Australian Breeders Market

Well, That title is a little misleading. But an article in the UK Telegraph has put to rest any thought that bird breeders don’t take their show birds seriously.

The article Budgie ‘assassinated by rival breeder’ states that 58 year old Michael Pooley returned home to find 2000 pounds worth of prize budgies stolen.

The attacker had also stamped on and killed Penmead Pride – his best of breed champion.

The killing happened the night before the Cornwall Budgerigar Show – where Penmead Pride was crowned champ last year.

Although we are poking a little fun at the antics, it is a serious issue, especially for Mr Pooley. I have witnessed a few heated exchanges over judging in the past, but I think this is the most serious breach I have heard of.

Have you witnessed competitive behaviour in the extreme?

There is an interesting debate going around at the moment, in fact if truth be known, it has been going on for years.

The Broken Head Aviaries site has an article relating to the origins of the Red Winged Red Faced Pytilia, and whether or not it is a mutation, hybrid or a seperate species.

I agree that it is not easy to find any concrete data on the subject, and I hope that someone helps out and adds a comment.

Check out the Red Wing Red Faced Pytilia Finch article at Broken Head Aviaries and shed some light on the issue.

This may not be the most groundbreaking discovery, but scientists from the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications in Barcelona have found that birds with relatively larger brains live longer than those with smaller brains.

The Technology and Science branch of ABC News (USA) reports that the scientists tested parrots and crows (with larger brains) against smaller brained birds (such as pheasants) and found that the bigger brains actually allow the birds to cope with environmental challenges.

Birds with bigger brains are also said to more easily colonise newer areas and environments, as well as cope with changes to their habitat and seasonal patterns.

The UN News reports that a ban on all live bird imports from Africa and other areas is a disappointing move that will force trade into the black market. The EU has made the move to try and restrict the spread of the bird flu virus.

The ban, however does not affect the trade of poultry, a major source of bird flu.

Many poor African nations make a good trade out of exporting live birds, which are abundant in their natural environment. The UN reports that this new ban may decrease the importance of wild birds to the community and therefore reduce the efforts made to conserve them.

A report from the Science Daily Research News states that there is a real possiblity that macaw parrots could soon be extinct in the wild.

17 macaw species exist – one is extinct, one is extinct in the wild, and seven are on the endangered list.

Habitat destruction, the pet trade, and native hunting for feathers and food are leading to the decline.

The report states that despite their fame and popularity, very little is know about the habits of the bird. Studies are underway to learn more about the parrots, leading to better ways to preserve the remaining species.

A study reported at MonstersAndCritics.com states that mothers of baby birds sired by less impressive fathers give the eggs a high level of antioxidants than those of better quality fathers.

This goes against the more popular thinking that the offspring of more impressive male birds would be given a greater chance of development and survival.

This new theory states that the mother tries to make up for her less than perfect reproductive choices by giving them a head start in development.

This could also explain some human reproductions, especially my own beautiful daughter. I always thought she must of got her looks from her mother, but now it seems that it might go a little deeper than I thought…

An interesting article from PhysOrg.com on a study done on the American house finches.

The article states that when the nest is exposed to mites and other parasites, the mother undergoes hormonal changes to alter the birth order of her off spring, to give the more fragile males a greater chance to survive.

Males did more of the development in the egg, thus protecting them from mites and getting them out of the nest quicker.

Could be an interesting discovery for bird breeders and their struggle for parasite control.

An interesting story in the Times (UK) on the fortunes of “Metal Mickey”, a southern ground hornbill in captivity at Birdland, Gloucester.

According to the report, Mickey lost the bottom half of his lower beak mandible in either a fighting or collision accident.

Without intervention, the hornbill would have starved, but staff fitted a stainless steel replacement, and the bird has never looked back.

With proper feeding and lessons, we may see his pop up in a James Bond Movie in the near future.

Southern Ground Hornbill from Wikipedia

The Age reports that the Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell will be contributing $3.2 million over two years to saving the orange bellied parrot – including habitat protection, as well as predator control.

The announcements were made on King Island, where the parrot co-exists with the controversial wind turbines – the same turbines that brought the parrot into the news in the Gippsland area in the first place. The Gippsland plant is still waiting on a submission from the developer that will probably include money for the parrot.
There have been no King Island wind turbine related bird fatalities recorded.

Despite the rather tongue in cheek dramas surrounding the orange bellied parrot of late, the plight of the small parrot is a serious one. The orange bellied parrot is reported to number only 200, with only fifty breeding pairs. As The Age states, this is as rare as the Chinese Giant Panda.

Other Links:

• Parrot Society of Australia
• Wikipedia entry on the orange bellied parrot

I read a fair few articles around the web, and it makes me a little uneasy when I read some of the American Newspapers online.

There are so many articles and stories describing various breeds of doves – how beautiful they are, how to attract them, and what they look like in flight.

I read a little further. This information is given so that you can easily pick them out and shoot them for sport. I am a little concerned about this, more as a reflection on society than on bird fancying. Is this just an American thing, or do we have a large bird shooting population here in Australia?

I would like to hear from anyone who has an experience in the bird shooting area, and whether or not it happens on such a large scale, or I am just reading the wrong articles.