Lessons from the Past

[TomDeGraaff]

The plight of some of our finches have been rightly summed up as near the end.

It's very sobering to think that species found in our aviaries 10 years ago are now gone. Every so often, the role call of foreign species loses something. Something we won't get back.

I'm disappointed with the so-called top bird people of the past who let this happen. I have always said that the next generation will say the same of us. I hope I'm wrong.

When many of us were fighting governments, dealing with animal welfare, bird sales, council regulations and trying to get importation up with government and vets undermining us, there were breeders happily sitting back,breeding these birds and taking pot shots at us if things weren't going exactly their way. But we were fighting to keep opportunities open for the "big boys" so they could work unencumbered to save our lavenders, Aberdeens, green strawbs, violet-ears, red-shouldered whydahs, golden-shouldered whydahs, red-crested cardinals, green cardinals, large green singers, grey singers, bamboo parrotfinches, bronzewinged mannikins, Indian silverbills, Madagascar lovebirds, black-cheeked lovebirds, European partridges, cheer pheasants, Edwards pheasants, Musschenbroek's lorikeet. Have I forgotten anything?

I know I'm being unreasonable but it irks me that what we fought for over so many years - the opportunity for the next generation to enjoy these birds - has failed.

I hope that with this forum and the smart knowledgeable people here that the birds we do have now will not fall for the same orsimilar reasons: lack or foresight, an allergy to paperwork, petty jealousies or people collecting rare species when they only want status and have no hope of breeding the birds.

Every aviculturist needs to take some responsibility for the hobby, join a club, have your say but also DO things for other breeders, breed birds and accept a fair price even if the market says it is lower, keep at least one or two species that are not "earners" just for the fun, enjoyment and the future. Yesterday's green strawberries that "bred like mice" may be today's jacarini or Java sparrow. Silverbills etc cannot keep being resurrected. We simply cannot fall into apathy.

Losing these birds simply sucks.

[Nova]

Having only just started to look at building my avairy I have no insight on what has occured in the past. However, I am surprised that with so many Finch organisations in Australia that there is not some overall awareness and preparedness to identify and work at preserving at risk species.
I am only looking at having 5-6 bird types (Gouldian, blue cheeked Cordon, Orange breasted, African Firefinch, Double bars and painted firetails) but would like to know if there are any so called 'common' breeds that area actually in need of attention?

[Rosco]

I am a near complete newb to the aviculture scene too and like you Nova, am a bit suprised that there is no peak body that has a view from the summit.

I would have thought it's in everyones interest to keep healthy gene pools ticking along, especially since we are facing a new Permian scale extinction event with climate change.

[E Orix]

What you have commented on is not totally correct.
There are many factors that can cause a bird to disappear from our aviaries.
In many cases the base(number of breeding pairs) was so low that their demise was probable.
Management and access to information was not available until recently. The internet is the great way to access info.
Those birds that were so rare in the 70's/80's were coveted, some were lost to cheque book aviculture which
really just quickened up their demise.
The biggest killer was and still the presumption that certain species are common and easily acquired, this is not so
in many cases and when it's realised it is too late.
The people who have been coming into our hobby over the last 15+ years are generally the 40+year group.
Reasonably cashed up and want to start on middle plus level of species , the birds are available but they have
little or no experience, hence birds are lost through ignorance. A part of this group are consumers of birds.
This is an example, if I went to a sale with 20 pairs of Melbas all would be sold without any problem.
If 20 people purchased them possibly 10 would have some idea about their breeding diet the others not a clue
and most likely they will lose one of the pair generally the hen bird.
Of those 10 that knew about the diet needs possibly 2 would provide white ants and may breed them.
Then the lesser learned ones would still try to breed them and generally lose the hens because they tried to continue
breeding them through winter. The net result would most likely be a 10% chance of a good end result, unless the clubs or experienced
try to teach people that research before purchase is essential and advise the not to buy until they are more experienced.
It's todays aviculturalists that need to save what we have and not dwell on the past.
Some of the oldies still battle along waiting for the next wave of serious people to come along.

[Craig52]

Well said David, Craig

[gouldianpaul]

Well said David, Craig

Make that double well said....you cannot improve the future by continually looking in the rear vision mirror.

David your point about people coming into aviculture with a reasonable amount of money is so true.....they go straight to the $200-$300 birds because they can afford them, but often don't have the knowledge nor have done the research to reproduce from these birds....it happens all across aviculture, both foreign and native birds.

