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Recommended Online Discussion Groups
English Speaking
(owned by birdsnherbs - for gouldians.)
(owned by Winnie McAlpin - THE discussion group for those who breed, keep, love and admire
the incomparable Lady Gouldian Finch.)
(owned by birdsnherbs - general finch and softbill forum.)
(Owned by birdsnherbs. This group consists of a daily posting on a topic or species of bird. Most
members seem to use this group as a resource to learn even more about birds. If you are a genuine bird brain
and love all things birds - this is the only group of this type on the web. Not limited to just finches - all species
of birds are discussed. We have people who specialize in pheasant and raptors in addition to birders, finchkeepers,
rehab specialists and parrot people. It's an eclectic mix that somehow works.)
(Newsletter format of the above Discussion group - posts by birdsnherbs only.
If you want the daily links but don't want any chit chat - this is the group for you.)
(owned by my good friend John Gikas. This is a metropolitan NYC based finch
and softbill group, though there are members from all parts of the US. Very friendly - more than JUST finches.
It's a place to find a friend who also likes finches.)
(owned by Garrie Landry - THE discussion group if you own, breed and love society finches.)
(owned by Garrie Landry - THE discussion group if you own, breed and love zebra
finches. Talk to zebra fanciers from around the WORLD.)
(owned by John Gikas - the only online group dedicated STRICTLY to parrot finches.)
(You must be a member of NFSS to join this private discussion group. Meet up and learn
about finch husbandry issues from some of the top finch and softbill breeders and keepers in the US.)
(Rob Salem's discussion group just for the largest of the Lonchura and Estrildids - the Java
Rice Finch.)
(If you own any carduelans, this is the group for you.)
(A discussion group dedicated to those crazy meowing owl finches.)
(If you are bonkers for your strawberry finches, here's a group dedicated just to berries.)
(Group for Softbill enthusiasts. Affiliated with the AFA.)
(The English speaking equivalent of the NZC forum. Connect with Dutch, Belgian
and other European Zebra Finch breeders without having to learn a new language!)
Dutch Speaking
If you are a zebra color breeder, than the two below discussion
groups are a absolute MUST. Just look at the photos (and drool) or use a translator to follow the
conversation.
I've been on these sites for two years and slowly, I am
able to participate more (and make the moderators work less correcting my bad Dutch & Flemish grammar.)
Everyone understands that I don't know Dutch and realizes that I am slowly teaching myself. All the members have
been very kind towards me and generous with their knowledge. And boy do they know Zebra Finches!
A note to American users, who typically suck at foreign languages due to our isolation:
Many of Dutch words can be intuited. English and Dutch have many words in common. Additionally, if you have French,
many of the words which are used in English are derived from French and are also common to Dutch, albeit
with a slight twist. Finally, there are the words which are German in origin and if you don't know German, these leave
you high and dry - as is my case. I have the hardest time with words of German origin. For me, these words must
be memorized (and re-memorized) each time they are encountered. Dutch is basically an amalgamation of the three languages,
with it's own grammatical twists. English is also an amalgamation of many languages. That's what a living language
is.
AA - EE - OO - UU Don't let the double vowels intimidate
you. I know I did at first - I never saw so many vowels strung together until I started reading Dutch. The Dutch
language is full of different vowel sounds from English, including a lot of dipthongs plus the letter ij - which was originally
extremely confusing to me. My mind was boggled by all the 'ij' containing words. How can the letter
J be a vowel, anyway, when to English speaking persons, it's a consonant? Well in Dutch it just is, and 'ij'
is encountered very frequently.
Basically, all I'm saying is to keep an open mind, don't be intimidated by strange
vowel combinations or letter combinations, and if you recognize the word from English, odds are that it means the exact same
thing in Dutch!
The other thing that takes time is that the Subject and Object are reversed in Dutch.
This means that many times the verb seems to be in a weird place for English speaking individuals. This difference
in sentence structure gets really bogged down in translators - in both directions (going from Dutch to English and
also going from English to Dutch). It's the main reason why it's so hard to easily write, read and understand
Dutch, in my opinion. Compared to some languages where an entire new alphabet must be learned, DUTCH IS
WAY EASIER!!!
JUST BE BRAVE!
