Innholdsfortegnelse for November 12, 2025 i Cage & Aviary Birds

CONSERVATION A NEW REPORT celebrates the return of two bird species to the UK, both proven to breed in 2023 for the first time since the 1990s. The Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) – an independent body that monitors the populations of the UK's rarest breeding birds – collects breeding data on all species of birds with fewer than 2,000 pairs breeding in the UK. The 2023 report includes details of 104 rare or scarce native birds that bred, or showed signs of breeding, in the UK. A pair of hoopoes have succeeded in raising three young from a nest in farmland in Leicestershire. This striking species from southern Europe has bred sporadically in the UK for almost 200 years but had been absent as a breeding species since 1996,…

READER Simon Wehrle and his daughter Hope featured in Readers Gallery last week, and we asked what his story was. Here's what he says – Ed. FOR as long as I can remember, birds have been a part of my life. My journey with cockatiels didn't just start out of nowhere – it's something that's been passed down through generations of my family. It all began with my grandad, who was a keen birdkeeper. Among his birds, cockatiels were always there, chirping away out in his back garden. My dad carried on the tradition, keeping cockatiels and various other types of birds, and he still does to this day. Growing up surrounded by so many different types of birds, it was only natural that I'd follow in their footsteps. I…

COVER STORY: SCIENCE IF THERE is one thing birds are recognised for other than flight, it is nest-building. Many birds have the ability to construct complex nests out of a variety of materials, from twigs and leaves to mud and spider silk. However, the significance of nest-building extends far beyond the individual bird's reproductive success. Through their nest-building activities, birds shape their ecosystems. They influence the structure and the function of their environments, and they provide benefits to other species. We can call it “ecosystem engineering”. Birds' nests are more than just a safe haven for raising their young. They can also be complex structures that alter the physical environment or even landscape and create new habitats for other species. When they build nests, birds may modify the structure of…

ABERDEEN BS – November 13, Northern Bowling Club, Orchard Road AB24 3DP, 7.30pm. A talk on bird products and seeds by Alan Melvin. Enquiries: 01358 721 550. AUSTRALIAN FINCH SOCIETY – November 16, Village Hall, Cheswick Way B90 4JA, 10.30am. Council meeting. Enquiries: 01473 626 938. CHICHESTER CBS – November 25, Village Hall, School Lane, North Mundham PO20 1LA, 7.30pm. End of year social evening full of lively reflection on the year. Enquiries: 01243 551 093. COLCHESTER CBS – November 20, Stanway Village Main Hall, Villa Road, Stanway CO3 OHR, 7.45pm. Evening members' show and end of year buffet evening (no meeting in December). All are welcome to attend. Enquiries: 07484 688 334. DAGENHAM CBS – November 15, Wantz Hall, 257 Rainham Road North RM10 7DX, 10am - 2pm. Young…

DURING my working career, I learned how important it was to avoid using acronyms, abbreviations and initials because the speaker or writer assumes that the listener or reader knows what they are talking about and often they do not. This in effect stifles good communication. To me, “AI” firstly stood for “Artificial Insemination”, which is banned in the budgerigar hobby by the Budgerigar Society. But more recently, I have tuned into the meaning of Artificial Intelligence – this has evidently been in use since 1950. However, even more recently, the Animal & Plant Health Agency (I avoided saying APHA) has deemed that AI stands for Avian Influenza. Let's get back to saying what we mean and remove the confusion – for me at least! ● And then there's the National…

PIGEONS CAN you tell me a bit about the history of the Birmingham roller and the National Birmingham Roller Association (NBRA)? Birmingham roller pigeons probably originated in the West Midlands – and as the name suggests, Birmingham in particular – during the 17th and 18th centuries. They were the result of selective breeding between English and Dutch tumblers and oriental rollers to enhance their aerial rolling ability. Popularised by working-class people in the industrial heart of England, the breed developed its distinctive rapid, backward-somersaulting flight. The breed was formally documented in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and significant imports to North America began in the 1930s, largely through the efforts of one man, named William Pensom. The National Championship was conceived, designed, and implemented by Graham Dexter and…

LAST month, I had the pleasure of judging the British and Norwich sections at the Scottish National show that was held in Grangemouth, Falkirk. As I explained last month, I'm not the best of travellers these days, so I and my wife travelled up on the Saturday. We preferred to stay overnight rather than have a really early start for a drive of over two-and-a-half hours. We knew that the Kelpies sculptures were situated in Falkirk, so arriving just after lunch on Saturday gave us a chance to view them and then have a good look around to get our bearings. We found the show hall while we were out sightseeing, so I did not have to search for it on the morning of the show. It was conveniently only…

