1. To provide information in a "care sheet" format.
2. Keep up to date Avicultural information always available.
3. Provide an in depth insect / "live food" section.
4. Provide basic knowledge at minimal cost.
5. One stop shop availability for information.
6. Increase awareness of benefits of captive bird breeding and birds as companion pets.
7. So Aviculture Societies / Clubs can concentrate on the more in-depth details, issues and methodology of bird care and breeding.
8. To show overseas people what Australian Aviculture has to offer.
9. Online access to pictures of captive bred (aviculture) birds available in Australia.
10. Because we think it will be of value to aviculture.
11. Because Frank thought it would be the best way to air his views and opinions.
12. To explore the team's creative skills.

Who is this site aimed at ?

1. Beginners through to specialist breeders.
2. Easily accessible information resource for school projects through to post secondary level.
3. People wanting to try new areas of aviculture interest.
4. Pet shops & birds retailers  i.e. for use as a care sheet handout or web site reference.
5. Private sellers who can now offer a web site reference to ensure the buyers can have basic Australian care information available.
6. People who need access to lists of up to date reference material.

Background of team.

1. Finch & Quail breeder.
2. Parrot breeder.
3. Insect breeder.
4. Frank's new interest in web site building.
5. Administration and finance manager.

The concept for this project was initiated in 2000. By mid 2003 the need for a web site devoted to "care sheet" style format was deemed to be essential to the promotion of aviculture within Australia. By the end of 2004, the word count of the web site passed the half-a-million mark and will keep on increasing as long as the site is needed or Frank runs out of ideas to include. Now everyone who has access to the internet can get basic information on the majority of finches, softbills, parrots and quail available to be kept by private individuals in Australia.

In the 1970's and 1980's it was fairly easy to replace a bird that died or was not breeding in ones aviary.  Birds like Cardinals, Bronze wing mannikins, Pin tailed Parrot finches and Madagascar Lovebirds used to fly around my aviaries. Today these birds and many others are now so rare in Australian aviaries, that most people will not be able to see these birds let alone own any of these birds. Birds like the Madagascar Lovebird may no longer exist in Australia.  Some species of finch are in such low, one person now holds all the hens of that species.  The lack of easily accessible information may be one of the reasons some birds do not have a good breeding track record.  About 1990, I had 4 pairs of Madagascar Lovebirds but the only literature I could find was a total of 3 pages. Madagascar Lovebirds in the late 1940's were the most common of the Lovebirds available in Australia.  40 years later I could only find 3 pages of quality information. Unfortunately the literature related only to breeding in the warmer Northern Australian States but did not state this fact. Too many people do not publish the finer points of breeding birds, especially the finches and softbills. This web site can help many people to add to the wealth of knowledge that is in our collective heads. Facts and observations that occur in our aviaries must be recorded for the next crop of Aviculturalists to build on, rather than repeat the same mistakes previous breeders have made.

One disadvantage of publishing information in a book is that as soon as it has been printed, any errors cannot be corrected and any facts that change cannot be easily updated. This limitation has been minimized with the advent of online publishing. If anything on this site is perceived to be in error, the reader can just contact the webmaster, and if they can justify a change to the original text, it is easy for the webmaster to make a change to the text so future readers get the best available information.

Many people have contributed to this web project and many have had some diverse viewpoints. A lot of hours have been spent trying to eliminate many "old wives tales" from verifiable facts. One off, rare behaviours have not been included and we have generally relied on normal predictable behaviour to outline what should happen. Domestication of all types of birds has changed the behaviours of most of the aviary bred birds over the years and will continue to change further in years to come. Some behavioural changes will have to be documented and published so breeding results can be maximized. The rarer birds will also benefit from a stud book register so closely related birds are not paired together.

The  information on this site is basic, so further reading, research, and discussion with other aviculturalists is strongly recommended. The information on this site is general information, so keep your local environment and conditions in mind when using any of the information on this web site.

We would appreciate anyone who has information, photos, letters, that would be of benefit to other people interested in keeping or breeding birds, to sent it to the above address. Every new piece of information may help reduce the loss of our birds in our care.

Anyone who is dispersing deceased estates and comes across any material that relates to the holding or breeding of birds should contact the local Aviculture club/society, bird club or contact the Webmaster at the above address. Collections of magazines, photos and books are often a valuable source of information. Any one who has access to deceased estates or people disposing of bird related material may help in the preservation of the remaining bird stocks in our aviaries.

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