BIRD ISSUE TWENTY SEVEN: JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016
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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS
CONS
ERVAT
LEAR’S MACAWS
YELLOWFRONTED PARROT DR. DANIEL JEDLICKA
15 ISS TH UE F 2 20 EB 8 O 16 RU UT AR Y
DON BURKE
BY ROSEMARY LOW
FR EE
WELFARE ISSUES FACING MODERN EXHIBITION BUDGERIGARS
ION
STAFFORD
SPRING SHOW
6TH MARCH 2016 www.staffordspringbirdshow.co.uk Telephone 0797 1474862 or 01529 421057
PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINE: 41
CONTENTS
BIRD SCENE: JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016
CONTENTS 36
DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
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06 16
YELLOW-FRONTED PARROT - THE BREEDING EXPERIENCE By Dr. Daniel Jedlicka
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LEAR’S MACAW By Rosemary Low
28
THE WELFARE ISSUES FACING MODERN EXHIBITION BUDGERIGARS By Don Burke
ON THE COVER
BIRD ISSUE TWENTY SEVEN: JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016
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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS
CONS
ERVATI
LEAR’S ON MACAWS 28
WELFARE ISSUES FACING MODERN EXHIBITION BUDGERIGARS DON BURKE
16
LEAR’S MACAW ROSEMARY LOW
EE
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SPONSORS MESSAGE 2015 By Richard Johnston
FR
NATIONAL EXHIBITION PICTORIAL
IS 7T SU H E 28 20 MA O 16 RC UT H
28
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BIRD SCENE: Issue Twenty Seven: January / February 2016 BIRD SCENE is run by The Parrot Society UK, 92A High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2BL, England. FOR SALES AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRES Telephone or Fax: 01442 872245 Website: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org E-Mail: les.rance@theparrotsocietyuk.org
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INTRODUCT
Les Rance, Editor, The Parrot Society UK | www.theparrotsocietyuk.org | les.rance@
T
his is the twenty-sixth edition of Bird Scene our e-magazine which is proving very successful. For those who know its format I apologise but for new readers this publication is produced to allow us to promote both our Conservation projects that have interest around the world and give publicity to The National Exhibition that is so strongly supported by the 19 exhibiting clubs who support the event. I am certain that this edition of Bird Scene will give readers the same level of quality and interest as the first which went ‘live’ on Monday 22nd August 2010. Over these fifty-four months we have now produced 27 issues of Bird Scene. This edition will confirm the areas that we will continue to cover in future publications. Our intention right from the start was to publish this e-magazine every other month and we have fairly easily achieved this goal. By fixing the date of Issue 28 now you will know when to access our website for the latest edition. At this point it is appropriate to thank our Trade advertisers who so generously support us, you will see their advertisements in this e-magazine and without their 4
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assistance it is unlikely that Bird Scene would have been produced. Our intention is to use Bird Scene to promote and raise donations for our Conservation activities around the world there are donation points on pages 33 & 41where you can pledge money to a particular project. Additionally Bird Scene raises awareness of The National Exhibition which was held at Stafford County Showground on Sunday 11th of October. To run the National Exhibition we have built strong links with the 19 clubs who support the event and organise the entries and judges for the Show. These clubs are specialist societies run by bird enthusiasts the vast majority of whom are actively associated with local cage bird societies. These local clubs make a valuable contribution to the UK bird scene and allow new comers to this fascinating hobby a place local to themselves to meet other enthusiasts. In this edition we are featuring The National Exhibition with a pictorial supported with the results of The Old Varieties Canary Association. The National Exhibition is kindly sponsored
TION
BY THE EDITOR
LES RANCE
@theparrotsocietyuk.org
by Johnston & Jeff Ltd please see page 40 where Richard Johnston their managing director gives his views on The National Exhibition In this issue we also have more images from the 2015 National Exhibition an interesting article from Rosemary Low on the Lear’s Macaw project in Northern Brazil which is supported by
The Parrot Society. An excellent article by Dr Daniel Jedlicka on his breeding experience with the Yellow-fronted Parrot and an article from Australia by Don Burke on Exhibition Budgerigars. Work has now been completed on our Overseas Electronic Parrot Society magazine, see details on page 44. I do hope you enjoy this e-magazine please tell your friends where to find it!!
