Articles

The information contained in these articles is freely shared with all aviculturists both new to bird keeping and to experienced breeders.  They contain a lot of useful information and personal experiences in the field of aviculture that remain relevant today. For your convenience in finding specific articles we have in some instances alphabetically listed the same article more than once.  Examples of this being the Quarrion which is also known as a Cockatiel or Weiro.  Plants for your birds and aviaries which are listed under their common names are also listed under "P" for plant.

A

My Incredible Trip to Africa
(ASNSW Meeting October 2019).  Presented by Bruce Hockley.  "Two or three things I have always wanted to do in my life. One was to go to the Kimberley's and see all the birds that I had kept for a long time and eventually get around to photographing every Australian finch (because I have bred them all except for two at the moment); and secondly, I wanted to go to Africa."

The Alexandrine Parakeet
(AVIDATA: Published by The Avicultural Society of New South Wales Autumn 1974 Vol. 1 No. 2).  By Stan Sindel.  "The Alexandrine parakeet is almost certainly the first species of parrot to have been kept in captivity and is known historically from the time of Alexander the Great - hence ostensibly the name "Alexandrine"....."

Bird Art and Aviculture
By Paul Solomon (the artist).  "For thousands of years humans have been fascinated by birds. When one gets a glimpse of a bird in the wild for a short few seconds before it flies away the passionate bird fancier wants that moment to last longer. Maybe that is why I became an aviculturist because I never wanted to lose sight of that amazing creature. As a bird artist I try to replicate some of those moments yet nothing can ever come close to the real thing. However through 25 years of keeping birds and painting them the key to both good art and aviculture is observation and understanding."

Aspects of Behaviour in Aviculture
(The Avicultural Review April 1986 Vol. 8 No. 4).  By Peter Gray B.V.Sc. "Normal breeding behaviour is of great importance for success in aviculture. In the wild and under suitable cage conditions, all lovebirds display the behaviour that gives them their common name. They pair early, often prior to puberty, and once pairs are formed they normally endure for life. Pair information is a rather undramatic event. Unpaired birds seek out the company of other unpaired birds and test them, as it were, by attempting to preen them and otherwise engage their interest. Couples quickly discover if they are compatible and generally it takes no more than a few hours to establish lifelong pairs. Finches and canaries are much less discriminating in breeding partner selection. Incompatible pairing is quite important in breeding failure."

Avian Importation (brief discussion)
(ASNSW Meeting December 2012). "The background behind this is that Paul Gilchrist sent a letter to the last meeting of the ABA and our view was to positively reply to them to say yes, in principal we are interested in being involved and we seek a meeting with you at the earliest opportunity to progress this matter. Paul Gilchrist's point about needing to have a more coordinated approach is because they are already spending up to $440 million decommissioning Spotswood and Torrens Island Quarantine Stations, they are going to have nothing in Sydney, and they are going to have just one mega facility somewhere in Melbourne....."

Avian Importation
(ASNSW Avicultural Review April 2015).  Presented by Daniel Gowland. "The Society's position on avian importation is that we are in support of both importation and exportation of birds so long as they derive from captive self sustaining populations, for those where importation or exportation would likely become so. So we are not in support of wild bird traffic, we need you all throughout the world to know that, we are definitely anti-smuggling and in support of legal trade in birds. It's been a vexed issue in our area because it's just basally slow to get real movement on the topic. Daniel will be providing some ideas tonight about what our forward progress needs to be on that topic. So Daniel welcome to the Avicultural Society of NSW."

Avian Intelligence
(ASNSW Avicultural Review April 2005).  "The term "bird brain" came about because humans felt that a bird's brain was inferior to that of a humans. But new research has shown that avian brains actually process information in much the same way as a human's brain.  It has been found that there are species of birds that do possess a high level of intelligence and those who do not...."

Aviary Bird Association Perth..  Bob Philpot, President ABA of Aust (Inc)
(ASNSW Avicultural Review - December 1998).  "May 1997 to May 1998 on my calendar equals twelve months or one year if you say it quickly, and that is the period of time that has elapsed since I took office again for another spell as President of the Association.  When Frank Parker indicated that he did not wish to continue in the chair and there was no enthusiastic person waiting in the wings I decided to renew my acquaintance with the position...."

The Importance of Aviary Design
(The Avicultural Review August 1985 Vol. 7 No. 8).  By Jock Strap.  "We were blessed at our August meeting to have as our guest one of the world's leading aviculturists, Mr Mike Fidler of the United Kingdom. Mike explained that he had come to Australia this trip as part of a study tour being conducted by Newcastle (UK) University on the plight of the Gouldian Finch in northern Western Australia and he was making the most of the trip by popping into Sydney and Melbourne to look up old friends and if possible come to some club meetings.  Mike addressed the meeting on various aspects of aviculture and made much comment on Australian aviary design, which is my pet subject as it is of vital importance and is more than often paid lip service instead of being viewed as the first important step towards successful breeding....."

Getting an Aviary in Kogarah
(ASNSW Avicultural Review - December 1998).  By Ivan Cincric.  "When I moved into the Kogarah area I certainly didn't expect that my aim to have an aviary would turn into a long running saga that would eventually end up in the Land and Environment Court....."

An Approach to Aviculture (Part I)
(The Avicultural Review August 1985 Vol. 7 No. 8).  By Mike Fidler.  "I have kept Gouldian finches for approximately 22 years. I am more a fanatic than a bird keeper. My hobby is Australian finches. About 15 years ago someone in Britain decided that all parrot finches came from Australia and so I have studied them as well. I know a fair amount about what we call Australian finches and relatively little about any others....."

An Approach to Aviculture (Part II)
(The Avicultural Review September 1985 Vol. 7 No. 9).  By Mike Fidler.  "I have a little message for you about germinated seed.  I call it germinated seed as opposed to soaked seed.  We have to ask, why do we use germinated seed?  Because germinating a seed converts an ordinary seed from a piece of corn flake into a high energy package. There is an actual biological change that takes place.  As you soak the seed it releases an enzyme from the germ. These are digestive juices and they are released into the carbohydrate part of the seed and they start the actual process of digestion.  They convert the carbohydrate into simple sugars - glucoses, fructoses and the like...."

How I Became Interested in Aviculture
(The Avicultural Review April 1986 Vol. 8 No. 4). by Norm Finlay-Jones.  "I once read the very first step towards success in any occupation is to become interested in it.  I have always endeavoured to do just that.  My introduction to avian pleasures began when I was a lad of 16....."

The Experience of a Young Aviculturist
(ASNSW Avicultural Review - August 2000).  Presented by Dean Latham.  "My first aviary was prefabricated and measured 2m x 1.8m.  It was built on a concrete slab and was fully roofed and the sides were half covered.  Having no experience and not taking the time to research the birds I was interested in buying, I went headfirst into an overcrowding, ill-equipped disaster...."

Aviculturist of the Month, Mr Harry Carr
(The Avicultural Review July 1985 Vol. 7 No. 7).  Interviewed by Joelle Dunbar.  "I started off with pigeons and softbills.  At present I have twenty-two varieties of pigeon.  All of them native to Australia.  I have Purple-crowned, Rose-crowned, Baldies, Topknots, Bronzewings, Bar-shouldereds, Forest Bronzewing, Pheasant-tailed, Wonga, Flock, Squatters, Partridge; and all the small pigeons such as the Peaceful doves.  The only ones I have not had are the White-quilled Rock pigeon and the Black-banded from the Atherton Tablelands, and the Nutmeg Rock pigeon (I can't think of its correct name)....."

Aviculturist of the Month, Mr Les Clayton, Head Bird Keeper at Taronga Park Zoo
(The Avicultural Review August 1985 Vol. 7 No. 8).  Mr Les Clayton interviewed by Joelle Dunbar, Mike Canon and Terry Atkinson.  "Les Clayton is well known to many of you. He is the Head Bird Keeper at Taronga Park Zoo.  He is in great demand for interviews and we would like to extend to him our thanks for making the time to speak to us.  The Editorial Panel....."

Aviculturist of the Month, Mr Stan Sindel, Fairfield NSW
(The Avicultural Avicultural Review April 1981 Vol. 3 No. 4).  Interviewed by Mr Peter Phippen.  "Well, as a kid I started with finches; Java Sparrows, Zebras, the general run of finches, and I gradually built up to better quality finches. Then I went into Budgies when I was about 15 or 16 when they were really booming, just prior to the Australian Pied Budgies' appearance on the scene. I followed along with Budgies then into African Lovebirds . By the time I was 21 or 22 I had a fair collection of Lovebirds. Then by the time I was 26 or 27 I finished building this house and I had a few quid to spare, so I started into the rare parrots and I've been on them ever since."

Preventative Medicine in Aviculture
(The Avicultural Review September 1983 Vol. 5 No. 9).  By Dr Jim Gill BVSc MVM MACVSc (Avian Health) (Life Member of ASNSW)  "I will very briefly try to present preventative medicine in Aviculture in a logical and complete format. Finnie has very correctly stated that Preventative Medicine is a a multi faceted science. I believe it is an area where aviculturists and veterinarians meet and work together and where veterinarians have an important role in the dissemination of information. I should very briefly look at the major causes and losses in aviculture. I would like to list these under four broad groups with many sub groups......"

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B

Notes on a Field Trip to Barren Ground Nature Reserve
(AVIDATA: Journal of The ASNSW Winter 1974 Vol. 1 No. 3.).  By Graeme Phipps.  "The ornithologists were not perturbed and some twenty people armed with rainproof clothing and binoculars set off across the moors after the birds which make Barren Grounds famous - Ground Parrots (Pezoporus wallicus), Eastern Bristlebirds (Dasyornis brachypterus), and Beautiful Firetail Finches, (Emblema bellus.... . "

The Bengalese Finch
(AVIDATA:: Journal of The ASNSW Winter 1974 Vol. 1 No. 3.).  By Adrienne Allen.  "Despite their low cost Bengalese finches are most attractive birds. I bred a few of these birds last year but lost many through an almost invisible hole after the birds were frightened by a visiting cat. One hen came back and insisted on being let in to finish rearing two fledglings who called to her. Earlier this year I brought the remaining five birds into my bird room and put them into a training cage which is 3' long. At one end a round door opens inwards opposite the door of a finch showcase. My plan was to steady the birds and get them used to the showcase. They became so steady that they filled up the showcase with grass stems and proceeded to raise five young ones in it. All five adults fed the young ones....."

