Finch Trends and Status in Australia

[dano_68]

A few people were discussing finch trends and I totally agree. So I thought I would dig around and see what the state of some species are at the moment.

If you really want to help you need to sell off everything – buy JUST one species (as many as yu can get your hands on!) and work, work, work until you master that species. Hopefully you will have bred them back into popularity and help save them from extinction!

But in reality, most of like to keep more than one species. So if each of us picked just one pair from the list below, and made a promise that they would acquire, breed, and sell / give to others that species within the next 12 months, then maybe we could help.

Common—species readily available and considered to have sufficient genetic diversity
At Risk—those species deemed to be sufficiently low in numbers so as to pose a risk to their long term viability
Endangered—birds that are difficult to obtain, have a high monetary value or are producing low numbers, and
Critically Endangered—those species for whom it may already be too late.

Critically Endangered
• Green Avadavat
• Red-crested Cardinal
• Violet-eared Waxbill
• House Finch
• Bamboo Parrotfinch
• Peales Parrotfinch
• Pin-tailed Parrotfinch
• Redpoll
• Yellow-rumped Seedeater
• African Silverbill
• European Siskin
• Dybowskii Twinspot
• Red-headed Fody

Endangered
• Red-headed Finch
• Blue-headed Cordon Bleu
• Himalayan Greenfinch
• Eurasian Linnet
• Javan Munia
• Red-faced or Yellow-winged Pytilia
• Pelzelin’s Saffron Finch
• European Serin
• Grey Singing Finch
• Black-rumped Waxbill
• Orange-cheeked Waxbill
• Purple Grenadier Waxbill
• Orange Bishop Weaver
• Napoleon Weaver
• Yellow Bunting
• Red-shouldered Whydah

At Risk
• Chaffinch
• Cut-throated Finch
• Oriental Greenfinch
• Java Finch
• Golden Song Sparrow
• Rufous-backed Mannikin
• Black-headed Munia
• Tri-coloured Munia
• White-headed Munia
• Red-faced Parrotfinch
• Red-crested Finch
• Red Siskin
• Spice Finch
• Peter’s Twinspot
• Pin-tailed Whydah

Common
• African Firefinch
• Red Avadavat
• Bengalese Finch
• Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu
• Cuban Finch
• European Goldfinch
• European Greenfinch
• Jacarini Finch
• Tri-coloured Parrotfinch
• Pytilia Aurora
• Pytilia Melba
• Saint Helena Waxbill
• Green Singing Finch
• Yellow Siskin
• Orange-breasted Waxbill
• Grenadier Weaver
• Madagascar Weaver

Red-faced Parrotfinch are at risk because everyone seems to be breeding mutations and soon no normals will be left! And Cubans are being sold to over-seas dealers by the boat load! Oh well, that's all I have to say on the subject.

[Jayburd]

very nice - is this the same list Russell Kingston published in the ABK mag in 2008?
I would take Red Crested Finch, Pintailed Whydah, and put them in Endangered...
Thanks Danny

[GregH]

I really hope that you can get people to take up the challenge and to cooperate. Maintaining these bird species by as many people as posible is the most effective exsitu conservation measure that could be designed (resistant to loss, genetically diverse and economic). Wild habitats are shrinking and changing for diverse reasons (climate change, land use, invasive species, hunting) whihc are directly impacting on many species capascity to survive in the wild let alone in captivity. I've no doubt that our hobby is far more benifical than PETA or the Government regulators would have the public believe. Certainly a rescue plan needs to be coordinated and overssen by the very best aviculturists or many birds will be lost to well meaning but inadequately prepared amateurs (which is most of us). Getting the experts to agree on species list is a great start but that's only one side of the equasion. The aviculturist's experience, infrastructure, stocking rates, feeding or quarantine proceedures and committment need to be "approved"too. I can see this will cause consternation as bing too intrusive, restrictive and Big Brotherish but don't we already have different classes of licence? I'd hate to see the last pair of cardinals go to a well heeled tropy collector.

