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Owning a handraised bird can be a rewarding experience. Handraising birds yourself can be easier than raising kids because the whole process usually only lasts about six to ten weeks and then the birds are reasonably independent. There is a new book available called A...
Regent Honeyeaters (Xanthomyza phrygia) were once seen as yellow and black flocks of over a hundred birds about 200 years ago from southeast Queensland to Central Victoria. However, today they are on the edge of extinction with an estimated population between 1000 and...
Classic mistakes made by many riders get horses offside before the rider is even mounted. This is according to Pat Parelli, an American horseman whose natural horsemanship philosophy has won admiration worldwide. He says holding a horse close on a tight rein makes it...
Having an aviary in your backyard can be a wonderful experience as it is a sanctuary for birds as well as somewhere to unwind after a stressful day. An easy-to-build aviary can be constructed from treated pine logs and wire for under $500. This style of aviary can...
Last week on Burke’s Backyard we showed you how to build an aviary in your backyard. However, some people may not be inclined to attempt constructing something themselves. Well there are ready-made aviaries in a range of colours, styles and sizes available from...
One of the world’s most specialised careers would have to be chicken sexing. Melbourne man, Bob Martin, has spent sixty years studying and practising vent-sexing. His book, The Specialist Chicken Sexer is a fascinating documentation of this obscure but vital...
Freshwater eels, those big brown slimy things you accidentally hooked when fishing the river with grandpa, deserve a longer look. To get to those fishing holes in creeks and rivers, each eel has travelled about 5000km from its spawning grounds 300m below the Coral...
Over the last century, enormous developments have occurred in dogs. There are over 160 breeds of dogs available in Australia and the colours, sizes and shapes are truly a great achievement. Despite what most dog clubs claim, modern dog breeds virtually all started...
Eastern Water Dragon The Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesuerii) is a member of the Agamidae, or dragon family and can be found throughout eastern and southern Australia, with some close relatives also occurring in the west. As its name implies, the eastern water...
Glossy Black-Cockatoo An uncommon sight in the eastern states of Australia is the Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) also known as the Casuarina Cockatoo as it feeds on She-oak (Casuarina) cones. They are unobtrusive but large (46-51cm...