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.

Jersey Zoo’s birdlife shines amid £4.8m loss

New role-play experience for children opens at London Zoo

QuOTE of the WEEK

Also in the news…

HoL: yes to bird-safe glass

RSPB demands stricter release rules

LATEST UPDATE

WWT reflects on COP15 wetlands summit

THE CANARY COLUMN

Men of mystery from birdkeeping’s past

Editor’s Letter

Cage & Aviary Birds

Judging tips before and on the day • It’s easy when you are officiating to get ahead of yourself, so it’s best to have a suitably flexible routine to help you through any judging engagements. MARK JONES advises on a tried-and-tested procedure, in the first of two articles

Refine down, don’t bulk up • Want to breed better zebra finches every year? Then cut out mediocrity – and the simplest way is by owning no mediocre birds. DAVE BROWN is reminded how smaller can be better

Flight? It’s for wimps • If you’re as formidable as a cassowary, you can see off any terrestrial challenger - unless it’s a car. BILL NAYLOR introduces these mighty yet vulnerable feathered giants, which need our help in a crowded world, yet are not the easiest of birds to maintain in collections

My 2025 deep-clean • Here we are at that time of year when the birdroom needs a total cleanse. Fanciers have their own approach to this vital job — here’s how NEIL CAWLEY managed it this year

Fit canaries will breed • Year after year, the productivity of his nesting canaries is a joy to David, with rounds overlapping successfully. Here, he explains how he does it and why it works so well

Proper planning makes memorable shows • Don’t get stuck in a rut when it comes to your club’s show - think it through afresh so that everyone involved enjoys it. In the first of two articles, STUART MASON of Doncaster BFCC explains his own club’s successful approach

Seasonal checks • It’s October next week, and after a relatively dry summer every fancier needs to prepare their set-up for the less clement conditions that are bound to follow. DAVE BROWN goes through the list of what may need fixing

SHOW MARKINGS: a personal overview • How should a show bird be patterned? Over and above the rules, TONY EDWARDS has developed his own preferences, especially with regard to the problematic area of variegation

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

Perriman takes the prize

Golden glow

Silver sparkle

Club roundup

Quiz answers

What’s coming up in the calendar