Innholdsfortegnelse for June 11, 2025 i Cage & Aviary Birds

IT SEEMS RATHER strange weather for summer. At 4am on Friday, May 23, it was only 2˚C. By pm, the temperature had then risen 17 degrees to 19˚C. That made it a very pleasant day and my breeding birds were enjoying some warm, dry weather. What a change from the early morning temperature of only 2˚C. With little or no cloud cover during these nights, the temperature plummets. This is all owing to the high pressure centred over the UK, which has been the norm for the past two weeks. Our gardens are screaming out for a good downpour of heavy rain, but at present that seems some way off. What is of more concern is that the cold nights are producing some challenging conditions for breeding parakeets. There seems…

COMMENT DURING the early 1990s, I was asked by David Neville of the National Council for Aviculture to cast an eye over a document produced by the European Union. It was intended as a precursor to legislating those species that might be traded within the EU. This list appeared to be quite arbitrary, chosen seemingly at random by a committee. (It might help to know that the EU committee numbered 600 people.) Perhaps it was their job each to come up with 10 names, for the list contained the names of about 6,000 species – listed by their scientific names. Now, although I could reel off the scientific names of all the falconry birds I had kept, plus a wide variety of both native and foreign birds, in particular, that…

I THINK it's fair to say that my 2025 breeding season has got off to a bit of a stumbling start. Let's begin with a positive. At the time of writing, I've weaned my first three nests of Borders for 2025. The first of those I wrote about in last month's bulletin. Despite being abandoned by the hen, going cold, coming back to life and being raised by a pair of mosaic canaries, I'm delighted that they've made it to solitary living! What of the negatives? There have been a few to be honest. My birds have done things this year that I've not experienced before and it's been a struggle to keep going back into the birdroom and find that something else has happened. My biggest problem has been…

TRAVEL ● The other great bird nation in the Southern Cone is Chile, which I'll write about another time – it was a fascinatingly contrasting experience.…

BORDER FOCUS STANDING amongst the most historic and progressive clubs in the UK, the Southern Border Fancy Canary Club (SBFCC) has proudly served the fancy since 1913. Established with the bold ambition of offering a southern counterbalance to the then-dominant Border Fancy Canary Club in Scotland, the SBFCC was a rallying point for exhibitors across southern England and Wales – united by the shared goal of giving “the Scots a run for their money.” From those early days, when birds were transported by horse and cart and breeders relied on candlelight and coal stoves, the club has evolved through every major shift in our hobby – from cage design to feeding regimes and transportation. Yet, what remains unchanged is the SBFCC's deep commitment to the Border fancy canary and to…

TERRY Kelly's article on the hawfinch (C&AB, May 28) considers the shortage of people breeding that species back in the 1980s. I became seriously interested in the hawfinch in the mid- to late 1970s. Few people could breed them in those days and the birds were very thin on the ground. Herbert Marshall, Stan Edwards, Terry Roberts, Mike Beesly, Malcom Taylor and a few others had said they had bred hawfinches, and I had no reason to disbelieve them. The hawfinch was in great danger of being lost to aviculture altogether when the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act came into being. (It actually came into force in September 1982.) Owing to the worry of not understanding the Act and the countless raids on fanciers, many unloaded their birds to people…

REINTROS EVERY spring, juvenile storks born at Cotswold Wildlife Park (CWP) are sent to the Knepp Estate in Sussex as part of their breeding and rewilding project. CWP was involved from the start of the programme and keepers have streamlined the breeding process. I went to meet the stork keeper, Richard Wardle, whose official title is deputy section head of primates, small mammals and birds. He explained how and why the breeding programme began. “A group of landowners at Knepp wanted to re-establish the white stork in the UK,” Richard said. “The species lived here 600 years ago and they wanted to bring it back. There are places named after the stork, such as Storrington, near Knepp, which in the 12th century was known as ‘Storketon’, or ‘Storcatun’, meaning ‘homestead…

SOFTBILLS THE health and wellbeing of softbills in aviculture is a topic that could be debated at great length! A lot of softbill species presently available have been in aviculture a while and were most likely bred in aviaries. Back in the import days we were dealing with birds that in many cases were wild-caught and most likely flying free weeks earlier. Back then, birds were caught boxed and flown around the globe from Africa, Asia and South America. On arrival, they were shipped to quarantine stations around the UK. I had the pleasure of going to two in Doncaster and one in Lincolnshire. To obtain the first softbill released from quarantine was like being a kid in a sweet shop. But it was a risky business, even after a…

Birds ‘on top form’ EASTERN FEDERATION OF BRITISH BIRD FANCIERS A CHANGE of date certainly helped the increase of entries to our open show this year, writes Andrew Calvesbert. It was moved three weeks earlier from March to February 23. Entries were up by 100 on last year. Some birds were starting to come into breeding condition and looking at their best. The overall winner was Jason Jermy's lark – a bird in perfect feather condition and staged perfectly. The hardbill winner was Richard Kirbyshire's flighted bullfinch cock. Top mule or hybrid was a canary x bullfinch bred by Richard Wilson. Second best hardbill was novice exhibitor Davy Hunt with his linnet cock. Third best was Phil Linder's current-year bred (CYB) greenfinch hen. Best champion adult hardbill was the winning…

