Finch Trends and Status in Australia

[dano_68]

I have just tried to download the census form and all I got is a black page. Not a member of QFS, dont know if that makes any difference.

Hi Di, you don't have to be a member to download it - right click on the link - save as...

It is a PDF

How do I know? Becasue I am the QFS webmaster and I put it there! lol

If you still have trouble I can email it to you

[dano_68]

...People would in most cases assume that the price should come down if there are greaters nuumbers around than we thought.I know of one breeder who didnt register what he had and honestly i can see his point.You can imagine putting years of work into a species to build numbers only to be offered a reduced price because suddenly people are equipped with the knowledge that there are far more birds around than previously thought.

No, they would not assume that. Sorry, but that really gets up my nose.

Firstly, the census is anonymous, so no one knows who has what.

Secondly, if it reveals there are only 50 left, then action could be taken to try and save the species.

The very reason why we lost Violet Eared Waxbills was precisely for the reason you mentioned above - paranoid, money hungry "breeders" coveted these birds until all that was left was 1 or 2 cockbirds.

I saw 1 in a budgie cage in a garage! There is was, going through its courtship dance in front of a mirror which I might add was heartbreaking because I knew there were no hens left for it.

This "breeder" had the money to buy them 2 years earlier, but NOT the experience to keep them. He refused to sell them to experienced breeders because they were his claim to fame. They made him feel like a big time breeder.

Now he breeds parrots because in his words "There’s heaps more money in parrots".

The price of rarer birds will never go down while there is only 50 left. In fact, the price would only come down when you start seeing them advertised for sale on petlink etc. Even then that would mean that there were probably 1000+ around.

And so what if more people could afford them? Maybe that would save them if everyone could afford to buy them?

Breeders who dedicate their time and money to keep rare species do not do it for the money. In fact, every one of them that I know will not sell their birds to drop kick wanna bes even if they do have the money.

The census is simply to gauge what is out there, and roughly how many. I really don’t understand why people get so paranoid. I suppose these same people will just go into parrots or budgies or something when all the exotic finches are gone…

[desertbirds]

Dano,i understand the census is anonomous.50 was merely a figure,if there was say 100,200 or 500 birds that would affect price.Im just saying not everyone will register what they have on the census, some for this reason.I agree greedy wanna bes have the lead to the demise of some species in Australia,fortunately many species seem to be well managed and i congratulate those who are making the effort.

[Diane]

Hi Di, you don't have to be a member to download it - right click on the link - save as...

Thats what I was doing but kept getting a black screen no matter which button I clicked, but all is well now. Got the gremlins in the pc I expect.

[Finches2011]

Re rare finches in Australia. The census can show how many birds of a species are held and how many people hold them. It doesnt show where they are or who has them. Sure a few people with rare species dont participate, but the reality is that those rare species have no value at all once they are gone. People who hold rare species should be cooperating with one another with no money changing hands at all - of course that rarely happens. The policy of QFS is that we wont give indicative prices for any species over $1000, because by giving an indciative price we simply reinforce the perception that they are valuable.

Many NFSA member clubs have adopted a species to focus on. These include red siskins, silverbills, nuns.

[Fincho162]

People with rare finches ARE co-operating with each other to try and do what is best for the species. And have been doing so long before anyone felt the need for these census'. The fact that we even have the Yellow-winged pytilia indicates how well this is entrenched within the culture of finch aviculture.........Rufous-backs are another which will hopefully benefit from this approach................

Given that some of the best recoveries of finches in recent history have been as a result of a small group outlaying large $$ to purchase all the odd birds they can and using that genepool to try and re-invent the species one is a tad naive if they dont believe that at some stage they must re-coop some of their costs............anyway it gives them added incentive to succeed!!!

Thus saying in many cases amongst these people birds are traded and swapped gratis until at some point (hopefully!!) they can reenter the market place for a fair price.......as, I believe, Dano said far better to do that then to sell off rare finches to people with little in the way of a track record for big $$$$.......as Finches2011 said $$ are not much use if the species are gone!!

Also be heartened that many finch clubs and societies are now 'adopting' finch species and building them up so you dont have to have big $$$ finches to make a huge contribution to the status of finches in Australia. Cordons, Jacarinis, Cubans the Tri-nuns.......all relatively cheap yet people have been worrying about them for a host of reasons.......add a few to you collection!!

[Weaver]

I know of many groups that are trying to save the rarer finches and softbills in Australia.
They are experiencing varying degrees of success, but are often hampered by those that will not cooperate with their 'lone' bird; or the "collectors" who must have a pair because of their rarety but who do not have the ability to breed them. Lastly and perhaps the most dangerous are the profiteers who will cross the few remaining purebloods with another species to get numbers on the perch.

Can I suggest that those of you that want to make a lasting contribution to our hobby without any major cost, that they concentrate on a commoner specicies without any mutation genes.
Pure blood (non split or coloured) Gouldians are now a rarety likewise Red Faced Parrot Finches, Many are carrying seagreen or pied.

Before the arguements start about mutations, I am fine with them, simply keep a strain of true to type in your collection

[Fincho162]

Beautifully put weaver............to each their own but never forget the roots of all those mutations - the pure natural species.

[VR1Ton]

Couldn't agree more, pure strains are the backbone of a good mutation, so without pure normal birds, you may as well not have the mutation. Besides that, you could count on one hand the number of mutation that can even go close to matching their natural coloured counter parts.

[Fincho162]

Just re-reading this last night and thought I'd give some of u a heads up on why many of the large breeders don't participate in such census's...........many never have and never will. Every time such a thing is publiciszed the phone and email runs hot with people looking for anything rare and/or scarce. We've been offered ridiculous money for finches all based on such "events".
For example people offering $1500 for odd cock Grey singers - don't have hens just want them because they are rare!!
Rufous-backs I dont wish to think about this time around!!!

Sure if your sole reason for keeping finches is the mighty $$$$ then it's great - oh, and for the record, I still have my Grey singer male and his cinnamon green singer mate - both about 86 not out!!! That beautiful song is worth far more than that!!!!

Aviculture is an industry like any other and as such those that are involved in it seriously have to know what's about and the status of finches is just one of those factors, As such it is possible to get together and try and resurrect some species which, history has proven, is best done by groups of "friends" rather than the alternative.

Some one also mentioned Vioet-ears - the most stunning finch on the planet bar none!! Glen Holland explained their demise in Australia by saying that they were held in the wrong state of Oz - he explained that the hens are particularly unable to tolerate consistent humidity - especially given where they come from. Which is probably why the last ones I knew of where living quite happily in Melbourne!!!

So don't wag your fingers too much at people who shun such census taking nothing in life (or aviculture) is simply black and white!! I suspect there may appear to be no finches held in Tasmania.........but that is another far more interesting story!!!!