Cage & Aviary Birds Magazine

28 May 2025

Toughest bird to breed? Of our native finches, it’s the hawfinch, no question. It’s a princely bird that has baffled many a seasoned finch-breeder who has succeeded with plenty of other species. We get an inkling of the challenge – but the good news is that more people are now getting it right. And we look at hawfinch food: a favourite one, the sinister yew tree. Contradictions abound in the fancy: is this tree poisonous and therefore a danger to use as aviary foliage, or not? We provide an expert assessment. On the legal front, we consider what the just-announced UK-EU trade arrangements could make. We discuss the positive role of “online” in the future of the hobby, and hear from regular contributors on British birds, Borders, Bengalese and softbills.