Nederlandse Zebravinken Club Forum - NZC
(The NZC or Dutch Zebra Finch Forum. Some of the THE best breeders on earth are
in the Netherlands. It's worth it just to view the photos - but with a Dutch-English online translator such as Babelfish,
you can also participate in the discussion. This Forum discussion is primarily set up by the type of mutation,
as well as sections for breeding and husbandry questions.)
Belgie Zebravinken Club Forum - BZC
(BZC - The Belgian Zebra Forum - The World of Zebra Finches. Flemish and Dutch are nearly
the same language, so if you can understand one Forum, you can pretty much understand the other. Use a Dutch-English
online translator to understand the conversations. This Forum is set up more for the European user, with separate links
for each club. Be sure to check out the following sections though, as they are heavy on photographs, many
of which will take your breath away:
-Kampioenen LZC Euregioshow - 2005 (Champions of Lummen Zebra Show, 2005)
-Vragen over kleurslagen (Questions about colors)
-De rechtvaardige rechters... (The equitable judges...) Do not post a photo here
if you cannot take some negative criticism!!! I actually think it's a very healthy and fresh perspective to get some
honest answers about how well your bird will really show.
German Speaking
Various forums on finches.
Hebrew Speaking (Israeli)
This entire site is in Hebrew, but you can click on the messages to view attachments.
Unfortunately, using Hebrew requires a separate font package (unique alphabet). But for those who know Hebrew and
Zebras, this is an active and enthusiastic group.
Translators (Dutch-English-Dutch)
(Easy to use online translators. Don't expect miracles,
but you can kind of follow the conversation.)
English-Dutch-English Dictionaries
Zebra Finch Specific Dutch Word List
List of Dutch words with English translations and definitions. These are words
specific to the hobby of Zebra Finches or words that will be encountered while navigating on the Dutch and Belgian Language
Discussion Forums that may confuse the English speaking user. Or at least, I know they confused me. This
is a quick reference guide when you cannot find that annoying mystery word in a translator or dictionary. Also
good to have open when navigating the NZC or BZC Forums. That's what I use it for.
Finch Organizations
National Finch and Softbill Society (NFSS)
American Federation of Aviculture (AFA)
Zebra Finch Society (ZFS)
Northeast Finch Specialty Club (NeFSC)
Dedicated to gouldian, zebra and society finches in Northeastern USA
UK Zebra Finch Society (ZFS)
The Australian Finch Society - UK
Queensland Finch Society (QFS) - Australia
Southeast Queensland Zebra Finch Society
See photos of the highly coveted 'George' mutation Zebra Finch.
Zebra Finch Society of Australia (ZFSA)
Nederlandse Zebravinken Club (NZC)
Dutch Zebra Finch Club - in Dutch
Speciaalclub Natuurbroed Gouldamadine Nederland
Dutch Gouldian Special Club focusing on Parent Raised and Natural Breeding Techniques - in Dutch
Belgische Zebravinken Club (BZC)
Belgian Zebra Finch Club - in Flemish (Dutch)
Deutsche Zebrafinken
Interessengemeinschaft (DZI)
German Zebra Finch Club - in German
Israeli Finch Organization
Most of this site is in Hebrew. Just click around and see what goodies you can find.
Zebra Finch Standards
NZC - Dutch
(You need Adobe Reader to open this file)
DZI - German
(Click on Fabslage und standard)
ZFS - UK
Online Resources Informative Web Pages
It is IMPOSSIBLE to recommend every site that is available online, however these are some of
my favorite ones which I think are well done and informative. Perhaps you might think so too. You may also find
some very nice feathered eye candy. A picture is worth a thousand words...
ZEBRAS
English Zebra Web Sites
eFinch
(Roy Beckham's incomparable web site on zebra finches and much much much more. Learn how
to keep finches from one of the most respected aviculturists in the world. Roy has kept finches since he was a child
- if anyone knows - he does. Roy's photographic skills are unparalleled, and his love of all things bird shines though
with every click of the shutter. But there is so much more than eye candy on this site. I refer more people
to Roy's site than all the other sites put together. It's THAT good!)
Acadiana Aviaries
(Garrie Landry's web site on Zebras, Societies and more. Garrie probably handles more
birds of these two species then just about anyone else. Lot's of good information. Take a virtual trip down to
the bayou - just watch out for the crawdads and maybe you'll see an Ivory Billed Woodpecker.)
Zebra Crazy!!!
