Page last updated: 13 October 2024 (website last updated: 23 October 2024)

Welcome to the Waxbill Finch Society's website

Colin Mitchelson

We have been informed of the sad passing of our president, Colin Mitchelson, who had been a long-standing member of the society. Colin was a much-liked member of our club. Over the next couple of months, we will look to collate members' thoughts of Colin with the aim of running a special piece on his memory in our Feb 2025 magazine. Our thoughts go to his family and friends.

WFS 2024 Annual General Meeting

A big thank you to everyone who participated at this year's AGM - held on Sunday 9th June at our Midlands branch venue. A good turn-out of members were given a treat by our guest speaker, Chris Ventouris, who gave an engaging and thought-provoking talk and slideshow. Additional thanks to stall holders, Planet Aviary and Junction 28, who provided a wide selection of feed and cage extras. A fuller report with pictures will be in the September edition of The Waxbill. Thanks again.

2024 Target Species

WFS committee introduced ‘Target Species’ following the breeding returns for 2015. This idea was to provide an incentive for members to breed a particular species in the coming year. At that point, waxbill numbers were largely on the rise and the aim was to focus on one species a year (over a rolling three years) that needed extra support.

The last three years, however, have seen such a significant drop in the number of waxbills bred that several species are now under concern. For 2023, it was felt appropriate to focus on a broader range of species.

For 2024, the WFS committee has decided to retain the same list of seven waxbill species as originally set for 2023. The committee hope that a continued focus on the same list of species will lead to a noticeable increase in numbers over the coming twelve months:

•  Blue-capped Waxbill 
•  Gold-breasted Waxbill 
•  Lavender Finch 
•  Orange-cheeked Waxbill 
•  Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu 
•  Red-headed Finch 
•  St Helena Waxbill 

Forthcoming Waxbill Finch Society meetings

2024	Branch
20 October 2024 (Sunday)	Northern Branch Meeting Bramley Parish Hall, Cross Street, Bramley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S66 2SA (5mins from M18 Junction 1) Guest speakers: Gerhard and Claudia Hofmann. Hall open: 11am - 2:30pm.
09 November 2024 (Saturday)	South East Branch Meeting Great Hallingbury Village Hall, Church Road, Great Hallingbury CM22 7TY (5 mins from M11 Jnct 8 - Stansted Airport). Hall open: 10:00am - 2:00pm. Further details to follow.
All meetings	See our  WFS branch meetings  page for all the details.

WFS Facebook page

The Waxbill Finch Society also has its own closed group on Facebook.

Access the site through the banner above.

Paypal for your 2024/25 subscription

Renewal subscriptions for 2024/25 run from 1st July 2024 for 12 months. New members can subscribe now for membership up to 30th June 2025. Please use Paypal to renew your membership or to join us as a new or returning member.

Please note:

• We ask that you allow up to two weeks for membership requests to be processed; and
• We will use the PayPal payment details for membership purposes. Where payment is made for someone other than the card holder (as indicated by the question above), we will contact you subsequently to confirm membership details.

Please see our  membership  page for full details.

WFS members' 2023 breeding returns

The latest breeding returns for 2023 have been collated and now feature in the  Species  section of the website and feature on the Profiles and Breeding Returns pages - the latter also allows you to download the full 1992-2023 returns in Excel or in pdf format. The returns are designed to promote debate on the popularity and risks associated with particular species. They also help in choosing those target species for the coming year.

The Waxbill Finch Society was formed in 1991 with the following aims:

• To encourage the breeding of Estrildid Finches (Waxbills, Munias, etc.)
• To share information about proven breeding and feeding methods
• To help members locate, exchange, purchase or sell stock
• To build up stocks of captive-bred birds
• To assist members to contact one another at Branch Meetings or by telephone

This website is therefore designed both to promote our society and to help it achieve these aims. We also hope it will encourage potential members to develop an interest in these marvellous birds.

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