Innholdsfortegnelse for April 23, 2025 i Cage & Aviary Birds

RESEARCH THREE REMOTE INDONESIAN island groups are home to the Banda myzomela (Myzomela boiei) or honeyeater. Until now, scientists categorised these birds as two subspecies, representing a single species. But a new study led by Birdlife International lead scientist and IUCN Red List officer Alex Berryman has established that they are three distinct species. The two subspecies differ in plumage, size and, most importantly, song. Analysis of voice recordings revealed that birds on the Tanimbar and Babar islands (hitherto race annabellae) have entirely different songs, likely to “function as a barrier to mate recognition and reproduction”. This established them as two different species, rather than subspecies. The third species is represented by the population on the Banda Islands, 350km to the north. “The exciting discovery of clear differences in three…

BIRD BEHAVIOUR TRAFFIC NOISE IS negatively affecting the behaviour of birds on the Galápagos, with those frequently exposed to vehicles showing heightened levels of aggression. Things have changed on the remote islands that inspired Charles Darwin to develop his theory of evolution. An annual increase in the human population of 6 per cent and a rise in tourism have led to higher numbers of vehicles. And this has triggered bouts of road rage from one widespread subspecies – the Galápagos yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia aureola). A new study, led by experts from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the UK and the University of Vienna's Konrad Lorenz Research Centre, examined the impact of traffic noise on these birds at two islands: Floreana and Santa Cruz. At 38 sites (20 within 50m…

I WAS very sad to read in the March 12 edition of Cage & Aviary Birds about the passing of Harry Sissens. I met Harry on several occasions at shows and sale days at Stafford and later on at his premises in Yorkshire many years ago. That particular visit was by Parrot Society members from Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, the Luton area members. The visit was not officially sanctioned by the Parrot Society, but a coach was arranged and filled. Harry and his family made us very welcome and his information and hospitality was greatly appreciated. In many ways, especially for birdkeepers, this visit was far more enjoyable than perhaps visiting zoos such as Loro Parque, Palmitos Park or our own Chester Zoo. We all had a wonderful time, seeing…

SEAGULLS often get a bad press, with many media reports on apparently antisocial behaviour such as stealing food, nesting pairs dive-bombing passers-by and noise issues. Even many people who refer to themselves as bird lovers can be somewhat ambivalent about gulls. They are, nonetheless, intelligent and interesting birds. There are about 50 species of seagull worldwide but only six regularly breed in the UK. Gulls can be notoriously difficult to identify because there is a lot of variation within species and their plumage changes with both their age and the season. The black-headed gull is the commonest of our small gulls, although the population has been particularly badly affected by recent outbreaks of avian flu. Mature birds have pale grey upperparts and dark reddish legs and bill. In summer, the…

Last week, BRIAN KEENAN commented on some aspects of Cage Birds in 1956, from a set of issues that he'd just acquired. Here, he appraises some of the feature articles, columns and masses of small adverts that appeared in the fancy's golden post-War era FANCY HISTORY IN 1956, issues of Cage Birds contained between four and six full pages of articles, complete with pictures and illustrative diagrams. Most were written by the famous names of that era: Hamilton Tyler, WE Brooks, WB Horsey, CH Rogers and many others who will be familiar to birdkeepers of a certain age. As I flicked casually through a few issues, an article entitled Pedigree in Budgerigars by Dr MDS Armour caught my eye, as did an article on colour-feeding canaries. “Tasteless pepper preparations are…

SPECIES PROFILE A HEN blackbird sits, sunk low in its cupped nest, with only its upturned beak protruding over the rim. No more than the occasional flicker of its eyes reveals it as a living bird. For many, that is an enduring childhood memory. However, the species itself is strongly defined by the male's blackness. It has only a few alternative common names. The Anglo Saxon blak byrd was interchangeable with ouzle, blackie or colley. (Shakespeare preferred ouzle.) The male blackbird lacks the shiny iridescence of a corvid's black plumage, due to the grey inner margins of the wings and the brown base of the contour feathers. By the time of the annual moult in late summer, due to abrasion and an active lifestyle, some males display browner plumage. The…

TRAVEL IN MY articles last year about my previous Kruger trip, I gave costings. I appreciate that although it is cheaper than other safari destinations, it is still a lot of money – but there are ways to save a little. First, a smaller car can reduce the costs. Additionally, you can fly via a lesser route such as through Cairo and thirdly you could camp. Camping would mean you'd need to take or buy a tent, but the fees for a pitch would be about £20 per night. That is about a quarter of the cost of hiring a bungalow. (Having said that, when we went, I think camping would have just been too hot to be comfortable.) “Several of those 195 species were new ones I had never…

“I HAVE recently returned to the fancy, having had birds way back in the 1950s. I am a bit out of touch after all this time and of course things are so different now. I have a problem with a pair of Fife canaries. They have been together for about six months, with no trouble. A week or so ago I found the remains of an egg, so I quickly put a nest-pan in the cage. After a couple of days I found another egg, then one per day until four were laid. So, you say, that sounds all OK, but the problem is the cock bird has taken over sitting on the eggs all day apart from when feeding. When he is off the nest, the hen is straight…

A century of elegance GLOSTER FANCY CANARY COUNCIL-UK THIS year marks a remarkable milestone in the world of aviculture: the 100th anniversary of the Gloster fancy canary, writes Mario Zahra, Gloster Fancy Canary Council-UK international secretary. (See News, February 5 issue). Since 1925, this elegant breed has captivated enthusiasts worldwide with its distinctive appearance, charming personality and unwavering appeal. As we celebrate this centenary, we also look ahead to the future of this beloved breed and its community. Brief history The origins of the Gloster fancy canary trace back to a humble beginning, much like many successful ventures in life. The story starts in 1919, in the years following the end of the First World War, when the groundwork for this remarkable breed was first laid. Among its pioneers was…

SPECIAL REPORT: MACAWS AS PART of its work, the Hyacinth Macaw Project promotes observation tourism through lectures and workshops, supports other research and trains people to continue field activities. In 2023-2024, these aspects involved a total of 1,197 people, with 610 received for observation tourism. In addition, many lectures were given in the field and at meetings, 11 research partnerships continued and 38 people were trained. Part of the message and training is the threat of fire and how to mitigate its effects on the hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) and their habitats. In 2020, the greatest drought in 60 years occurred in the Pantanal and fires affected almost one third of the biome. The project had to assess the effects of the fires on the hyacinth macaws over a huge…

SCIENCE AT ONE time, the expression “bird brain” was often used as an insult by men, to women, to imply that they were scatterbrained or unintelligent. Now, appropriately, it is a term applied to (and by) both sexes. It is difficult to determine when the term was first used, although there is evidence of it from the 1910s, and the connotation “bird-witted” back in the 1960s. The assumption is that a bird has a small brain and therefore must be unintelligent. But although it is true that birds do have small brains, they are far from being unintelligent. Quite a lot of research has shown the brain of a bird to be more efficient than humans. If we had to pick out one bird as being “unintelligent”, it would have…

CANARIES ARE other type canaries on the same path as the London fancy? When I've talked to breeders in other parts of North America, Europe and the UK, it was generally felt that there is an underlying problem in the hobby that will need to be addressed in the near future. The item of note is the problem arising with the breeding of multiple varieties of type canaries, that could lead to situations similar to those of the London fancy canary and cinnamon canary. This means that they could become extinct, or nearly so, and have to go through a process of “de-evolution” to bring them back so they could once again be part of the fancy. In Canada, as in other countries, I noted that there seem to be…