Birds

Breed: Exhibition Budgerigar Temperament: Bright Cost: $40-$500 Lifespan: 9-10 years Recommended for: Enthusiasts, children Maintenance: Medium Comparing the exhibition budgerigar with most pet budgies is like comparing a Cessna with the Space Shuttle – the...

  Breed: Finches Temperament: Timid Cost: from $10-$100 or more for a pair Lifespan: 5 years Recommended for: Beginners to experienced bird keepers Maintenance: Low-med History There is a large range of finches available in specialist bird shops around Australia...

Faverolle Chooks   Breed: Faverolle Temperament: Placid Cost: Around $50, more for quality breeding stock. Lifespan: 5-7 years Recommended for: Backyarders Appearance   The Faverolle is a deep chested bird with a thick rectangular body and an...

Modena Pigeon Breed: Modena pigeon Temperament: docile, robust Cost: $50 plus Lifespan: 10 years Recommended for: beginners, enthusiasts The Modena is a pigeon which has more than its fair share of colour – especially in its past. In the 1300s in the Italian...

Exhibition Poultry Breed: Rhode Island Red Temperament: Hens docile, roosters can be aggressive Cost: $80 Lifespan: 5 years Maintenance: Medium Recommended for: Enthusiasts, backyarders Rhode Island Reds emerged in the 1890s in the Boston-Massachusetts-Rhode Island...

With more than 300,000 exhibition budgerigars bred in Australia annually it’s the world’s most competitive animal. But what of its wild cousin – the bird which began it all? Appearance Wild budgerigars are quite small, slim, athletic birds when...

  Breed: Indian Runner Duck Temperament: excitable, timid but can be tamed Cost: From around $6 for a pet to $50 for show quality Lifespan: 8 – 10 years Recommended for: fenced gardens Maintenance: low Appearance Unlike other ducks, the Indian Runner does...

Jacobin Pigeon Breed: Jacobin pigeon Temperament: self contained Cost: From $50 to $200 each Lifespan: 10 years Recommended for: enthusiasts History Jacobin pigeons were named after the Jacobin order of monks who date from 1100 and were known for their distinctive...

Breed: Macaw Temperament: Loud, gregarious, varies between species Cost: $7000 – $10,000 Lifespan: 50-80 years Recommended for: Enthusiasts The only feature of Macaws more breath-taking than their plumage is their price tag – literally thousands of dollars...