Berries for the Birds
(AVIDATA: Journal of The Avicultural Society of New South Wales Winter 1974 Vol. 1 No. 3).  By Heather Rumsey.  "Some garden shrubs are extremely valuable in providing a varied diet for parrots. First and foremost amongst these are the Pyracanthas, commonly known as Firethorn or Evergreen Hawthorn. These plants are evergreen shrubs which in their natural habitat extend from south eastern Europe to Northern India, and China..... "

Wild Side Australia - Bird Photography
(ASNSW Meeting July 2015).  Presented by Brendon Levot.  "My name is Brendon Levot and I work in conservation land management; with wild species, including birds and also with plants. I also practice wildlife photography and documentary film making. They sort of go hand in hand. My role as a conservation manager is to look after plants and animals in natural places and my role as a photographer and filmmaker helps me to present the things I love the most in a way which helps to inspire the public to care about conservation as much as I do."

Bird Whisperer
(ASNSW Meeting - March 2005).  Presented by Jesse James.
Jesse gave a talk about the training of pet or companion birds....

Birding in South Africa and Namibia
(ASNSW Meeting - March 2013).  By Colin Morgan.  "In October 2012 I was able to join Ian Ward (Avicultural Society of NSW and South Sydney Avicultural Society) and Peter Odekerken (well known bird photographer from Queensland) on a bird photography tour of South Africa and Namibia."

Black-breasted Buttonquail (Turnix melanogaster)
(ASNSW Meeting - November 2013).  Joshua Allen interviewed by Sarah Evett.  "They are not quails, they just look like quails. They are in the order of cranes. They are not in the order of quails and pheasants and game birds. They are insectivores. They do eat a lot of seed and I think that is where people make the mistake, they think they are quails, so they think they can just give them some starter mash and they will be right, but they are not. They need to be looked after by dad and fed from his beak....."

Black Cockatoos
(The Avicultural Review - Volume 15 No. 3 April/May 1993).  "Among the most fascinating and majestic of our birds are the black cockatoos. The six species that fall into this descriptive group have colonised almost every area of Australia, adapting to a wide range of climates and landscapes. Few sights are more rewarding to the naturalist than seeing a party of these birds circling and wheeling high in the air, before descending on a stand of eucalypts or casuarinas."

Black-Throated Grass Finch (Parson Finch) (Pheophila cincta)

A Short Talk on Blood Finches Neochmia phaeton (also known as the Crimson Finch)
(ASNSW Meeting - May 2014).  Ivan Cindric interviewed by Roy Barbaro.  "They get a really bad rap in a lot of articles that say that you can't house them with anything that has red plumage, it's not the case. I think it just comes down to the strain of the individual bird.  Mine are currently housed with Red-faced Parrot Finches, Painted Finches and Gouldians. I've housed them with several other species in the past and I have never had any problems....."

Blue Bonnet Parrakeet (Northiella (psephotus) haematogaster)
Article taken from Stan Sindel's book with his permission....

Blue-faced Parrot Finch (Erythrura trichroa)
(ASNSW Meeting - August 2013).  By Paul Henry.  The blue faced parrot finch is a bird of the tropics.  Its range is the border regions between tropical forest and cleared areas.  The main populations are in Papua New Guinea, the Solomons, New Hebrides and the adjacent islands......"

Bourkes Parrot (Neopsepotus bourkii)
(ASNSW Meeting August 2012).  Paul Henry interviewed by Graeme Phipps.....

Searching for Bourke's Parrot (Neopsephotus bourkii)
(ASNSW Meeting August 2012).  Colin Morgan and Ian Ward set off to find the Bourke's Parrot in the wild.....

Bringing Up Bourke's Parrots, First Experiences
(That Avicultural Review June 1986 Vol. 8 No. 6).  By Shirley Thurbon.  "Charming, delightful, inoffensive, docile - such are the adjectives that have been used to describe the Bourke's Parrot.  Having now held these birds in my aviary for over a year, I find I must agree....."

Bowerbirds in My Aviary
(The Avicultural Review September 1983 Vol. 5 No. 9).  "The male Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus takes seven years to fully colour and is black all over, except for the beautiful iridescent blue and violet sheen the plumage attains in sunlight. The hen is a mottled green with brown wings. I am hopeful that my pair will breed this season....."

Bunya Pine (Nuts) (Araucaria bidwillii)
(ASNSW Meeting - August 2012).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Graeme Phipps.  This was the first of a new segment for the meetings of the Avicultural Society of New South Wales (ASNSW), "Plant of the Month", but really BIRD plant of the month, because the plant needs to relate to birds in some way - whether by food, enrichment, nesting, etc....."

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C

St Maarten Zoo in the Caribbean
(ASNSW Meeting - November 2013).  Presented by Nick Atchison.  "For five years I was managing, in fact I was part owner of a Zoo on the island of St Maarten in the Caribbean. I grew up reading Gerald Durrell's stories, reading about him and his zoo in the British Isles, and it was always a dream (like so many people I suppose) to have my own zoo. I guess I was really lucky that the dream came true for a little while....."

Aviculturist of the Month, Mr Harry Carr
(The Avicultural Review July 1985 Vol. 7 No. 7).  Interviewed by Joelle Dunbar.  "I started off with pigeons and softbills.  At present I have twenty-two varieties of pigeon.  All of them native to Australia.  I have Purple-crowned, Rose-crowned, Baldies, Topknots, Bronzewings, Bar-shouldereds, Forest Bronzewing, Pheasant-tailed, Wonga, Flock, Squatters, Partridge; and all the small pigeons such as the Peaceful doves.  The only ones I have not had are the White-quilled Rock pigeon and the Black-banded from the Atherton Tablelands, and the Nutmeg Rock pigeon (I can't think of its correct name)....."

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)
(ASNSW Meeting - December 2013).  Presented by Jake Webb.  "At Featherdale Wildlife Park we have been fairly successful in breeding them. This year has been our best year....."

Casuarinas (Bird) Plant of the Month
(ASNSW Meeting - November 2013).  Presented by Janet Macpherson.  "The Casuarinas provide a rich habitat for a wide variety of our native Australian birds and as such might be more aptly described as the (Bird) Tree of Life rather than the (Bird) Plant of the Month as we describe this section of our meeting each month....."

Cessnock NSW 2004 - Weekend Away
Our weekend trip away for 2004 was to the beautiful Hunter Valley Region, Cessnock and surrounding areas. We visited lots of aviaries and some wineries too!

Chickweed (Stellaria media)
(The Avicultural Review September 1983 Vol. 5 No. 9). "Chickweed is a name that is given to many plants, some of which are not really Chickweeds at all, but totally different weeds. The true Chickweed (Stellaria media) is one of the very best of all our wild green foods. It has stood the test of many generations, and has never had a serious criticism....."

Some Wild Notes on the Cloncurry Parrot
(The Avicultural Avicultural Review July 1978 No 6).  By Stan Sindel.  "The beautiful Cloncurry Parrot inhabits an area of about 100 miles square, ranging from Cloncurry to Mount Isa and then from about 40 miles south to about 50-60 miles west of Cloncurry in Queensland. This whole habitat is the remains of an ancient mountain range - the hills being cut with numerous creeks which flow only in the wet season. Along these creeks grow the tall timbers which are home to the Cloncurry Parrot. In the wild, the Cloncurry feeds on various nuts....."

Closed Ringing of Finches
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Autumn 1974 Vol. 1 No. 2).  By Glen Cunningham.  "How do you prove ownership and the fact that you have bred a bird? Whilst I must admit that for every method of identifying anywhere there is probably some form of forgery or malpractice that can be resorted to, there would appear to be only one currently available method of identifying individual birds; the fitting of a suitable closed ring at the nestling stage....."

The Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus (Kerr)
(The Avicultural Avicultural Review May 1982 Vol. 4 No. 5).  By Mark Atkinson (Competition Winner - Junior section).  "Cockatiels inhabit most of Australia particularly the interior although they are not present in Tasmania. They are found in most types of open country particularly in the vicinity of water, in trees bordering a watercourse for example. In northern Australia the Cockatiel is highly nomadic but towards the south it becomes migratory arriving in Victoria, New South Wales and southern South Australia in spring and leaving in late summer and autumn. During seasons that are exceptionally dry their movements are noticed to a greater extent for they may appear in coastal areas where they have not been seen for many years....."

Hand Rearing Quarrions (Nymphicus hollandicus) (also known as Cockatiels or Weiros)
(ASNSW Meeting - February 2013).  Michael Wolstenholme interviewed by Barry Wolstenholme.....

Northern Avian 24th Conference and Cape York
By. John McGrath.  This year's Northern Avian Conference was hosted by the Far North Queensland Bird Breeders Club Inc. John Griffith was the President when I initially made contact with him enquiring about the "White" Cockatoos that inhabit far north Queensland; especially those that live on Cape York. It was during one of these phone conversations when he suggested that I may like to come up to attend the Northern Avian 24th Conference as a delegate. The Conference was to be held at Yungaburra later in the year, and then afterwards maybe accompany a group up into Cape York after the Convention was complete. I thought about this and soon agreed to do so.....

Cordon Bleu Finch
(The Avicultural Avicultural Review June 1978 No 5).  By Bruce Read.  "The Cordon Bleu or Crimson-eared Waxbill (Uraeginthus bengalus) is a native of Africa, where it is widely distributed over the whole of the Dark Continent, with the exception of the desert areas. It is a very beautiful little finch, about the size of our common Redhead, but has a longer tail..."

Aviculturist of the Month, Mr Les Clayton, Head Bird Keeper at Taronga Park Zoo
(The Avicultural Review August 1985 Vol. 7 No. 8).  Mr Les Clayton interviewed by Joelle Dunbar, Mike Canon and Terry Atkinson.  "Les Clayton is well known to many of you. He is the Head Bird Keeper at Taronga Park Zoo.  He is in great demand for interviews and we would like to extend to him our thanks for making the time to speak to us.  The Editorial Panel....."

What is compatible with what?
(ASNSW Meeting - August 2000).  By Brian Healy.  "Some of the common questions asked by buyers of birds; "Are such and such compatible with my finches?" and "What other species can I put with my birds?"...."