That said I'm in favor of letting common species be bred and exported for that market as long as it doesn't degrade the genetic base on which the industry relies. It's not any different to any other agricultural industry seeking to expand its market. Would anyone complain if a legal and regulated import of our lost species were to happen? I wouldn't mind if a small boat of Australian bred Cubans or anything else arrived in Manila! Certainly mistakes can be made but that's no reason for blanket bans - it just means that better regulatory proceedures need to be put in place and Australia in general does a good job; when it is done.

[Jayburd]

Well said Greg.
yes I have tried for years to get my finch club to help out by selecting a species to focus on, especially those who have more than 1 aviary, no success so far... I will be making a final call to the club as a whole next tuesday...

I think Greg, that exports are OK, but not as far as people letting go of the really rare species (peale's Parrotifnches for example, a 2008 shipment had 10!!) just to make a quick buck.
Like you say, the flow just needs to be regulated.
I found it interesting, when watching the 'bird keeping the south african way' DVD's, that it was mentioned 'How lucky we are to be able to receive imports of exotic finches from countries like Australia'.

[Diane]

Red-faced Parrotfinch are at risk because everyone seems to be breeding mutations and soon no normals will be left!

Well, that comment might just have saved my pair of RFPF from being sold. Trouble is the hen is a seagreen so now I will have to be on the lookout for a RFPF hen and just keep Fidget (the seagreen) in the hen harem. I didnt think they liked my setup as they havent raised any young for me yet.

[jusdeb]

Food for thought ...and good timing since Ive been contemplating concentrating on just 1 species of finch .
So what about some guidelines on how one would go about this little venture ?
Say how many pair to start of with ?
What breeds are more suited to the average bird keeper ?
Where would one source these birds and how would one know what a reasonable price would be ?
I think it would be a lot easier if readers had some ideas on how to go about it all with as little failure as possible ,after all the less common birds are going to be a more expensive and $$$$ dont grow on trees .
Also housing ie . 1 huge aviary or several smaller .

Hope to see this post continued as it is very interesting and may inspire some of us to take up the challenge of breeding vulnerable birds for the greater good.

[Jayburd]

Crazy Cuban and I are working on plans to help breed up red Siskins, oriental Greenfinches, and possibly african silverbills. When we're ready that is.
I hope a few people here can form mmybe a group of some kind and together we can work out something to do so we can help.

[Diane]

Me too, its something that has been discussed before and we started to get somewhere then it seemed to fizzle out.
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=3435&hilit=freight

[Jayburd]

yeah... let's continue any discussions on this over there.

[dano_68]

Food for thought ...and good timing since Ive been contemplating concentrating on just 1 species of finch .
So what about some guidelines on how one would go about this little venture ?
Say how many pair to start of with ?
What breeds are more suited to the average bird keeper ?
Where would one source these birds and how would one know what a reasonable price would be ?
I think it would be a lot easier if readers had some ideas on how to go about it all with as little failure as possible ,after all the less common birds are going to be a more expensive and $$$$ dont grow on trees .
Also housing ie . 1 huge aviary or several smaller .

Hope to see this post continued as it is very interesting and may inspire some of us to take up the challenge of breeding vulnerable birds for the greater good.

Hi Deb,

I think the best thing is to keep 3 pairs in smaller single aviaries. For example 900mm x 2.5m for 1 pair. This type up set up would stop competition for food, nesting sites and cock birds chasing each rather than sitting on eggs! I realise not everyone has the funds, space or ability to do this – I am just saying this would be the best set up in a perfect world.

Next, any species in the “At Risk” section would be fine for anyone who has successfully kept and bred finches (of any type) for over 12-18 months. I would also say the Red-Headed Finch (Aberdeen) would also be suitable.

Breeders who regularly use live food, soft food etc. would probably do ok with the Endangered list. The problem with a lot of these birds is either the hen, or cock are traditionally “soft” and tend to die easily. But if you have experience, fully enclosed aviaries, no drafts, medications and strict quarantining and lots of TLC then they would be a good challenge and a rewarding venture. Some of them like Pytillias are not that hard to breed if you keep up at least 2 types of live food and lots of it. They currently sell in QLD for between $250 - $650 a pair.

The Critically Endangered, with the exception of African Silverbill, are still best left to the experts. Not to mention most of these species are in the +$2500 per pair category!

But remember, expert breeders were once “average bird keepers”. It’s just time, trial and error and learning from your mistakes that makes an expert.