FinchMe » FinchMe News and Events http://www.finchme.com Your Philippine Online Guide to Everything Finch Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:02:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 The Future of Finch Aviculture – An Australian Perspective http://www.finchme.com/2010/06/30/the-future-of-finch-aviculture-%e2%80%93-an-australian-perspective/ http://www.finchme.com/2010/06/30/the-future-of-finch-aviculture-%e2%80%93-an-australian-perspective/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:59:16 +0000 Greg http://www.finchme.com/2010/06/30/the-future-of-finch-aviculture-%e2%80%93-an-australian-perspective/ As I’m shivering in the cold of winter in Sydney during my kids “summer” holiday I have time to flick through the last six months of Australasian avicultural magazines and news papers to see what’s of concern to the hobby. There are of course the usual finch and aviary profiles but behind these gratification issues are some disturbing concerns for aviculturists here in the Philippines.
1. Call for cessation of finch exports from by prominent aviculturists.
It may come a s a surprise to learn that the ban on wildlife exports from Australia applies only to Australian native species. One Victorian business exports thousands of wild caught feral European gold and green finches, as well as aviary bred canaries, red-faced parrotfinches, red-cheeked cordon bleus and Cuban finches each year and no doubt smaller numbers of other species go too and these of course  can never be replaced. Some very notable people (Garry Fitt, Russell Kingston, Marcus Pollard) have called for a ban on all exports to stop this genetic erosion and to ensure that the Australian market isn’t subject to world parity pricing. Admittedly I can see their point however it does seem petty to prevent the export of the more common species – especially if they were bred for export. Not yet making its way into avicultural circles is the heavy lobbying that Animal Rights groups have conducted to have a blanket ban placed on all live animal exports. While this ostensibly is to protect the welfare of sheep, cattle and camels on slow transport ships to the Middle-Eastern destinations the actual objective of this lobby is to prevent the ownership and consumption of animals by anyone.
2. Loss of species from Australia since imports stopped over 50 years ago.
Access to imported finches ceased in 1945 and so the numbers of species available has dwindled with relatively few species now available compared to the times prior to the import ban However Australian aviculturists produce and sustains many more species than the Philippines. Some species exist in miniscule numbers and are difficult to maintain either because they are culturally difficult and/or inbreeding depression has weakened the strain available. Only recently has the registration of foreign finches become compulsory but there is also a voluntary system and there have been calls to use these registers to facilitate the exchange of germlines to give the best possible genetic outcomes.
3. Nesting losses due to Cochlasoma traced to asymptomatic infection in foster parents. Society finches, other munias some other Estrillidad finches can carry a parasitic protozoan without symptoms or harm unless they are already sick. Cochlasoma is apparently endemic and of epidemic proportions in some areas of Australia and overseas and almost impossible to eliminate with medication. Cochlasoma can be eliminated by reverse fostering – i.e. taking society finch eggs and raising them under a susceptible species like Gouldians and then maintaining a strict quarantine protocol to isolate the clean society population from infection
4. Lack of government consultation with regard to drafting legislation leading to difficulties for both keepers and regulators.
Retrospective sanctions places Australian aviculturists at risk of loosing birds if the bird’s ancestry is officially traced an illegal source – even if the owner can prove the birds were brought in good-faith that they were legal. It seems that no arguments are accepted by what should be a scientifically rational regulator – even the degree of separation, healthy generations since import, will not be accepted as proof of lack of serious disease risk and the birds will be destroyed.
5. Loss of wild-type forms in captive populations.
Increasingly in Australia, as it is in the Philippines, it is becoming difficult to find and maintain pure lines of the normal or wild-type finches. The restrictions on wild capture mean that the narrow genetic base of captive populations increase the probability that spontaneous mutations will become fixed in the isolated captive population. Given many aviculturists propensity to seek novelty it seems that normal is becoming the rare mutation for species such as Zebras, Gouldians and Javas.
6. Continued contraction of range of certain native species. Gouldian, Black-throated, Star, Diamond-firetail have all suffered severe contractions in ranges and population sizes since the 1960’s. From the comfort of the capitol cities of the south eastern sea board Australian wildlife regulators and government experts hoped that stopping the trade in wild birds would halt the decline in these species but this has not proved to be the case. In all cases targeted research has shown that land-use changes, typically pasture improvement have altered species composition within the vegetation to the detriment of native grainivorous birds (finches, parrots and pigeons) denying them food at critical times of the year. The cost of production has been traded for diminution of biodiversity within the Australian rangelands so that those living in the comfort of the capitol cities of the south eastern sea board can have cheap and even organic meat. Certainly direct predation by feral cats and foxes, the spread of air-sac mite and climate change continues to exacerbate the situation but landscape preservation and restoration must be a priority if vulnerable species are survive in wild as should be their birthright.

