FOREIGN BIR
birdkeepers with interests as diverse as waterfowl and zebra finches, showing and specialist breeding. In the “small cage bird” category there used to be budgerigars, canaries, British and foreign birds.
T
I (and I suspect a significant minority across the country) am a foreign bird enthusiast. I am now also an endangered species. As a foreign bird enthusiast my aim was to develop the expertise to maintain and ideally establish in captivity various imported species. There was never any attempt or desire to modify that species in any way – simply to establish it successfully and develop a self-sustaining captive population.
Those with an interest in genetics and showing generally concentrated on budgerigars and canaries where “show standards” were drawn up seeking not only to develop colour mutations but to change the very shape, size and feather fixture of the bird itself. As foreign bird enthusiasts we then become victims of our own success. “Establishment in captivity” is an entirely different objective to
20 BIRD SCENE
he world of birdkeeping is a very broad church, embracing
“Domestication”. We had no intention of moving to the latter and initially did not realize how our success had opened a new branch of the hobby at the expense of the destruction of ours. A blue Ringneck, a yellow Lineolated, a white Zebra Finch. Unusual and very pretty in their own way – but domesticated variations, not foreign birds. Then the floodgates opened. Species after species fell to “domestication”. Some species have already gone the budgie and canary route of “specialist societies” – think Zebra Finch, Java Sparrow. Others are nearly there – think Gouldian Finch, Splendid Parakeet. Next an import ban. No source of fresh
“normal” blood. Every species currently in captivity has potentially two options – either they are established, leading eventually to domestication – or they are not, leading eventually to extinction in captivity. What future for foreign bird keeping?
Country-wide transport is no longer a problem with the Stafford sale days. If you don’t go to Stafford you almost certainly know someone who does.
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