What's in the issue

Meet the birds that don’t need to fly: the mighty cassowaries, which fear nothing smaller than a car! Tough and cantankerous, these primitive giants are still favourites among locals in many places where they occur wild, and generally in zoos and collections. We find out what makes a cassowary tick – or kick, if you get it wrong. We also learn to kick out ourselves, in the direction of dirt and germs, with our budgie-focused guide to power-cleaning your cages. Elsewhere: topical zebbie and Bengalese advice, our regular View from the North Downs, tips on judging British, organising shows and winterproofing your birdroom – and a pic-by-pic walkthrough of how to blitz-clean your budgie cages.