On the up side
1. Peak body reporting of species abundance records from compulsory registration schemes.
Maintaining and reporting of hatches, matches and despatches can be a pain for aviculturists. Regulatory bodies seem only to be interested in compliance with the letter of the law but these same records can be an invaluable tool for maintaining flock health. Freedom of information laws have allowed peak bodies like the Avicultural Federation to access these records and to report their findings to their members and the public. With such reports over time trends can be seen that can allow aviculturists to concentrate their efforts into declining species which is not only good for species maintenance but makes good financial sense as rarity is always proportional to cost.
2. Voluntary registration for rare species to assist breeding efforts.
Finding mates for rare species is difficult enough but with no centralised records of pedigrees aviculturists are in the dark when choosing the most favourable mating. National societies have long kept pedigree registerers for livestock and cats & dogs in Australia and being a paid up member entitles you use the register and use their authenticated pedigree. This idea is now being promoted within aviculture and might catch on but for the moment the scheme is voluntary, run at no cost by private individuals and only covers rare species like the Peter’s Twinspot, Tiger (green strawberry) finch or Indian silverbill. Time will tell if this scheme is rigorous enough and has enough privacy protection to catch on.
3. Increasing success with captive breeding of native beautiful and red-eared firetail finches.
In over 200 years of European settlement, the forest fire-tails have resisted established within aviculture due to their pugnacious nature and a lack of knowledge of their requirements. Very few aviculturists have had the licence, knowledge and facilities to keep and breed these species but the increasing sophistication of avicultural practices has meant numbers are now increasing. Captive birds held by legitimate research, education and rescue organizations are now regularly breeding and some of Australia’s advanced and well-heeled aviculturists have been given stock so it can only be a matter of time before these birds become more widely available for those prepared to spend the money on the birds, the housing and the feed. Compatible pairing is a key to ensuring that these birds don’t kill each other. Even DNA sexing these sexually monomorphic species is not enough to ensure that a true pair is compatible to keepers have to have access to large planted aviaries with adjacent fights in order to introduce birds to test their compatibility before contact. Once the birds have paired breeding isn’t that different to other Australian Estrillidads but like wax-bills they do require copious quantities of live food (usually termites) to feed their hatchlings. Once the fledglings are independent they too need to be removed to separate aviaries to prevent deaths. These species aren’t a problem when housed with other Australian or foreign finches but their cost and space requirements will not make then popular.
4. Success in the recovery program of the Peter’s Twinspot.
As has been found in the Philippines the African Estrillidads aren’t easy to maintain and while there are still a number of wax-bills available in Australia the Peter’s Twinspot has reached critically low numbers and would likely go extinct if it weren’t for the efforts of a few aviculturists and their loose network. Like the forest fire-tails their pugnacious nature means that large viable breeding populations aren’t able to be maintained by single aviculturists. Centralised pedigree registration, internet communication and the ability to locate suitably advanced aviculturists with the correct facilities and attitude is what’s needed more than a get-rich quick attitude if success is to follow.
5. State recognition of the contribution of aviculture to human and environmental welfare.
Well known Queensland finch aviculturist and author Russel Kingston was bestowed a Medal of the Order of Australia honour by the Federal Government for his serviced to aviculture. I can only hope that this honour shows a change in attitude of the federal government for the contribution that aviculture can make to preserving species and for instilling a sense of responsibility in the population for maintaining a species for their innate worth and not just their value as livestock and pets. Also reported was the opening of a new aviary at a public secondary school. These were common sight when I went to school and I’m sure hey do instill a sense of responsibility in the children responsible for maintaining these facilities and gives them practical experience in animal care while nurturing the future of aviculture.

In this last month I visited a few good bird shops too. Kellyville Pets in Sydney is Australia’s largest pet store. On the finch side things were rather quiet being mid-winter but I did get to see their extensive of Vetafarm products. Amongst the more familiar pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements were a range crumble mixes for finches and parrots. While expensive they have the benefit of zero wastage (or no husks to clean up) and they reduce the need for vitamin and mineral supplements. Time will tell if this idea will catch on.

Also in Sydney is Birdsville at Mascot. This shop is great place to source birds, feed, accessories and chat to the proprietor Les is a great way to pass the time if you’ve got an interesting story to tell or if you want to find out where to source birds, feed, ingredients, or anything related to aviculture.

Some of you may be aware of the Save the Gouldian fund and its principal benefactor Englishman, Mike Fidler, who is now resident of Cooranbong in the lower Hunter Valley north of Sydney. While I haven’t yet visited his research facility and other aviaries I did visit his supplier – Birds-R-US near Cessnock (). Just suppling Mike must be a full-time operation since his Gouldian research facility alone houses around 3000 birds – more than is left in the wild. I purchased Mike’s Black seed sprouting mix, his soft-food mix and a copy of the DVD “At home with Mike Fidler”. In the range of finches this time they had Zebras, Painted Firetails, Shaft-tails (Yellow & red-beaked forms), Gouldians, Blue-faced parrot-finches, Saint Helena’s, Fire Finches (Ruddies). The business will be relocating soon and is further specialising and will no longer sell plants which is a pity since there are few that have combined interests – able to sell food and aviary plants to enthusiasts.