[arthur]

I'm disappointed with the so-called top bird people of the past who let this happen. I have always said that the next generation will say the same of us

. . . . . . lavenders, Aberdeens, green strawbs, violet-ears, red-shouldered whydahs, golden-shouldered whydahs, red-crested cardinals, green cardinals, large green singers, grey singers, bamboo parrotfinches, bronzewinged mannikins, Indian silverbills, Madagascar lovebirds, black-cheeked lovebirds, European partridges, cheer pheasants, Edwards pheasants, Musschenbroek's lorikeet.

.

Rather than being disappointed, I feel gratitude towards them

Their breeding successes occurred despite most of the current knowledge, many modern feeding techniques, and advances in health methodology being unavailable to them

And of course communication by way of the 'net was unheard and books were either non-existent or useless


Money, that necessary evil, was a very scarce commodity in those post-war days. Aviaries, even those which modern day aviculturists would see as basic, were luxuries

Despite the obstacles, these pioneers have left a huge legacy which perhaps should be compared with that of our near neighbour to be really appreciated

Another group, denigrated by some new to the hobby, that I feel indebted to (and they would certainly not seek recognition) are those individuals who actually introduced new species, many of which do still exist in numbers, by methods non-avicultural

If I feel any disappointment, it would lie with the few who legally sent 'endangered' species on the one-way trip to foreign countries . . but perhaps along the lines of sellers accepting a little less, buyers should perhaps have been prepared to pay a little more to prevent that export

The main reason for the extinctions is, by a country mile, the shallow gene pool . . and many of those species mentioned above were showing signs of consanguinity 40 years ago but some remain today

Human nature may have contributed, but only in a very minor way

Though I am growing more cynical . . . I perhaps reluctantly, still see the glass as being half full

endanger.jpg

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[COUNTRY CAPITAL]

does 50+ get one into the older, more experienced group?
i used to think 30 was old not that long ago....

as others have said it's no use looking back, unless you can learn something.
i for one know of at least 4-5 "experienced" aviculturists near me that are dedicated to the cause of breeding/preserving our finch stocks for the future.
they have some endangered species, but also bread and butter birds like painteds, cordons and chestnuts.
i dont think complacency is an issue with these guys as they have poured considerable time and effort and funds into increasing there chances of success.
they are obviously in for the long haul.
hopefully enough breeders are about passing on their knowledge and enthusiasm to the "younguns" of tomorrow.

i sometimes yearn for those endangered species, green strawberrys and twinspots....what about pintail parrotfinches....but we are still fortunate to have many challenging species.
so pick a species to "crack" to ensure they are still around tomorrow.
our aviaries would be much the poorer if there were no bluecaps,crimsons,red-ears etc.

[finchbreeder]

If we all pick 1 common finch, 1 ordinary looking finch and 1 wow I want that and it's not too hard finch, when we start out then that is good. As time progresses and so do we, we go for others, and do our best to breed them. We do not buy birds we are not capable of or willing to put the effort in to breed. This is the perfect scenario. Lets work on making it real.
LML

[TomDeGraaff]

Yes, I reckon you are all right. I suppose I knew that but got a bit clouded by the recent pessimism for these scarce species. As well as a "shallow gene pool", I think that we have only a limited number of aviaries in Australia. Therefore, there is a limit to the species variety we can keep and maintain.
Even if we are maintaining numbers, the rash of (often lovely!) mutations has taken aviary space away from true species too.

Regarding money. I can understand Craig's sentiments. It's a personal thing but I don't subscribe to it, myself. It's hard to say no to the chequebook collector. We should try. Birds going to NZ just because the price is better is pretty mercenary. If it's a big difference, I suppose the temptation is always there. No one argue when red parroties go overseas for that reason.
I think price for quality and condition is important. I remember back in the 70s, a fellow was selling his yellow peach-faces for twice the going price. Some people poo-pooed it. One look at his birds and you understood why they were worth it.

I hope we do learn lessons. Some mentioned the negatives of "looking in the past". The title of this thread underlines my feeling. We have to learn. Chase those mutations but keep space for the classic little birds of your youth. That's why I still keep Bourkes! WE as a group need to encourage those QFS programmes, clubs who "adopt" a species to keep going and other ideas. The Census is a great idea to monitor the general status of the common and middle-range species I guess.

I appeciate everybodies ideas ans thanks for giving me a bit of avicultural adrenalin!! Maybe I can still contribute one day directly (not politically!) to our birds.

Tom