Sometimes you meet a bird so bizarre that you have to stand back and enjoy it. One such is the Australian magpie: a jester of a species with a crazy voice, habits and lifestyle. This pied songbird is irresistible and deserves to be far better known to birdkeepers – and it’s our cover star this week with an in-depth introduction performed by a fascinated Bill Naylor. Closer to home we hear of a wacky breeding success with the dapper tree sparrow (never did two become six so unexpectedly…) and our customary canaries, budgerigars and finches are well catered for. Oh, and we offer an easy guide to those often-baffling scientific names birds are saddled with.
Sometimes you meet a bird so bizarre that you have to stand back and enjoy it. One such is the Australian magpie: a jester of a species with a crazy voice, habits and lifestyle. This pied songbird is irresistible and deserves to be far better known to birdkeepers – and it’s our cover star this week with an in-depth introduction performed by a fa....