A Living Study In Scarlet

When GARY BRALSFORD was offered a pair of the exquisite Brazilian tanager, he jumped at the chance to try breeding them. Here’s how they have been getting along with him so far.

- Gary Bralsford

SOFTBILLS

THE Brazilian scarlet tanager (Ramphocelus bresilia) is a species I have admired for years. It is hard to come by and not many have landed in private aviculturists’ hands. A few are being bred at zoos, though, such as Jersey.

The cock is a truly stunning bird, whereas the hen is more a sombre colour but very nice in its own way. I picked my Brazilian tanagers up in August 2017, and housed them on their own in an inside flight in the birdroom. The flight was 3m long x 1.2m wide x 2.1m high (10ft x 4ft x 7ft). I placed a few baskets around the walls, which were covered in plastic ferns and ivy for privacy, and added several nest-boxes of different sizes in various areas. These half-fronted nest-boxes measure 20cm (8in) square and another two are 25cm (10in) square.