The Cooktown Adventure
(The Avicultural Review August 1986 Vol. 8 No. 8).  By Tim Hall (aged 10 1/2 years).  "During the May school holidays, I was lucky enough to go on a trip from Sydney to my grandparents place in Cooktown.  After a four and a half flight to Cairns, my grandparents met me and we set off north for a six hour car trip on a very ROUGH road to Cooktown.  On the way, I saw many Brown Hawks hovering above sugar cane looking for food. In some places, the sugar cane grows right up to the road and is three or four metres high....."

The Aviculture of Cranes
(AVIDATA: Published by The Avicultural Society of New South Wales Spring 1975 Vol. 2 No. 4).  By Dr George Archibald.  "Aviculturists are keenly interested in the maintenance and propagation of cranes, since cranes are spectacular avian specimens to display, adjust readily to captivity, are maintained on a relatively simple diet, and are reproductively prolific soon after they have psychologically acclimated....."

A Short Talk on Blood Finches Neochmia phaeton (also known as the Crimson Finch)
(ASNSW Meeting - May 2014).  Ivan Cindric interviewed by Roy Barbaro.  "They get a really bad rap in a lot of articles that say that you can't house them with anything that has red plumage, it's not the case. I think it just comes down to the strain of the individual bird.  Mine are currently housed with Red-faced Parrot Finches, Painted Finches and Gouldians. I've housed them with several other species in the past and I have never had any problems....."

Crimson Wing Parrot (Aprosmictus Erythropterus)
(The Avicultural Review November 1985 Vol. 7 No. 11).  By Geoff Girvan.  "A proven breeding pair of Crimson Wing parrots were purchased in February 1976. They were placed in a flight which faced an easterly direction of the following dimensions....."

Crop Feeding in Birds
(The Avicultural Review April 1986 Vol. 8 No. 4).  By Jim Gill B.V.Sc.  "It is possible to effectively dose some birds with an eye dropper, just into the side of the beak.  If the medication is bland or sweet they will drink it quite well, e.g., Amoxil Drops. All the smaller parrots will take it quite well that way. For more accurate dosing and so that you can be sure that they get it, it is ideal to learn how to use a crop tube....."

Cuban Finch (Tiaris canora)
Article submitted for our website in 1999.

Cuban Finch (Tiaris canora)
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Autumn 1974 Vol. 1 No. 2).  By Graeme Hyde.  "Of the various foreign finches that are available in Australia that have been maintained in this country and are regularly bred,, to my mind the colourful Cuban rates as one of the most outstanding.  For many, a description of the Cuban finch will probably not be necessary, but since the purpose of this article is to provide information particularly to newcomers to the fancy, or aviculturists who have not as yet kept and bred the Cuban finch, I will detail a description..... "

Curly Dock Weed
(ASNSW Meeting December 2013).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Joshua Allen.  "The scientific name for Curly Dock Weed is Rumex crispus.  I feed it to my birds; we feed it to the birds at Featherdale Wildlife Park where I work.  The Neophemas, the finches, the Diamond firetails love it, the Mulga Parrots love it - it's free - you can pick it along the side of the road......"

Cyperus Umbrella Sedges
(ASNSW Meeting February 2013).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Paul Henry. "These plants are mainly for a finch collection.  In a parrot collection they wouldn't exist very well at all.  I have Cyperus involucrucratus and Cyperus albostriatus in my finch aviaries. They are both Cyperus umbrella plants, being just two plants that are part of a large genus of sedge plants.  Both of the above species come from Africa...."

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D

Diamond Firetail Finch (Diamond Sparrow) (Stagonopleura (Emblema) guttata)
"This beautiful member of the fire-tail family ranges on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range from Queensland/New South Wales border through to Victoria and South Australia. Their combination of white, black, grey and brilliant red, make them a must in the collections of many Australian finch breeders....."

Col Percival's Diets
(The Avicultural Review July 1985 Vol. 7 No. 7).  "Nectar Mix suitable for Blue-faced Honeyeaters, Silvereyes, Lorikeets, etc.; Nectar Mix suitable for small Honeyeaters, Silvereyes, etc., Softbill Diet and Insect Cake...."

Newcastle Disease – Declare it for Australia
(ASNSW Avicultural Review - Vol 8 No 9 September 1986).  By Peter Gray B.V.Sc.  "When Harry Butler sits on a log patting a cuddly Australian and talking about protecting Australia from killer diseases, is it just a publicity stunt?  Or, as the Department of Quarantine destroy Australian bird collections that have taken years to build, is it just a way of flexing bureaucratic muscle that has gone flabby from lack of exercise?  To try and answer these questions in part, let's take a look at one disease which is very important for birdkeepers throughout Australia.  It is a disease that has nothing to do with coalmines or steelworks but is called NEWCASTLE DISEASE after the place in England where it was first identified in 1927....."

Pancheco's Disease of Parrots (Psittacid Herpesvirus Disease)
(The Avicultural Review May 1990 Vol. 12 No. 5). Article supplied by Bruce Whiting (African Lovebird Society of Queensland). "First seen briefly in 1929 in Brazil for a few years then nothing was heard until 1974 when it reappeared in the USA, parts of Africa and Europe. The disease was not thought to be in Australia before 1980 but since then a growing number of suspected and confirmed cases have been reported...."

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E

Eastern Rosellas and My Experiences with Mutations (Platycercus eximius)
(ASNSW magazine - 15th October 2013).  Glenn Malin interviewed by Graeme Phipps.  Rosehill NSW. Rosellas – called Rosellas because it is a corruption of Rosehillas. Just down the road from here is Rosehill where the first Rosellas were trapped and taken to Sydney for pets for everybody. They are just fantastically beautiful birds. Europe must have been agog when they first saw them....."

Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus)
(The Avicultural Review - July/August 1993 Volume 15 No 4).  By Roy Dunn, Curator of Birds, Melbourne Zoo, Victoria (Courtesy of Australian Aviculture).  "Taken from repeated failures to successful breeding, the Curator of Birds tells how intelligent observation of the Whipbirds led Melbourne Zoo to a population of Whipbirds from just one pair."

Successful Breeding of Eclectus Parrots (Eclectus roratus)
(The Avicultural Review - Septembr/October 1993 Volume 15 No 5).  By Ian Ward.  My wife and I purchased our first eclectus parrot in 1987. He was about 1½ years old, could already say 'hello' and had been hand-raised. He was our house pet for about 3 years in which time we taught him to whistle 'Pop goes the Weasel'. It took him some time to perfect the tune and he then increased his vocabulary considerably. Even after another 3 years in the aviary he still talks all the time. We decided to breed eclectus, so we built an aviary 6ft x 6ft and 8ft high. We were very apprehensive about leaving him outside; however he had no adverse reactions to the move.

The Solomon Islands Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus roratus)
Article supplied by George Bunney....

The Emerald Dove on Lord Howe Island
(ASNSW Meeting – June 2013).  By Jenny Brown.  "When Gary Fry presented on the avicultural aspects of the Lord Howe Island Rodent Eradication Program at our last meeting in May, the potential impacts on the Lord Howe Island Woodhen, and the Lord Howe Island Currawong were discussed. Three other species were mentioned as possibly being impacted; the Lord Howe Island Whistler, the Lord Howe Island Silvereye and the Emerald Dove. These could possibly benefit from involvement by the avicultural community, hence our reason for asking Jenny to comment as writer of the Australasian Society of Zoo Keeping Husbandry Guidelines for this species...."

Emus (Dromaius novae-hollandiae)
(AVIDATA: The Journal of the ASNSW Vol 2 No 4 all rights reserved SPRING 1975).  By Frank S Todd.  "Emus are one of the most interesting of all birds in captivity.  They are the complete opposite of their pugnacious cousins, the cassowaries, in that most are extremely tame and curious....."

Reintroduction of Endangered Species
(AVIDATA: The Journal of the Avicultural Society of New South Wales WINTER 1973).  "With the ever worsening status of some endangered species, it is gratifying to see what progress is being made by some aviculturists today.  The pheasants of the world are in a very unenviable situation at the moment, but some American and European breeders in particular, have active programmes for the captive propagation of endangered species as a means of ensuring their survival....."

A Bird Has Escaped, Do Not Panic
(Reprinted from the August, 1965 edition of BIRD KEEPING AUSTRALIA). By Eric Baxter.  "Recently I have had several phone calls and listening to the voice coming over the wire in each instance it almost seemed as if the callers had experienced the landing of a spaceship on their aviaries and the panic was on. What had happened to them has happened to others, to me, and probably will happen again to many others. A bird had escaped, and the first thought in mind was to get it back into the aviary as quickly as possible, and inside five minutes if there was a way to do it. This is the first thought of all who experience the escape of a bird, and just how soon it is recaptured depends on the behaviour of the bird and the method employed to achieve the recapture. To assist in this regard, perhaps the following information will serve to solve the problem....."

Export:  Are birds really under threat or is it hype by radical greenies?
(The Avicultural Review - June/July 2002).  By Ray Ackroyd.  "We are constantly being told that many Australian parrot and cockatoo species are under threat, need to be protected, will soon be extinct, etc. This alternative viewpoint was written by Ray Ackroyd, a licensed trapper for 50 years, a former Sydney bird dealer and now an operator of wildlife bird tours for overseas visitors to Australia....."

Pest Species of Native Birds - to Export or Not
(The Avicultural Review June 1985 Vol. 7 No. 6).  By Dr Jim Gill BVSc MVM MACVSc (Avian Health).  "The subject of exporting pest species of birds, notably Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Galahs, has received considerable exposure in the press, radio and television in the last few months. There is considerable pressure being put on the Federal Government to allow export of these birds. At the June meeting the issue was discussed at length. It is a very complex issue and arguments for and against can be very emotional, making it hard to achieve a rational decision in a short space of time...."

To Export or Not to Export That is the Question?
(The Avicultural Review June 1985 Vol. 7 No. 7).  By Sidney W Gale.  "As we are all aware the world population is continually on the increase, and as such an ever increasing supply of food is required to support this increase. Subsequently more areas of forest, open plains, etc., are being cultivated to produce food requirements and some of these areas are the natural feeding grounds of various cockatoos, as well as other avian fauna.  Unfortunately it is the cockatoo that is branded a pest, because of the damage it can cause to the crops which have replaced its natural feeding grounds.  The end result being these birds are destroyed in thousands by either shooting or poisoning, more acceptable methods (imitation hawks, air guns, etc.), seem to have little or no effect....."