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TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DR. DANIEL JEDLICKA
YELLOW-FRONTED
THE BREEDING EXPERIENCE
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FEATURE
T
PARROT
he Yellow-fronted parrot is an Ethiopian endemic species. Its natural range, according to the literature, is limited to some isolated areas. Possibly thanks to distance and difficulties to access the areas in inhabits in the region, which for a long time have been disturbed by local clashes, the Yellow-fronted parrot is not endangered in the wild. I have kept Yellow-fronted parrots (Poicephalus flavifrons) since 2010. They are placed in an indoor cage, 90x70x140cm, with a nesting box, 30x35x25cm, vertically oriented with an entry hole 8 cm in diameter. The box is situated outside the cage, with small side doors for checking and manipulation purposes. The temperature is kept above 15 degrees Celsius. My parrots quickly became accustomed to their new environment and they became beloved pets of the whole family. They are fed on a mixture of grains for large parrots and different fruits. Occasionally, they get vegetables, children´s biscuits and vitamin and mineral additives. For their favorite food they are willing to leave the safety of their home, to take a flight and then return to their cage. They are most active in the morning and in the evening. They clean, feed and communicate together noisily. During the day, the couple mostly sit patiently side by side on their perch and rest. They spend the night sleeping with heads between wings on their back. From 11 November 2011 I witnessed the courtship of the couple. When the male began to court the female, he pressed himself towards the perch and fluttered his partially spread wings. He fed the female and mounted her repeatedly, during which both birds whistled gently. From 18 November the birds were mating. The female encourages the male by crouching on the perch and by taking short sideways steps. The
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First eggs
Before leaving the box
male mounts the female´s back, places his tail under the female and partially hangs his wings down alongside her body. He then rubs the reproductive regions by intensive movements. Occasionally he changes the side from which his tail is placed under the female. The birds hold themselves by their beaks feed each other and produce a roaring ever stronger sound that gradually crescendos and then comes to an end. The male gets off the female the birds press gently and offer food to each other. The mating always takes some five minutes.
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At the beginning it occurred in the mornings, but the frequency of the mating rose gradually, until at times it was repeated after a couple of minutes only. Soon both birds began to regularly visit the nesting box. They enlarged the entry hole slightly, and from splintered pieces of soft wood they prepared a fine material, that filled the bottom of the box. The female spent more and more time in the box, and from the end of December she left it only minimally.
FEATURE
New-born
Two Week old chicks
The chick peering curiously from the nesting box
Eggs of the second couple
On 3 January 2012 a change of her behavior and general appearance was observed - she was very quiet, seemed to be very shy, and looked unkempt with ruffled feathers. At even the smallest disturbance she retired into the box. The male dwelled in the box more often too. That afternoon I found the first egg. On 6 January and 9 January the second and third eggs were laid. The freshly laid eggs weigh 9-9.5 grams and are 31 - 32 mm long and 24-25 mm wide. After laying the first egg, the female spent nearly all
of her time in the box and left it for a couple of minutes only. Occasionally, she palpated and turned the eggs very gently. She did not do this with her beak but with her tongue. The male visited and fed the female in the box. He spent most of his time on the perch in front of the entry hole. As late as 2 February the birds mated occasionally. On 6 February 2012 the first chick hatched and announced itself by a silent peeping. On 7 February the second chick hatched. After hatching the chicks weighed 6 grams and were
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52 mm in length. The female warmed both chicks and also the last egg which I removed on 12 February because it was not fertile. Both parents alternated in feeding the hatchlings. They fed them at a minimum every 30 minutes day and night. This frequency diminished gradually. The chicks opened their eyes after day 15. The following day, the closed rings were placed on. At the age of 9 ½ weeks the chicks began to peer from the box. The parents were feeding them through the entry hole and it seemed that
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they were tempting and encouraging them to leave the box for their first journey into the cage. Three days later the first chick left the box for several minutes. Soon the second one followed. At the beginning, the chicks were returning to the box regularly, 12 days later for the night only. After one more week, they stayed in the cage out of the box. Very soon they started to feed themselves. 6 weeks after leaving the box they were separated from the parents. On 7 November 2012 I found 3 eggs laid by the second pair which I keep. One of the eggs was
FEATURE
At the beginning, the chicks were returning to the box regularly, 12 days later for the night only. After one more week, they stayed in the cage out of the box. Very soon they started to feed themselves.
