For me, my parents have told my that I always had a fascination with birds; from a very early age I would draw them whenever pencils and paper were on hand. However, it was a baby Galah that had fallen from its nest hollow in a local park that really set me on my avicultural journey. I took it home and it quickly became part of the family; I was around 5 at the time and named it Galahry. I loved that bird and was soon asking to get more; from that point on each birthday and Christmas would involve a wish list of birds, aviaries and bird books. And so, my avicultural journey was well underway. Fast forward 34 years or so and my passion for aviculture is still as strong as ever! I’d love to hear how your avicultural journey began? Unfortunately I don’t have a photo of Galahry, but I snapped this pic in my yard last year; Galahs will always be special to me.
It's in the blood, Dad was a bird man, just budgies, but that's how it started. As kids, my five brothers and I mucked around with birds we'd find around town and in the scrub. Joe the sulphur crested, various rosellas, I had a black shouldered kite for a while 'til his wing healed and so it went.
Then came the pigeons and Russ and I were right into it. We had one bloke in town who was our mentor in the early days and the Traralgon pigeon club became our home away from home and, with a couple of short breaks, was so for almost forty years. I always thought my winning of the Gippsland Pigeon Federation race from Tibooburra, 700 miles, was my proudest moment in the sport but I am pleased to say how much I enjoyed my years as Secretary of both the Traralgon club and the Federation and also as the publicity officer. I showed a lot of fancy pigeons as well, my favorites were the Fantails, Fairy Swallows and the Jacobins in particular but I kept up to twenty or more varieties because we did an exhibition show every year in conjunction with the Agricultural show, just to give the public a bit more to look at.
At the same time there was always the cockies and parrots and until I sold the farm at Callignee both shared equal billing. Where we are now, here in Warragul, there is no pigeon club so now it's just the aviculture and no pigeons but that's ok. I'm so lucky that my wife Debbie shares my love for the birds and if anything she's more passionate about them than me. Too much so sometimes and we've got a few birds here I could do without but they're here for life, because she can't part with them for one reason or another. You'll know what I'm talking about Simon, "'your" Gang Gang got a girlfriend this week.
Gang Gang cockatoos are our main love but we have several pairs each of Majors and Naso redtails. There are also long bill corellas, sulphurs, galahs, king parrots, rainbows,princesses, barrabands, turks, bourkes, scarlets, cockatiels and a few finches but mostly Gouldians. It all takes a fair bit of time, in particular keeping the browse up to the Gangies, but if you didn't love, you wouldn't do it.
Of recent times we've become sort of a rescue centre and have ended up with a very badly plucked Derbyan, a pretty rough Blue and Gold macaw and a brought back from the dead baby Blue and Gold macaw plus a lost Rainbow lorie the local vet got us to take on. Happy to say the pluckers are recovering beautifully, the baby B&G is weaning now and Lily Pilly the loriket thinks I'm the love of her life.
My start was seeing a small backyard budgie aviary st some friends place when I was about 8 or 9. I pestered Mum and Dad and then built a similarly small aviary with a few pair of budgies. I had the bird keeping obsession. I got serious about show budgies and as a young tile attended Northside BSA meetings (mum would fall asleep). I did okay with a line of Lutinos, the highlight was winning champion novice at the Rosebay show. At the same time I added finches, quail and then fancy pigeons to the mix.
Thanks for sharing your story, Sam. And to think, here we are today, working together to do everything that we can to protect and preserve our wonderful hobby! Long live Aviculture!
I grew up with the wild birds. My dad used to feed them daily, but also any sort of wildlife.. when the fires would come every 2 years (like clockwork) Our yard would be a haven, and we would have anywhere from 100-300 birds daily maybe more. And itd be literally every type you could find on the south coast! From there we ended up rescuing some doves and a raven. Which we had for a long time. So when i saw my first hahns macaw, i needed to have it. Then it just grew i guess... now i have over 30 odd birds and couldn’t be happier. Only issue is its never enough!!
From earlier age only I was interested in bird keeping and hand feeding in India there was not much Verity of parakeets but at young age of 5 only I started hand feeding to Ring nake chicks and also some owl, Indian Roller, maina , tailorbird and waver bird After some years I got to know that this birds are not allowed to keep so I started keeping exotic bird's And now professionally I am learning about Avian biology and nutrition and want to save endangered species.
Good Post