• Part 1 – A visit to an award winning parrot breeder
• Part 2 – A visit to an award winning finch breeder
• Part 3 – A visit to an award winning softbill breeder
• Part 4 – Dr Tommy Blunden, a prominent South African avian veterinarian talks on surgical vs. DNA sexing of birds
• Part 5 – Neville Brickell from the Indigenous Bird Breeders Research Group in Kwazulu Natal talks on avian research and photography and its�� contribution to nature conservation.
• Part 6 – Japie Mostert from the Krugersdorp Game Reserve, just outside Johannesburg, takes you through Africa�s largest walk-in aviary with its more than 1000 birds and 110 species of South African birds.

The DVD also includes a valuable information leaflet with advice on clubs, suitable plants for planted aviaries, as well as access to the local South African Avian Veterinarian Association should you require veterinary assistance.

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The results of this qualitative study can be seen in the unique Bird keeper’s Guide that appears below each species in the DVD. Five icons are used: an EYE, a BIRD, a NESTBOX, an ANT and a WEATHER to provide key information on subject matter to help you achieve greater breeding and keeping success for all types of finches.

The DVD provides a range of useful information, including:

• Number of finch species found in Africa
• The categories to which different finch species belong
• Which finch species require permits
• Tips on how to successfully breed African finches
• The unique Birdkeepers Guide and how it works
• Filmed species include
  • Cordonbleus
  • Pytilias
  • Crimson Wings
  • Twinspots
  • Quail finches
  • Mannikins
  • SA finches listed in the Red Data Book
  • Africa’s Rarest finch
  • Other interesting Waxbills
  • Whydahs and their hosts
  • African Fire finches and their Indigo birds
  • West African finches
  • Finches North of the Sahara
  • The odd-one-out finch
  • Sparrows, Weavers and Bishops
  • Widowbirds
  • Queleas
  • Serins and many more.

In total, Finches of Africa includes 70 finch species, including some very rare breeds that have never been filmed before.

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This highly informative DVD is a valuable asset for both birding novices and advanced enthusiasts. Keeping Finches includes:

• Hundreds of practical tips
• State of the art aviary and birdroom set ups
• More than 50 species that originate from Australia, Asia, Europe , North and South America and some of the rare finches from Africa
• It is filmed on digital broadcast quality material
• A unique and well-researched Bird Keepers Guide to help you succeed with the breeding and keeping of these magnificent little birds, including zebra finches and the relatively rare Gouldian finch.

Eelco Meyjes also provides you with in-depth coverage of many specialist finch breeding facilities, including those that are managed by:

Dr David Russell who is a specialist Zebra Finch breeder
Ivan Higgo who is a specialist Gouldian finch breeder
Prof Ernst Kruger who specialises with African finches and
Eelco Meyjes� who has a wide variety of exotic finches

A number of international finch species can be seen on the DVD, including:

AUSTRALIAN SPECIES

Zebra Finch (plus baby zebra finches)
Grass finches, including:

• Longtailed Grass finch
• Hecks Grass finch
• Masked Grass finch

Parsons Finch
Double Bar
Diamond Firetail
Red Browed Finch
Chestnut Breasted
Pictorella
Cherry-Plum Headed
Star finch
Yellow Star finch
Crimson Finch
Painted Finch
Gouldians

PARROTFINCHES

Red headed Parrotfinch
Seagreen Parrotfinch
Blue Faced Parrotfinch
Tricoloured Parrotfinch
Peales Parrotfinch

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Breeding African Gray mutations, such as pieds – which include the F2 Pied African Gray with a distinctive red band across its abdomen, – is not yet common practice, but some magnificent examples still exist. For example, the all red African Grey, first bred in South Africa, marks the ultimate achievement in mutation breeding to date. In addition to specifically bred mutations, there are naturally occurring mutations within African Grey species, such as albino Greys, which have no pigment and are all white and Incomplete Ino�s with only very partial pigmentation. There is also a blue African Gray species that is in fact grey but has all white tail feathering. However, very few of these birds have been bred successfully in captivity

One of the reasons that African Grays are favoured the world over is because they make such good mimics. The Congo African Grey parrot is particularly good at imitating human speech.