]]> http://www.finchme.com/2010/06/30/the-future-of-finch-aviculture-%e2%80%93-an-australian-perspective/feed/ 0 What Makes “Difficult” Finches Difficult? http://www.finchme.com/2010/05/06/what-makes-%e2%80%9cdifficult%e2%80%9d-finches-difficult/ http://www.finchme.com/2010/05/06/what-makes-%e2%80%9cdifficult%e2%80%9d-finches-difficult/#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 14:34:24 +0000 Greg http://www.finchme.com/2010/05/06/what-makes-%e2%80%9cdifficult%e2%80%9d-finches-difficult/ The cost of finches here in the Philippines as elsewhere relates to both the demand and the difficulty with which they can be kept and bred. This difficulty can result from lack of knowledge or available infrastructure or it can be innate or genetic. Zebra finches are easily bred but new mutations are expensive because they are not only rare but because of this their populations have a narrow genetic base which is where greed ruins it all. Rather than further introgressing a new mutation into a wider gene pool before mating the heterozygotes, pure is mated to pure – quite often siblings – so that more of the mutant phenotypes are generated. As any good breeder knows breeding closely related birds increases the chances of deleterious gene combinations occurring so while you may see more blue Gouldians or crested charcoal zebs the quality of these birds is low as is their vigour. Spending an extra 2-3 generations introgressing into a wider background will alleviate this but it takes time and not everyone wants to take that long to recover or generate a profit. Aesop’s fable of the Hare and the Tortoise comes to mind as an appropriate metaphor – “slow and steady wins the race”.
Some species are difficult to keep, dropping dead for no apparent reason. Often this comes down to ignorance but sometimes the birds are just delicate. The Gouldian is one such bird both in the aviary and also in the wild. In Australia this bird is considered endangered because it has a viable breeding population of around 2500 individuals at the start of the breeding season but this goes up to around 10000 as the season progresses and then the population experiences an annual crash. Researchers speculate that the birds are now stressed by lack of the right seeds at the right time but given their propensity to die in captivity where food is never limiting it highlights the fact that this species is prone to stress resulting in death. Luckily though, the bird is easily bred as they are willing, have simple dietary requirements and are quite fecund. Unfortunately this is not the case for all rare species.
Since 2004 Philippine finch aviculture has experienced a crisis in that the species available has diminished to a mere handful of species because of the DENR’s requirement that the importer has a breeding plan in place in order to sustain the species and obviously these plans were inadequate. From my point of view, this inadequacy resulted from lack of knowledge of correct husbandry for the species imported. If anyone want to import they would be wise to do their research before they obtain a permit because every failure makes it more difficult for the next person to try and import as the DENR has proof that conventional Philippine cultural techniques are inadequate for most exotic finches.
So of the species that are available the easiest ones are Java sparrows, society finches, zebra finches, and shaft-tail finches. Star finches are considered a little more difficult because they are prone to dessert if their nest is regularly disturbed or inspected but if you maintain them in cabinets then that is what happens and this is why so many people foster them under the more tolerant society finch. Owl finches are closely related to zebra finches but are monomorphic so getting a true pair is half of the problem. Again they resent disturbance so fostering is usual for those keeping them in small cages and cabinets. I’ve had them breed in the aviary, constructing their own nest and raising their own young her in the Philippines but this isn’t a option for most keepers who just don’t have the space or security. The availability of cut-throat finches appear to have declined over the last couple of years and this may reflect their lack of colour and the fact that many strains held have a high protein food requirement while raising young. Providing nesting cut-throats with freshly grated, boiled, quail egg and meal worms will allow the birds to raise their young. The degree of difficulty takes a sharp jump to diamond fire-tails and masked finches which not only resent the disturbance inherent in cabinet life but have other factors working against them. I’ve not kept the latter species here but the former have low fertility and finding unrelated birds should overcome this. Like the cut-throats regular protein feeds will allow diamond firetails and masked finches to raise their young. Presumable even when fostered the youngsters still require the high protein foods in addition green and sprouted seed.
If you have any hints on difficult species I’d appreciate hearing about them.

]]> http://www.finchme.com/2010/05/06/what-makes-%e2%80%9cdifficult%e2%80%9d-finches-difficult/feed/ 1 Finch Fanciers of the Philippines http://www.finchme.com/2010/02/28/finch-fanciers-of-the-philippines/ http://www.finchme.com/2010/02/28/finch-fanciers-of-the-philippines/#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:22:09 +0000 Greg http://www.finchme.com/?p=776 I stumbled across a group the other day that may be useful for Finchme readers to know about: the Finch Fanciers Club of the Philippines. To find out more go to thier Yahoo Groups  or Face Book pages. This group of enthiasts meet once a month in Manila.  I haven’t joined up yet but some of you may know more and can give a review.

They have some upcoming events that perhaps readers could consider attending and meetingup with the Finch Fancier’s  first-hand.

  • FFCPI Monthly Meeting
    Pasay City Mall (Libertad cor Taft…
    Saturday, March 20 at 2:00pm
  • FFCPI Monthly Meeting
    Pasay City Mall (Libertad cor Taft…
    Saturday, April 24 at 2:00pm
  • FFCPI Fun Show
    Pasay City Mall (Libertad cor Taft…
    Saturday, May 1 at 9:00am
    • ]]>     http://www.finchme.com/2010/02/28/finch-fanciers-of-the-philippines/feed/ 12     Christmas Ramblings http://www.finchme.com/2009/12/03/christmas-ramblings/ http://www.finchme.com/2009/12/03/christmas-ramblings/#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:09:04 +0000 Greg http://www.finchme.com/2009/12/03/christmas-ramblings/ Well November’s gone by and still no one appears to have read the last few posts (or the counter’s not functioning) so there may not be anyone to wish a Merry Christmas to but I hope you all do anyway.

