Barton Aviculture

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I am an aviculturist from the United Kingdom specialising in Cracid birds. I keep a number of species, all of which are little understood in captivity. I have studied their biology, husbandry and behaviour. My aim is to promote parent rearing, create enclosures and provide enrichment that encourages the most natural behaviour possible.

As well as consulting on these species with other keepers around the world, I created ZooMS, the software that I use to run my collection, gather data and improve outcomes.

Jonathan Barton

Responsible Aviculture

Aviculture has an important role in safeguarding species and studying their behaviour. You can find out more about how private collections fit into ex-situ conservation by visiting the World Pheasant Association. On the right are interesting observations from my long-term avicultural experience with cracids, the majority of which are not documented in scientific literature.

Female Piping Guans that have hatched chicks through natural incubation will happily foster others, accepting young chicks even when their own are older. They adjust their maternal behaviour to match the developmental stage of the youngest chicks.

When multiple male Helmeted Curassows are in a collection, even when not in visual contact, they establish a dominance based hierarchy based on booming calls. If the dominant male falls out of breeding condition, another will replace him.

In captivity Yellow Knobbed Curassows are strongly monogamous with males undertaking nest building and courtship feeding. This is despite findings of polygamy in the wild.

Early hatched Piping Guans are capable of laying fertile eggs at only one year old. Female curassows on the other hand do not display the correct behaviours to form workable pair bonds at such a young age, instead they first lay when they are two.

Male cracids choose the nest site and undertake its construction. Females take little to no role. Poor fertility or females laying in unsuitable locations is often a sign of behaviour issues in the male.

Cracid birds leave the nest within a day of hatching. The uncoordinated chicks must be able to independently follow their parents to perching. Cracids never brood on the floor, even if that is the location of the chick.

Piping guans are very tolerant of previous broods and can be held with them indefinitely, even when rearing other chicks. Although males are not actively involved in parental care they take a patient approach to young chicks.