My name is Matthew Harris, I am what you call a self acclaimed finch breeder. I remember growing up as a child and watching my grandfather meticulously breeding and recording his beloved Gouldian finches. Not paying much attention to his hobby and devoted birds I went on with my life. Almost 25 years later I bought my first pair of painted fire tails in Perth, WA. Little did I know that from that point onwards I would constantly strive to learn more about this beautiful species.
I cannot tell you why I chose the Painted Fires as the first pair. Like many my heart was on the Gouldian's but I just didn't think they were the best starting point nor did I want to get involved with Zebras. I guess when you see a pet shop almost giving Zebras away it kind dawned on me that they were not much of a challenge in breeding.
Strangely enough I purchase my first aviary from Bunnings. yes, its was indeed a make shift aviary, in fact I believe its original purpose was a chicken coop. After a few mods to the door I was able to replenish water and feed without opening the large door and risking loss of my finches. After a few weeks of nit picking and fussing over these birds I decided to leave them be and let them enjoy their new environment.
Not saying that I got bored but rather followed the philosophy that a watched pot doesn't boil. About 20 days later I remember heading out to the garden to top up the seed and water, not paying attention to the birds at this stage until I counted more than two. in fact there was now 7 Painted's perched and awaiting their dinner.
It was almost a burst of electricity to realise you offered your birds effective care to feel comfortable enough to breed.
Its now almost 2 years later and I have successfully bred numerous clutches of Painted's, Stars, Heck's, African Fires and Cordons. (not to mention Zebras and Society or Bengals)
As time passed and I acquired new species I had to go back to the search engines and books. Sometimes not knowing what I was looking for and perhaps having the biggest trouble of determining what finches are compatible with each other in an aviary.
And so Australian Finches.com was born. I felt there is a lot of (and no disrespect for what follows) but very little in new Finch enthusiasts and breeding generations. I mean mostly all of the people I have spoken to who sell Finches on Gumtree, or at Society Auctions are veterans and cannot speak of younger enthusiasts. I did also find that most of the websites out there are pretty old and not that aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
So I guess I have two clear intentions;
1. Create a portal for New "Blood" Finch Enthusiasts and
2. Ensure the New Finch Enthusiasts have a place to call home.
I cannot tell you how far this site will go nor can I relate to every species out there and give 100% accurate advice. That is why I call on you to send through your articles and findings to this website so that it can be edited and placed on this site for all young and old to see and comment.
I hope you can all support me through this interesting challenge and hopefully enjoyable journey.
Take care and good luck,
Matthew Harris
