Cage & Aviary Birds

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

HPAI in wild birds: shift from water birds to gulls and seabirds

Big birthday milestone for world’s oldest Humbolt!

QUOTE of the WEEK

Also in the news…

Almost 400ha of coastal wetlands restored in Somerset

Pied oystercatcher pair: fourth time’s a charm

LATEST UPDATE

GWCT’s curlew project in Wales gets almost £1m

PARROTS & PEOPLE

NCA/DEFRA: latest developments • The NCA’s ROBB BROWN summarises the events of a momentous week, both for the Association and the wider fancy: a week when the disastrous vet requirement was dropped from some licences

Editor’s Letter

Cage & Aviary Birds

My journey with budgies: Part 4 • The journey, for NEIL CAWLEY, has been a long and winding road - but worth describing for the benefit of other travellers! Here he reaches the 2010s

Q&A: Paul Ley Part 2 • Continuing from last week, PAUL LEY explains how he set out in the world of exhibition zebra finches and how others can do likewise

‘Going Native' • Andy Johnson on his second year with British birds

The learning curve goes on • There are so many ‘firsts' for Andy as he moves ahead with his native birds. Now it will be cage-breeding with greenfinches - plus his debut breeding attempt with redstarts

Mr Dewar and his cage • Easily recognised and - importantly - easily obtainable, the Dewar show cage is as popular as ever in the fancy. Yet many fanciers may not know what or who Dewar was, or how the cage was originally developed

Spring: it's time for a hobby health-check • There's a lot of the fancy that may go unnoticed, reckons David - now, if only the same could be said of the rash of online rumour and exaggeration…

Northumbrian Notes • This month Austin takes action against skemmies (and explains what they are), presides over a dramatic finch recovery, and keeps it all crossed for some ambitious show plans

A warm and humid dream • Of what? Your very own tropical house, of course, with a suitable cast of ‘I wish' birds! DAVE BROWN can't provide funds, but does offer some ideas for ambitious dreamers

Fertility is only the start • Even in a stud such as TONY EDWARDS's, clear eggs aren't the only barriers to productivity. Here he describes what he's done so far to maximise the return on this season's pairings

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

SPOTLIGHT ON… • We invite fanciers to look back at their 2025 show-bench success and, in their own words, share their proudest moment(s) from that year. THIS WEEK: PAM AND TOM LEEDHAM, mother-and-son budgerigar partnership from the Midlands

Club roundup • Show reports, dates, club notices

What's on this week • Club meetings nationwide Includes sales held by clubs to benefit their members. For other sales, please book an advert