Innholdsfortegnelse for October 1, 2025 i Cage & Aviary Birds

SEABIRDS A KEY BREEDING ground at Lang-stone Harbour Nature Reserve on Hayling Island, off the coast of Hampshire, has been saved. Through close partnership with Havant Borough Council, the RSPB and the Blue Marine Foundation have not only restored part of the reserve for birds but also created opportunity for additional nature recovery on the site. At the beginning of the year, two lagoon islands at the heart of Langstone Harbour were raised and reshaped with 400 tonnes of shingle, restoring them to a perfect nesting location for terns, gulls and other shore-nesting birds. And the restored islands have proved an immediate success, says the RSPB, with a marked increase in numbers nesting on the site this year. 501 pairs of black-headed gulls nested (that was 100 more than last…

AUTUMN IS UPON us now, and the evenings are sadly drawing in. There is certainly a nip in the air as I walk to work in the mornings. Despite this, some of our more determined avian inhabitants are still rearing young and surprisingly hatching eggs. The incubation room, which was slowly winding down, has now started to get busy once again and we are currently incubating not one, but two black curassow (Crax alector) eggs – not bad for a female who is now over 30 years old. Sadly, none of her eggs this year have proven fertile, but you just never know with this pair. We have two Palawan peacock pheasant eggs that should be due to hatch over the next few days and two more roul roul partridge…

I’M NOT ONE of the most naturally Christmassy people, but I definitely perked up when Graham Paine got in touch with the details of this year’s Christmas raffle. Graham has a superb team of organisers and together they have assembled a growing band of prize donors whose agreed aim is simple: to generate money and good news for the hobby. So I was delighted when Graham emailed me the full list of raffle prizes and their generous donors, which are summarised with his letter, left. It’s interesting to browse through the list. There are very strong prize offerings from the budgerigar and canary sections – and we are talking top birds from top breeders. For fans of British hardbills, there is a mouthwatering set of birds up for grabs. Then…

PIGEONS IT IS always instructive to see how other bird and small animal fancies work and not long ago I took a run out to the Reading Fancy Pigeon Club members’ show. This a small, local club whose members run three shows per season. The club itself has 20-30 members, with people coming from far and wide to exhibit at the events it stages. I was surprised to spot Norman Hooke, one of the main organisers of the Welsh National Exhibition of Cage Birds, who had travelled over from Swansea for the show. I also spied a couple of faces I recognised from other cage bird clubs and shows, so there is a bit of natural overlap between the two fancies. The club’s show calendar begins with the Norman and…

Fanciers bid fond farewell at final show CAMBRIDGESHIRE BS THE society celebrated its 40th anniversary at the show since its formation on May 14 1985, reports Ghalib Al-Nasser. At that inaugural meeting, 35 fanciers attended with the late Dennis Brown, in the post of treasurer, the late Graham Fletcher as chairman, Ian Gurr as vice chair and Beverley Hutt in the post of secretary forming the society. Only Bev and Ian have lasted all those years since the formation with Ian currently chairman and show manager and Bev as secretary, treasurer and show organiser. However, it was also a very sad and emotional moment for both Bev, her daughter Laura and Ian as it was the last show the society held. As a token of great appreciation, Ian presented Bev…

For your open show to appear in our monthly calendar, send open show date, venue and contact details so it reaches us in time (November shows to reach us by mid October). Email: birds.general@kelsey.co.uk SATURDAY OCTOBER 4 LINCOLNSHIRE & EAST ANGLIA/ IPSWICH BS S&R VARIETY SHOW Risby Village Hall IP28 6RT. Email: ghalib.alnasser@gmail.com SUNDAY OCTOBER 5 WESTERN COUNTIES B&FBS AREA OPEN SHOW Kenn Centre, Exeter Road, Kennford, Exeter, Devon EX6 7UE. Email: neilwilliamjohnson@sky.com SUNDAY OCTOBER 12 DYFED CBS OPEN SHOW Caerbryn Village Hall, Ammanford SA18 3DX. Tel: 07854 808 110. EAST ANGLIAN ZFS OPEN SHOW Bar Hill Village Hall, Cambridgeshire CB23 8SU. Email: Lawrence-mann@sky.com LONDON & SOUTHERN COUNTIES BS AREA SHOW Centenary Hall, Wheelers Lane, Smallfield, Surrey RH6 9PT. Email: ghalib.alnasser@gmail.com NEWBURY CBS OPEN SHOW Burwood Centre, Wheelers Green Way,…

10 × 1kg bags to be won! FANCY winning a 1kg bag of Tip Top Budgie Seed or Condition Seed from Haith’s? Tip Top Budgie Seed is a classic everyday seed mix that is super clean and well balanced, featuring plain canary seed, mixed millets and an assortment of healthy seeds. Condition Seed is Haith’s original, time-tested seed – a balanced blend of clean, digestible seeds designed to give your cage and aviary birds the boost they need during the breeding season, moulting, or colder weather. For your chance to win your choice of seed mix, see “How to enter” below. For more information on Haith’s, visit: www.haiths.com, search ‘Haith’s Cage & Aviary Bird Seed’ on Facebook or tel: 0800 298 7054 TERMS & CONDITIONS: The prizes are as stated,…