    My last 6 months have been particularly disappointing in that my aviaries appear to have been sterilized! None of my birds have successfully bred since May! Almost nothing has nested, those that did nest had mainly clear eggs and any that did hatch died within a few days of hatching. I’ve also had some mysterious deaths that the UP veterinary hospital have attributed to idiopathic causes – possibly mal-absorption syndrome. I myself have come up with a hypothesis – poisoning! Just before I went away in June I put a potted plant in the aviary and noticed it brought an unwelcome guest – a large cane-toad. I was unable to catch it at the time and only managed to capture and remove it in October. These nocturnal animals are practically toxic and while I can’t find anything in the literature I believe that it must have shared the water during the night and gradually poisoned the aviary. Unfortunately I had all my finches in that aviary for 3 months and it is this one factor that possibly caused my sterility and lack of vigor. Even the stress of having such a large nocturnal animal in the cage wouldn’t have helped the birds. Since the removal of the offending animal I’ve had quite a few failed nests so I’m hoping that they can work the toxin out of their system otherwise the only solution is to dispose of the birds and start again.

    Another disappointment was that the promised shipment of exotic finches from one of the Cartimar shops failed to materialize. I hope that these guys have more persistence next year.

    In 2009 Cartimar still continued to hold some avicultural surprises even if they aren’t finches. I’m amazed and appalled to see variety of Palawan wildlife for sale. Vipers, civets, monkeys, squirrels, blue racquet-tails and blue-naped parrots, hill mynahs as well as other assorted treats owls, eagles, pitas, button & painted quail, munias (scaly breasted, white bellied, chestnut), flower peckers, orioles, white-eyes, local parrots (colisissi & Guaiabero) and pigeons (bleeding hearts, zebra, and about 3 types of fruit doves).  Lets not forget the Indonesian stuff – well I only saw pig-nosed turtles and chattering lorries this year but I did see the progeny of some ornate lorikeets and I’m sure their parent’s weren’t exactly legal. I can’t believe that the young caiman and salt-water crocodiles are legitimate either. I might tut-tut about such things but I was also tempted by some green-faced parrot-finches but they would only sell as lot at P3000 each and I couldn’t afford that but somebody else could!

    I hope to resupply myself with viable seed for sprouting while in Australia over Christmas as most of the seed here is dead. I will drool over the exotics available there and come back hopefully to my aviaries full of young.

    Merry Christmas and a finchful 2010.

    ]]>     http://www.finchme.com/2009/12/03/christmas-ramblings/feed/ 52     BIRDS Seminar AGAIN http://www.finchme.com/2009/09/14/birds-seminar-on-again/ http://www.finchme.com/2009/09/14/birds-seminar-on-again/#comments Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:23:50 +0000 Greg http://www.finchme.com/2009/09/14/birds-seminar-on-again/ The  BIRDS club asked me to give my presentation again for their show on Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 3:00 pm at the People’s Village within Tiendesitas.

    I was amazed by the remnant trophy birds on display.  Some I’ve never seen previously and I was particularly impressed by a pied Star which rather than being a normal flecked with white they had displayed a normal cock bird with large areas of clear yellow and a very intense red facial mask.  I’m not one for mutations but this was a particularly striking combination.  I’m not even sure this mutation occurs in Australia.  Also on display were cock cordon bleus, a pair of paradise whydahs (the owner has 3 pr of St Helena’s so with a little effort it might even be possible to breed them), a Masked X Longtail hybrid, yellow Stars, Diamond Sparrows, Canaries, various zebra mutations and Society finches.

    ]]>     http://www.finchme.com/2009/09/14/birds-seminar-on-again/feed/ 0     BIRDS Seminar http://www.finchme.com/2009/08/28/birds-seminar/ http://www.finchme.com/2009/08/28/birds-seminar/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:12:21 +0000 Greg http://www.finchme.com/?p=686

    I’m sure everyone thought Finchme had died – I did - but there’s life in the site yet so thank you Rommel. Yesterday I came across a feature in Google Docs which will allows you to upload presentations, so for those that missed my Powerpoint presentation at the BIRDS seminar (which was everyone) just follow the 3 links below. The file was too large to have it in less that three sections and some of the layers and animations have been lost but I hope you will get something out of it.  They’ve indicated that they’d like me to give it again in September  but I haven’t been given a date & venue yet but I’ll keep this post up dated.  I Hope you enjoy the presentation – plese be patient as it loads and please don’t edit it without asking.  Cheers.

     

    Greg

    ]]>     http://www.finchme.com/2009/08/28/birds-seminar/feed/ 0     An Aviculturist’s Wandering in Laos http://www.finchme.com/2009/07/31/an-aviculturist%e2%80%99s-wandering-in-laos/ http://www.finchme.com/2009/07/31/an-aviculturist%e2%80%99s-wandering-in-laos/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:49:06 +0000 Greg http://www.finchme.com/?p=678 Well after my home leave in Australia I went a more exotic follow-up with two weeks in Laos at the end of July. This tiny land-locked country is unspoiled in a tourist sense and a pleasure to visit. Accompanied by my wife and children, I hoped top see the pintailed parrot-finch, strawberry finch, weavers and assorted munias that call this country home. The Lonely Planet guide warns rhetorically that many ask “Why can’t I hear many birds?” and gives the answer “Cheap protein”. With 40% of the country still forested all is not lost and if the government is successful in lifting this to 70% all is not lost but for the moment hunting is heavy and anything that moves is eaten regardless of the law. For the average Laotian wildlife preservation comes in three flavours: fermented, pickled in alcohol and smoked!

    http://www.un.int/lao/laos_in_brief.htm.

