Russell Kingston has published his latest and greatest work to date—The Finch…. A Breeder’s Companion.

It has surpassed all his efforts to date and is, without doubt, the most comprehensive resource on captive seed-eaters in Australia, if not the world. This A4 hardcover depicts Russell’s favourite finch, the European Goldfinch
 
Unlike his previous books, the intended audience includes finch breeders from around the world—in particular South Africa, Asia, Europe and, of course, Australia
 
The Finch….. A Breeder’s Companion takes the reader on a journey covering 70 species with the aid of 400 colour plates
Species that are closely related are treated separately but are grouped together in chapters

Chapter 21, for example, covers the family Neochima and includes the Crimson, Star, Red-browed and Plum-headed Finches

Each Species has information covering all aspects of finch management and husbandry including:

• Distribution and Habitat in the Wild
• Housing
• Sexing
• Management
• Diet
• Showing
• Behaviour
• Health Issues
• Availability
• Mutations/Hybrids
Besides specific species information there are also comprehensive chapters on:
• Avian Health
• Housing
• Starting
• Nutrition
• Breeding
• Conservation

What sets this 528-page book apart from others is the individual focus extended to each bird group. Russell provides the reader with his own honest experiences with each bird highlighting not only his successes but also his mistakes and set-backs. This trait distinguishes The Finch…. A Breeder’s Companion from many other books on aviculture that can sometimes be repetitive and generic in style.

This book is a must read for beginners to aviculture and experienced aviculturists alike.
To the very experienced who feel that they have read, seen and bred it all, The Finch….. A Breeder’s Companion will reignite a new and brighter avicultural flame.
 
With a resource such as this now available, finch breeding and the birds we keep will be all the healthier in the future. The only shortcoming of The Finch…A Breeder’s Companion is that it weighs 2.4kg, making it a challenge to read in bed!