THIS year’s Cage & Aviary Birds Christmas raffle is by far the biggest and most exciting one we have ever put together. The raffle team have secured more prizes to bid for than ever before. And this year a lot more clubs will benefit through a boost of much-needed funds, too. Just as a reminder, or for readers who don’t know about this event: it’s an annual online raffle that has one aim – to make it a happy Christmas by raising money for clubs and societies across the country. Individuals and companies put up a prize and state the club they’d like to benefit. The money received for raffle tickets sold for each donor’s prize then goes to the club that they have specified. It’s simple and it’s a…

ZEBRA FINCHES JIM Addison stands out as my most respected breeder and exhibitor of zebra finches. He laid down the foundation of the ideal bird in the 1970s and 1980s. His birds, mostly chestnutflanked whites, were unbeaten at the National Exhibition for many years. Those birds were as active on the last day of three (three was the norm then), compared to birds that now look tired out after one-day shows! He wrote very informative articles for Cage & Aviary Birds, as well as for his beloved Scottish and Northern Counties Zebra Finch Society newsletters. He is a highly respected, knowledgeable, generous and a great supporter of the ZFS. My late dear friend George Lewsey was another great birdman, whose support for the society and fellow fanciers was outstanding. I…

WHAT IF? FOR most domestic birdkeepers in the UK, the idea of keeping vultures is more of a distant dream than a practical reality. These magnificent scavengers are often misunderstood. The fact is that they require highly specialised care, large enclosures and strict adherence to legal regulations. And even though private ownership is rare and largely impractical, vultures are successfully kept in zoological collections and wildlife parks across the UK, where they provide valuable insights into their husbandry and conservation. Legally, keeping vultures in captivity is tightly controlled. Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, private individuals must obtain a licence from their local authority to keep such birds. Many vulture species are also listed under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), which means that an Article…

EXHIBITION BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY (IRELAND) THE club staged its annual open show in Kilnamanagh, Dublin on August 16, report Paul O’Reilly and Joe Geraghty. A very strong entry saw more than 300 birds benched, much to the delight of club members. Judged by Garry Warren and Dave Wall, the show highlighted the depth of quality in the Irish fancy and produced a number of standout winners across all sections. The top honour of best in show went to Ian Quigley & Matt Owens, whose yellowface cinnamon (class 27 – 4) impressed the judges with its balance, condition and show presence. This bird also secured best any age (AA) in show and best champion bird. Close behind, T. Burke took the best opposite sex in show and best champion AA opposite sex…

SHOW DATES CUMBRIA BORDER & FIFE CC are pleased to announce the annual show will be held on December 14 at Low Hesket Village Hall CA4 0ES. Judges engaged are Tim Ward (Border) and Mr Martin Alger, Mr Brian Russell and Mr Henry Cooper (Fife). There will be hot food and drinks plus local bakery delights available in the canteen with ample seating in a warm environment for all. We will be delighted to see as many fanciers of both canary types as possible to support the show and the hobby alike. Great prizes are on offer, including slate plaques for best in show plus seed vouchers for sacks of seed plus cash awards to the class winners. The committee would like to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable journey…

RAPTORS WIN VINEYARD SECURITY CONTRACT THE RATHFINNY WINE Estate in East Sussex has deployed a team of birds to protect its grapes before they ripen. The winery had previously used plastic netting and clips to deter birds from eating this crop. The birds include two different cross-bred peregrine falcons, a merlin, a Harris hawk and even a Chilean eagle. The practice has previously been successful in France’s Champagne region. The estate said using the birds of prey was more environmentally friendly than other possible measures. HEAD KEEPER VOLUNTEERS IN PERU BIRDLAND PARK & GARDENS is following the volunteering journey of its head keeper Alistair Keen in Lima, Peru. He is working with the Punta San Juan Programme; a vital conservation effort focused on protecting some of the region’s most vulnerable…

PICTURE OF THE MONTH! C&AB TEAM PICKS THEIR FAVOURITE SEND us your birdkeeping pictures and we’ll publish them on this page. Each month the C&AB team will pick their favourite picture(s)! Simply email your picture to: birds.general@kelsey.co.uk with “Readers’ Gallery” in the subject line or put them on our Facebook or Twitter pages. Unfortunately, the Kelsey Media offices at Welbeck Way, Woodston PE2 7WH are now closed so it is not possible to receive entries sent by post. Don’t forget to include your name and address and a caption. NB: you must send only images for which you own the copyright. We cannot guarantee to print everything we receive. Readers’ Gallery will return next month. Closing date for entries: October 16, 2025.…

ABERDEEN BS – October 9, Northern Bowling Club, Orchard Road AB24 3DP, 7.30pm. Members show, no seed in cages. The judge is A. Melvin. Enquiries: 01358 721 550. AUSTRALIAN FINCH SOCIETY – October 5, Stafford County Showground, Weston Road ST18 0BD. Stand at the National Exhibition. Enquiries: 01473 626 938. BASILDON CBS – October 13, Felmores Community Centre, Northland’s Park, Basildon SS13 1SD, 7:30pm. Young stock show. Enquiries: 07880 707 502. BRISTOL BS – October 13, Little Stoke Baptist Church, Kingsway, Little Stoke BS34 6JW, 7pm. Meeting. Enquiries: 07748 740 794. CAMBRIDGE CBS – October 6, Little Shelford CB2 5EP, 7.15pm. Club meeting- room will be open from 7pm. Enquiries: 01223 842 843. CARSHALTON, WALLINGTON & MORDEN CBS – October 5, Pavilion, Rosehill Community Centre,Sutton SM1 3HH, 5 - 6.30pm.…