Talking birds April 2018 Preview

sive Comprehen t and relevan information ple for bird peo

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$5 parrots, finches, budgies, canaries, pets, fancy poultry, veterinary advice, Aust.& world news, conservation

April 2018

More than just observing birds

Starting out with budgies

Preparing canaries for shows

Plumhead finch fine in aviary

Pet birds behave to protect

Malabar parrots desirable

Night parrots missing

Project for pure lovebirds

Top vet now in Sydney

THIS MONTH IN YOUR MAGAZINE Australasian feathered news in brief 5 Avian vet directory 19 Aviary Marketplace 29-30 Bird club, avian vet listings 32-33 Budgies: Initial knowhow critical 15 Canaries: Preparing for shows 17 Export answers from Canberra 14 Finches: Plumhead good in aviary 16 Forthcoming events 31 Health: Respected vet in Sydney 18 International feathered news in brief 4

LAST month I promised to

contact officials in Canberra to find out exactly which hoops need to be jumped through in order to legally export birds from Australia.

I did that, but none of my questions were answered and the official reply can be found on page 14 of this edition.

Which leads to the obvious question — how was it posssible for someone to export 74 parrots in December last year if the requirements are not readly available? Maybe only those in the loop are able to access that information. Who knows?

■ SQUARE ONE: We were all novice bird keepers at some stage and wouldn’t it have been great to flick a switch and instantly have all the necessary knowledge.

This month budgie guru Fred Wright addresses that subject, providing plenty of food for thought.

■ SHOWING KNOWHOW: Not everyone is interesting in competitively showing birds and those that participate in that activity put in heaps of preparation time.

Canary expert Jeff Leaney shines his light on that subject in these pages.

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING Lloyd Marshall Telephone.............................03 5983 2566 Email................. lloyd@talkingbirds.com.au Website .............www.talkingbirds.com.au PO Box 216 Balnarring VIC 3926 Australia DEADLINES FOR ADVERTISING BOOKINGS AND COPY MAY 2018 edition Display advertisements.................April 20 Aviary marketplace........................April 27 SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to Talking Birds, which cost $5 a month anywhere in the world, can be arranged by filling out the subscription form on the final page of this edition and sending it together with the appropriate payment or credit card details. The form can also be found at www.talking birds.com.au COPYRIGHT Copyright for all editorial copy and photographs published in Talking Birds remains with the author or photographer and cannot be reproduced in any media without the author s/photographer s permission.

Letters to the editor 14 NSW pet shops progress 14 Parrots: More than just observing 6-7 Parrots: Brisbane convention 10-13 Parrots: Malabar good in aviary 8-9 Parrots: Night parrots go missing 22 Parrots: Philippines trade hits Indon. 28 Parrots: Project for pure lovebirds 28 Parrots: Ringneck mixed reactions 24 Pet birds: Behaving to protect 20

the blue box ■ BITES AVOIDED: Parrots can do a bit of damage by latching on when they are handled, which is a situation we would all like to avoid.

Bob Philpot, the parrot man from the west, this month provides advice on how to make sure bites are avoided while keeping hands free in order to do what needs to be done for the birds’ benefit.

■ NOT POPULAR: The plumhead finch, a pretty little Autralian native, is not overly popular among this country’s bird keepers.

Finch man John Buchan profiles that species this month, looking at its pluses and minuses.

■ LOVEBIRDS ON AGENDA: It’s no secret that it is virtually impossible to find pure birds of many species, for instance cockatiels, Bourke’s, Gouldians and zebra finches.

Victorian birdman Shayne Speechley hopes to ensure that pure African lovebirds will be around for future bird keepers.

Another mag chock full of useful info. I hope you like it.

— Lloyd Marshall

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The empty aviary in Dominica which housed the allegedly stolen birds.

Stolen parrots go to Germany

The blog said a fraudulent export

By LLOYD MARSHALL permit referred to an agreement beTHE never-open-to-the-public “zoo” tween the Government of Dominica in Germany which imported 74 nonand ACTP but the FWPD had no recthreatened birds from Australia late ord of any agreement and did not parlast year, the Association for the ticipate in writing any agreement.

Conservation of Threatened ParA few days after the export took rots, is in the news again after it was place Dominican officials issued a embroiled in allegedly illegal thefts press release saying approved legal and exports of rare parrots from the export of 12 birds had happened. country of Dominica in the CaribbeThe blog alleged that the person in an last month. charge of caring for the birds said he Detailed allegations about the alhad been in charge of them for more leged thefts and illegal exports was than a decade and that he knew published on the MAS in The Cemetery blog, which is published in Dom- nothing about the recent incident where the birds ended up in Germinica and has an enviable track recany. ord of unmasking illegal activities He said that the parrots could by government officials and other have been bred at the island country dodgy people in the island country. with help from experts on the neighThe information supplied to the boring island of Puerto Rico, blog, which contained a lot of who were willing to assist. detailed data which could A few years ago 1000 only have come from a acres of land was purperson close to gov...could chased for habitat ernment officials, have been bred preservation and said there was rethe construction liable information at the island country of a breeding aviabout two senior with help from experts ary but the Domadministrative inican Governstaff in the counon the neighboring ment did nothtry’s Ministry of ing. island of Puerto Rico, Agriculture and Funds for that Fisheries who “facwho were willing project were donatilitated and particied from the United pated in the stormto assist.

States. ing and entry into the The birds’ carer said parrot aviary in the botthe birds had never been sexed anical gardens with a German and he had no idea of their genders. national who was an alleged parrot smuggler and his associates”.

EDITOR S NOTES: Talking Birds The blog said 12 birds — 10 Impercontacted ACTP’s Martin Guth for ial parrots Amazona imperialis and comment. His response was: “You two red-necked parrots Amazona arare smart enough to get all facts ausiaca — were stolen and illegally out from here. And we are more sent on a charter flight to Venezuela then (sic) happy to show one more en route to Germany. time what u (sic) and your magaIt was claimed that legal export zine stand for! Good that you give would have needed a permit signed your magazine for free now, no one by a specific government official, should pay for much (sic) rubbish.” but that person was out of the coun■ Talking Birds is provided free of try at the time in question. charge on a trial basis to anyone The blog said the CITES Scientific who asks for it.

Authority for Dominica — the For■ The original MAS in The Cemetestry, Wildlife and Parks Division — ery blog and the Dominican Govwas not informed of the export and ernment press release can be found had not been given an opportunity to in the documents section at www. review or approve any proposal seektalkingbirds.com.au. ing export of Dominican parrots.

PHOTO: BOB PHILPOT. COVER: MALE MALABAR PARROT. SEE: MALABAR PARROTS IDEAL AVIARY INMATES. PAGES 8-9.

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