    A few birds do however escape the pot and are kept as pets often by wealthy Chinese business owners. I only saw two actual pet-shops, side by side in the capital Vientiane – a far cry from Cartimar here in the Philippines they sold in addition to fish and birds, hamsters, kittens, puppies and turtles but the locals tell me the at the occasional squirrel or civet turns up as well. While I was there the only captive bred birds on sale were budgies and a large unidentified quail or partridge. The most popular of the wild birds appeared to be the starlings and mynahs. The ever popular Hill Mynah sells for around (US$10) and there are also Indian Mynahs. Collared and crested starlings were also sold along with various proprietary foods from Thailand and China. There were also common Columbiformes too – Spotted turtle doves, peaceful (zebra) doves and ring-neck doves. I also saw bul-buls but couldn’t identify them.

    From Vientiane we traveled north to Phonsavan where my wild-life encounter was restricted to their colourful morning market. Filipinos might be delighted to see the embryonated chicken-egg for sale but be warned you have to cook them first. In addition to the usual assortment of Asian fruit & vegetables were an array of wild mushrooms and other plants harvested from the forest. It was the animals however that caught my eye. Cages of live tortoises and bamboo rats were openly sold as were a pair of silver pheasant and an assortment of smoked rats. Slightly more exotic were the hornet larvae and pupae – these would make excellent live food for birds or fish but they are destined for human consumption. The adults are also sold pickled in lao lao (Laotian whiskey) for a drink with a real sting in it’s tail! Also seen were a pair of Silver pheasant which are not uncommon in aviculture all over teh world but are a rare table treat.  It as sad to see the bowls “sour swallow”. During the dry season the swallows are netted as they partake in purpose built dust baths contracted on nearby hill tops. The birds are killed, beheaded, plucked, gutted and tightly packed into brine in ceramic dishes and left to ferment. Fermentation as a way of preserving almost anything in Laos and the preserved fish and meat section of the market is not for the faint-hearted or those with a queasy stomach.
    From Phonsovan headed further north into the mountains to get to Sam Nuea. It was here I found two business sporting caged birds. One had a magnificently articulate Hill Mynah – articulate if you speak Lao that is and another that has a beautiful silver-eared mesia (a relative of the Pekin Robin). The latter was on a diet of uncooked rice so I doubt it was long for this world. After crossing a rickety suspension foot bridge to the market we saw some more sights like boiled dog, baskets of writhing eels, strings of bats and frogs and small piles of assorted water insects, tadpoles and fish. Bamboo rats were obviously in season as they were at almost every market but it was unsettling to see them with their massive front incisors ripped from their mandibles in order to make them manageable for the home consumer.
    After visiting the fortified caves of Vieng Xai from where the Pathet Lao withstood the onslaught of the American bombings during the CIA’s black ops war against these communist insurgents/freedom fighters during the Vietnam war as it’s known by the Americans but in reality it continued the Indochinese war of independence. This area was so heavily bombed (it copped more tones that the whole of Europe during WWII) and defoliated that I was delighted just to see the Eurasian tree sparrow but once there were tigers, leopards, rhinoceros and elephants. It was a sobering experience after which we headed south for the world heritage temple-rich town of Luang Prabang.
    Driving through the National Protected Area we hoped to see one of the estimated 20 remaining tigers but I had to be satisfied with small flocks of white-rumped munia (Lonchura striata -an ancestor of the society finch).

    At some of the temples and on special Buddhist holidays these and other wild bids are offered for sale (KIP10000 or USD$1) to pilgrims wishing to purchase and release the birds in order to gain credits for the next life – pity the guy that caught them. As you can see I gained my credits but for a dollar and the only finch I saw it was hard letting them go.
    Laos was a great holiday destination and wasn’t too exotic for the kids but unless you’re prepared to go really remote you’re unlikely to see much wild-life other the specimens at the market.
    Back in Vientiane 10 days later I visited the morning market where in addition to the fresh section with its range of conventional foods fish, frogs, wasp larvae and bubbling, scum-filled tubs of fermenting plants fish and animals I discovered the medicine section. Luckily I don’t speak Lao as I would like to think the rhino horn and tiger teeth were fake – not so the porcupine quills, mouse deer antlers and many things I didn’t recognize but would no doubt read like a CITIES 1 list.

    ]]>     http://www.finchme.com/2009/07/31/an-aviculturist%e2%80%99s-wandering-in-laos/feed/ 0     Back Home http://www.finchme.com/2009/07/16/back-home/ http://www.finchme.com/2009/07/16/back-home/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:21:40 +0000 Greg http://www.finchme.com/2009/07/16/back-home/ Well I’m back in the Philippines after 5 weeks in Australia but I’m off to Laos for two weeks before I stay put. While I was a away my “spare” male Glouldian died making a replacement mate less of a problem, however I think I have to treat that aviary for worms or something soon as there have been far too many mysterious deaths in it. No breeding went on while I was away other than the zebra finches but they were busy – seven fledgling are fluttering about now. The stars and cut-throats that were sitting when I left didn’t manage to hatch anything. My austerity feeding and maintenace diet must depress male fertility and these birds deserve a rest. One pair of cut throats was sitting on 20 eggs when I got back so I really have to separate sexes to give them both a chance to rebuild and replenish their condition.