COMPETITION WINNERS THE TEN WINNERS of Haith's October prize draw to win either a 1kg bag of Tip Top Budgie Seed or Condition Seed are: Philip Janes, Gloucester; Michael Coltman, Burton on Trent; Wayne Kingston, Newport; Brian Sheldrake, Kenninghall; Graham Davies, Birmingham; William Stephen, Ellon; George Jackson, Saltburn; Karen Walker, East Cowes; Colin Dymond, East Cowes; Wanda Hammond, Preston. Congratulations, your chosen prize is on the way! STRONG WINDS BLOW SEABIRDS INTO LANDLOCKED COUNTY A WILDLIFE CHARITY has rescued a fourth seabird that has been blown from the coast to a landlocked county in the space of a few weeks. Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Aylesbury, Bucks rescued a red-throated diver found in Wendover, about 70 miles from the sea. It was nursed back to health before being released on the…

I LOVE CHRISTMAS – it is so good to have an enjoyable holiday near the end of December. It also gives ample opportunity to support the retailers who work so hard, the whole year through, to source the interesting items that we bird breeders must have to ensure our birds enjoy the best of everything. Books about birds, with tips and information, allow us to have a greater knowledge of aviculture. Helping us learn what we need to know to ensure our birds are comfortably housed in either aviaries or roomy cages. At the Parrot Society, we have many generous members who have built up large book collections over the years and many have donated these to us. The Society offer these books to newcomers at our shows so that the…

HERE WE GO again. To nobody's surprise, the mandatory housing requirement for birds that DEFRA has just introduced for several English regions (see last week's issue) has been expanded to cover the whole of England. To recap, it means that people with 50+ birds in outside aviaries need to cover them securely. It doesn't stop bird movements – those are affected by the individual zones listed on the map we've reproduced on page 3. No prizes for anyone who predicts a similar move in Wales and Scotland, but they of course have their very own DEFRAs. Correction: Lancashire CC At last month's National, the winner of best coppy and best Lanc in show was Ryan Ali, not as stated in News, November 5. More info and photos next week. The…

CANARIES NO MATTER which variety of canary you keep, or what level you've reached within the fancy, November stands out as one of the most important and busy months of the year. The days shorten, temperatures dip and for fanciers everywhere, attention turns to both the show bench and the months of careful management that follow. For those who exhibit, November is a balancing act. The show season is in full swing, yet the birds still need steady conditioning and plenty of quiet time between events. Any late birds that missed the October shows because they hadn't quite completed the moult should, by now, be ready for their turn in the spotlight. These are often the birds that benefit most from patience. That extra couple of weeks allows them to…

IPSWICH BS THE club held its gold championship open show in late July and received a total entry of 485 from 31 exhibitors, of which 393 birds were benched, reports Ghalib Al-Nasser. Exhibitors came from many parts of the society's area, and some came from as far away as Lincolnshire to take part. The judges, Steve and Michael Holland and Geoff Tillson, selected a quality cinnamon grey green cock of the P & A Partnership as the best any age and best in show. They also selected Andy Brooks's lutino cock as the best young bird in show. The best any age opposite sex in show and best opposite sex overall went to Peter Barber's cinnamon grey hen while the best young bird opposite sex award went to the Terheege…

NATIONAL EXHIBITION, STAFFORD 2025 LAST week, we featured the National Exhibition club show reports of the Blue Lizard Canary Club and Staffordshire British Bird & Mule Club. This week, it's the turn of the Australian Finch Society, and the Colour Canary Breeders Association. More show reports in forthcoming issues. ■ Australian Finch Society – A big thank you must be given to the Parrot Society for providing our hobby with this event, writes Colin Rowe. And from our society an even bigger thank you goes to the Midland Zebra Finch Club. Wayne Downing and Penny Lambert undertook all the administrative work connected to running a section at the show – a big thank you too. After an absence of a few years from the event, the AFS return was a…

SHOW DATES BEAUMARIS CBS the ‘Palace show of Wales’ returns on January 3. The club committee are meeting on a regular basis working on the arrangements for the annual show. It will stage the final round of this Irish fancy canary series, along with the second show of the North Wales Yorkshire Canary Club. John Keeley (Wexford) will judge the Irish with Martin Adair (Cumbria) judging the Yorkshires. They will be joined by Robb Brown (Oxfordshire) for British and foreign, Jeff Hamlet (Runcorn) Border and Fifes, Paul Martin (Dublin) for Norwich and finally Joe McGovern (Liverpool) judging budgerigars. Cash prize money has been increased and exceeds £1,000. There will be an eve of show gathering for judges and visitors at Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn, Beaumaris. Enquiries to Arwel Roberts…