CATEGORIES

A Change Of Heart

Following on from his ‘My history of hawking’ feature in the December 13, 2017 issue, GRAHAM WELLSTEAD explains why an unfortunate series of events led him fly a Harris hawk – and how it turned everything he’d previously thought about the species on its head.

Beyond Grey

After feeling rather indifferent to the anthracite in its early days, FRED WRIGHT now believes this new variety is showing enough promise to merit being taken up more widely. Here he sums up what has been learned so far about its inheritance.

Rethinking Our Shows

Does the established format of the bird exhibition need a bit of a redesign? JIM HAYWARD JNR strongly believes so and sets out his ideas for clubs to consider.

Winter Food For Wildlings

Most fanciers feed and love to watch their garden bird visitors, but we’re not all acquainted with the latest nutrional and practical advice on what and how to feed. Writing specially for Cage & Aviary Birds, JAMIE WYVER of the RSPB talks through some cold-weather recommendations

Winning Ways

Whether you show coloured, Norwich, Glosters, or another breed – or indeed some combination of varieties – it’s always good to stay abreast of what other competitors are doing to prepare for the show bench.

Beautiful Parrots

Having seen these exquisite birds in their natural habitat in the tropical north of Australia, ROSEMARY LOW explains why the varied lorikeet is always a pleasure to observe

Starting Afresh

After years of adding parts to his old birdroom, Hampshirebased fancier STEVE COX decided to go the whole hog and build a completely new one with the help of some good friends. Here he speaks to Fred Wright about the new set-up

Kings Of The Canopy

Arguably the most spectacular bird family after the birds of paradise, the cotingas are rare jewels in aviculture, says BILL NAYLOR, where the spangled is most likely to be encountered.

Melody Maker

CHRIS GREEN recommends the green singing finch, a tuneful relative of the wild canary that’s welcome in an aviary set-up, and offers advice on feeding, housing and breeding.

Second String, Double Delight

If you’re interested in supporting cage bird society events alongside a specialist show, why not keep another variety as well as your main one, asks DAVE BROWN? You could achieve double the results on the show bench and help towards conserving a rare breed at the same time.

Can You Teach An Old Fancier New Tricks?

When a very nice grey spangle hen wouldn’t a) mate with her partner or b) produce fertile eggs, despite being breeding fit, CLIVE WAKEMAN was at his wits’ end. Then he sought out some advice from the breeder he had purchased this particular bird from, and things finally started to change for the better.

An Aviary Filled With Life, Colour And Fun

In the first of a three-part series on colony budgerigars, LES RANCE discusses how he came to buy a small flock of these small parakeets, and how swiftly they settled down to breeding.

All- Rounder From Cyprus

Sam Wildes introduces SYMEON PITSILLIDES, a 34-year-old budgerigar breeder from Cyprus, whose collection at home embraces a phenomenal array of colour and varieties.

The Scariest Stare On Earth?

BILL NAYLOR introduces the spectacled owl, a beautiful if ferocious predator from the tropical regions of the New World.

Zebbies Found To Activate Vocal Cords During Sleep

Zebbies Found To Activate Vocal Cords During Sleep

BS Set To Pay Out Over Late Rings

BS Set To Pay Out Over Late Rings

First Phase Of New Aviaries Completed For At-Risk Cockatoos

First Phase Of New Aviaries Completed For At-Risk Cockatoos

If It Ain't Broke...

Don’t fix it, says DAVE BROWN. This season he has relearned how crucial timings are when breeding and that sometimes it is best not to intervene when pairs have chicks.

When New Doesn't Necessarily Mean Better

Kites, drones, sky trials… what have these techniques got to do with training falcons? GRAHAM WELLSTEAD explains all

Birdrooms: Making The Most Of What You've Got

It doesn’t matter whether you have a tiny birdroom located in your loft, or if you have plenty of space and a state-of-the-art brick-built affair, says DAVE BROWN; what’s key to our birds’ success is a clean set-up, good husbandry programme and plenty of TLC.

Treasure Those Treasurers!

A good club treasurer is most certainly an officer to cherish and can be hard to recruit. But the wrong choice can land a club in serious bother, as FRED WRIGHT explains  

Pretty In Pink: The Carmine Bee-eater

Even among the myriad dazzling species of Africa, this bee-eater stands out with its outrageous plumage hues. But which bee-eater, exactly...? BILL NAYLOR explains how the carmine bee-eater has now become two, and summarises the challenges of keeping these beauties in aviculture.

I've Got A Bone To Pick With You!

Amid underhand suggestions that his winning corona had benefited from a judge’s prejudice, BOB BAGGS turned to the show records to refute them and pressed on with his Glosters.

Cage Design: My Main Conclusions So Far

After many years of keeping birds, Yorkshire canary champion BRIAN KEENAN has deeply pondered the pros and cons of wood, plastic and wire as materials, and the best ways to arrange the components of the cage. Here is his summary.

Loud Songster of the Reedbed

Though a rarity in aviculture, the reed warbler is a native softbill with bags of character that would repay study in private collections, says BILL NAYLOR, and urges fanciers to follow the late Frank Meaden’s pioneering success.

The Lonely Allure Of Street Pigeons

Pigeons and People, written in the 1960s, broke new ground in tracing the sentiment attached to the street pigeons of the world. WILLY NEWLANDS pays tribute to its extraordinary historical range, while not necessarily agreeing with the authors’ somewhat unsentimental conclusion

Canaries Month By Month

Brian Keenan shares an encounter with a mature bird fancier whose attitude is an example to all of us... and feels inspired about the approach of another breeding season, even those ordinary birdroom chores that we can’t neglect.

They Went Off To War With Monty

Field Marshal Montgomery is famous as a military leader and strategist, and also as an occasionally testy and difficult character. But the way to his heart was via the cage birds he constantly kept.

A Passion To Breed The Best Crests

If you’re visiting the Stafford Spring Bird Show this weekend, look out for co-organiser SHAUN SMITH, a lifelong fancier whose interest was revitalised when he bought his first crested budgies... at Stafford! Putting the questions: Sam Wildes

My Colourful Bird Memories From Brazil

Following on from the January 25 issue, ROSEMARY LOW relives some of the highlights of the birds, people and places that she witnessed during her travels last year. Not surprisingly, the ‘bird country’ of Brazil was one favourite.