Abstract
Over the years we have read many articles on the MelbaFinch. They invariably fall into the same pattern. The authors describe this bird as being impossible to breed in a cage and that they require a large well planted aviary. Parent birds are said to need huge amounts of live food in order to raise young. Even when these criteria are met, failure is likely to be the end result. Fortu- nately, we have found this to be false. This bird is a classic example of how misinformation is recycled over and over again in the misguided belief that it is somehow working for someone. As we have discovered with most finch species, community flights just do not work. We suspect that the Melba's reputation for poor breeding stems from this type of set -up. Our friend, Dale Thompson, related to us that on a recent visit to Australia he saw large well planted flights devoted to only one pair of finches. This is tes- timony to the fact that Australians are learning to cater to the territoriality of finches. UnfOitunately, the Melba is still considered a rare bird in Australia.
Meanwhile, back in the States, the Melba is not on any CITES list, so we can breath a sigh of relief. This sigh however, should be tempered by the facts. It is common belief that the new laws are going to stop the trade in wild caught birds, but this is not so. The real end of importation will be dictated by the airlines, since more and more are refusing to carry birds. Until a few years ago there were as many as 40 importers in California. This number has now dropped to two or three. The importation of birds from Africa was a relatively straight forward process. A Dutch airline would be used, picking up the birds in Africa, with a stopover in Amsterdam, and then flying the birds directly into the States.