Keeping and Breeding the African Grey DVD includes:

• A short history on the African Grey as a pet
• Countries of origin for African Grey parrots, including the Congo
• The urgent need to support nature conservation
• Examples of different African Grey parrot species e.g. Congo, Timneh and pied

For African Gray pet owners:

• How to go about buying your first bird.
• What looking at the eye will tell you
• Bringing your bird home for the first time
• Correct diet and feeding regimen for African Grey parrots
• Teaching it to talk
• Introducing other pets
• General healthcare for your African Grey and how to spot problem behaviour e.g. obsessive feather plucking
• Sexing your bird
• Introducing a mate
• The temptation to breed your African Grey�

For African Grey breeders:

• Top breeding facilities
• Aviary and nestbox design
• Stock selection
• Microchipping
• Food and Nutrition
• Pairing up birds
• Mutation breeding, especially red pied African Greys
• Ringing baby african grey parrots
• Hand rearing African Greys
• Having a Nursery and caring for baby African Greys
• Resting your breeding stock
• Professional healthcare and lots, lots more �

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Some of the most beautiful birds in the world belong to the popular softbill group, which can be kept in planted aviaries and in essence feed on a diet of fruit, nectar etc. The description, �Softbill� does not mean that they have soft beaks, but refers to the fact that unlike parrots or finches they do not feed predominantly on nuts or seeds.

With the increasing availability of specialist avian nutrition for Softbills, more and more aviculturists are turning their skills to the challenge of breeding these magnificent birds. For many bird keepers and breeders the ultimate test of this fascinating hobby is to see if they can successfully breed Softbills, which are often well-known for their challenging mating habits and their wonderful calls.

The Double Disc DVD, Keeping and Breeding Softbills, includes:

• Aviary options suitable for Softbills
• Where best to position your aviaries
• Suitable aviary plants
• Nests and nesting materials
• Tips for safety flights and service passages.
• Preparation of correct dietary requirements
• Cultivating your own live food e.g. crickets, mealworms etc.
• How to successfully breed pinkies and fuzzy baby mice
• A convenient Softbill Diet Guide Plan is included in the DVD
• Valuable Health Care Tips
• Setting up a bird room
• Nesting , Incubation and Brooder info
• Acquiring new stock
• Quarantine facilities
• Security and healthcare management
• Eliminating pests and rodents
• Advice from three of South Africa’s leading Softbill breeders : Mossie Webber (Turacos) William Horsfield (Toucans) and Graeme Hoffman (Barbets, Starlings , Jays and Hornbills)

Some of the Softbills that you will see:

• Pekin Robins
• White Eyes
• Sunbirds
• Tanagers
• Mousebirds
• Fairy Wrens
• Hummingbirds
• Kingfishers
• Kookaburras
• Magpies
• Blue-faced honey eaters
• Asian fairy blue birds
• Bohemian waxwings
• Thrushes
• Green Broadbills
• Greater leaf birds
• Jacanas
• Plovers
• Bulbuls
• Cuckoos
• Rollers

Plus

• 12 Species of Fruit Pigeons and Doves
• 7 Species of Barbets
• 5 Species of Jays
• 10 Species of Starlings and Mynas
• 14 Species of Turacos
• 6 Species of Toucans, Toucanets and Aracaris
• 12 Species of Hornbills

And a lot, lot more

This DVD will also include a special section on the pioneering work that is currently being done in South Africa at the Mabula Ground Hornbill project with regard to the threatened Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) species. With less than 1500 Ground Hornbills left in the wild, this remarkable and poignant story will demonstrate how bird keepers help to make a positive contribution to modern day nature

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Ann Turner : Founder and coordinator of the Ground-Hornbill Research and Conservation Project.

” Well done, Eelco, it is a really nice film ,and you have put it together so well and with such sensitivity and desire to have it correct. Nick ( project research officer ) and I just looked at it very critically and loved it …this documentary gives viewers the opportunity to see egg hatching and history being made . This succes story is being celebrated world wide …”

Shaun Wilkinson CEO Umgeni River Bird Park .

.”..it is excellent, very impressive.Well done ,it really wraps up years of work in a professional manner and giving recognition to those involved . It has highlighted the plight of the Ground-Hornbill and also demonstrated that something can be be done about it ,with a succesful outcome ….thank you for capturing it for posterity “

John Catchpole . UK Parrots magazine

” Eelco Meyjes has a passion for preserving our flora and fuana and could not resist getting involved in making a documentary on the conservation of this facinating creature “

The Southern Ground-Hornbill ( Bucorvus leadbeateri )

Threatened with extinction ” The Ground-Hornbill’s critical walk to freedom ” is a truly inspiring conservation story. Produced by Birds of a Feather and sponsored by W W F THE GREEN TRUST and Sasol this documentary tells the remarkable and poignant story of how Ann Turner founded the Ground-Hornbill Research and Conservation project at Mabula Game Reserve 12 years ago.

With less than 1500 birds left in the South African wild something urgently needed to be done to try and save the species from possible extinction and to ensure that its eventual walk to freedom has every chance of success.

