Cage & Aviary Birds Magazine

18 February, 2026

DEFRA are back - and we report on their first meeting with the NCA to discuss the havoc they have created in the hobby through their new event licensing regulations. And there are some positive takeaways, so don’t miss this. Now back to birds: the delectable little African pygmy goose is our cover star. This miniature beauty would adorn any collection and deserves to be better known in the UK. On our centre spread, an array of native delights: mostly mules with some hybrids, all bred by the talented novice Sammy Portman. Sammy achieves beautiful results by pairing colour mutation canaries with his finches, and some of his results count as “first breedings”. Roundups also on Border, Fife and Yorkshire canaries, advice on bullfinch welfare, zebra finch comment and a judge’s tale from the American National.