Hardest to find

[SamDavis]

They get offered through the zoo sytem all the time. I'll grab some for you next time they pop up.

Interesting... Makes me wonder if the "Zoo system" has excess stock of other wild type finches we can get hold of (and keep pure).

[malibu_birdie]

I have bigger grey zebs. Pure grey genes but not the smaller wild size. Still pretty though

[Danny]

They get offered through the zoo sytem all the time. I'll grab some for you next time they pop up.

Interesting... Makes me wonder if the "Zoo system" has excess stock of other wild type finches we can get hold of (and keep pure).

You mean like the 19 QLD stars they sent last month. Unfortunately the zoo system is a "who you know" system and hard to get involved with.

[djb78]

Danny would the zoo system swap blood lines with the bird breeder? How do they get rid of excess stock if their breeding programs go extremely well?

[MadHatter]

Speaking for my patch of the woods, Zoos Victoria will surplus stock to private aviculturists if there is no interest from other zoos/wildlife parks after a period of time (i think about a month or two). You do need to be ARAZPA approved or something to get surplus birds from them. On the plus side, and I could be wrong about this, I don't think they are allowed to take payment for them so they basically give them away for free. (Personally, if that's the case, I'd be making a donation to one or another of the 3 parks any time I recieved surplus stock from them)
I can ask around and see if I can find out more info if there is interest. Or if anyone here has gone through the accreditation process and would like to share their experience, I'm sure we'd love to hear about it.

[Danny]

Speaking for my patch of the woods, Zoos Victoria will surplus stock to private aviculturists if there is no interest from other zoos/wildlife parks after a period of time (i think about a month or two). You do need to be ARAZPA approved or something to get surplus birds from them. On the plus side, and I could be wrong about this, I don't think they are allowed to take payment for them so they basically give them away for free. (Personally, if that's the case, I'd be making a donation to one or another of the 3 parks any time I recieved surplus stock from them)
I can ask around and see if I can find out more info if there is interest. Or if anyone here has gone through the accreditation process and would like to share their experience, I'm sure we'd love to hear about it.

ARAZPA accreditation is hell. I get away with it as I have a resident vet (me). It used to be much easier but the application request is now about 20 pages long and still only works with a couple of zoos.

[murf]

I was once a member of ARAZPA, not acreditted as such, but on a quest to breed pure lines of Aussie finches. None of the zoo people I spoke to could give a #&!@. At that stage, zoos were beginning to specialize and concentrate on genetic reproduction. One particular zoo would concentrate on elephants, another on monkeys etc. At the time, I think there were about 3 zoos with the particular finch I was after. (was trying to bred the 3 species of star finches). None were really worried about the sub-species at all. I began to feel that finches played a very minor role in future zoo plans. Perhaps they believed private aviculturists had sufficient foundation stock for the forseeable future. The all mighty dollar had control. I even investigated whether DNA profiling was possible to prove that a bird was in fact a sub-species- rather more difficult with star markings(to some extent) compared with a red/yellow beak, red/black/yellow head etc. At around $1500 an examination, I soon lost interest in that idea, besides, the museum stars had been preserved in formulin. That begs another question, what constitutes a pure finch- is it DNA make up, or environmental. The subject becomes more fascinating when apparently there is an acceptance that the parson can be found in light and dark breast, but the diggles in such a combination appears to be referred to an individual species.

[Pete Sara]

over here at perth zoo they have pretty much got rid of most of the birds. its not in thier interest apparently, its a shame because we have alot beautiful birds to look at.....pete

[desertbirds]

Heard a little rumour the other day that Adelaide zoo is in the poo.Massive debt created by the Pandas.As danny said unfortunately zoos wont deal with the general public due to the accreditation required.
I think White Bellied crimsons as well, been looking for years.

[gomer]

With the white bellied crimsons,I have heard there are a few around.But the only way you will get them is if you already have them, So I have been told by a few people who have them . They just keep swapping bloodlines between themselves.