EXCITING NEWS ON ELUSIVE SHELLEY’S

The conservation status of one of Africa’s rarest finches, the elusive and threatened Shelley’s crimsonwing, was recently upgraded by BirdLife International to ENDANGERED.This will hopefully make it a bit easier to attract much needed funding for the project to do its next field study. Founded in 2005 the RFCG knows of only five photographs of the bird in the world. All of them are of male birds held in the hand.

Professor Sven Cichon

A big thanks to Professor Sven Cichon, who is based in Switzerland, for leading the motivation to have the species upgraded.
In August 2018 Birding EcoTours will be doing a special tour to the region ( Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda ) to try and find out more about the species . Please see : Birding tour Uganda: Search for Shelley’s Crimsonwing 2018
birdingecotours.com/…/birding-tour-uganda-shelleys-crimsonw….

 

For more information please contact Eelco Meyjes from the Rare Finch Conservation Group at editor@avitalk.co.za

The Rare Finch Conservation Group is registered in South Africa as a non-profit organisation and is totally dependent on donors and sponsors to carry out its conservation work on finches. All donations will be publicly acknowledged , unless otherwise requested, on the RFCG website. Donations can be made to the following account. Rare Finch Conservation Group, Nedbank. Account number 1933 198885 Branch : Sandown 193 305 South Africa ( For international donors please add ) SWIFT NEDSZAJJ

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Wetlands are South Africa’s most threatened habitats. An exciting sponsorship opportunity for corporates

The concept of Rod puppets are used to help promote the importance of Wetlands amongst young children in South Africa. Alastair Findlay, who made all the puppets, holds Waxi the Hero and Raymond Ramolokeng, who founded the first bird guiding business in Soweto named Bay of Grace Tours, holds Fluffy the White-winged Flufftail which is the rarest bird in South Africa . Photo Prelena Soma Owen

The highly acclaimed Waxi the Hero puppet show was launched at this years Flufftail Festival held at the Moponya Mall in Soweto. Johannesburg

Your brand could be part of something BIG.

Waxi the Hero (small is BIG) Puppet Show is looking for sponsors to tour South Africa.

“The puppet show is brilliant. Every child in the country should see it ” Yvonne Pennington

With less than 250 White Winged Flufftails left in the world – this educational puppet show is set to entertain young children across South Africa.  Beautifully hand crafted rod puppets designed by top South African cartoonist Alastair Findlay tell the story of Waxi the waxbill searching for the elusive FLUFFY with help of his bird friends. Set amongst South Africa’s Wetland habitats, the show highlights how threatened habitats are placing enormous pressure on our endangered species. Most importantly, it engages children in ways to participate and understand how they can participate.

Proudly presented by BirdLife South Africa and the Rare Finch Conservation Group, Waxi the Hero (small is BIG) Puppet Show needs corporate sponsorship to ensure every child in our country is given an opportunity to see this highly acclaimed, fun filled and educational puppet show production.

Both BirdLife South Africa and the Rare Finch Conservation Group are registered non-profit organisations.

For more information please contact Eelco Meyjes from the Rare Finch Conservation Group at editor@avitalk.co.za or Dr.Hanneline Smit-Robinson from BirdLife South Africa at conservation@birdlife.org.za

The Rare Finch Conservation Group is registered in South Africa as a non-profit organisation and is totally dependent on donors and sponsors to carry out its conservation work on finches. All donations will be publicly acknowledged , unless otherwise requested, on the RFCG website. Donations can be made to the following account. Rare Finch Conservation Group, Nedbank. Account number 1933 198885 Branch : Sandown 193 305 South Africa ( For international donors please add ) SWIFT NEDSZAJJ.

 For more info visit http://www.rarefinch.org or write to the secretary at editor@avitalk.co.za

SEE – CONSERVE – ENJOY

 

New book on ALL the Australian finch species is making excellent progress

Australian Longtail grassfinches and a Masked Finch . Photo Col Roberts

 

Rare Finch Conservation Group member Col Roberts is making excellent progress on what promises to be the world’s definitive photographic book on ALL the Australian grassfinch species and their subspecies. Col is hoping to publish the book by mid next year.