Vote "No" to Export of Wild-Caught Birds
(The Avicultural Review July 1985 Vol. 7 No. 7).  By Graeme Phipps.  "Throughout the world public opinion is swinging against the large scale trapping and export of wild-caught birds.  Within five years it is anticipated that it will be illegal for any wild-caught birds in numbers to be imported into the United States. This situation already exists in some countries in other parts of the world.  I preface my comments about cockatoos with this information because as aviculturists I think we should not be dragged by our heels kicking, screaming and biting into the twenty-first century, but for once see how public opinion is going and get to the head of the parade, so to speak....."

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F

The Moreton Bay and Port Jackson Fig Trees
(ASNSW Meeting May 2012).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Janet Macpherson....

Keeping Finches
(ASNSW Avicultural Review December 1998).  By Paul Menegazza.  "Paul has been keeping birds for more than 30 years and has been involved with Bird Clubs for over 20 years. Currently he is President of the Wollongong Finch Club and Vice President of The Avicultural Society of NSW.  He is a very strong supporter of captive breeding....."

Fitting the Bill : Avian Structure and Function
(ASNSW Avicultural Review April 2005).  "Nicholas is a bird trainer at Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney. A highly educated young man with a wealth of experience and bird knowledge, he presented the following fascinating talk on bird bills to the Softbills and Native Pigeon Society's July meeting....."

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G

Genetic Aspects of the Conservation of the Orange-bellied Parrot
(The Avicultural Review April 1986 Vol. 8 No. 4).  An extract from the RAOU Conservation Statement.  "Small populations of animals can suffer a loss of the genetic variation required for them to be able to adapt to major changes in their environment and, at very low population levels, inbreeding can occur....."

Genetics for Bird Breeders (Part I)
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW July-August 1976 New Series No. 4).  By Peter R. Head.  "Sex-linked" is an often misused and misunderstood genetic term, and really it is quite simple. The sex of any bird is determined by its possession of a particular pair of chromosomes, called the sex chromosomes. The cock bird has a pair of similar sex chromosomes, called "X" chromosomes and the hen has one of these and an accompanying dissimilar one called the "Y" chromosomes. About 50% of the female egg cells contain X chromosomes and the other 50% Y chromosomes. All the male sperm contain X chromosomes. The sex of the offspring is determined at fertilisation when a sperm (always x) fertilises an egg cell carrying an X chromosome the resulting bird will be a cock X/X. Likewise when a sperm fertilises an egg cell carrying a Y chromosome we get X/Y resulting in a hen. So the chances of male to female are 50/50 either way..... "

Genetics for Bird Breeders (Part II)
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW September-October 1976 New Series No. 5).  By Peter R. Head.  "The very basics of genetics for bird breeders should begin with feather structure and pigmentation and then gradually extend to the study of genes, how mutation effects them, their position on the chromosome, and which chromosome holds them. Somewhere in the graduation of this study the terms "dominant", "semi-dominant", "recessive" and "sex-linked" emerge and I am constantly amazed at the non-understanding of these terms. I certainly don't claim to know all the answers but anyway I'll try to write something of what I know....."

Golden-shouldered Parakeet
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Spring 1975 Vol. 2 No. 4).  By Joseph S. Mattinson.   "In this article, I wish to record for the benefit of other members of the Society, details of the bird from personal observations in the wild over a period of fifteen years and the results of keeping this most celebrated of Australian parrots in my own collection here at Rodney Park.  It is hoped that members will be able to gain some benefit from this article which may help to breed more of these birds, which are becoming increasingly plentiful in aviaries, and also that people will be able to have a more balanced view as to the problems surrounding the species."

Golden-shouldered Parrot
(ASNSW Meeting November 2015). From a presentation by Paul Solomon. "In early May I was fortunate enough to go to Cape York on a bird watching tour and the reason I wanted to go, was because I have been breeding birds for about 25 years; and one of the birds that really fascinated me was the Golden-shouldered parrot. There isn't a lot of information about them, so I really wanted to see them how they lived in the wild, what sort of food they ate, etc. While I was up there I also wanted to see Eclectus parrots and Palm cockatoos; and I managed to see all three."

Gouldian Finch (Chloebia gouldiae)
"This beautiful northern Australian native finch is regarded by many to be the most colourful bird in existence....."

Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae) (Problemus Maximus)
(The Avicultural Review September 1985 Vol. 7 No. 9).  By Bill Boyd.  "For the coming 1985 season, I decided I would like to try Gouldians (again) having had only limited success with them previously for reasons too numerous to mention. I ordered four unrelated pairs from a very successful Gouldian breeder who is an old friend of mine and was very anxious to collect them when he rang me with the news that they were ready in November 1985. There were two black faced hens, one of which carried yellow which was betrayed by her yellow tipped beak, two red faced hens and four red cocks.  The hens and cocks were separated and placed in holding cabinets in my bird room (garden shed) until early January....."

Feeding Gouldians
By Ivan Slaminski.  (AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Spring 1975 Vol. 2 No. 4).   "Gouldians will always be a problem bird in aviaries and feeding is the main problem with these birds. In nature, instinct in birds is remarkable and they can find all the foods necessary, but in the aviary they eat only what we feed them....."

The Value of Green Food
(That Avicultural Review June 1986 Vol. 8 No. 6).  By Stan Rust.  "In the wild, quite a lot of the various species of birds depend almost wholly on green food; whether it be in the form of seeding grasses, the young buds on trees or plants, fruit or even the bark of trees. Admittedly, we give our canaries regular supplies of dry seed to feed on, but if we want them to remain healthy and perform well for us in the breeding season, then to me it seems to be pure commonsense to also feed green food to them regularly and in as much variety as possible....."

Bird Literature: Green Peafowl from "Pheasants: Their Lives and Homes"
(AVIDATA: Published by The AASNSW Autumn 1975 Vol. 2 No. 2).  By William Beebe. Published under the auspices of the New York Zoological Society by Doubleday, Page & Co., New York.

My Little Green Singer (Serinus mozambicus)
(The Avicultural Review August 1986 Vol. 8 No. 8).  By an Upset Aviculturist.  "Approximately three months ago a little plain finch was brought to me.  It had a greenish grey body with pale yellow underneath.  It was a Little Green Singer which I will refer to as a cock bird as the sexes are indistinguishable until six months of age - then the hen develops a distinct beading around the neck....."

Green-winged Dove
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Autumn 1974 Vol. 1 No. 2).  By Professor Carl Naether.  "Undoubtedly, the principal reason why the Greenwinged Dove, Chalcophaps indica is so consistently sought after by both amateur and experienced dove as well as domestic pigeon lovers is its beautiful green colour....."

("Grit") The Best Gift for Cage Birds
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW).  By E. E. Buttner. "For cage birds, it is essential that the particular type of grit used should conform to a definite standard, both chemically and physically. Chemically, it should contain as high a percentage of calcium carbonate and as low a percentage of magnesium carbonate as possible. Ninety percent calcium carbonate is the least it should contain, care being taken that the magnesium carbonate does not exceed five percent. The organic matter content should also not exceed five percent."

A Guide to Parrot Keeping
(AVIDATA: Published by The Avicultural Society of New South Wales Autumn 1975 Vol. 2 No. 2).  By Harvey Oliver. "After experience I encountered as a dealer selling birds to many newcomers, it became apparent to me the need for some guidance in this field. The suggestions and observations herein are to some extent my own, but many are from dedicated aviculturalists whom I have been fortunate enough to know. These are people too numerous to list here and although some are well known, others not, they are all very capable men in their field."

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H

Hand Feeding Baby Parrots
(ASNSW Avicultural Review February 2011)

Heron Island - Adventures in Paradise
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Spring 1975 Vol. 2 No. 4).  By Roger Nurse.  "During the early part of December 1975 I was fortunate enough to spend 10 days at The Great Barrier Reef Research Station on Heron Island. Heron Island is part of the Capricorn Group of islands, situated some 45 miles east of Gladstone, at the southern extremity of the barrier reef proper. The islands of this group are coral cays; they are formed from sand and coral debris accumulating on a sheltered corner of a platform reef, which is then stabilised by a cover of vegetation....."

The Hooded Parakeet
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Autumn 1975 Vol. 2 No. 2.).  By Mrs Falkner J Blaxland.  "The Hooded parakeet Psephotus Dissimilis is a native of the Northern Territory and is exclusive to that part of Australia. It is generally seen in pairs or small flocks inhabiting open forest lands and spinifex country, where it is usually observed on the ground feeding on the seeds of grasses and other plants....."

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I

Avian Importation (brief discussion)
(ASNSW Meeting December 2012). "The background behind this is that Paul Gilchrist sent a letter to the last meeting of the ABA and our view was to positively reply to them to say yes, in principal we are interested in being involved and we seek a meeting with you at the earliest opportunity to progress this matter. Paul Gilchrist's point about needing to have a more coordinated approach is because they are already spending up to $440 million decommissioning Spotswood and Torrens Island Quarantine Stations, they are going to have nothing in Sydney, and they are going to have just one mega facility somewhere in Melbourne....."

Avian Importation
(ASNSW Avicultural Review April 2015).  Presented by Daniel Gowland. "The Society's position on avian importation is that we are in support of both importation and exportation of birds so long as they derive from captive self sustaining populations, for those where importation or exportation would likely become so. So we are not in support of wild bird traffic, we need you all throughout the world to know that, we are definitely anti-smuggling and in support of legal trade in birds. It's been a vexed issue in our area because it's just basally slow to get real movement on the topic. Daniel will be providing some ideas tonight about what our forward progress needs to be on that topic. So Daniel welcome to the Avicultural Society of NSW."

Bird Literature: Indian Peafowl from "Pheasants: Their Lives and Homes"
(Avidata: Published by The Avicultural Society of New South Wales Autumn 1975 Vol. 2 No. 2).  By William Beebe.  Published under the auspices of the New York Zoological Society by Doubleday, Page & Co., New York.

The 'Ins' and 'Outs' of Inbreeding
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW May-June 1976 New Series Number 3).  By Peter R. Head.  "There are few topics discussed among bird breeders which provoke more lively interest than inbreeding. Viewpoints vary greatly. To many, inbreeding is the cardinal sin. However if we look at some of the well founded reasons in favour of sensibly controlled inbreeding, I hope we may end up with a better understanding of it and perhaps even modify some of our thoughts on it..... "

Avian Intelligence
(ASNSW Avicultural Review April 2005).  "The term "bird brain" came about because humans felt that a bird's brain was inferior to that of a humans. But new research has shown that avian brains actually process information in much the same way as a human's brain.  It has been found that there are species of birds that do possess a high level of intelligence and those who do not....."

