Aussie Finch Forum

casehulsebosch wrote:Vivid memories of seeing these birds in my uncles aviaries.

Cheers, Case, Tauranga, New Zealand.

Myzomela wrote:OK Case,

Don't think you can get away with a throw away line like that!

More details please!!

And your uncle would be????? Sir Edward Halstrom maybe? Or someone in Europe?

Years ago I saw four species at the Bronx Zoo (New York) they were kept in large glass front cages, I was expecting to see finch size birds but these were about the size of a small chicken, I remember there was the Six-wire Bird of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius) i think there was the Wilson's Bird-of-paradise and another one. Definitely no good for small aviary. I don't think the Sydney Zoo have got them. And definitely it's not something I'd like to keep in my small aviaries.
Check this out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-bird ... 3198268729

Thanks for sharing I enjoyed that

I haven't seen the video link as I'm on a mobile phone but I grew up in PNG. Lots of different types of bird of paradise and all taste very nice! Our house staff and baby sitters were all local natives so naturally I learnt things the nugini way! Used to collect wild orchids for my mum too. She had an amazing collection.

Start saving for a birding trip to New Guinea as this will just about be the only place you are going to see these species these days.

And yes, I did see them in Europe. My uncle had them in the 60's when I was already infected with the bird virus. These birds made such in impression on me that I can still remember them clearly.

Here is a link where you can see some of the species in captivity. http://awwp.alwabra.com/index.php/content/view/20/51/

Walsrode ( if you don't know what or where that is you are not really into birding) still has three species. Cicinnurus regius, Paradisaea raggianake, Paradisaea rubra, all three behind the screens and not accessable to Yo public. Unfortunately only hens from Chester after the cock birds died.

The Seleucidis melanoleuca are on display to the public and currently one young is beaing hand reared.

The reginus and the raggiana come in part from El-Wabra.

And the latest figures for 2012:

Birds of-paradise captive bred:
Importer/Re-Exporter

Paradisaea minor:
Denmark: number: 14
Japan: number: 20

Paradisaea rubro:
importer:
Croatie: number: 1

In total we are talking about approx 100 captive bred birds of paradise.

Cheers, Case, Tauranga, New Zealand.

I'll show my age here and say I remember Lesser and Raggiana Birds of Paradise at Taronga when I was a kid - remnants of Hallstrom's collection but I haven't even seen Rifle birds for a long time but who knows whats arounds now? The best collection that I ever saw was at the Baiyer River Zoo in PNG way back in 1985. This place was also started from Hallsrom's collection but the sanctuary does have it's ups and downs as highlighted in the linked youtube video.

More recently I have seen them kept at a number of zoos in Asia. There are still two zoos on Luzon (Philippines) - Avilon and Zoocobia - that still have birds of paradise and claim to breed them. Jurong in Singapore actually does breed King Birds of Paradise. Bali Bird Park keeps and claims also to breed six species.

Showing my age as well, I also remember the Ribbon-tailed Bird of paradise when I was a kid. https://www.google.com.au/search?q=ribb ... iAerxoH4Cw

Well, I better not tell you that I was lucky enough to see 13 species on a birding trip to PNG in 1997!

One of the best birding trips ever and a dream I would love to repeat...one day!

Too beautiful not to share.

Received this link from a friend in Europe this morning. Enjoy! regards, Case


http://www.cornell.edu/video/?VideoID=2398

Thanks For Sharing Great Video Some very Beautiful Birds there.