not fertilized. 2 chicks hatched on 24 and 27 November. The first couple had a new clutch of eggs between 24 and 30 November 2012 and the chicks hatched on 24, 25, 27 and 29 December. The youngsters differ from the adult birds by less pronounced colouration, which starts to resemble that of the parents at the age of one year - the ocre-yellow areas are more highlighted, and they have brighter yellow colour. During the day, they are very active they spend much time by symbolized fights. They feed and clean each
other. Nevertheless, during perching, resting and sleep, they sit at a distance from each other. In their choice of food, they do not differ from the adults. They keep their shy temperament, and only sometimes demonstrate enough trust to accept a piece of their favorite children´s biscuits from hand. The Yellow-fronted parrots are very friendly, beautiful and non - demanding birds in captivity. They pay back our care with their nice temperament and by the joy from their breeding.
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FEATURE
The young parrots Bibliography 1. VASICEK, Milan. Papousci Afriky a Asie. Svepomoc Praha 1981, 38-001-81, p. 97-98. 2. HOYO, Josep del, Andrew ELLIOTT, Jordi SARGATAL a Jose CABOT. Handbook of the birds of the world. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, c1992-c2010, p. 416. ISBN 9788496553880. C&A classified 01-11:C&A classified 03-03
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ARTICLE BY: ROSEMARY LOW
LEAR’S MACAW
I
remember how excited I was in 1973 when Joseph Forshaw’s ground-breaking book Parrots of the World was published. Here, in a 584-page tome, weighing seven kilos was at last a work that covered the natural history of all the members of the parrot family. Previously the information was scattered, mainly in scientific papers, and the actual appearance of many species had been a mystery. Here they were all illustrated in plates measuring 38cm in height. Younger people these days can hardly imagine what this book meant -- for few on parrots had been published and, of course, there was no internet to refer to.
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For every species in Forshaw’s book there was a distribution map as well as a written description of the area in which it occurred. There were four exceptions. The Intermediate Parakeet (Psittacula intermedia) turned out to be a hybrid, and the Blue-thighed Lory (Lorius tibialis) and Rufoustailed Parrot (Tanygnathus heterurus) are probably aberrant specimens of Purple-naped Lory and Muller’s Parrot. There was only one genuine species noted as “Exact range unknown.” This was Lear’s Macaw. These words were qualified with: “…probably north-eastern Brazil in the states of Pernambuco and Bahia.” The author continued: “Lear’s Macaw is a
FEATURE Photograph Steve Brookes
mysterious bird known only from specimens held in captivity.” The species was described by Bonaparte in 1856, from a prepared specimen in the Paris Museum, whose origin was known only as Brazil, and another specimen from Antwerp Zoo, Belgium, of unknown origin. For more than a century all the birds acquired by American and European zoos and museums had been given an incorrect origin. How could it be that such a large parrot, over 70cm in length, had never been seen in the wild except, obviously, by local people? The answer was that its small area of distribution was remote
and visited by very few outsiders. The first clue to the origin of Lear’s Macaw came in 1978 when Olivério Pinto, found one in captivity in Juazeiro in Bahia during an expedition to north-east Brazil. By the time the third (revised) edition of Parrots of the World was published in 1989 the Distribution entry for Lear’s Macaw read “Known only from north-western Bahia, northern Brazil.” The renowned German Brazilian ornithologist, Helmut Sick (who died in 1991) together with D.Teixeira and L.P.Gonzaga, discovered the home range of Lear’s Macaw in December 1978. It is not quite correct to say that they discovered it
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as they were, of course, guided by local people who knew the macaw. It lived in a plateau called Raso da Catarina, where the altitude varied from 380m to about 800m -- higher in parts. It is an extraordinary beautiful area of red sandstone canyons and cliffs, the cliffs being used by the macaws for roosting and breeding. This is a transition zone between the arid and semi-arid climates, characterized by low and irregular rainfall. The temperatures vary from 15°C at night to 45ºC daytime. Initial censuses suggested that the population was not more than about 70 birds. The future for this beautiful macaw was looking bleak in the extreme. The main problems it faced were loss of and lack of regeneration of licuri palms, which form about 90% of its natural food source, and shooting by farmers. The macaws attacked the corn crops on which they fed when they were unable to find licuri palm nuts. What hope of survival had this small and extremely vulnerable population? So, in 1978 news of the discovery of the home range of Lear’s Macaw brought two worrying questions: would it result in the macaws being heavily trapped and what could be done to stop shooting and trapping? Now I will skip a few decades to September 24 2013. It was 4.30am, dark, cold and windy. I was with Steve Brookes, who had organised the trip (www.wildparrotsupclose.co.uk) and the other two members of the group, plus two local men. I was standing on a cliff top -- not just any cliff but that in which about half the world population of Lear’s Macaw roosts: the famous site at Toca Velha. The sky began to lighten just a little. Dawn was breaking and the macaws were leaving for their feeding grounds. Huge, dark shapes appeared overhead -- a steady stream, groups of twenty, stragglers, larger groups, on and on they came, filling the air with their screams and filling my