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J

Jacarini Finch (Volatinia jacarina) - Blue-black grassquit
(ASNSW Meeting - April 2013).  Paul Menegazzo interviewed by Alex Saleeby.  "I have kept Jacarini finches for about the past 15 years. What surprises me the most is the plain colourings of the birds but when you get them in the right surroundings they are really handsome birds. This is especially so when you see the male birds in the sunshine. They are beautiful birds."

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K

Kakarikis (Cyanoramphus) and their Allies
(The Avicultural Avicultural Review April 1981 Vol. 3 No. 4).   By Graeme Phipps and Stan Sindel.  "The genus name Cyanoramphus which means blue beak alludes to the grey/blue colour of the upper beak and was named by Prince Charles Lucien Bonapart in 1842, who based his description on the now extinct Black-fronted Parrot of Tahiti. There are four species within the genus, the Red-fronted Kakarikis, the Yellow-fronted, the Orange-fronted and the all-green Antipodes Island Kakarikis. There is a group of birds which are closely related to Kakarikis, one of these is the Horned Parrot of New Caledonia Eunymphicus, a very rare bird and is seen in two forms, the main variation from Kakarikis being a non-erectile crest of a few feathers. Joe Mattinson obtained 10 pairs from New Caledonia and housed them with Mr Postema in Holland and they have bred successfully. Another group similar to the Kakarikis are the Fijian Shining Parrots or Tabuan Parrots Prosopeia. Previously they were closely linked with the King Parrots but ornithologists now place them closer to the Kakarikis a fact accepted by Joe Forshall in his latest edition of Parrots of the World..... "

"Cocky" the Talking King Parrot
(ASNSW Meeting - December 2013).  Presentation by Lyn Dalton.  "Lyn, being Cocky's owner, did all the talking ... well not quite! Cocky chattered away continuously whilst sitting on the top of his cage throughout the whole presentation and he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. He wasn't a bit shy, continuing to chatter and whistle away during supper, lapping up all the attention of the members as they stopped to say hello and chat with him during the break....."

King Parrots (Alisterus scapularis)
(ASNSW Meeting - December 2013).  Joe Habib interviewed by Sarah Evett.  "I have been keeping birds pretty much my whole life, about 34 years.  Mostly Australian natives and a few exotics along the way....."

King Parrot (Aprosmictus scapularis)
Article supplied by Des Dowling....

Why buy a pair of King Parrots
By E J Fulton....

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L

Life Member - Jack Stunnell - Jack's 90th Birthday!
(ASNSW Magazine - March-April 1916).  By Paul Henry. "Last meeting we had a small party to celebrate the 90th birthday of Jack Stunnell. Jack has been a member of the Avicultural Society of NSW since 1955 and was made a Life Member in the 1980s. There are not many men who reach this ripe old age and are still lucid enough to enjoy it. Jack certainly is still with it and it's a pleasure to have a conversation with Jack. We had plenty of cakes to mark the occasion and a good time was had by all present."

Little Corellas in field and aviary
By John McGrath.  (ASNSW Avicultural Review December 1998).  "Although I do not hold little Corellas at present I have bred them and will describe the events of a couple of different seasons breeding....."

Rodent Eradication on Lord Howe Island
(ASNSW Meeting - October 2013).  By Rod Stapley.  "Techniques for rodent eradication have been developed over the past 20 years. Since then 332 rodent eradications have been undertaken worldwide and of these 284 have been a success, 35 have failed and 20 the results have been unsure. So that is about an 85% success rate. This has been on non human inhabited islands. So Lord Howe Island is going to be a challenge.  The project is comprised of two phases:  The actual eradication of rats and mice in 2016; and a captive husbandry trial in 2013 which is currently underway.

Lord Howe Island Woodhen and Currawong
(ASNSW Meeting - May 2013).  "In 1837 the Woodhens were plentiful on the island and an easy and tasty food source forming the main food for the island's growing population. The demise of the Woodhen was rapid. In 1853 (only 16 years later), J D McDonald from the exploration ship, the HMS Herald, couldn't find any....."

Australian Lorikeets and their Mutations
By Stan Sindel.  (ASNSW Avicultural Review April 1987 Vol 9 No 4).  "Lories and Lorikeets are a specialised group of the parrot family. They have developed physical differences that have set them aside from other parrots. They are distinguished from other psittacines by anatomical developments and adaptions evolved to assist them in gathering and digesting their main food sources, pollen, nectar and fruit....."

Observations on Masked Faced Lovebirds
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Spring 1975 Vol. 2 No. 4).  by Kees and Wik van der Neut.  "At the beginning of 1972 we became the proud owners of a cock masked, but could not get hold of a hen, so placed it with some peach faced hens. The result was three nests of hybrids, totalling 11, for which we found a good market....."

Peach-faced Lovebird Mutations
(The Avicultural Review August 1986 Vol. 8 No. 8).  Lecture by Terry Atkinon. "The members of the Agapornis family are the only true lovebird in the world.  At the moment they would be one of the most popular birds in Australia. I have kept lovebirds for a number of years now and I breed them in wooden aviaries.  They are 6' high x 6' deep x 3' wide.  I try to run four pairs in each aviary.  I feel that because they are a colony bird, this number stimulates them to breed well. All the aviaries have concrete floors as this keeps the worms under control and makes my job of keeping it clean so much easier....."

Love Thy Neigbour
By Brian Healy.  (ASNSW Avicultural Review August 2000).  "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." "It has become apparent that the majority of problems with local Councils have occurred because of some dispute with a neighbour and many of these could have been avoided if the above rules had been followed."

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M

Major Mitchell (Cacatua leadbeateri)
Article supplied by Des Dowling....

Major Mitchell (Cacatua leadbeateri)
(That Avicultural Review April 1986 Vol. 8 No. 4).  by Ben Quist, interviewed by Sid Gale.  "I have one pair that I have bred six young from.  They are in a covered aviary 3'6" wide and the covered in part is 7' long and the flight is also 7' long.  They log they use is 10"-12" diameter.  I tried a bigger logs with a larger diameter but it wasn't successful......"

Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius barnardi)
Article taken from Stan Sindel's book with his permission.....

Observations on Masked Faced Lovebirds
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Spring 1975 Vol. 2 No. 4).  by Kees and Wik van der Neut.  "At the beginning of 1972 we became the proud owners of a cock masked, but could not get hold of a hen, so placed it with some peach faced hens. The result was three nests of hybrids, totalling 11, for which we found a good market....."

Make Mine a Mini Macaw
(ASNSW Avicultural Review - April 2005).  By Rosemary Low.  This article was written for the UK Bird market but the general description of the birds is true for Australia.

Challengers and Rewards of a Mixed Colledtion
(ASNSW Meeting November 2017). Presented by Ian Brown. "Thanks very much for having me. As you are probably all aware I am Ian Brown. I am a past member of the New South Wales Avicultural Society (ASNSW). Graeme brought me along to my first meeting when I was about 19 because I rescued his lorikeets from a dirty big diamond python one day."

Some Thoughts on Mealworms
(The Avicultural Review September 1985 Vol. 7 No. 9).  By Peter Phippen.  "Mealworms are actually the larval stage of a small beetle.  For African finches in particular you must have them, unless you feed termites.  I don't feed termites because they got into the fence once and so I'm not allowed to have them any more.  I keep the mealworms in the plastic children's hobby boxes that you can buy in most supermarkets....."

Moreton Bay and Port Jackson Fig Trees
(ASNSW Meeting May 2012).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Janet Macpherson....

Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius)
(ASNSW Avicultural Review - February 2011)....

Mutations of Australian Parrots
(ASNSW Avicultural Review Vol 8 No 9 September 1996).  By Stan Sindel.  "Since the first white settlement in Australia there have been numerous parrot mutations recorded. These mutations have never established in the wild. It's quite obvious that if a mutation occurs in the wild it seldom lives long enough to reproduce, let alone to go another generation. These colour mutations have also found their way into aviaries over the last 100 years and comparatively few of them have established as aviary bred strains. Again, probably due to our lack of expertise....."

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N

Nandina Domestica
(ASNSW Meeting March 2014).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Paul Henry.

Native Plants for use in Finch Aviaries
(The Avicultural Review August 1986 Vol. 8 No. 8). (Reprinted with the kind permission of the Canberra Avicultural Society.) "The reason for restricting this article to native plants is simply that Australian finches show a marked preference for them, as evidenced by large numbers of red-browed and double-barred finches resident in the Canberra Botanic Gardens. These species rarely turn up in the suburbs where most of the plantings tend to be of exotics. As a planted aviary is, of necessity, outside and Australian birds make up a great majority of the finches that can be kept outside in Canberra, it would seem pointless to consider the exotic species of plants....."

Notes on Nest Boxes
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Spring 1975 Vol. 2 No. 4).  By George Bryant.  "Small parrots do very well in a vertical hanging box approximately 15" x 9" x 9" with a 2" diameter entrance hole in one side about 1" down from the top....."

Random Thoughts on Nest Boxes
(The Avicultural Review September 1985 Vol. 7 No. 9).  By Dr Jim Gill BVSc MVM MACVSc (Avian Health).  "I find the range of nest boxes available at most bird dealers are quite good. There are many modifications you can use to help your breeding results....."

Never Say Die
(The Avicultural Review August 1986 Vol. 8 No. 8).  By Jack Stunnell.  "I once had some young Red-collared Lorikeets that were only a week and two days old, in a nest.  One morning I went in and fed the parents and I didn't notice that they slipped out the aviary door.  This was in the middle of winter in July.  The door that they slipped through led to a walkway that led to a larger aviary...."

Newcastle Disease - Declare it for Australia
(ASNSW Avicultural Review - Vol 8 No 9 September 1986).  By Peter Gray B.V.Sc.  "When Harry Butler sits on a log patting a cuddly Australian and talking about protecting Australia from killer diseases, is it just a publicity stunt?  Or, as the Department of Quarantine destroy Australian bird collections that have taken years to build, is it just a way of flexing bureaucratic muscle that has gone flabby from lack of exercise?  To try and answer these questions in part, let's take a look at one disease which is very important for birdkeepers throughout Australia.  It is a disease that has nothing to do with coalmines or steelworks but is called NEWCASTLE DISEASE after the place in England where it was first identified in 1927....."

