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.

Chester Zoo's new hope for rare hooded vultures

Isle of Wight's sanderlings get helping hand to rest up

QUOTE of the WEEK

Also in the news…

2026 photo awards include bird images

BoTY: what bird gets your vote?

Mountain bird's call shifts owing to human pressure

COLOUR BUDGERIGARS

Jim Addison: a personal obituary • Regular Cage & Aviary Birds contributor LARRY MANN was a dear friend of the recently passed zebra finch legend. Here he looks back on Jim's achievements and pays tribute to his winning personality

Editor's Letter

Cage & Aviary Birds

Gail Harland's WATERBIRDS

My first National

Northumbrian Notes • Long hours fiddling with a laser printer are not Austin's idea of pre-show enjoyment – but finally the show schedules did all get run off. That left him more time to think about actual birds: pigeons in the loft, race entries and a stroll round a favourite reserve

The first steps with new colours • If you breed multiple colours – which adds greatly to your satisfaction – then you need to play a smart game with numbers but also with the splits you'll produce, advises TONY EDWARDS

The harlequin: star beneath the radar • By any measure, a quality Portuguese harlequin is a stunning canary – and yet this variety's exhibition presence in this country is negligible. ANDY EARLY profiles the breed and hopes that more of its enthusiastic following will bring their birds to the show bench

The breeding season? Let's move on • After a virtual write-off in terms of birds bred this year, David is cracking on with cleaning and overhauling his set-up – with some quiet vocal encouragement from his male shama

The crested mutation: a brief guide • Now well understood, the crested gene is known across a range of unrelated species – and to breed quality crested birds is a challenge to a fancier's skill. DAVE BROWN reports

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

Club roundup • Show reports, dates, club notices

What's on