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senses with awe and disbelief, their long wings appearing huge in the half light of dawn. I was spellbound by the elegance of their steady, rhythmic flight, hypnotising in its beauty. I had not expected this -- such grace, like an aerial ballet. Silhouettes as yet, they were like airborne javelins, all speeding in the same direction, their long tails pointing towards the next group behind them. They kept coming and coming, the noise -- that lovely sound of their calls -- going on and on. The sun had been creeping over the distant horizon, tingeing the sky above the mountains in a narrow line of red. The light was coming up fast. They were not silhouettes any more. I could see their faces, the sun glinting off the bare yellow facial area and giving the underside of their wings a golden glow. So beautiful! We had driven to this place in the dark then walked for a few minutes. I had no idea where I was, how high I was, until the sun came up. Now I could see that we were on a small plateau, surrounded by sandstone cliffs that stretched far into the distance. The cliffs were pitted with holes, large and small, like Swiss cheese. In front of us was a deep, wide canyon. We were right on the edge! The ground was covered in stones and small rocks. The vegetation was sparse, just a few dried up grey bushes, spiny-looking grasses and cacti as tall as a man, where they could get a foothold in a crevice in the rock. Perhaps 400 macaws had passed -- but many came back in small groups, some of them hanging above us, curious. Looking at their faces through my binoculars made me gasp. They were so beautiful! Small groups continued to return to circle over us. By this time I was so overcome with emotion at what I was seeing that I was sitting on a rock. I could not stand up… The emotional impact was like nothing I had experienced before. The macaws had been darkening the sky above me. The strange beauty
FEATURE
When Les gave me the news that the conservation committee of the Parrot Society had decided to donate £5,000 I was absolutely delighted! Here was proof that PS members really are helping to aid the survival of one of the world’s most vulnerable parrots…
Photograph Steve Brookes
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Photograph Steve Brookes
of the surroundings and the spectacle of at least one third of the population of the species that had perched on the abyss of extinction left me speechless -- quite literally. I could only marvel at what I had seen and know that it was a privilege afforded to few. This was my third trip to Brazil with Steve -- an experience far better than travelling with a bird tour company whose participants tend to be tickers and listers. Go with Steve and you know
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the emphasis is on parrots! Watching them -not ticking off species! I have seen parrots leave their roost sites in many locations. Usually they are gone in a whoosh of wings -- and that is that. But not the Lear’s. I know from the time on my photographs that we watched them for well over one hour. Some of them were perched in trees several hundred metres away but they kept returning to fly over us -- prolonging those precious moments
FEATURE Photograph Steve Brookes
The species was described by Bonaparte in 1856, from a prepared specimen in the Paris Museum, whose origin was known only as Brazil, and another specimen from Antwerp Zoo, Belgium, of unknown origin.
that were the highlight of countless parrot watching trips in many parts of the tropics. Today, if you are in this remote area with a guide, it is not so difficult to see Lear’s Macaw. I could not help thinking about how long, difficult and painful the experience was for Helmut Sick and Dante Teixeira, his colleague in Rio’s National Museum. Sick started to search for the macaw in 1964. By 1977 he had come to the conclusion that the only place where the Indigo Macaw, as
he called it, could live was the Raso da Catarina. He wrote: “Our doubts, however, were very great. Could it be that this region was so completely overlooked by scientists, and that there could hide, for more than a century, a bird as large as a macaw? It was hardly believable.” Then the Raso was “a white spot on the map of Brazil, no settlements, no roads, dried-up rivers”. It was supposed to be impenetrable. It was certainly inhospitable, owing to its tremendous
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The sky began to lighten just a little. Dawn was breaking and the macaws were leaving for their feeding grounds. Huge, dark shapes appeared overhead -- a steady stream, groups of twenty, stragglers, larger groups, on and on they came, filling the air with their screams and filling my senses with awe and disbelief, their long wings appearing huge in the half light of dawn.