(If anyone I've never met has Zebra Finches on the brain, it's got to be my good friend Hesham
Alkhazmi. See what is happening in Libya with one of the most smitten finch keepers I know. Hesham has put together
an awsome collection of photos and drawings which show nearly every color mutation and combination you can think of - and
some you never did!)
Hesham's site now has a bandwidth quota - so if you go here and don't get his page, then try
back again the next day. It's well worth the wait to visit.
Zebrafinch.info on the web
Zebra Finches on the Internet
(Frank Sungaard-Neilson has put together a huge amount of zebra information on his site. Learn
about zebra finch mutation colors, use his color generator/genetic advisor, take one of his ongoing polls, recommended books,
science and more. Frank also has an excellent table of the various zebra mutations and what they are called in
different languages . I've found this table very useful on more than one occasion:
Andre's Birdspages
(Visit Wales with Andre Belg. See photos of Zebras and Gouldians, as well as Canaries
and other miscellaneous birds & finches. Learn how to make a seed winnower.)
Fleming & Fleming's Zebra Finches
(This web site loads very slowly, I'm not sure if it's my computer or their server. But
it's well worth the wait! See large cobby buff Scottish Zebras: Normal Grays, Fawns, Lightbacks, R CFWs, Dominant
Silvers, Penguins and more. Lots of photos.)
Dave Pauls' Zebra Finches
(Dave Pauls is located in Canada, but he's imported some of Peter Harrison's ultra buff and
cobby UK standard Zebra Finches. If you are not sure what someone means by an English or UK Zebra, this is one of the
best places to check them out on the web. Excellent photos of awesome birds.)
Ricardo Gaskin's Zebra Finches
Another Canadian exhibitor who works with imported Peter Harrison's zebras. Lots of pix!
Peter Harrison's Zebra Finches
(If you've been around the various zebra finch groups for more than a week, you've probably
heard Peter Harrison's name batted about. He is considered to be the foremost Zebra Breeder in the UK for about 20 years
now!!! His birds are perhaps the most selected on earth for shape and type, with unbelievably awesome heads. Very
buff. Very cobby. Short beaks. Huge heads. Perfectly round belly line. No necks. LOL.
Like the Chicken and the Egg, I often wonder if Peter bred his birds to the UK standard or if the UK standard is re-written
to Peter's birds. They are virtually one and the same. Either way, Peter's birds are an absolute testament to
what selective breeding can achieve and the plasticity of the Zebra Finch genome.)
Jimmy's Place
(Jimmy Hillathorne's web page. Tons of photos, how to properly band a bird, mutation abbreviations
and more. Zebras only. Enjoy!)
Zebra for Dummies
(Richard Renshaw's list of FAQs and questions you never want to ask on a list serve. Zebras
only.)
ZBirds
(Duane Johnson's pages on Zebra Finches.)
Fotogalerie Zebravinken (Zebra Finch Photo Gallery)
(Just photos - have a look!)
Israeli Zebra Finch Club
(Most of this website is in Hebrew, but there are photos of Zebras which are labelled in English
as well.)
NonEnglish Zebra Web Sites
Zebravinken.NL - Jan Pastoor's Site (Dutch)
This is one of my personal favorite sites - particularly for photos.
Just Zebra Finches.
Zwartborst & Oranjeborst Zebravinken - Jan Kikkert's (Kiko) Site
(Dutch)
Lots of information for the person who specializes in BB and OB Zebras.
Dierenplezier bij de dieren van 't Veer!
Animal Pleasures (Dutch)
Zebra Finches are at the top of the menu on the left. Click on the Zebra.
Some stunning birds! Other goodies here too.
Zebravink.nl (Dutch)
Links, discussion group, book & more.
The World of Zebrafinches (Flemish/Dutch)
This site has a host of information on it and may leave your head spinning. Use a translator
or just look at the photos.
Koen Eggermont's Site (Flemish/Dutch)
Gouldians, Australian Grassfinches and Zebra Finches. Koen breeds Triple Black Zebras
(BC BB BF). It's worth enjoying his photos even if you cannot understand the text.
Zebravinken - de Website van Janssens Johan (Flemish/Dutch)
Zebra Finches
Grijze Zebravinke - by Guido van Langenhove (Flemish/Dutch)
Gray Zebra Finches
A page dedicated just to the wild type or Gray Zebra Finch. Belgian Gray standard, photos,
selections tips for grays and more.