SHOW DATES DALBEATTIE CBC will hold its open show on November 2 at Dalbeattie Town Hall, High Street, Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries and Galloway DG5 4AD. Show judges are S. McCall, M. Trainor and D. McGill. For enquiries, please contact 01556 610 943. NEWBURY CBS is holding its open show on October 12 at the Burdwood Centre, Wheelers Green Way, Thatcham, Berkshire RG19 4YA. Judges have been arranged for this show. Schedules will be sent to all who showed over the past two years. Enquiries: 01189 817 357. CLUB NEWS AUSTRALIAN FINCH SOCIETY is having the usual stand in the Prestwood Annexe at the Parrot Society Summer Bird Show at the Stafford show ground on July 6. Members are invited to use this service. Please remember no more than two birds…

TROPICAN GIVEAWAY WINNERS THE THREE WINNERS of our May giveaway to win a 1.8kg bag of Tropimix Formula for Small Parrots are as follows: Philip Janes, Gloucestershire; Anthony Cahill, London; and Mark Jeynes, West Midlands. Your prizes are on the way to you. 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. NEW FOREST NATURE MORE THAN 24 acres of grassland have been planted with wildflowers to help boost insect numbers in the New Forest, which will in turn help wild birds. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has been working with private landowners in the west of the Forest as…

ZOOS & BIRD PARKS THE UK GOVERNMENT has announced large-scale updates in the rules for keeping and breeding birds and animals in zoos. These measures include improved conservation standards, new requirements for record-keeping, better training for zoo staff to handle exotic species and a curb on the sourcing of animals from the wild. The document, Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for Great Britain, was published on May 24 and includes best-practice welfare measures, including the phasing out of tethering birds of prey as a method of long-term accommodation and instead moving to large aviaries. “This is the first step as part of our commitment to deliver the most ambitious animal welfare reforms in a generation – Animal Welfare Minister, Baroness Hayman Animal welfare minister, Baroness Hayman, commented: “We are a nation…

IS IT “SIS-TICKLER”? Or “sisty-cola”, as in a fizzy drink? I was musing on this profound question as I read Graham Wellstead's entertaining article on page 7. Graham singles out the classic African genus Cisticola for its rich yield of silly English names. You've got your wailing cisticola, your tinkling, your croaking and many others. True, honest – unlike the ones dreamed up by two mates of mine in Kenya years ago. They persuaded a third companion (terribly keen, but gullible) that he'd enjoyed fine studies of a succession of outlandishly named species, culminating in the disco-dancing cisticola (C. travoltarum). It turned a bit sticky on the flight home when he was trying to find all these things on his pre-printed checklist. Nomenclature, the naming of birds, attracts many kinds…

BUDGERIGARS IF YOU keep livestock, you will always be battling against illness and other issues in your stud. That applies especially when it comes to birds and even more so when it comes to budgies. The modern-day exhibition budgie has a lot of feather and many of these birds are naturally rather fluffy. That is down to selective breeding in order to create this big feather structure and display of features. However, when a budgie is feeling unwell it will fluff up to make itself look bigger, perhaps instinctively to prevent it from being picked on by other birds. That means that when you combine a modern feathery budgie with illness, you have a headache. You can sometimes miss the early signs due to the sheer volume of feather hiding…

PETER DEGVILLE I HAVE recently been informed of the passing away of my old friend Peter Degville at the age of 94, writes Terry McCracken. During his last few years, he was admitted to a care home, and I had lost touch with him. Peter was a well-respected judge of British birds, mules & hybrids and officiated at all the top shows. His favourite birds were mules & hybrids, and he bred some outstanding goldfinch mules in the 60s and 70s! I remember his goldfinch cock that was virtually unbeatable for a couple of years. He also did well with a buff greenfinch cock at the Scottish National. Peter and his wife were dedicated supporters of the NBB&MC and he was made an honorary life president for his services. Sincere…

DUNBARTONSHIRE BS – June 16, The Rock Bowling Club, Castle Road, Dumbarton G82 1JJ, 8pm. Discussion on young birds. Enquiries: 07951 110 570. GATESHEAD & NEWCASTLE BS – June 11, Swalwell Community Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne NE16 3ET, 7pm. Ring show No's 7, 6 and 2. The judge and speaker is Jim Smith. Enquiries: 07530 996 570. GRANTHAM CBS – June 12, Railway Club, Huntingtower Road, Grantham NG31 7AU, 7.30pm. Budgerigar young stock show & barhead judged by Steve Hardcastle who will give a talk afterwards. Enquiries: 07734 923 477. HIGH WYCOMBE CBS – June 18, Hazlemere Community Centre, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP15 7UB, 8pm. Raptors with Simon Cox. Enquiries: 07534 832 943. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BS – June 12, Doddridge Community Centre, Northampton NN5 5LD, 7.30pm. Nest feather & young stock…