Photograph Steve Brookes
heat and the lack of water. After eleven days of searching the Raso Helmut Sick and Dante Teixeira came across flight feathers of a Lear’s Macaw that had been shot and eaten by a hunter. “Two days later we ourselves finally met the no longer mysterious macaw in the field…” (Sick, undated but published in 1981). We know from a letter from Sick published in the German magazine Gefiederte Welt in 1979 that the journey was a terrible ordeal for him.
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Three days before departure he realised that he was developing a hernia. Endless riding on pack animals, without a saddle, kept him in constant pain and in a state of exhaustion. On the first day he suffered an attack of malaria. His young assistants had fever, diarrhoea, sunburn and injuries from spiny plants. The guide got lost and Sick’s robust four-wheel drive vehicle was ruined. After six weeks in the field (including his 69th birthday) he flew to Rio and was operated on for a double hernia.
FEATURE I know from the time on my photographs that we watched them for well over one hour. Some of them were perched in trees several hundred metres away but they kept returning to fly over us -- prolonging those precious moments that were the highlight of countless parrot watching trips in many parts of the tropics.
How fortunate was I to see more than ten times the 31 Lear’s that the pioneering spirit of Helmut Sick was rewarded with! I would never forget this hour and I vowed that I would do something to try to help the survival of Lear’s Macaw. It needs our help now because of the severe drought that has affected the area which is believed to be negatively affecting population growth. It also affects farmers whose reduced corn crops might result in more macaws being
shot. In our relatively affluent society, we can have no idea what it is like to be dependent on a single crop -- either corn or the licuri palm -and the weather. When I returned from Brazil I contacted Les Rance and told him of the need for more funding to assist the survival of this macaw. There are several strands to its conservation projects -- and all of them are costly. When Les gave me the news that the conservation committee of the
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By the time he was only 21 Lear had published a large folio on the parrot family -- the first series of plates devoted to a single family of birds. Although he is better known as the author of such delightful “nonsense” he was an artist of exceptional talent.
Photograph Steve Brookes
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FEATURE Parrot Society had decided to donate £5,000 I was absolutely delighted! Here was proof that PS members really are helping to aid the survival of one of the world’s most vulnerable parrots -- and also one of the most extraordinarily beautiful -and almost unique in its habitat and habits! In my next article I will describe the various conservation projects and how the Parrot Society’s money will be spent. Edward Lear Why was it named after Edward Lear? By the time he was only 21 Lear had published a large folio on the parrot family -- the first series of plates devoted to a single family of birds. Although he is better known as the author of such delightful “nonsense” poems as the Owl and the Pussycat, he was an artist of exceptional talent. His 79 plates of birds and animals in the menagerie of the 13th Earl of Derby, the last published in
1850, brought him even greater fame. When a macaw new to science was described in 1856, Lear was at the height of his artistic fame, and had even given drawing lessons to Queen Victoria. He was a celebrity of his age.
