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.

Changes at the NCA

Countrywide Prize Draw

QUOTE of the WEEK

Also in the news…

Flying the flag for great bustards

Scotland's seabirds are ‘struggling to survive’

New canary club forms

Park Life

Bring back the bunting

YOU COULDN'T MAKE THESE UP

BIRD GATHERINGS: AN IMPORTANT CORRECTION

Editor's Letter

Cage & Aviary Birds

Causes of ‘cannibalism’ • Continuing from two weeks ago, Dutch budgie authority PETER VAN AMELSVOORT suggests the true causes of this worrying behaviour and proposes how it can be tackled

Why birdkeeping is good value • There's a widespread belief that club membership and show participation are unreasonably expensive. It's a myth, says DAVE BROWN – look at the outlays that clubs have to make

My month in a nutshell • So how was August 2026 in your birdroom? For Guernsey-based fancier JASON GREEN it was about that all-important calm moult period, checking for progress on his latest outcross's offspring – and the minor non-bird matter of swimming from Europe to Asia

The race is not always to the swift • Two species of bird of comparable size may fly at very different speeds. Why do they do so? And how do they achieve the desired velocity? The answers lie in the complex adaptations to lifestyle that different species make. Fast is not necessarily best, says PAUL DONOVAN

The joy of siskins • Our native siskin is a fancy favourite, but some discerning breeders are now spreading their wings to embrace its lovely South American relations. GARY BRALSFORD is one of them

My journey with budgerigars: Part 8 • After a chilly beginning, and a cursory but expert stock assessment, the year 2014 improved considerably and definitely boosted NEIL CAWLEY's progress through the hobby

Sorts and swaps • The winnowing process whereby a stud advances year-onyear has already taken place for DAVE BROWN. He's also made some strategic exchanges, rather than splashing the cash – all of them with a cast-iron rationale, of course!

READERS’ GALLERY

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 and pictures, share their proudest moments from that year. THIS WEEK: zebra finch breeder ANDY NETHERCOTT from Exeter who moves to champion status for 2026

What's on

CAPTION THIS…

First judging event for guest Brandon

Club roundup