Finch Trends and Status in Australia

[nathan morley]

I saw a couple of pairs of red pytellas at my local pet super store.

[Myzomela]

Most red-eyed birds do have this problem and avoid bright sunlight where possible.
However, it does appear that Lutino blue-faced parrot finches seem particularly sensitive.

[mattymeischke]

This pretty creature comes out into the flights at dusk and dawn, but prefers to stay indoors when the sun is fully out.
I hadn't made the connection with her red eyes before.
She is an Ino canary, but we couldn't decide if she was copper or brown, so we call her cappucIno:

cappucino canary (shrunk).jpg

To return to the original topic, I would be delighted to get involved in an organised program to breed up one of the above species.
Jayburd: did your club decide on a species yet? Or perhaps we could put our heads together and come up with a suitable species to work with, since I live just up the road from you?

I wonder if anyone has approached the relevant department about the possiblility of getting an exemption on the restrictions to allow birds to be swapped with registered breeders OS for foreign aviary stock to prevent inbreeding of our stock?
If not, I would happily do so. I have a lifelong habit of writing letters to government which are no doubt mostly filed in the round cabinet but occassionally get a result.

I know a fellow in Canberra who has recently got back into the finch caper, and was enquiring about violet-ears: I gather from this and related topics that they are missed presumed absent from Australian aviculture.
He has some reasonable resources and an indoor setup, and is v. interested in the waxbills: perhaps I can divert him to one of the at-risk species that is available.

[Zipman]

Interesting read, I have to agree that pricing of some of the rarer and endangered finches in Australian Aviculture would have to be a contributing factor as to why numbers are on the decline perhaps something for Breeders to think about once they've gone from Australian Aviaries thats it.

Also amazes me why the powers that be don't allow captive breeding programs with rarer wild caught birds, another factor for decline is the reduced gene pool of what's in Aviaries now reduced fertility etc, high prices for Australian native birds creates a blackmarket for illegally trapped birds further putting pressure on wild stocks, surely captive breeding programs run by the public and regulated would in the long run save many of our native birds?

[Tiaris]

I think that pricing of rarer or endangered species is more a symptom of their decline rather than a cause of it. Generally once the price is very high the decline has already occurred.

[toothlessjaws]

I think that pricing of rarer or endangered species is more a symptom of their decline rather than a cause of it. Generally once the price is very high the decline has already occurred.

i agree. if anything it works in reverse.

[finchbreeder]

Cappucino canary is a beauty. The red eyes and brownish markings combined make me wonder if she/he is cinnamon/ino?
LML

[teg33]

With the 'Critically Endangered' and things, does it mean endangered in aviculture, or in the wild?

[Archangelau]

Nice canary. Is there a breeders list somewhere on the forum? Did not want to create a new thread.

[Diane]

We dont have a breeders list as such. The classified section is used to advertise for birds wanted or for sale or swap. All you need to do is include the species and your location in the title.