Cage & Aviary Birds

Cage & Aviary Birds is written by bird experts for bird fanciers and is packed with club, show and bird related news, advice, birds for sale and comment. Established in 1902, Cage & Aviary Birds provides a wealth of practical advice and tips from the top names in the bird world, plus opinion, controversy, species and hobbyist profiles and nostalgia.

Watchdog points the finger at NI's Special Protection Areas

Flamingo flock is back on display

QUOTE of the WEEK

Also in the news…

Bird names: how we interact with nature

Fox feeding impacts threatened New Forest wading birds

Couple prosecuted for keeping birds and animals in 'squalor'

THE CANARY COLUMN

Storking about in a Belfast park

HARRY SISSEN

Editor's Letter

Cage & Aviary Birds

Warmth at the right time • In MARK JONES’s birdroom things are a bit more advanced than at this point last year – and that’s no surprise when you remember how sodden most of spring 2024 was

A happy mixture • As we saw last week, RYAN DAVIS has been truly bitten by the birdkeeping bug. Like many, he enjoys the pleasures and challenges of keeping a mixed collection of finches and parrotlike. Here, he discusses with DAVE BROWN the management and feeding of his diverse community

Managing birdroom humidity • First off, says NEIL CAWLEY, you need to know what the humidity level in your set-up is – because guessing is no good. Then it’s time to think about adjusting the level if needed, which with the right equipment is straightforward. But it’s a learning curve that we all need to tackle

When the sky goes black • Don’t panic, it might be a starling murmuration! LARRY MANN describes the murmurations that he has been lucky enough to witness, and relates how another recent wild sighting brought back memories of a highly eccentric acquisition made at a National Exhibition

The flip side of the forums • It isn’t only teenagers whose mental wellbeing can be eroded by social media. With countless online groups available and of interest to birdkeepers, DAVE BROWN suggests that even the experienced among us would be wise to limit our online activity

Fresh light on new colours • JAY BUNKER admires a recent addition to a classic up-to-date series of reference books

No two pairs are the same • An eventful life is to be expected if like David you keep a mixed collection. Yet even among his few pairs of canaries, unpredictability is the order of the day. More reassuringly, several of his local summer wildlings are present as expected, and there’s nesting activity aplenty in his aviaries, too

Case studies: fostering 2025 • Fostering eggs or young is a tactic that many fanciers use for a variety of reasons. TONY EDWARDS does so with some reluctance, but it can yield highly successful results

Club News • Welcome to the club and show pages – the bit that’s all about you

Supporting the hobby

Club roundup • Show reports, dates, club notices

What's on this week