Page last updated: 22 August 2019 (website last updated: 28 August 2019)

Welcome to the Waxbill Finch Society's website

WFS 2019/20 Committee

This year's AGM took place on Sunday 9th June at our South-East branch venue of Great Hallingbury village hall. Mark Dancer was elected as Chair with subsequent updates seeing Mark Eaton taking over the role of Publicity Officer and Neil Bickell becoming temporary Secretary. An updated listing is featured on the  Committee  page.

2019 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.

The orange-cheeked waxbill was the first target species in 2016 and was joined by red-cheeked cordon bleu in 2017 as the numbers bred for both species had dipped precariously in recent years. The 2017 and 2018 returns have shown both species have bounced back with the red-cheeked cordon bleu recording over 180 bred in 2018 while the orange-cheeked waxbill recorded over 50 for two years running (from a low of one in 2015). The 2018 target species, the Red-winged Pytillia showed a slight increase on 2017 but still remains significantly below figures from five years ago.

The WFS retain the 2017 and 2018 target species and add the chosen target species for 2019 - the Red-headed Finch - giving the WFS target list as:

•  Red-headed Finch 
•  Red-winged Pytilia 
•  Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu 

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.

Forthcoming Waxbill Finch Society meetings

2019	Branch
15 Sept 2019 (Sunday)	Northern Branch Meeting - Bramley Village Hall, South Yorks S66 2SA (5 minutes from M18 Junction 1). Hall open: 11am. Guest speaker: Mark Dancer
All meetings	See our  branch meetings  page for all the details.

Paypal for your 2019/20 subscription

Subscriptions for 2019/20 run from 1st July 2019 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 Facebook page

The Waxbill Finch Society also has its own closed group on Facebook. Access the site through the banner above.

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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