Col Roberts The master at work. Col by profession is a magistrate based in Perth, Western Australia

It is going to be superb with page after page of stunning photographic images – the likes which have never been seen before. The book has already been more than three years in the making . It is primarily a bird photography book with interesting personal observations. There will be not only portrait images, but  behavioral images, feeding, nesting, quirky and plain never been photographed before. It was originally going to be 250 pages but it looks like it is now going to be 440 pages. At this stage prices are not yet available.

The Rare Finch Conservation Group is registered in South Africa as a non-profit organisation and is totally dependent on donors and sponsors to carry out its conservation work on finches. All donations will be publicly acknowledged , unless otherwise requested, on the RFCG website. Donations can be made to the following account. Rare Finch Conservation Group, Nedbank. Account number 1933 198885 Branch : Sandown 193 305 South Africa ( For international donors please add ) SWIFT NEDSZAJJ.

 For more info visit http://www.rarefinch.org or write to the secretary at editor@avitalk.co.za

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A VERY PROUD MOMENT

BirdLife South Africa awards 12 Owl awards a year. ( Nine Owl awards  Two Eagle-Owl awards and one Owlet award which is given to a person under the age of 18 years ) 

 

A VERY PROUD DAY.Thank you to everyone who has so generously supported the small is BIG, Save Africa’s smallest finch, the Orange-breasted waxbill conservation project. The project is a proud collaboration between BirdLife South Africa and the Rare Finch Conservation Group.

Below is the citation that was read at the awards ceremony :

An agreement was reached between BirdLife South Africa and the Rare Finch Conservation Group in 2014 to initiate a conservation project focused on the Orange-breasted Waxbill as part of the BirdLife International Keeping Common Birds Common project. Eelco Meyjes is a director of the Rare Finch Conservation Group and has since devoted his time to this collaboration.

Through this partnership, the diminutive Orange-breasted Waxbill has become a superhero and contributing to the conservation of eight threatened bird species and another 84 common birds that utilise similar grassland and wetland habitats. In November 2016, an educational puppet show “Waxi the Hero” was performed for the first time and hundreds of children have now been reached through this entertaining environmental production.

In May 2017, Eelco completed a 3,600 km unsupported solo ride to raise awareness and funds for this project. His cycle ride started in Cape Town from where he continued to Namibia, across certain parts of the Namib Desert, through the Caprivi Strip and then onto northern Botswana and ended at the mighty Victoria Falls.

End of Citation .

The Rare Finch Conservation Group is registered in South Africa as a non-profit organisation and is totally dependent on donors and sponsors to carry out its conservation work on finches. All donations will be publicly acknowledged , unless otherwise requested, on the RFCG website. Donations can be made to the following account. Rare Finch Conservation Group, Nedbank. Account number 1933 198885 Branch : Sandown 193 305 South Africa ( For international donors please add ) SWIFT NEDSZAJJ.

 For more info visit http://www.rarefinch.org or write to the secretary at editor@avitalk.co.za

SEE – CONSERVE – ENJOY

 

TRAGIC NEWS

 

 

 

 

Russell Kingston at the bird hide in Punda Maria. Kruger National Park. 2013.

It is with deep regret that I need to inform you that last night Russell Kingston sadly passed away.Russell was an absolute gentleman and a founding member and director of the Rare Finch Conservation Group.His contribution to worldwide aviculture will never be equaled.

On behalf of the Rare Finch Conservation Group I would sincerely like to thank Russell for his enormous and valuable contribution to the group over the many, many years.

Shelley’s crimsonwing. Photo courtesy http://www.gorilla.org

Russell played an instrumental role in helping to raise the international awareness of Africa’s rarest finch the Shelley’s  Crimsonwing.It was Russell’s firm belief that aviculture should become a modern day conservation tool.The concept of aviculturists making a meaningful contribution to finch conservation work in the world has grown substantially in credibility.

Our deepest condolences are sent to Indra and his family. Thank you Russell for everything that you have done for aviculture in the world.

 RIP

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