Photograph Steve Brookes
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PRIORS PETS, COTTAGE NURSERY, HOWARDS LANE, CARDINALS GREEN, CB21 4QX
BY DON BURKE
THE WELFARE ISSUES FACING MODERN EXHIBITION BUDGERIGA 06 28
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ver the last 77 years, since our first standard of perfection in 1935, budgie breeders have developed an ever-changing series of standards of perfection. These have been seen as constant improvements in the look of the bird. Almost all breeders learn the modern “look” and see it as an improvement over past “looks”. Since about 1960 when the first (illegal) English imports arrived, we have all bred more and more birds that follow the European look. From 2003 our Australian standards of perfection started to mimic the European ones too. These days, we pretty much follow the European trends relating to all aspects of perfection in the look of the budgerigar. So perhaps it is time to examine what we are doing, particularly in relation to the effects on the welfare of our birds. It is perhaps a significant criticism of our predecessors that they seem never to have considered welfare of the birds when they were designing new standards of perfection. I can find no records of welfare
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investigations in the past. Whenever you deviate significantly from the original size and shape of a wild animal, constant monitoring of the effects of these changes needs to be carried out. This is clearly required by the various constitutions of budgerigar clubs in Australia. Without a shadow of a doubt, our constitutions and basic ethics require an immediate investigation and discussion of the various welfare issues involved. Modern show budgies are about 50% longer than wild budgies, twice as wide and more than twice as heavy. The beak is still about the same size as it is in wild budgies, which makes it proportionally about half the size (relative to body mass). Feather bulk, measured as average increase in the area of feathers, has increased by a factor of about three times. Some of the major problems encountered with modern exhibition budgerigars are:
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1. Common infected eyes caused by the irritation of feathers growing into the eyes. *# 2. Common feather viruses caused by extreme feather bulk. * 3. Common wing feather cysts caused by feather bulk which exacerbates feather viruses. *+ 4. Short life spans. * 5. Reluctance or inability to fly due to Directional Feathers obscuring forward vision. * 6. Reluctance or inability to fly due to poor wing feathering. * 7. Poor fertility due to general poor health of the birds. * 8. Constant disease issues due to lack of vigour. * Apart from veterinary support for these points, it must be pointed out that these issues almost never occur with my mini budgies bred in the same birdroom, fed the same food and
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caged in the same aviaries at the same time. This clearly points to the abovementioned problems being strongly linked to the features of the modern show bird. # When birds constantly scratch their irritated eyes with their poo-contaminated toenails, infection is eventually likely to follow. Despite claims that eye infections are very contagious, birds with no feathers poking into their eyes don’t catch these infections in the same aviaries or same breeding cages as the overly-coarse feathered birds who do catch the infections. + This problem has previously occurred with canaries. I refer interested people to the 1961 book “Budgerigars, Canaries & Foreign Finches” by R.B. Bennett. In the book he tells the story of Norwich canaries becoming ragged and double buff due to selection for these factors. This, in turn led to “feather-lumps’ (cysts)
associated with “over-feathered” birds: exactly what we are seeing with over-feathered budgies. Eventually, after heated arguments, the breeders returned to breeding the less heavily-feathered birds and the cysts largely disappeared. We are currently repeating the mistakes of canary breeders 51 years ago!!! New Research New research indicates that birds’ feet (and other exposed skin areas such as around the beak & eyes) are a major source of Vitamin D3. Birds’ feet contain 30 times more Vitamin D3 precursor chemical than feathered skin on the same bird. The densely-feathered area around the feet on modern show birds plus their slouching posture shades the feet and therefore severely reduce vitamin D3 production, damaging the birds’ immune systems and calcium absorption.
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Very new research has shown that the beak is a primary cooling structure in birds. Like an elephant’s ears, the beak has lots of blood vessels (which facilitate cooling while panting during hot weather). In toucans 60% of cooling takes place through the beak. Significantly, the beak does not lose water as it cools the bird down. This would be very important for a desertdwelling bird like the budgie. With the
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proportionately much smaller beak in the show budgie (compared to the wild budgie), which is also tucked into the huge insulating mask feathers, cooling on a hot day would be very difficult indeed. This adds to the enormous load that the modern show bird has to carry. Without any budgie breeder or judge intending to do so, our show standards have done enormous damage to our beautiful little birds.
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By now any caring, reasonable person must have realised that our poor exhibition budgie is in deep trouble. Blindly following the European standards is definitely not the way to go. The decent, ethical budgie breeders of Australia, the vast majority, need to stand up and say “enough is enough!” Clearly, the time has come to finesse the modern show budgerigar; to keep the style and the beauty of
the bird, but at the same time to pull back from extremes which make the lives of our birds miserable. Just like the Norwich Canary Breeders did 51 YEARS AGO! Perhaps it is time to return to breeding budgies to our own Australian Standards. To resurrect the fabulous Australian colour of yesteryear and to create a truly balanced bird.
DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
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SALE DAYS IN 2016 SUMMER SHOW: SUNDAY 3rd JULY 2016 NATIONAL EXHIBITION: SUNDAY 9th OCTOBER 2016 ‘HELP BIRD KEEPERS SHOW’: SUNDAY 4th DECEMBER 2016
ALL P.S. MEMBERS ENTER OUR SHOWS EARLY. ALL SHOWS IN 2013 WILL BE HELD AT STAFFORD COUNTY SHOWGROUND ST18 0BD
PARROT SOCIETY
THIS IS JUST A NOTI FICATION OF DATE S PLEASE DO NOT BO OK UNTIL YOU SEE FULL DETAILS IN THE MAG AZINE All our shows are he ld at Staffordshire County Showground, Westo n Road, Stafford ST 18 0BD.
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D ENTRY WRISTBAND
WITH PRE-PURCHASE
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SPONSORS MESSAGE 2015 B
y my reckoning this years National will be the 139th and the first National can be traced back as far as the 1860s. This is even older than my company which wasn’t established until 1880. However, it is true to say that a show wasn’t held every year and that on more than one occasion it was thought that the show may fold for good. It was a dedicated group of people that got the show going again in 1940 after a fire had destroyed the venue and a replacement couldn’t be found. It was then that Cage & Aviary magazine took over running the National and did so until 2004.
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The show and also sales days were then faced with an entirely new problem. Foot and mouth and the restrictions on movement of livestock – this hit all bird clubs, and especially opens, hard. This was a restriction passed down in law by Government and many thought that this would end the shows, exhibitions and the type of members days that the Parrot Society had organised for years to enable aviculturists to buy and exchange stock. Fortunately, we had another dedicated group that decided that this shouldn’t happen and this came from The Parrot Society. Representing all of us, the work went on to find
out what could and couldn’t be done. Key issues were: • what needed to be improved to make sure we were looked upon favourably • who needed to be included to make sure our argument did not fall on deaf ears • and then who would volunteer to implement the changes Keeping the hobby together was also extremely important and so meetings were arranged to bring all the different clubs and interests together. This may now be history but it is testament to all that hard work that in 2015 we are celebrating the 9th show since the resurrection of the National. This is a show which gets more popular every year. Many thousands of individuals turn up every year to show birds, purchase or exchange excess stock birds and to buy seed and accessories from the many stalls. If, individually, all those had voiced a protest about our shows closing I doubt that anyone would have listened. However, as the Parrot Society represented all of us collectively, it had the strength to get MPs on our side and the argument that it represented thousands of voters who wanted something sorted. With Johnston & Jeff, we find that the large organisations which dictate the rules are not interested in individual companies. And so we are members of the PetFood Manufacturers Association. I am the Chairman of the Bird Group in this, and it gives us the opportunity to discuss any rule changes before they are applied because the PFMA represents over 90% of manufacturers in the UK. It is in the interests of any organisation that dictates rules to talk to a body direct that represents, and has the ear of, so many individuals. And so my message this year is to encourage you to become members of the Parrot Society as membership offers so much
more than a monthly magazine. A collective wealth of knowledge, excellent conservation work, regional branches with regular meets and, above all, a voice that is listened to. The larger the membership of the Parrot Society then the more strength it has to ensure that we all continue to enjoy the shows, sale days and club meetings which are central to our hobby. I am personally very proud to be associated with the Parrot Society and of the fact that my company is the sole sponsor of this years National. Richard Johnston MD, Johnston & Jeff
DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
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The OVCA was formed in 1970 and was the first Canary Section to be part of the National Exhibition in Stafford. The O.V.C.A is committed to returning the Old and Rare breeds of Canary to the British Show Bench. If you keep or have any interest in these Old Breeds why not become a member Membership fee’s are:Adult. £10. Partnerships £15. Senior Citizens £5. Juniors Free, but must Register with Secretary each Year. Patronage is granted to many shows across the UK who promote these Old Breeds. Two Club Shows are held each year one in the North and one in the South. The National Exhibition is an Open Show you do not have to be a member of the O.V.C.A to exhibit or win any of the Special Prizes on offer. The Judge for 2015 is Wilfried Swyngedauw from Belgium COM/O.M.J. Classes are provided for both Old Varieties and Rare Breeds of Canaries. For a schedule and entry form or to become a member please contact: Mr. K. McCallum OVCA General Secretary. Pallinsburn, 8 Ridley Avenue, Blyth, Northumberland. NE24 3BB. Tele:- 01670 355848 E mail Kevin.mccallum@talktalk.net