    I went to Cartimar yesterday and couldn’t resist a pair of Diamond Fire-tails. I paid P6500 which is about P1500 more than they usually go for but they come up so rarely that I couldn’t let them go. Although I didn’t find Dwight at Goldwing, it seems that he didn’t get birds in from Australia and I’m yet to find out what happened.

    In Australia there have been complaints in the press about exporters depleting stocks of foreign birds and forcing up prices but I think such criticism is unfair as often the same people are advocating importing but want a ban on exporting. Hopefully there will be some sanity put into the debate. Interestingly the avicultural magazines also carried stories about keeping two rare native finches – the beautiful and red-eared fire-tail finches. These birds have traditionally been very scarce and difficult to keep but it seems that this is changing as knowledge improves and the birds become more domesticated but at AUD$2000+ a pair they are out of reach of most aviculturists. Domestication is something I wish someone would write about as I’ve had munias here for 2 years and they show no interest in breeding.

    While I was in Sydney as well as buying and reading the avicultural magazines I visited one of Australia’s best Border Canary breeders, went to a show and did the rounds of bird-shops. I took a few photos and they will make their way into my talk next month.

    ]]>     http://www.finchme.com/2009/07/16/back-home/feed/ 0     Internet Web Resources http://www.finchme.com/2009/06/04/internet-web-resources/ http://www.finchme.com/2009/06/04/internet-web-resources/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:22:07 +0000 Greg http://www.finchme.com/?p=467

    It’s that time of year when I go back to Australia and I hear that Goldwing will have some imports going the other way while I’m away. I’m not worried about the canaries or goldfinches but I am annoyed that I will miss red-faced parrot finches, cordon blu’s and Cuban finches.  If you happen to get any please look up how to breed them as they all need like food to raise young.  In Australia breeders tend to use termites, maggots, fruit flies and at a pinch meal worms.  There are even some manufactured insectivore mixes (Wambaroo, Vetafarm) coming onto the market but you can’t get them here.

    To give you plenty of reading I thought I’d post my finch web-links as they give me hours of reading and provide valuable resources when I need to know something.  I also belong to a couple of other Bloggs.  I know it’s got a strong Australian bias but I am Australian after all.  I hope you’ll enjoy them none-the-less.  Of couse if you want to help undo my Aussie bias please reply to Finchme with your suggestions.

    Avicultural Bloggs

    http://aussiefinchforum.net/viewforum.php?f=37&sid=78f299f7ce10d6c8652d84ec1e8d7428

    http://featherz.proboards.com/index.cgi

    http://www.aussiebirdkeeper.net/

    http://72.41.53.198/finchforum.html

    http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatavianblog/

    http://www.featheredflyer.net/index.php?s=67bb9d4dd8c51312447c40b54de307e3&

    Animal Welfare

    http://parrotsonline.homestead.com/articlesrescue.html

    http://www.kookycongos.ca/charitychoices.htm

    http://www.birdcompanions.com/This%20Aviculturists%20Response%20to%20ARF%20Propaganda.pdf

    http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/quacks_like_a_duck.pdf

    Avicultural Societies

    http://www.qfs.org.au/qfs_AboutUs.asp

    http://www.aviculturalsocietynsw.org/

    http://www.birds.org.au/

    http://www.birdkeepinginaustralia.com/start.html

    http://www.birdclubs.org.au/Alphabetical%20List.htm

    http://www.finchsociety.org/

    http://www.hvas.asn.au/default.html

    http://www.parrotsociety.org.au/index1.html

    http://www.hawkesburyfinchclub.com/index.html

    http://www.birds-inc.com/

    Publications

    http://ebirdkeeper.realviewtechnologies.com/?iid=10475&startpage=page0000004

    http://www.birdkeeper.com.au/v2/index.html

    http://talkingbirds.com.au/

    http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-magazines/bird-talk/default.aspx

    http://www.justfinches.com/

    http://www.magazinesubscriptionsipc.com/ipc/subs/subsorder.asp?title=qcb&promcode=icaac

    Products

    http://www.birdsrus.com.au/

    http://www.multiscope.com/hotspot/index.html

    http://www.redbirdproducts.com/

    http://www.petdirectory.com.au/

    Aviary Profiles

    http://www.cliftonfinchaviaries.org/

    http://gastonaviaries.blogspot.com/2008/06/philippine-hanging-parrot-captive_12.html

