Red Siskin Initiative

Latest news from the AFF team.
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SamDavis
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Location: Douglas Park NSW

The Finch Society of Australia (FSA), its branches and affiliate clubs and more recently the National Finch and Softbill Association (NFSA) are now very much involved in the Red Siskin Initiative (RSI) to save the Red Siskin in the wild.
Please have a look at the following website - http://www.redsiskin.org
A captive breeding and research facility will be built in Venezuela.
  • The architect for this facility will visit Australia this coming week to consult with Mike Fidler and others to utilise the experiences of the STGF.
  • The head keeper from the Smithsonian (who is managing the project) will visit late February and stay with me. We will tour various Red Siskin breeders and endangered species captive breeding facilities as well as a few informal meetings to obtain input from anyone with Red Siskin experience.
  • The head keeper visit is funded by the FSA with additional financial assistance from branch/affiliate clubs and the NFSA.
It is our expertise breeding Red Siskins in planted aviaires that is of particular interest. In Europe and the USA they are rarely bred this way.
This is a terrific opportunity to assist with a significant international critically endangered species recovery program and of course a fantastic opportunity to promote Aviculture in Australia.
Happy to share further details and we look forward to your support as the project progresses.
Regards,
Sam
FSA President
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Tiaris
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Excellent. Aviculture owes this bird big time.
The whole situation regarding Red Siskins should be a huge wake-up call for finch breeders to practice responsible and ethical aviculture - parent-rearing natural genotype birds in outdoor aviaries where they can maintain their natural behaviours & instincts.
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GregH
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This is great news for conservation and aviculture. There are so many critics in the animal rights and conservation biology groups that that promote the view to public and governments that aviculture has, at best, nothing to contribute to animal welfare and conservation. Would make a future topic for a Catalyst episode.
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Tiaris
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Would only make a good Catalyst episode after the proposed work has been done several years at least down the track.
Up until now the Red Siskin story is a very damning blight on aviculture.

A similar proposal to this was established in the 1980s but didn't get past 1st base. Let's hope this one gets the support required to go all the way.
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finchbreeder
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The best of luck to all involved. And good to see those that are doing the right thing and succeeding will be consulted. Look forward to seeing the success story on Catalyst in 2020
LML
LML
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SamDavis
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Thanks to everyone for the terrific support for the Australian efforts regarding the Red Siskin Initiative. More clubs have now offered support including generous donations. Airline tickets are booked and I'm in the process of confirming the schedule with various breeders, clubs, zoos. Warren Lynch is the biologist/husbandry/keeper who will visit from the Smithsonian - arriving Saturday 20th February.

If anyone has Red Siskin breeding experiences we would love you to share your experiences. Warren and I plan to attend finch club meetings in Canberra and Hawkesbury to hear from as many of you as possible. The Hawkesbury finch club meeting is Wednesday 24th February and details of the Canberra meeting will be confirmed this week (likely Monday 22nd February). All are welcome, but particularly those with Red Siskin experiences. We want both negative and positive experiences. Everyone I know has some negative experiences with this species so don't be shy. In an educational sense, the fails are just as important as the successes.

Regards,
Sam
FSA President
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SamDavis
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An outline of the Red Siskin Initiative Aussie Tour is as follows:
  • Sunday 21/2 - Breeder visits in the Wollongong/Shoalhaven area
  • Monday 22/2 - Canberra visits to PRIAM (Orange Bellied Parrots) and ANU (Save the Gouldian Fund facility) then Canberra Finch Club for in the evening (note that CFC has changed its normal meeting to Mon 22/2 for this visit). All are invited to attend Canberra Finch Club 7:30pm at "The Weston Club" 1 Liardet Street, Weston. ACT
  • Tuesday 23/2 - Local breeder visits in SW Sydney
  • Wednesday 24/2 - Breeder visits in Wollondilly and Hawkesbury areas then Hawkesbury Finch Club in the evening. All are invited to attend Hawkesbury Finch Club 7.30pm at the Castlereagh Community Hall, on the corner of Castlereagh Road and Shaftsbury Avenue, Castlereagh.
  • Thursday 25/2 - Taronga Zoo ( Regent Honeyeater captive breeding/release facility) then Mike Fidler's complex.
We will share photos and video in due course. I'll speak on conservation including the Red Siskin Initiative at the May FSA Smithfield meeting and again at the May QFS meeting.
Regards,
Sam
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elferoz777
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Whats the schedule for wollongong?
Breeding Project 2020-2025.
agate mosaic canaries, agate yellow mosaic canaries, red zebs, self bengos and goldfinch mules.
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elferoz777
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Take that back i just read my emails :ugeek:
Breeding Project 2020-2025.
agate mosaic canaries, agate yellow mosaic canaries, red zebs, self bengos and goldfinch mules.
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Craig52
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Pity you are so far away, would love to be involved with this. Will be great to read about it on here. Cheers Craig
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