Northern Avian 24th Conference and Cape York
By John McGrath.  This year's Northern Avian Conference was hosted by the Far North Queensland Bird Breeders Club Inc. John Griffith was the President when I initially made contact with him enquiring about the "White" Cockatoos that inhabit far north Queensland; especially those that live on Cape York. It was during one of these phone conversations when he suggested that I may like to come up to attend the Northern Avian 24th Conference as a delegate. The Conference was to be held at Yungaburra later in the year, and then afterwards maybe accompany a group up into Cape York after the Convention was complete. I thought about this and soon agreed to do so.....

The Nuns
(ASNSW Avicultural Review - December 1997). By Brian Healy.  "The Nuns come from India and Asia with each species having its own distribution. Feral populations of the Black-headed Nun were present in the past in Sydney and in parts of Queensland including Brisbane but appear to have disappeared now. The worry is that they might disappear completely from aviculture in Australia if they don't get a bit more attention.  All the Nuns are members of the Lonchura family – this includes Yellow-rumps, Pictorellas, and Chestnut-breasted from Australia, Spice finches, Bengalese, Silver-bills, Rufous-backs and other species uncommon or not in Australia.

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O

From Avi Meeting Brat to Zoo Curator and Zookeeper (and the Orange-bellied Parrot)
(ASNSW Meeting - February 2016).  Presented by Jocelyn Hockley.  "I was working with Orange-bellied parrots for about 12 years. I don't know how much you know about the Orange-bellied parrots? It's a Neophema – you guys know that. It only breeds in a little tiny section nowadays of the southwest coast of Tasmania. It's a really isolated area and the only way to get into it is a five day hike carrying all of your food, a boat trip around the top west coast, or a light plane that flies in and can land on a landing strip that's in the area. It's a really rugged place that is really remote, but it also a really beautiful part of Tasmania if you ever get the chance to get down there."

The Orange-bellied Parrot Captive Management Group Meeting
Held in the Board Room at Melbourne Zoo 4th December 2012.  (ASNSW Meeting December 2012).  Presented by Graeme Phipps.  "I flew down and attended the meeting because I was invited to do so and because they want avicultural involvement in the programme.  I was a little bit disappointed in that I was invited to represent NSW and there were supposed to be avicultural representatives from the range states, namely someone from Tasmania, someone from Victoria and someone from South Australia.  In realistic terms they are a bit marginal about the breeding of Orange-bellied parrots in NSW.  But I was the only one there.  So part of what I did immediately afterwards was to ring up the others and say "look, when you're asked to be there, you have got to be there - we have got to come forward and be involved"....."

Genetic Aspects of the Conservation of the Orange-bellied Parrot
(The Avicultural Review April 1986 Vol. 8 No. 4).  An extract from the RAOU Conservation Statement.  "Small populations of animals can suffer a loss of the genetic variation required for them to be able to adapt to major changes in their environment and, at very low population levels, inbreeding can occur....."

Update on the Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster)
(ASNSW Meeting - April 2015).  Presented by Daniel Gowland.  "The Orange-bellied parrot is named Neophema chrysogaster. This little Neophema is a little grass parrot which is not to much different in size to a large Budgerigar. It is very, very threatened indeed with a population of 70 to 80 in the wild and a captive population of 350. The private avicultural community has only reasonably recently been invited into the programme in any significant way. Daniel is a member of the captive management group, as am I. Daniel would you like to talk about some of the work that Priam is doing as part of the Orange-bellied Parrot Captive Management Group and the Recovery Programme?"

Orange-breasted Waxbills (Amandava subflava)
(ASNSW Meeting - February 2015).  By Paul Henry. "They are a peaceful and very active bird ideal for a mixed collection. They will however defend their nest vigorously against larger birds."

Orange NSW 2003 - Weekend Away
The club's annual trip away for 2003 was to the beautiful tree lined historical country town of Orange. It was a little different to previous years in that we combined our usual aviary tour with a visit to the Orange Bird Sale!

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Painted Finch (Emblema Picta)
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Autumn 1974 Vol. 1 No. 2).  By Graeme Hyde.  "In Australia we have many beautiful and colourful birds, that are suited to aviary life both in this country and overseas. The eighteen species of Australian grass finches almost without exception, fall into this category....."

Pale-headed Rosella (Platycercus eximius)
Article suplied by Des Dowling....

Palm Grass (Setaria palmifolia)
(ASNSW Meeting - August 2013).  By Graeme Phipps.  "Perhaps 50 years ago I visited Jack Finlayson's pheasantry at High's Road, Pennant Hills.  I think it was from Jack that I obtained my trio of Edward's Pheasants (Lophura edwardsii).  Anyhow, he had a clump of Palm Grass growing in the middle of most of his sandy pheasant runs, which were quite small, and it worked well especially as cover for females so that they were able to get away from the ever present attention of males in the breeding season....."

Pancheco's Disease of Parrots (Psittacid Herpesvirus Disease)
(The Avicultural Review May 1990 Vol. 12 No. 5). Article supplied by Bruce Whiting (African Lovebird Society of Queensland). "First seen briefly in 1929 in Brazil for a few years then nothing was heard until 1974 when it reappeared in the USA, parts of Africa and Europe. The disease was not thought to be in Australia before 1980 but since then a growing number of suspected and confirmed cases have been reported...."

My Experiences with Parrot Finches
(The Avicultural Review July 1985 Vol. 7 No. 7).  By Frank Gibson.  "This article may be of help to other breeders whose birds may have worms. I have bred Blue and Red-faced Parrot Finches, as well as other varieties successfully...."

The Parrot Society Convention 2012 (feedback)
Presented by Colin Morgan and Ian Ward....

Peach-faced Lovebird Mutations
(The Avicultural Review August 1986 Vol. 8 No. 8).  Lecture by Terry Atkinon. "The members of the Agapornis family are the only true lovebird in the world.  At the moment they would be one of the most popular birds in Australia. I have kept lovebirds for a number of years now and I breed them in wooden aviaries.  They are 6' high x 6' deep x 3' wide.  I try to run four pairs in each aviary.  I feel that because they are a colony bird, this number stimulates them to breed well. All the aviaries have concrete floors as this keeps the worms under control and makes my job of keeping it clean so much easier....."

Bird Literature: Green Peafowl from "Pheasants: Their Lives and Homes"
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Autumn 1975 Vol. 2 No. 2).  By William Beebe. Published under the auspices of the New York Zoological Society by Doubleday, Page & Co., New York.

Bird Literature: Indian Peafowl from "Pheasants: Their Lives and Homes"
(Avidata: Published by The Avicultural Society of New South Wales Autumn 1975 Vol. 2 No. 2).  By William Beebe. Published under the auspices of the New York Zoological Society by Doubleday, Page & Co., New York.

Small Parrot and Finch Photographic Box- by Paul Henry
Article and photographs supplied by Paul Henry (July 2021). "These are the steps required to make a simple and cheap box for photographing your birds."

Pictorella Mannikins (Heteromunia pectoralis)
(ASNSW Meeting - February 2014).  Presented by Sarah Moncrieff.  "The reason I chose to do my talk on Pictorella Mannikins is because we have recently acquired two Pictorella Mannikins at Featherdale Wildlife Park where I am working as a keeper; something different for us in the park that we haven't had before.....

Plant - Bunya Pine (Nuts) (Araucaria bidwillii)
(ASNSW Meeting - August 2012).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented By Graeme Phipps.  This was the first of a new segment for the meetings of the Avicultural Society of New South Wales (ASNSW), "Plant of the Month", but really BIRD plant of the month, because the plant needs to relate to birds in some way - whether by food, enrichment, nesting, etc.....

Plant - Casuarinas
(ASNSW Meeting - November 2013).   (Bird) Plant of the Month presented by Janet Macpherson.  "The Casuarinas provide a rich habitat for a wide variety of our native Australian birds and as such might be more aptly described as the (Bird) Tree of Life rather than the (Bird) Plant of the Month as we describe this section of our meeting each month....."

Plant - Chickweed (Stellaria media)
(The Avicultural Review September 1983 Vol. 5 No. 9). "Chickweed is a name that is given to many plants, some of which are not really Chickweeds at all, but totally different weeds. The true Chickweed (Stellaria media) is one of the very best of all our wild green foods. It has stood the test of many generations, and has never had a serious criticism....."

Plant - Curly Dock Weed
(ASNSW Meeting December 2013).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Joshua Allen.  "The scientific name for Curly Dock Weed is Rumex crispus.  I feed it to my birds; we feed it to the birds at Featherdale Wildlife Park where I work.  The Neophemas, the finches, the Diamond firetails love it, the Mulga Parrots love it - it's free - you can pick it along the side of the road......"

Plant - Cyperus Umbrella Sedges
(ASNSW Meeting February 2013).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Paul Henry. "These plants are mainly for a finch collection.  In a parrot collection they wouldn't exist very well at all.  I have Cyperus involucrucratus and Cyperus albostriatus in my finch aviaries. They are both Cyperus umbrella plants, being just two plants that are part of a large genus of sedge plants.  Both of the above species come from Africa....."

Plant - Moreton Bay and Port Jackson Fig Trees
(ASNSW Meeting May 2012).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Janet Macpherson.

Plant - Nandina Domestica
(ASNSW Meeting March 2014).   (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Paul Henry.

Plant - Warrigal Spinach
(ASNSW Meeting August 2012).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Paul Henry.

Plumhead Finch
(The Avicultural Review April 1986 Vol. 8 No 4).  by Bruce Hockley interviewed by Stan Simons.  "I find this is one of the easiest to breed of the Australian finches that I keep.  About 10 years ago I got my first pair and I had great success breeding them so they quickly became my favourite bird.  I keep them in a mixed collection....."

Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala [Linne])
(AVIDATA: Journal of The ASNSW Winter 1974 Vol. 1 No. 3.).  By Ron Grose.  "I have kept Plumheads for 14 years, and at the moment there are three breeding pairs in the collection with the oldest pair being 16. These birds are housed in 16' x 4' x 6' high aviaries, with a 4 1/2' shelter 7 1/2' high. The floors are sand and two perches are provided - one at either end of the aviaries which face due north. Only one pair of parakeets is installed in each aviary"

Moreton Bay and Port Jackson Fig Trees
(ASNSW Meeting May 2012).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Janet Macpherson.

