Page last updated: 28 December 2020 (website last updated: 17 January 2021)

Welcome to the Waxbill Finch Society's website

WFS members' breeding returns: 31 January 2021 deadline

All members have now been sent their breeding returns form for 2020 in the Winter edition of The Waxbill. As with previous years, we would urge members to send their returns to Neil Bickell before the closing date of 31 Jan 2021. Even nil returns are helpful as they contribute to our understanding of the wider breeding patterns of society members.

In memory of our President, John Dodwell

Members will have seen that John sadly passed away in November at the age of 95. John was a founder member of the society and had been an avid breeder of waxbills. A tribute to John is planned for inclusion in the Spring edition of the The Waxbill.

2021 Target Species

Following the 2015 breeding returns, it was agreed that the WFS would set a target species for each year to help promote awareness of, and encourage members both to keep and breed, that species. As well as being a risk within aviculture, there is a stipulation that the cost of acquiring a pair of birds shouldn't exceed £120 and that the species is reasonably available.

The orange-cheeked waxbill was the first target species in 2016 and was joined by red-cheeked cordon bleu in 2017, the red-winged pytillia (2018), the red-headed finch (2019), and the red-eared waxbill (2020). For 2021, it has been agreed that the target species will be the St Helena waxbill.

The WFS retain the 2019 and 2020 target species giving the full WFS target list as:

•  St Helena Waxbill 
•  Red-eared Waxbill 
•  Red-headed Finch 

WFS badges now available

We're pleased to add Waxbill Finch Society badges to the list of items we offer on PayPal. They're available for £4 each (free postage in the UK) and can be found on the  WFS booklets  page.

Forthcoming Waxbill Finch Society meetings

2021	Branch
All meetings	See our  WFS branch meetings  page for all the details. The WFS is currently awaiting government guidance on when it may be safe to consider resuming branch meetings with members.

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 2020/21 subscription

Subscriptions for 2020/21 run from 1st July 2020 for 12 months.

Please use Paypal to renew your membership or to join us as a new or returning member.

See our  membership  page for full details.

WFS members' breeding returns

The latest breeding returns (for 2018) 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 1992-2018 returns in Excel or in pdf format. Since last year, we have presented these as a heat map to colour code the risks associated with the long-term viability of each species in UK aviculture. 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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