Post
by Sally » Wed Aug 12, 2015 10:46 am
I don't know if we could have a forum or subforum for NFSS, but I think a sticky at least would be possible. I haven't said much about my appointment yet, so I guess I could announce it now. I have been appointed the pro tem 3rd Vice President, FinchSave Director of NFSS. There should be a ballot in the July/August issue of the Journal, and I would appreciate the vote of any NFSS member on this forum. I don't even know if anyone else is running for the position!
FSS, or Finch and Softbill Save, is an extremely important part of NFSS, more than I even realized until getting involved with it. The goal of FSS is to encourage breeding of finches and softbills in the U.S. and Canada so that at least some of these species will be firmly established in aviculture. I have often referred to certain species as 'rare' or 'exotic', but as one of our most experienced breeders has reminded me, almost all finch species are rare or exotic in North America. The only species that don't qualify for the FSS program are Zebras, Societies, Lady Gouldians, Java Sparrows, doves and quail, and any mutations that don't exist in their native habitat.
Those who are fairly new to finch keeping may not be aware of how recent many of the African species have become available. There were CITES restrictions in place that stopped exports from Africa, so breeders in North America were restricted to what they could breed. Since many had not anticipated this restriction, most species became very difficult to obtain. For example, when I first got back into finches in 2006, it was very hard to find African waxbills. I paid $250 for a pair of domestic Goldbreasts, and I was thrilled to find those. Only a few months after I made this purchase, CITES restrictions were lifted, and brokers were overflowing with wild-caught finches. Goldbreasts were still $180 a pair, because there was such a huge demand. Now you can find Goldbreasts for as little as $25. They are almost regarded as a throwaway finch, one that is easier and cheaper to replace by buying more than bothering to breed.
However, those in the know say that CITES restrictions are bound to be set in place again, we just don't know when this will happen. Probably sooner rather than later. We've already seen the imports drop and availability lessen. Blue-capped Cordon Bleus were so available a few years ago that they were selling for $25 each, and now it is getting harder to find them.
It is unrealistic to think that we can save every species for aviculture, but we can certainly make an effort. You don't have to have a huge breeding setup, with many pairs of breeding finches. Even a single pair can count, if you work with FSS and network with other breeders. A group of breeders can swap bloodlines, help each other in finding mates for their birds. This is where the Census can help in finding other breeders.
We'll be making some changes to the FSS program in the near future. Once those are completed and in place, I'll be promoting this program even more.
3 Purple Grenadiers, 1 Goldbreast + 1 cat.
National Finch & Softbill Society -
http://www.nfss.org
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