What you will see in the documentary :

• A background to the tribal custom associated with the species
• Adult and juvenile identification
• The reasons for the birds threatened status
• Key observations from the wild

  a) The species has a very slow reproductive cycle
  b ) Groups consist of 2 to 8 birds with only one Alpha female
  c ) Females only reach sexual maturity at 8 and 10 years
  d ) The second chick always dies from starvation in the nest

• e ) Only one chick is raised to adulthood every 9 years
• How the Ground-Hornbill Research and Conservation project was started by Ann Turner
• Key learning’s from the projects early days
• Harvesting of second chicks from the wild
• The need to start a captive breeding programme
• Artificial incubation and hatching of young chicks
• Ghost feeding chicks with Ground- Hornbill look alike puppets
• Preparing young birds for their release back into the wild
• Erection of artificial nestboxes in the wild
• The use of telemetry equipment
• Foster parents adopting newly released young birds
• Ground-Hornbills in full flight
• World’s first video footage of released Ground-Hornbills nesting in the wild

Today, thanks to the early pioneering work done by Dian Fossey in the late 1960′s and the movie Gorillas in the Mist, more is known about the estimated 680 remaining Mountain Gorillas than is known about the elusive Shelley’s Crimsonwing finch. Both keystone species act as ambassadors for the diminishing tropical forests of the word.

This bird is categorized by Birdlife International in the IUCN Red Data list as Vulnerable (likely population 2 500 to 9 999) but lack of data prohibits a more accurate classification. Extensive field research conducted by the Rare Finch Conservation Group (RFCG), which is made up of a group of highly dedicated finch enthusiasts, suggests that the finch is in dire straights and needs urgent attention.

This DVD shows the remarkable story of how the RFCG, with the support of worldwide donors, is overcoming enormous logistical and financial hurdles to save this bird from probable extinction.

(Appropriate running time: 60 minutes)

Review

By David Dennison

I was asked to review this new DVD produced by Birds of a Feather, South Africa. Adele and I watched the DVD right through and we were both most impressed with the quality of the presentation. We expected to see a DVD just about finches and some finches in equatorial rainforests. Instead we were treated to the most fantastic 60 minutes of multidisciplinary conservation effort that one can imagine.

For instance the first ever photograph of a live Shelly’s finch was taken by staff of the gorilla conservation group in the DRC during a netting survey of the bird species present in that park. Although there are only 680 Mountain Gorillas left in the world there is more known about them than about Africa’s rarest finch. The Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation makes accommodation available for visitors to the area. The unique feature of birding in this area is not only are there many endemic species of birds and a total of 350 species to be seen of which 43 species are finches, it is the only national park in Africa where one can see both Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees.

The Bwindi National Park where the search is being conducted thus offers visitors gorilla watching and birding. This park also offers the opportunity to see all four species of seedeaters, a wonderful opportunity for bird watchers with a special interest in finches.

Knowledgeable bird guides and drivers who all speak English are readily available for hire. The bottom line is the more visitors the area has the more chance there is of the survival of the environment and the Bwindi National Park and its rare birds and mammals. This DVD is worth every cent of its purchase price.

Presented by Barbara HeidenreichIn this DVD professional animal trainer Barbara Heidenreich teaches you how to train a parrot to talk. She addresses common myths about talking parrots, which birds make ideal candidates for talking, the most effective ways to expose your parrot to sounds you want repeated, proven methods for encouraging your parrot to vocalise and most importantly—how to train your parrot to talk on cue. Also included is an appearance by Einstein, the Talking Texan Parrot, plus an interview with her human companions.

Bonus CD rom includes recordings of a variety of species of parrots vcoalising to inspire your bird to talk.

Review:

Having been an Amazon owner for a few years now I must admit that while ‘talking’ ability has never really rated highly on my criteria for choosing a parrot as a companion animal I’ve certainly developed a sincere fascination with the mimicry skills of those species particularly inclined to talk, whistle, sing and engage vocally with their owners.

I also have to admit to being a complete failure when it comes to training my parrots to talk or mimic sounds on cue. I was therefore especially keen to unwrap the new DVD resource from Barbara Heidenreich, Train Your Parrot to Talk. I was hoping to gain some clear and well-supported insights into the most effective ways to add successful mimicry training to the suite of enrichment options I can offer my birds and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. This DVD presents an absolutely fantastic coverage of the processes involved in achieving a linguistically skilled psittacine.

The program dispels some of the common myths surrounding talking parrots before noting some of the species most commonly regarded as having a strong natural inclination to mimic sounds and ‘talk’. Barbara then offers an insight into seven key elements that she considers form the best approach to acquiring a parrot that has been set up with the early environmental experiences which may result in a wider vocabulary becoming established during its early development. This is a section of the DVD that parrot breeders can tap into for some excellent ideas to implement and then consider offering as a value-added marketing strategy when rearing parrots as future companions.
 
