Inland Dotterals

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garymc
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Posts: 246
Joined: 17 Feb 2010, 21:26
Location: Western Australia

In response to Jayburds request for some information on the Inland Dotterals

The first point of interest Jayburd is size. They are a long legged bird probably similar in body size to a ringneck dove but on short stilts. They generally do not fly, but can do (clumsily) when startled or frightened. Cocks and hens are pretty much identical - DNA is my way of sexing them. There is some size difference but I think with rarer birds we should be as sure as we can about having true pairs.

Diet wise I feed mine probably 95% livefood - maggots and pupae, mealworms and occasionally crickets. Termites would be relished. I don't have a bowl of seed to specifically feed them but rather they get what is flicked around. They will take softfood mixes - egg and cheese etc etc. Chicks are reared predominately on maggots.

In general relatively few have been kept in captivity hence the minimum housing requirements are still to be established.

I keep mine in two aviaries one is 10m long by 2.4m wide. The other is 4.8m long by 4.8m wide. Height is not really an issue because they are a ground dweller. They do remain wary in these aviaries but I have not spent a lot of time trying to bond with them. A smaller aviary may be ok (3.6m x 3.6m) but feeding may need to be done externally. A friend has had them lay eggs and incubate in an aviary of approximately this size but I am not sure of the end result. A clear floor devoid of weeds, sticks etc is of great benefit because they have a great dislike for getting tangled up.

Mine commence nesting in winter. The cock bird digs a series of shallow depressions around the aviary until finally the hen accepts one and begins to lay. Once the clutch is complete (2-4 eggs although one particular hen will lay more eggs in the same nest about a week after the cock has been sitting). The cock bird incubates (in one pair only the cock incubates whilst in the other the hen will occasionally help out whilst the cock bird has a feed). After 23 days or thereabouts the first egg will/should hatch. The other eggs follow up until two to four days after the first hatches. The cock perseveres sitting on the eggs, as well as brooding the chicks. At this point the cock bird develops an intense dislike for the hen. She is not allowed anywhere near the chicks – I do not know if this only happens with my pairs. I have therefore started taking the hen birds out.

If you do eventually go along this path it is good to know that if the cock bird hops of the eggs for a break he will cover the eggs with rocks and leaves and sticks giving them an abandoned look. Then when he returns he clears them all off and starts sitting again.

Whilst they will scratch depressions with my pairs nothing occurred egg wise until they were two years old.

The chicks grow very quickly and are feathered at about 6 weeks. I then remove them and return the hen back to the cock bird. This season both pairs have begun to lay between 6 and 7 days after the hen was returned.

As for housing with quail I cannot comment, but I have never seem them attempt to cause harm to any softbills or finches – either young or old.

Price wise they are around the $300-$400pr range.

I think that covers all the questions
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garymc
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Posts: 246
Joined: 17 Feb 2010, 21:26
Location: Western Australia

The aviary as described may work - I would however do away with the pond (other opinions appreciated) I think theyproblems that they can generate far outweigh the benefits. Is is certainly not a must for the dotterals. The red gravel floor should be ideal.

Feeding externally is by revolving feeder or via a feed station accessed externally. In aviaries of these dimensions the birds don't seem to feel threatened or cornered when fed externally. Cleaning however is another matter.

Whilst things you read about species such as these are beneficial - they are not gospel. Again with so few being kept over the years - real hands on experience is limited hence some of the info supplied can differ from from ones own experiences.

If you can maintain a good, regular supply of termites, I wouldn't bother with the maggots. Rather than trying to make more work for yourself and less time to enjoy the birds - stick to the white ants. They are in my opinion the best form of livefood available. I use maggots only because it is not possible to get a good, reliable supply of white ants locally.

There are a few people that keep and breed them. I personally know of two others in Perth and five in SA and NSW.

Worth getting a hold of Rosemary Huttons Australian Softbill Management - there is a good chapter on the inlands dotterals in that
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