Port Lincoln Parrot (Barnardius z. zonarius)
Article suplied by Des Dowling

The Powerful Owl Project
(ASNSW Meeting September 2015).  Presented by Stuart Foggo.  "The Powerful owl is the largest hawk-owl in Australia. They are roughly similar in appearance between the sexes. The male tends to be a bit lighter than the female for a couple of reasons, the main reason being that he has got to do all the hunting during the nesting period while the female is stuck in the hollow. He also needs to be nice and big to take down all those possums."

Princess Parrot (Polytelis alexandrae)
Article suplied by Des Dowling

Princess Parrot Mutations
(ASNSW Avicultural Meeting - April 2014).  Steve Fitzsimmons interviewed by Graeme Phipps.

Problem Panel
(ASNSW The Avicultural Review November 1986 Vol. 8 No 11).  "At our November meeting, we had a panel of experienced aviculturists answer questions from the floor.  The following are some of the selected answers that we hope are of interest to our readers.  The people on the panel were as follows:  Peter Hobbs, Wayne Simons, Ken Parsons, Dr Mike Cannon and Bruce Hockley....."

Product of the Month:  Cooling Misters (Kits)
(ASNSW Avicultural Meeting - October 2013).  Presented by Paul Henry.  Something for everyone to think about - how to manage high temperatures in your aviaries and cages.....

Product of the Month:  PVC Pipe Feed Hopper
(ASNSW Avicultural Meeting - November 2015).  Presented by Paul Henry.  "I have found this type of hopper is easy to make and very functional, especially when a non bird keeper is required to feed your birds when you are absent."

Product of the Month:  VetaFarm's Nutriblend Breeder
(ASNSW Avicultural Review - August 2012).  Described as being a high performing formula for breeding parrots.  Read what our members have to say about their experiences with this product....

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Quails - Their General Management and Artificial Incubation
(The Avicultural Review May 1985 Vol. 7 No. 5).  By Paul Menegazzo.  "It is my hope that the writing of this article, compiling my experiences with quails over the past two seasons, may spur on further writing from more experienced members from our Avicultural Society and hence build a basis for people interested in the breeding of these birds. Many bird breeders often enhance the floor of their aviaries with a pair or a trio of quails of various breeds....."

Hand Rearing Quarrions (Nymphicus hollandicus) (also known as Cockatiels or Weiros)
(ASNSW Meeting - February 2013).  Michael Wolstenholme interviewed by Barry Wolstenholme.....

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Rainbow Lorikeets and their Mutations
Article and photos supplied by Glenn Matheson....

Red-face Parrot Finch (Erythrura psittacea)
Brief notes: Description, Diet, Sexing and Breeding. Article submitted by an ASNSW member in 1999

Red-face Parrot Finch (Erythrura psittacea)
(ASNSW Meeting - December 2012).  Bird of the Month.  Paul Henry interviewed by Paul Menegazzo

Red-winged Parrot (aprosmictus erythropterus)
Article supplied by Des Dowling.....

Red-winged Parrot (aprosmicuts erythropterus)
(ASNSW Meeting - September 2015).  Bird of the Month.   Presented by Murray Macpherson. "Most of you will be familiar with the Red-winged parrot or Crimson-winged parrot as they're known. If you're not, they are a similar size bird to the King parrot (Aprosmictus scapularis); being about 30-32cm in length and a stockier built parrot."

Regent Honeyeater Release
(ASNSW Meeting - 15th October 2013).  Presented by Michael Shiels from the Taronga Zoo Recovery Team.  "Taronga Zoo has been involved in the Regent Honeyeater programme for at least 20 years since about 1993 or '92. The Regent Honeyeater recovery team I think is probably one of the most successful recovery teams of any Australian species that there is and one of the reasons for that is because they are not just about the birds.  It's about the birds plus education and teaching people and trying to change people's attitudes and habits.  It's also about restoring habitat and there are lots of communities that take part in the recovery programme....."

Rodent Eradication on Lord Howe Island
(ASNSW Meeting - October 2013).  By Rod Stapley.  "Techniques for rodent eradication have been developed over the past 20 years. Since then 332 rodent eradications have been undertaken worldwide and of these 284 have been a success, 35 have failed and 20 the results have been unsure.  So that is about an 85% success rate. This has been on non human inhabited islands. So Lord Howe Island is going to be a challenge.  The project is comprised of two phases:  The actual eradication of rats and mice in 2016; and a captive husbandry trial in 2013 which is currently underway.

Eastern Rosellas and My Experiences with Mutations (Platycercus eximius)
(ASNSW magazine - 15th October 2013).  Glenn Malin interviewed by Graeme Phipps.  Rosehill NSW. Rosellas – called Rosellas because it is a corruption of Rosehillas. Just down the road from here is Rosehill where the first Rosellas were trapped and taken to Sydney for pets for everybody. They are just fantastically beautiful birds. Europe must have been agog when they first saw them....."

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St Louis Zoo Bird House in Missouri, USA
(ASNSW Meeting - August 2014).  Presented by Ryan Leahy.  "Last year I was lucky enough to visit one of my favourite zoos which is St Lois Zoo in Missouri , USA. This time around I was privileged to be shown around by Eric Miller who is the Senior Vice President of the Zoo. He was very kind to donate his day to show an Aussie zoo keeper around. He is very proud of his bird department and so he should be. They keep some spectacular species over there that would make any keeper over here quite envious....."

St Maarten Zoo in the Caribbean
(ASNSW Meeting - November 2013).  Presented by Nick Atchison.  "For five years I was managing, in fact I was part owner of a Zoo on the island of St Maarten in the Caribbean. I grew up reading Gerald Durrell's stories, reading about him and his zoo in the British Isles, and it was always a dream (like so many people I suppose) to have my own zoo. I guess I was really lucky that the dream came true for a little while....."

Scaly-breasted Lorikeets and their Mutations
Article and photos supplied by Glenn Matheson.

Scarlet-chested Parrot Mutations (Neophema splendida)
(ASNSW Meeting - May 2013).  Paul Solomon interviewed by Wayne Rutherford.  "I started breeding birds when I was 13 years old. I had a Cockatiel given to me for my birthday. Our postman heard some shrieking coming from our house and he came in to see what was happening. My sister had accidentally stepped on the Cockatiel and broken its leg and some of its tail feathers had come out. He was an aviculturist so he put a splint on the Cockatiel's leg and he got me interested in birds. He found me an aviary and invited me along to a bird club in Canberra and ever since then I have been involved with birds. I still have that Cockatiel today as a pet. He is 27 years old."

World First Scarlet-chested Parrot Mutation for Australia (Neophema splendida)
Bred by Murray Macpherson, Sydney Aviculturist and member of the ASNSW. Article by Paul Henry. "Recently, Sydney Aviculturist Murray Macpherson, bred the world first cinnamon–pastel mutation in the scarlet–chested parrot. This was the result of combining a cinnamon mutation with a pastel mutation bird. Australia is the only country in the world with pastel mutation in Scarlet–chested parrots. Murray was also the originator of the cinnamon mutation in Australia."

Bird Security
(ASNSW Meeting - August 2012).  Presented by Joe Habib.  "It's not uncommon to hear of pet shops such as Kellyville Pets, Crystal Pet and Wire Centre, and other pet shops getting broken into.  The fact is that birds do get stolen and it is something that we hope never happens to anyone....."

Cyperus Umbrella Sedges
(ASNSW Meeting February 2013).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Paul Henry. "These plants are mainly for a finch collection.  In a parrot collection they wouldn't exist very well at all.  I have Cyperus involucrucratus and Cyperus albostriatus in my finch aviaries. They are both Cyperus umbrella plants, being just two plants that are part of a large genus of sedge plants.  Both of the above species come from Africa....."

Races, Colonisation and Migration of the Silvereye
(AVIDATA: Published by The Avicultural Society of New South Wales Autumn 1974 Vol. 1 No. 2). By Allen Keast. "Few city dwellers do not know the Silvereye, nor orchardists either for that matter. But as one moves inland, away from the dense, thickets and undergrowth of the coast, he becomes quite a rare bird. In fact, only in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area would he seem to be a common bird west of the range. By contrast, he is a common bird in suburban parks and gardens, and I have seem them contentedly feeding away on aphids in a peach tree in the heart of a Sydney slum. His commonness and trustfulness make him, in fact, the ideal bird for the city dweller to study. I would not like to guess when I first became interested in Silvereyes, but certainly one of my earliest introductions to ornithology was being held up to look down on the three blue eggs and dainty nest in a garden orange tree....."

Bird Literature: Silver Pheasant
From "Pheasants:  Their Lives and Homes" by William Beebe.  Published under the auspices of the New York Zoological Society by Doubleday, Page & Co., New York.  (AVIDATA: Published by The Avicultural Society of New South Wales Autumn 1974 Vol. 1 No. 2).....

Aviculturist of the Month, Mr Stan Sindel, Faurfield NSW
(The Avicultural Avicultural Review April 1981 Vol. 3 No. 4).  Interviewed by Mr Peter Phippen.  "). "Well, as a kid I started with finches; Java Sparrows, Zebras, the general run of finches, and I gradually built up to better quality finches. Then I went into Budgies when I was about 15 or 16 when they were really booming, just prior to the Australian Pied Budgies' appearance on the scene. I followed along with Budgies then into African Lovebirds . By the time I was 21 or 22 I had a fair collection of Lovebirds. Then by the time I was 26 or 27 I finished building this house and I had a few quid to spare, so I started into the rare parrots and I've been on them ever since....."

Snake Problems
(AVIDATA: Published by The ASNSW Autumn 1975 Vol. 2 No. 2).  By Graham Taylor, Australian Bird Park, Cairns, Northern Queensland .  "Since establishing the Australian Bird Park as a breeding, study and display centre for Australian parrots and cockatoos I have experienced problems with snakes.  Over 140 snakes have been removed from our park during the last three years....."

Softbills by Bradley R Holland
Keeping and breeding softbills is a specialised area of aviculture.  In this article respected softbill expert Bradley R Holland explains the intricacies of keeping birds which require more than a seed diet.

Softbills in a Mixed Collection
(ASNSW Meeting - March 2015).  Presented by John Stafford.  "What I would like to do tonight is talk to you a little bit about my collection and what we are doing down in Taralga. More specifically I would like to talk to you about what it's like to manage a big collection essentially on your own and the issues that are associated with that." (See also Taralga Sanctuary Field Trip - 3rd Oct. 2015.)

