Stop the Spread
Due to the current avian influenza (bird flu) outbreak, maintaining effective biosecurity has never been more critical. Find out what you can do to keep your birds free of the disease by registering for one of Defra’s ‘stop the spread’ webinars. Leading Defra epidemiologists and veterinary professionals will host these live events. They’ll cover: the […]
Weekend Webbies — Just One thing
Cavity nesters are not too interested in your fancy woodwork, but the size of the entrance hole is really important to them. Waterfowl seem to prefer an entrance that is just big enough. Some birds will inspect several houses before deciding on their preferred nest. You may wish to give the birds a few to […]
Are you secure?
Do you know the signs of #BirdFlu? See APHA’s list of signs here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu… Contact your vet immediately if you suspect #AvianInfluenza. It is a legal requirement to report it to APHA if you are in England, Wales or Scotland. Unfortunately, as of 29th December 2021, there are now 65 confirmed cases of Avian Influenza […]
Weekend Webbies — Just One Thing
With our birds probably in flockdown, their drinking and bathing water might not be in the ideal pool. Movement can keep water open, but smaller volumes than usual may be prone to freezing if we get a really cold snap. Check to make sure birds can still get out if a rim of ice was […]
Weekend Webbies — Just One Thing
A little nugget to consider for the weekend, we hope you’ll tune in every Friday for regular tips: If you have a moment, get spare boots to keep exclusively for your bird enclosure. And the bird — Andean Geese, Chloephaga melanoptera. Photographed by Dr Daniel J Field at Tucumán, Argentina. This large monochromatic sheldgoose inhabits […]
Stop the spread — free webinars
Can you spare an hour over the next few days? We feel it is certainly worth listening to advice about protecting our birds. Bird flu is not just a problem for commercial flocks. APHA are running a series of webinars aimed specifically at smallholders/hobby keepers/pet keepers. Specific meetings are available for commercial producers and veterinarians […]
Common Pochard
Though familiar, we mostly tend to see wild Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) in winter. Populations from the breeding grounds in the steppes seek refuge in our slightly less harsh climate. Across Britain as a whole, the wintering population is about 70% males and 30% females, a more imbalanced sex ratio than any other wintering duck, […]
Winter Waterfowl is on its way to members
On the day we went to print, we heard that two members with significant collections have been hit and their birds will have been destroyed by the time you read this. The current outbreak is now the largest ever UK outbreak of avian influenza with 36 confirmed cases (prior to this the largest number of […]
Red Sixty-seven becomes Seventy
9 species of waterfowl are now on the UK Red List. Bewick’s Swan, Goldeneye and Smew have joined the likes of White-fronted Goose, our 2 native scoters and Scaup as top conservation priorities. 16 waterfowl species have been placed on the new Amber List. The Red-breasted Merganser was moved from Green to Amber on account […]
Bird brains and beady eyes
Birds use their large, prominent eyes to search for food and detect predators. They can see objects in fine detail two-and-a-half to three times farther away than people can, and their spectral sensitivity, which spans from near-ultraviolet (UV) to red, is far beyond that of humans. With eyes set on the sides of their head, most waterfowl […]
