Aussie Finch Forum

Stumbled across an interesting article on the internet by Steve Boyes at the University of Cape Town. The central thesis is that the wild trade is environmentally destructive (High death rates) and exploitative of both the trappers and the end buyer (huge mark-ups). It does note though that there have been tremendous progress in captive breeding in recent years and perhaps it's time to stop relying on wild birds. I guess this is what happened in Australis in the mid 1970-80s and the Philippines in 2004. I just hope there is still some room for the birds in the wild and in aviaries. Wild Gouldians are close to being stuffed but thrive within domestic and international aviculture. In spite of rarity of some species in Aviculture all our Estrillid species are available and if I were in Africa I'd hope there was a place of all African species too but all in one place - that is a dream only Bill Gates could afford and I don't think he's into finches.

Maybe write to him and see what happens. He's in a pretty generous mood at the moment and donates a LOT to charity or anything he considers related to conservation.

But hes really into philanthropy. Maybe with the right approach? The colours on the Microsoft circle are very near the Gouldian colours.
*everyone now goes off looking at the Microsoft logo*

The large pic of the parrots is terrible!

Maybe South Africa are making headway in breeding captive birds.
From what I understand - and my sources in Europe are pretty good - African birds are coming into Europe again in droves. There are now rare finch species available they have not seen for years.

cheers, Case, Tauranga NZ

just had a quick scan of the pictures, that's awful.
I'll read the rest tonight....

How can you stop the exploitation of wildlife in some African Nations when they don't give a thought to blowing the cr.p out of their own people.
To these people,animals, are either food,sport or sold depending on what specie live or dead.
The demand will slow it down and that must be policed at the other end.
A rare specie can live in Sth Africa and be protected and policed at airports etc. If the demand is there it is simply driven over a border/s of another country and freighted out in the open without restrictions.
While its not a bird for sale when I was in Sth Africa I visited a rehab center for Vultures,they are protected and getting rare there. When they are better they are released in the hope they stay around or fly south. If the don't, around a 100kms away is another country. There it is common sport to blow them out of the air. To a Vulture that 100kms is nothing.As you can imagine the people running the facility are rather frustrated but I guess thats Africa.

Well policed breeding reserves at regular intervals all over the continent. Ah what a lovely dream. That is something we can hope the billionaire philanthropists decide to spend their excess on.
LML

maybe inquire with his buddy, Warren Buffet,

Would have loved to been following his moves with Berkshire Hathaway on the stock market in the early days, $11 a share in the early 60's and over $120 thousand a share today. Now that would buy a really large slice of any country these days.

Wouldn't we all love to do a "back to the future" with a share guide and a handful of cash. Then we could all be Billionaires and save endangered species.
LML