Barbara’s approach to ‘implanting’ sounds actually takes advantage of the natural biological processes that many parrot species go through as fledglings and later when developing their vocal expression. The example of Barbara’s own Yellow-naped Amazon Delbert provides a fascinating study of the effectiveness of her approach. Once the sounds have been ‘implanted’, the next phase is implementing strategies for stimulating or ‘triggering’ vocal expression and mimicry of those sounds. Barbara outlines 11 ideas that the parrot owner can try with a view to encouraging successful vocal expression from their bird. It’s at this stage that some very cool training insights are delivered for the viewer providing a clear and easy-to-digest overview of how desired sounds are ‘captured’ through the delivery of positive reinforcement.

A further highlight is the explanation of the use of ‘bridging stimulus’ during training— something that is often poorly understood by companion bird owners. While having a parrot that can talk and mimic sounds is great, it’s a real treat being able to place those sounds on a ‘cue’. Barbara explains how this is achieved and there are some great examples of how training to talk on cue has been applied to achieve the sort of ‘communication’ skills that viewers may be familiar with from birds in shows and on the Internet.
Also included in the package is an additional CD that features over 10 different parrot species recorded in MP3 format to support vocal stimulation in your bird (including commonly kept species such as Budgerigars, Cockatiels and Eclectus). These sound files can be used during the ‘implantation’ phase of vocal development, support improved stimulation of vocal expression and are recorded as playback CDs that can be played to parrots in the absence of the owner.

Aside from the concise training insights, excellent technique explanations and delightful brilliance of the loquacious Delbert, I found the interview with owners of a particularly outstanding African Grey named Einstein a wonderful affirmation of the potential value of parrots as human companions when they find themselves in a dedicated and enriched environment with owners that fully integrate their bird into their lives.

This DVD is yet another absolute ‘must have’ for both companion parrot owners and breeders alike. No other resource will set you and your birds up to succeed in achieving a two-way talking dynamic in your household better than this. Highly Recommended! BAppSc BTeach

Reviewed by Jim McKendry

Target Training
Turn Around on Cue
Wave on Cue
Step Up on Cue
Retrieve

Each of these behaviour chains is excellently filmed and close-ups are provided to highlight the perfect time to deliever reinforcing rewards.

The footage is clear, stable and perfectly accompanied by Barbara’s easy to digest narrative. The editing is excellent and each training sequence offers a concise learning experience for the viewer.

This is essential addition to the companion parrot owner’s toolkit – Highly Recommended.

Jim McKendry’s Review

Companion parrot enthusiasts finally have access to a visual resource offering a ‘true’ presentation of positive reinforcement training in action. This DVD offers a perfect introduction to positive reinforcement and how it can be effectively used to capture and shape the behaviour of our companion parrots. Barbara explains the concept of positive reinforcement and how the parrot owner can identify different reinforcers that may be applied to the training of their bird.

An excellent discussion on the difference between positive and negative reinforcement forms part of the introduction and the clear and concise method of explanation of training and behaviour terminology is a consistent highlight throughout the DVD. Viewers will learn how to establish all of the essential training tools and methods involved in delivering a ‘cue’, ‘bridge’ and ‘reinforcer’. Explanations are provided for each of these as part of the introduction and then followed with excellent practical examples in the context of ‘live’ training with previously untrained birds. An essential reference for both novice and experienced parrot enthusiasts alike.

Probably the most important skill that every companion parrot owner needs to develop is the ability to correctly interpret and understand the non-verbal ‘body language’ of their parrot.

Ilustrates
How Your Parrot is Communicating
Analysing Different Body Parts
Is Your Parrot Comfortable
Showing a Fear Response
Exhibiting Aggressive Behaviour

Understanding Parrot Body Language is a DVD from Barbara Heidenreich which provides the perfect learning platform for achieving a wonderful insight into how our parrots communicate with us.

With clear explanations of what to look for when observing parrot body language, the DVD encompasses eight different contexts associated with body language that we commonly observe from our parrots.

A dedicated section on species-specific body language adds further depth to the incredible range of non-verbal communication on display. Exploration of each of the body language contexts really sets the viewer up with a tremendous depth of knowledge, empowering them with an understanding of how to associate specific body language signals with correct interpretations of the messages and meanings that these signals may be conveying to the handler.

Successful interpretation of body language really does set you up for success in every context of both the training and general management of your parrot companions. This DVD needs to find its way into the home of every companion parrot owner and should be considered essential viewing for anyone working with parrots including veterinarian staff, zoo animal handlers and behaviour consultants.

Jimmy McKendry’s Review

Probably the most important skill that every companion parrot owner needs to develop is the ability to correctly interpret and understand the non-verbal ‘body language’ of their parrot. This new DVD from Barbara Heidenreich provides the perfect learning platform for achieving a wonderful insight into how our parrots communicate with us. An absolutely essential visual reference for all parrot enthusiasts and possibly the most invaluable guide to a deeper understanding of the non-verbal communication of our companion parrots.