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)
(ASNSW Meeting - December 2013).  Presented by Jake Webb.  "At Featherdale Wildlife Park we have been fairly successful in breeding them. This year has been our best year....."

Life Member - Jack Stunnell - Jack's 90th Birthday!
(ASNSW Magazine - March-April 1916).  By Paul Henry. "Last meeting we had a small party to celebrate the 90th birthday of Jack Stunnell Jack has been a member of the Avicultural Society of NSW since 1955 and was made a Life Member in the 1980s. There are not many men who reach this ripe old age and are still lucid enough to enjoy it. Jack certainly is still with it and it's a pleasure to have a conversation with Jack. We had plenty of cakes to mark the occasion and a good time was had by all present."

The Secret Life of Sydney's Parrots
(ASNSW Meeting March 2014).  Presented by Adrian Davis. "Hi, my name is Adrian Davis and I am from Sydney University where I just finished my PhD. I have spent the last few years looking at parrots. Part of that involved tree hollows, how they use them and specifically what they are competing with. So I guess I am stepping away from what you would normally have at your meetings in terms of aviculture and moving more into ecology. So still based on parrots, I guess it is a different angle.  So why did I do this?....."

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Taralga Sanctuary Field Trip
(3rd October 2015).  The ASNSW trip to Taralga Sanctuary followed a presentation given by John Stafford on 'Softbills in a Mixed Collection' at our March meeting earlier in the year.

Taronga Zoo Bird Festival 2014 - A Celebration of Birds
(ASNSW Meeting - February 2015).  Presented by Michael Shiels.  "A Couple of years ago one of the ASNSW members Nick Atchison joined us at Taronga from the Alice Springs Desert Park. Nick brought a great idea with him from the bird park and that was to have a Bird Festival at the zoo to increase the buzz about birds. Nick and the interpretation officer Stephen Williams put a lot of effort into making it happen at Taronga."

Sustainable Termite Harvesting
(ASNSW Meeting - February 2014).  Presented by Joshua Allen.  "I am going to talk about stainable termite harvesting and how you can use them in aviaries and wildlife parks. I will talk about how we use them at Featherdale Wildlife Park where I work and in my aviaries at home. I think that the original idea actually came from the Perth Zoo where they use them for their numbats. We have modified it a little to suit our needs at Featherdale....."

Collecting and Maintaining Termites of the Sydney Region
(Avicultural Review - Monograph No 1 Published by the Avicultural Society of New South Wales 1983).  By Dr M L Eutick, The University of Sydney.  "Termites, or white ants as these insects are more commonly known, are social insects living in groups ranging from a few individuals to colonies of more than a million. Depending on the species, these colonies live within a wide range of structures varying from group nests (mounds) and large bulbous tree nests, to the hearts of live trees, in the ground under small pieces of wood and even within houses in the inner city. Interestingly, one species, blown by the wind, has even been found to form colonies in the wood of buoys in the middle of Sydney Harbour....."

Threatened Species in Australian Aviculture (3rd edition)
(ASNSW Meeting September 2012).  By Graeme Phipps.  2012 update and a report card on performance to date.  "This article focuses on species that are, or once were listed as threatened and figure in captivity in Australia, either in private collections or in zoos....."

Tiritiri-Matangi (New Zealand) - Open - Open Sanctuary Translocation
(ASNSW Meeting June 2012).  "Tiritiri Matangi Open Sanctuary helps to ensure the survival of many rare and endangered plant and animal species"

(This presentation at our June meeting was made by Graeme Phipps as a background article to the Emerald Dove on Lord Howe Island, the Lord Howe Island Woodhen and Currawong and the Lord Howe Island Rodent Eradication Project presented by Rod Stapley.)

Torres Strait Pigeon in Captivity (Ducula spilorrhoa)
(ASNSW Meeting June 2014).   Presented by Ryan Leahy.  "I have just complete my Certificate 3 in Captive Animals which is essentially Zoo Keeping. Throughout the course students are encouraged to compile a Husbandry Guildeline Manual and I chose Dacula spiloorhoa which is the Torres Strait Pigeon. I started my assignment with the Pied Imperial Pigeon which is Ducula bicolor and then identified Dacula spiloorhoa as the Australian Species."

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Wagga Wagga NSW 2002 - Weekend Away
In 2002 Society members visited Wagga Wagga and the surrounding district. We visited Wagga Wagga eight years previously and it was such a great trip we wanted to go again.

Warrigal Spinach
(ASNSW Meeting August 2012).  (Bird) Plant of the month presented by Paul Henry.....

Weavers and Whydahs (Part I)
(The Avicultural Avicultural Review November 1980 Vol. 2 No. 9).  By David Holmes.   "My talk as the program sets out is on Weavers and Whydahs and I have split it into five sections. But first, with the possible exception of WA members, most Australian aviculturists see a member of the weaver family flying around our homes regularly. This member is the House Sparrow. A sombre coloured member, but still a member. Introduced into the eastern states from England, it has become firmly entrenched to the detriment of our local birds..."

Weavers and Whydahs (Part II)
(The Avicultural Avicultural Review November 1980 Vol. 2 No. 10).  By David Holmes.   "Madagascar Weaver: The Madagascar Weaver and its close relative the Comoro Weaver originally came from the island off the coast of Africa. Sadly we have very few pure breeds of either type, in fact, I feel we should call the hybrids we have as Foudier Australis, as we have enough to create a new species. The hybrid came about possibly by ignorance, mating a coloured Madagascar cockbird to a Comoro hen. The difference between these birds are the Madagascar Weaver is the smaller bird with the scarlet going right to the vent and scarlet across the saddle, with brown coloured wings. On the other hand the Comoro is bigger, particularly its beak, the brown is more toward olive green and the scarlet stops midway from the chest to the vent, the remaining area is buff coloured. There is no red present on the back....."

Hand Rearing Quarrions (Nymphicus hollandicus) (also known as Cockatiels or Weiros)
(ASNSW Meeting - February 2013).  Michael Wolstenholme interviewed by Barry Wolstenholme.....

The Western Rosella Man
(ASNSW Meeting "Winging it" segment - June 2014.  Skype call to Ben Pearce in Western Australia.  "Ben Pearce has kept birds for around 50 years but only keeps a few these days as he spends a lot of time in the bush studying Western Rosellas and other parrots. He does a bit of photography and supplies photos to magazines in Australia and overseas. He has supplied photos to the West Australian Museum, Birdlife Australia and West Australian Bird Notes. It's only a hobby. His passion is Western Rosellas and he would love to see them get the long overdue protection they deserve. His Facebook page is open to everybody. It is dedicated to the protection of Western Rosellas."

Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus)
(The Avicultural Review - July/August 1993 Volume 15 No 4).  By Roy Dunn, Curator of Birds, Melbourne Zoo, Victoria (Courtesy of Australian Aviculture).  "Taken from repeated failures to successful breeding, the Curator of Birds tells how intelligent observation of the Whipbirds led Melbourne Zoo to a population of Whipbirds from just one pair."

White-eared Grass Finch Poephila personata leucotis (Gould))
(AVIDATA: Journal of The ASNSW Winter 1974 Vol. 1 No. 3.).  By Cam McMyrtrie.  "The "White-ear" is in my opinion the most beautiful of the Australian finches and as such p)ossibly the most beautiful finch in the world. A fairly good illustration of this member of the true grass finches (painted by Neville Cayley) can be seen opposite page 114 in "Australian Finches", Immelmann 1965) , and a very good description of the nominate form P.p personata appears on page 95 of this same book. It would be just as well to quote this description here....."

Wild Side Australia - Bird Photography
(ASNSW Meeting July 2015).  Presented by Brendon Levot.  "My name is Brendon Levot and I work in conservation land management; with wild species, including birds and also with plants. I also practice wildlife photography and documentary film making. They sort of go hand in hand. My role as a conservation manager is to look after plants and animals in natural places and my role as a photographer and filmmaker helps me to present the things I love the most in a way which helps to inspire the public to care about conservation as much as I do."

Some Thoughts on Worms
(The Avicultural Review September 1986 Vol. 8 No. 9).  "Some Thoughts on Worms" by Gordon Marion and "Tapeworms and Gizzardworms" by Michael Cannon B.V.Sc.  "For all those people who have become lazy with worming their birds, or think it is not worth it, you could be looking for trouble.  We moved to the Blue Mountains, I made all my aviaries closed in and the floors were concrete.  I thought that this would solve my problems with worming my birds... WRONG!...."

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Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhunchus funereous)
By Glenn Matheson....

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St Louis Zoo Bird House in Missouri, USA
(ASNSW Meeting - August 2014).  Presented by Ryan Leahy.  "Last year I was lucky enough to visit one of my favourite zoos which is St Lois Zoo in Missouri , USA. This time around I was privileged to be shown around by Eric Miller who is the Senior Vice President of the Zoo. He was very kind to donate his day to show an Aussie zoo keeper around. He is very proud of his bird department and so he should be. They keep some spectacular species over there that would make any keeper over here quite envious....."

St Maarten Zoo in the Caribbean
(ASNSW Meeting - November 2013).  Presented by Nick Atchison.  "For five years I was managing, in fact I was part owner of a Zoo on the island of St Maarten in the Caribbean. I grew up reading Gerald Durrell's stories, reading about him and his zoo in the British Isles, and it was always a dream (like so many people I suppose) to have my own zoo. I guess I was really lucky that the dream came true for a little while....."

Aviculturist of the Month, Mr Les Clayton, Head Bird Keeper at Taronga Park Zoo
(The Avicultural Review August 1985 Vol. 7 No. 8).  Mr Les Clayton interviewed by Joelle Dunbar, Mike Canon and Terry Atkinson.  "Les Clayton is well known to many of you. He is the Head Bird Keeper at Taronga Park Zoo.  He is in great demand for interviews and we would like to extend to him our thanks for making the time to speak to us.  The Editorial Panel....."

Taronga Zoo Bird Festival 2014 - A Celebration of Birds
(ASNSW Meeting - February 2015).  Presented by Michael Shiels.  "A Couple of years ago one of the ASNSW members Nick Atchison joined us at Taronga from the Alice Springs Desert Park. Nick brought a great idea with him from the bird park and that was to have a Bird Festival at the zoo to increase the buzz about birds. Nick and the interpretation officer Stephen Williams put a lot of effort into making it happen at Taronga."

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