    http://www.peters-finches.netfirms.com/

    Wild Trade

    http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/cites/

    http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2001/ra_9147_2001.html

    http://www.parrots.org/

    Care & Expert Sites

    http://www.finchworld.com/

    http://www.finchaviary.com/index.htm

    http://www.landofvos.com/eclectus.html

    http://www.efinch.com/

    http://zebrafinch.info/

    http://www.birdcare.com.au/

    http://www.birdsrus.com.au/?page=162

    http://www.fifecanary.org/

    http://www.avianweb.com/finchspecies.htm

    http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/

    http://www.mybirdmanager.com/

    http://www.birdworld.com.au/

    http://camsalaviaries.com.au/home1.htm

    http://www.robirda.com/

    http://www.birdhealth.com.au/

    http://ejaviary.com/

    http://www.fabulousfinch.com/

    http://www.fairestfinches.com/page/page/4448852.htm

    http://www.finchniche.com/

    http://www.jacarini.com/index.html

    http://www.finchworld.com/Birds/Finch/names/finch_species_listing.htm

    Pictures & Bird Watching

    http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/links/links.jsp?page=l_asi_ph

    http://www.birdwatch.ph/index.html

    http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/waxbills-allies-estrildidae

    http://orientalbirdimages.org/birdimages.php?action=birdfamily&Bird_Family_ID=163

    Research Organizations

    http://www.rarefinch.co.za/

    http://www.savethegouldian.org/index.html

    http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/research/parrot/

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=birds

    Birds in the News

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=birds

    http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/funbirds/birdnews_index.aspx

    http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/03/birds_in_the_news_165.php

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/birds/

     

     

     

     

    ]]>     http://www.finchme.com/2009/06/04/internet-web-resources/feed/ 0     A Guide for the Keeping of & Caring for Canaries in the Philippines http://www.finchme.com/2009/05/21/a-guide-for-the/ http://www.finchme.com/2009/05/21/a-guide-for-the/#comments Thu, 21 May 2009 01:45:52 +0000 Greg http://www.finchme.com/?p=654 I’ve been asked to speak to the BIRDS club in Manila on August 16 about finches and Canaries along with Danny Ang (Cockatiels) and Milet Escalona (Love birds). In addition to a powerpoint presentation I’ve produced this Z-fold leaflet so allow me to brush up on canaries as I haven’t kept them for some time. I hope you find it ueful and that some of you can come along.

    Serinus canarius

     

    This leaflet aims to assist new canary keepers in providing an environment for birds that is conducive to their good health and well being and to aid in their conservation and propagation in the Philippines.

    CANARIES & THEIR ALLIES

    Canaries belong to the old-world finches – the Frigillidae which includes sparrows, weavers, green & goldfinches, bramblings, siskins, linnets and chaffinches. There are 37 canary species within the genus Serinus, found throughout Europe, Africa and western Asia.  The domesticated canary is descended from S. canarius a species from three islands off the Iberian coast including the one after which the birds are named!

    Males famously broadcast their songs as a form of dominance and so are best kept separated but within ear-shot of one another to encourage singing.  Externally females are almost indistinguishable from a male but they never sing.  Males cohabitating with a female won’t sing as loud or as often as a lone male.  Experienced breeders can sex birds by the shape of the vent.

    DOMESTICATION AND BREEDS

    The original wild-type canary has sparrow-like coloration and is a long way from the modern canary-yellow and red-factor birds however it was chosen not it’s plumage but it’s voice.  Domestication began in Spain in the 1600s.  The Spanish timbrado canary is said to be closest to its original ancestor.  From this original wild bird many color-forms have been developed including red-factors, whites, gold, cinnamons, grays, variegated and even “blues” have been developed. Different featherings include crested and ruffled have emerged too.  There are innumerable varieties selected for conformation or song.  Some of the more common breeds are the Border, Fife, Gloster, Gibber Italicus, Raza Española, Berner, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Norwich, Australian Plainhead and the various singers and rollers. 

    HOUSING

    The humid wet-tropics presents challenges that must be met to become a successful aviculturist. High ambient temperature and humidity increase heat stress on birds which must be relieved. Small cages should never be left without shelter from the sun. Indoor facilities can be air-conditioned but out-doors the options are limited to shelter, mist sprays and water baths.

    Vermin must be rigidly controlled or excluded from cages, aviaries and food preparation areas. Vermin requiring control include rodents, cats, snakes, cockroaches, feed moths, beetles (meal-worms & weevils), ants, slugs and other birds particularly other finches and raptors. 

    Care should be taken with new equipment. New galvanized wire may be toxic, especially to parrots. This risk can be reduced by allowing the wire to weather for 4-8 weeks before introducing the birds or by washing the wire with vinegar and then rinsing. 

    The most suitable wire netting for cages is welded mesh, chicken wire.  For canaries the size should not exceed 13mm square but to exclude vermin a 6 mm mesh is recommended. Painting the wire black will assist viewing the birds but ensure that the paint is not toxic.

    Wooden perches of various thicknesses should be provided at different levels and varying angles throughout the enclosure.  Metal perches are not suitable.

    AVIARIES – a large free flight cage housing many birds.  Since canaries are not colony breeders only a single male and 1-2 females can be kept in an aviary during the breeding period unless it is very large.  In the off-season a large flight or aviary is a good place to keep young and condition birds prior to breeding as exercise is an essential requirement. 

    CAGES & CABINETS – these are the standard for breeding canaries.  A wooden box (cabinet) with a wire front is preferable to the traditional wire on all sides as the birds will feel more secure and can withdraw when threatened. Each pair should be given at least 0.8 X 0.4 X 0.4m3.  Males conditioned for singing will be OK in ≤½ this space.

