Cage & Aviary Birds May 7, 2025

CANARIES AT A SPARSELY attended but quorate AGM of the Canary Council (CC) held on April 5, 2025, at the Fieldhead Hotel in Markfield, Leicestershire, the officers made the decision to wind up the CC in accordance with rule 8.3 of its constitution, writes Barry Mills, outgoing CC chairman. The future of the CC was the first agenda item after officers’ reports and the fact that so few of our former members were in attendance reflects the state of play in the hobby at the moment. Simply put, there are too few people able or willing to take on roles on national bodies while their own clubs and societies are often suffering the same difficulty. The chairman himself wished to step down from the role after many years in post…

THANKS TO TROPICAN, we have three 1.8kg bags up for grabs. Tropican says its Tropimix for small parrots is a premium food mix full of grains, fruits, nuts and Tropican granules. This special blend is fortified with essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids for optimum health and nutrition. Tropican granules are a great addition to this mix, as not only are they bursting with peanut flavour they contain premium sources of protein. It is 100 per cent edible and does not contain any messy shells; eliminating waste and the risk of pathogens. It provides a stimulating eating experience and foraging opportunities making it great for enrichment! Three x 1.8kg bags to be won! As it contains Tropican granules and is de-husked, it also makes a great diet to assist in…

FURTHER BIRD-FLU ZONES ON APRIL 7, four new areas across the UK were put into an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) with mandatory housing measures: County Durham, Cumbria, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear. They join the following areas: Cheshire, City of Kingston Upon Hull, Herefordshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, part of Shropshire, Suffolk, Worcestershire and York. All birdkeepers in these areas must keep their birds housed. SONG EVOLUTION DISCOVERED A NEW STUDY has revealed that the song type of the thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) in Finland has completely changed over a period of 33 years. Researchers from Charles University in Czech Republic compared song recordings made in 1986 and then in 2019. Focusing on syllables and song types, they found that no song…

PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS THE WINNERS OF the 2024 Waterlife Photography Competition run by the WWT have been announced – with first place being awarded to an action shot of two ruffs fighting mid-air. Robert Singleton, who won with the photograph “On guard!”, commented: “Last November, I spent some time photographing the godwits and ruff from the Discovery Hide. The birds were quite territorial. Though they tolerated other species, if one of their own approached, a fight often erupted. Some of their clashes were quite violent, though thankfully no lasting injuries were incurred.” Mr Singleton won a pair of Viking Optical Osprey 8x42 binoculars for his striking image. The judges added: “Robert proves there's something to see at a WWT wetland at any time of year by capturing the moment these warring…

CONSERVATION A GREATER UNDERSTANDING of the conditions that bird species require to thrive could help conservation efforts to protect those at worst risk from climate change. A recent study focused on the relationship between conditions that species tolerate and in which they can survive (climatic niche breadth) and their likelihood of declining in response to climate change. The findings, published in the Journal of Biogeography, provide valuable insights into how climatic niche breadth could be an important factor in predicting bird species’ vulnerability to climate change. Species able to tolerate a wider range of climatic conditions are most likely to maintain population numbers. “Species, whether rare or widespread, with narrower climatic niches may be more susceptible to the rapid changes brought on by climate change compared to those with broader…

CONSERVATION A PAIR OF reintroduced birds have laid eggs in the wild for the first time in 40 years. Sihek, also known as Guam kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus), are classified in the IUCN Red List as Extinct in the Wild. These birds have not been seen on their native island of Guam since 1988. Nine young Sihek that were hand-reared by zookeepers were released at The Nature Conservancy's (TNC's) Palmyra Atoll Preserve in September 2024 by the Sihek Recovery Program, a global collaboration of conservationists – including ZSL – dedicated to rewilding the species. Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean was selected as the home for the wild sihek because it is predator-free and fully protected. “This moment for celebration is a real testament to all the dedicated work from everyone…