddenly,

vibrating his wings and his long tail plumes.

That this display has evolved from a typical

phasianid head-on display can be seen from

the development of the secondaries, which

are the part of the wing most visible to the

female when a male bows towards her and

lowers his wings. Soon after mating the

female leaves the display court to nest and

raise her young; the male remains to attract

as many other females as he can.

Phasianid young are quite precocial, able

A male Winhoe’s pheasant (number 67 on map).

The National Zoo has had considerable success

in breeding this rare and endangered species,

to leave the nest and follow their mother

soon after hatching. This is true even of

blue-breasted quail chicks, which are, as

one writer put it, ‘‘no larger than bumble-

bees.” The young of the peafowl — both male

and female — demonstrate their precocity

by practicing fan-spreading early in life;

although the fan is not present, the chicks

vibrate their wings and vibrate their tail

feathers as if to support the non-existent fan.

Despite her young’s precocity, the phasianid

mother is a very solicitous parent. The female

roulroul, for instance, builds a roofed-over

nest of grasses or twigs and leaves, as can

frequently be seen when these birds breed

at the Zoo’s Bird House. After the eggs

hatch, the mother continues to lead the

young to the nest every night until they

are 25 days old and carefully encloses

them in the nest’s inner chamber with

twigs. The young of this family must learn

to eat the proper foods, and the mother

teaches them by dropping food items in

front of them.

Many of the Phasianidae — particularly the

pheasants — are endangered species; the

reasons for their decrease in numbers have

eis

been uncontrolled hunting both for their

plumage and for food as well as human

encroachment in their habitats. Swinhoe’s

pheasant, for instance, is very close to

extinction on its native Taiwan, and the

white eared pheasant is also believed to be

endangered. There are two subspecies of

the great argus pheasant; the Bornean

subspecies (Argusianus argus grayii), the

one represented at the National Zoo, is

in danger of extinction in its homeland.

Three chicks of this subspecies were

hatched here this spring — a rare event in

captivity.

Most of the Phasianidae reproduce in

Captivity without great difficulty; man has

found that he is able to breed them with

something of the same success he has had

with their relative, the domestic chicken.

And it is possible that many species can be

preserved by breeding in captivity even if

they become extinct in the wild. However

it should be emphasized that a species

existing only in captivity as an ornamental

bird is still a poor substitute for a species

living naturally in the habitat for which

it evolved and that every effort should be

made to preserve the habitats of these

beautiful birds as well.