    BIRD ROOMS – a dedicated screened room that houses many smaller breeding cages or flights. Bird rooms are common in the Philippines as they are secure, allow intensive utilization of space, can be climate and photo period controlled, they isolate birds from any pathogens carried by other birds in the facility or from wild birds and are easily cleaned.

    CONDITIONING & FEEDING

    Unlike Estrillids, canaries lifecycles are regulated by day length and this must be simulated in the tropics if breeding or singing are your goals. To ensure birds come into breeding condition day length must be altered by ~15min/week to change the local 11-12h day to 14-16h and visa versa as indicated in the chart above. During breeding copious supplies of sprouted grain and egg’n’biscuit should be supplied.  After breeding the sexes should be separated and the sprouted seed withdrawn to force moulting – this should occur in the hottest part of the year to avoid heat stress.

    Prior to breeding it is important to condition the birds especially the hens to prevent egg-binding.  Flight exercise is extremely important so breeding cages should be a minimum of 0.8 long.  Supplemental calcium intake via grit, cuttle-bone and brassicate vegetables like broccoli should be given 2 weeks prior and during breedig. When feeding young seed soaked overnight should be offered at the rate of ½tsp/bird/day. A suitable seed mix would be 4:1:1; Canary, White Millet and Yellow Millet or Japanese Millet. During “Winter” oily seeds such as rape, niger and hemp are essential and a half measure should be added to the mix.

     SEEDING GRASSES & SPROUTED SEED – these are rich in vitamins and proteins not found in the dormant seed. To sprout seed, place paper toweling on the bottom of as sealable plastic container and wet it.  Sprinkle a single layer of seed over it. There should be just enough excess water that the seed moves.  To inhibit mould Virkon-S can be used in the water. It is important to pretest germination rates of a range of seed as much of the seed sold is dead.

    GREENS – leafy vegetables such as broccoli, Baguio spinach, mustard-greens, petchay are rich sources of vitamins and minerals. Lettuce plants that has gone to seed are a favorite treat for of canaries as they provide both greens and essential oily seeds for the birds

    GRIT – Grit has two important functions for finches. I assists in the grinding of the food in the gizzard and it provides a source of calcium – essential for good health, egg and bone formation. Suitable grits are sand of various grades, clean soil, fine shell-grit, crushed egg-shell and cuttle-bone. Some aviculturists like to include charcoal in a grit mix as it absorbs any toxins taken orally.

    SOFT-FOODS – Commercial egg’n’biscuit mixes combined with mashed hardboiled egg (shell included) and a few drops of water to make a crumbly consistency must be fed regularly throughout the breeding season. Vitamin & mineral supplement can also be added to the mixture. Do not feed more than can be consumed in 3-4h so its best fed in smaller quantities 2-3 times a day

    WATER

    Clean fresh water should always be on hand.  Don’t place the dish under perches or roosting area. A shallow dish for bathing should be provided especially during the summer moulting.  If there’s no time to remove and clean dishes daily it is recommended to use the poultry disinfectant Virkon-S in the water.

    COLOR FEEDING

    Red-factor canaries are incapable of converting yellow carotinoids to red ones and must have these fed to them during the moulting period in order to maintain their color.  While feeding red vegetables like peppers or capsicums will help, the desired intensity is usually only attained by including a colorant in the water

    HEALTH MANAGEMENT & DISEASE CONTROL

    Canaries are subject to similar diseases to other finches but are particularly subject to air-sac mite, coccidia and worms. Ask your local vet for advice and symptoms of infection.  Always quarantine and observe new birds for sickness for a minimum of a month before introducing them to your flock.

    BREEDING MANAGEMENT

    Always select healthy stock, in good condition (refer to figure). The breastbone of a bird in poor condition will be sharp to the touch.

    Breast-bone of the bird 

    Good Condition     Poor Condition

    Whenever possible pair birds of the same age and try to ensure that they are as distantly related as possible. Do not let pairs raise more than 3 nests a year as it can cause undue stress on birds- particularly the female.  While males to help raise young their presence is not actually necessary to raise a brood.

    NESTING – Most canaries will choose and elevated platform to construct a nest on.  Usually they are provided with dish-shaped receptacles such as the ones shown here:

     Construction material must be provided.  Many breeders use coir (coconut husk fiber) or 50mm lengths of teased hessian bag fibers. Soft lining materials like kapok and feathers should also be supplied. Most canaries will tolerate nest inspections but prefer the privacy of a screen on the cage directly in front of the nest. To reduce aggression and to increase the chances of breeding remove young from your breeding cage as soon as they are independent – normally 3 weeks after fledging.

    HYBRIDISATION – Canaries will hybridize with a number of related birds including Linnets, Siskins, Green and Gold- finches as well as other Serinus spp. Usually a canary is used as the female parent as they tend to be more reliable at raising the young.  Almost invariably the hybrids are sterile mules but their intermediate nature can give rise to novel song-types that don’t occur in either of the parents.  Given that the supply of these species are limited, breeders should first establish them before they attempt hybridization.

    Footnote:

    All birds except poultry are required to be registered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). All captive birds held or traded since 2004 should be registered stock or their progeny. Newly imported birds must likewise be registered. For more information regarding registration and importation and other legal matters associated with keeping birds seek advice from a local bird-club or contact the DENR.

     

     

     

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