Zebrafinken - Kleine Australische Clowns (German)
Zebra Finches - Small Australian Clowns
Zebra Finches
Michael Sesterhenn - Schau Zebravinken (German)
Zebra finches
Zebravinken Schwarzbrust - Reinhard Offermann (German)
Specializing in Black Breasted Zebra Finches.
Zebrafinkenzucht - Oliver Merk (German)
Specializing in Penguin (Witborst) Zebras.
Zebrafrank (Feathermaster) - Frank Klusener (German)
Zebras and Bengalese (Society) Finches.
Zebrafinken - Hans-Jurgen Martin
(German but also with Dutch & English versions)
Hans-Jurgen Martin's book on Zebra Finches is a standard. It's worth checking his site out
as well.
BENGALESE
SOCIETY
JAPANESE MEEUWEN
Exotic Finches
(Michael Marcotrigiano's web site on the lovable society finch. See societies through
the eyes of the best society exhibitor in the United States. Michael has some of the prettiest and best conformation
society finches you'll ever lay your eyes upon. And they are even more beautiful in real life. He
has honed his selection skills to a fine art, and all potential breeders and exhibitors have much to learn from him.
He is a true competitor.)
Just Bengalese
(Across the big pond in the UK, world class exhibitor Jim Warburton has assembled not only an
impressive collection of Euros, but he's shared his seemingly endless knowledge on the subject with everyone. Don't
drool on your keyboard while viewing his photos. Genetics and other Lonchura species are covered as well. Some
of the late Bob Rittman's web pages are also preserved by Jim. A bonanza for bengie lovers!)
Kanji's Invitation to Bengalese
(Kanji Kawabata's impressive site on all things bengalese and then some. View hybrids
and mules. See more frilled birds than you can shake a stick at. Mostly in Japanese but some parts have English
subtitles. Regardless, Kanji knows his finches and shares tons of information and photos. This site is well worth
the effort. You'll find yourself wishing you could read Japanese.)
Beautiful Birdies
(Matthew Dingemans' page on all things gouldian and society. A lot of information presented
here on mutations and in a very digestable format.)
Bengalese Finch.com
(Lots of information on the lovable Bengalese Finch).
GOULDIANS
Erythrura
(Daniel Wildermeersch's site on gouldians and parrotfinches, both of which are currently classifed
in the Erythrura genus. Daniel shares so willingly of what he knows. Have a gouldian - but don't know what mutation
it is? This is the site for you. Lovely photos and a mindboggling amount of information. Undoubtedly the
gouldian connisseurs' web site!)
My Gouldian Aviary
(Paul's absolutely charming web page on his outside gouldian aviary in Melborne, Victoria, Australia.
If this page doesn't make you want to hop on Quantas and go down under, nothing will! Paul shares tons of his experiences
and knowledge. Articles and even a message board. This site remains my favorite gouldian resource.)
Lady Gouldian Finch.com
(Laraine McGinnis' site that covers pretty much everything you need to know about the perennial
favorite gouldian finch. Articles, products, photos and more.)
Delmar Aviary
(Winnie McAlpin's site on her impeccable gouldians. Home of the American lutino and albino
- must see photos! Winnie also owns the GPA101911 yahoo discussion group.)
FinchInfo Gouldian Genetics
(I recommend this site the most to people struggling with gouldian genetics. Very well
laid out and explained with drawings, diagrams and Punnet squares. Even the most recalcitrant genetics student
should be able to pick up some good information here.)
Gouldians - UK
(Tony Hopkins of Wales site on how to keep Gouldians on a budget.)
Mareeba Wetland Foundation's Gouldian Finch Re-Introduction Programme
(As few as 2500 wild gouldian still inhabit the Australian outback. This foundation is
dedicated to saving a peice of the outback and the wildlife that lives there. The MWF has been releasing captive bred
gouldians for the past few years with success. Read all about it.)
Littlebird's List of Gouldian Links
(Why recreate the wheel? If you're looking for information on gouldians, you'll find over
350 links here.)
GENERAL FINCH
The Finch Niche
(Myra Markey's web page. Covers many species of finches, issues and topics. Lots of
articles, Finch Tales, products and more.)
The Feathered Flyer
(Looking for an article on a topic? You just might find it here. Tons of info!)
FinchInfo
(Wow! This is an unbelievable and invaluable resource on all things finch. Leave
a trail of crumbs so you can find your way out!)
Finchworld
(Clearing house on finch information. Well worth the visit.)
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