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OLD VARIETIES CANARY ASSOCIATION NATIONAL SHOW RESULTS
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his Year’s National Exhibition showed a good increase with 200 birds of many breeds on the show bench. This year’s Judge was WILFRIED SWYNGEDAUW from Belgium. A COM/OMJ for many years it was his first judging engagement in England. Last year saw the two leading exhibits competing for the “Best in Show Award” one from the “Old Varieties Section” and the other from the “Rare Breed Section”. This top award proved popular so was repeated again this year and will be in the future. This year’s Best in Show was awarded to B.A. Hogg’s Flighted Lancashire Coppy Hen, a big, bold Lancashire for a Hen and was a popular choice. The Best Rare breed was an Unflighted Japanese Hoso exhibited by Chris Smith, a lovely small bird with good position. The best Parisian Frill was a Novice bird exhibited by Cemal Cemal. The North Dutch Frill is now seen in greater numbers, Mr & Mrs D. Brown took best of breed with a smart Flighted bird while Kevin McCallum’s Unflighted clear North Dutch Frill Cock won the largest class in the section with 23 birds. In the Crest section Ian Wright won the top award with a Flighted Crest Cock, Best Scotch
Fancy was another Novice bird exhibited by Donald Skinner-Reid, an Unflighted Hen which showed good position and feather quality. The Belgian Fancy section had a few good exhibits but many showed poor feather quality. The winning bird was a young Belgian Hen exhibited by B.A. Hogg. In the Rare Canary Section apart from Chris Smith’s Hoso there were some other good exhibits on show. Leading the good entry of Fiorino Frills was Joe McCabe’s Plain head Hen. This new comer to the Old & Rare Breeds is proving to have a good eye for these breeds as he provided the Best North Dutch at last year’s National. The Best Raza Espanola was exhibited by Fernando Canada, this exhibit was Best Novice Rare. Andy Early won Best Rheinlander with a Buff Coppy. All in all the O.V.C.A was pleased with this year’s entry and would like to thank all exhibitors and looks forward to meeting all again at the 2016 event with an even bigger entry. The Association would like to thank The Parrot Society UK, Judge Wilfried Swyngedauw and all Stewards for their time and help and look forward to an even better event next year.
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he Parrot Society monthly magazine is now available to residents outside the UK in an electronic format so that they can enjoy the magazine at the same cost as UK members of just £22.00 for a calendar year. It has become increasingly expensive to post a paper magazine around the world and these costs are underlined by the charges we are forced to charge for various locations around the world. The subscription costs for 2016 are printed on the inside front cover of this publication. If any of our existing members wish to transfer to the Overseas Electronic Magazine please e-mail me at les.rance@ theparrotsocietyuk.org sending your I.P. address of your computer. If you are not sure of this information then Google ‘What is my I.P. address’ and it will show on screen. Once a password has been issued simply log on to the Home Page of our website www.theparrotsocietyuk.org and click on the Overseas Electronic Magazine link which appears on the horizontal tool bar near the top of the page. Payment of the £22.00 annual subscription should be made to our bank account quoting your Parrot Society membership number which appears above your name on each envelope you receive from us. The past two magazines for October and November are already showing.
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ry is mo wed reg o min ularly d. which s laid eggs time. in ear I took 3 mo ly May nths him to some anti-bi the loc e of the later than and otics After al Vet last colder which thr s who is yea weathe I gave gave expect ee days the r. The me r we to the ed the cock first ture A. bird ora bird die cock Hen to had The sec pair lly. d. desert weeks ond pai Howeve been feedin the nes At this poi later nt r, the g the t box the coc r blems time as the I k unless Hen stayed hen up to and was tha she cam in the she was iary mo box mo t point. e out out of st of to fee st of looked the the box the d. Aft into the for all wit box and longer per er a few day h full s iods, she had crops so I see pic three ture B. youngs ters Over the com ing
The Parrot Society Banking Details Bankers: Lloyds Banking Group, Berkhamsted Branch P.O. Box 1000, BX1 1LT, England Current Account Name: The Parrot Society Account Number: 00875232 Sort Code: 30-90-73 BIC: LOYDGB21253 IBAN: GB15LOYD30907300875232 We do hope that this alternative, cost effective method of keeping in touch with the avicultural developments within the UK will be of benefit to our overseas members. Please remember that all Parrot Society members can purchase tickets to enter all three of the excellent shows we run at Stafford County Showground early, a considerable member benefit.
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