Pet birds:

Bird Flu is a disease that mainly affects birds,not humans.

By following these simple steps in the event of a bird flu outbreak there is no reason to stop keeping pet birds:

• Avoid contact between your pet birds and wild birds

• Always clean up after dealing with your birds,especially wash your hands

• Do not bring wild bird droppings into your home through dirty clothes and shoes

• Ensure that any new bird comes from are putable source

For more information about bird flu and biosecurity,

visit the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk or

phone 08459 33 55 77 for the Defra Helpline.

NCA offers clubs insurance cover

BIRD clubs and associations will make substantial savings, thanks to a new £2 million insurance policy negoti­ated by the National Council for Aviculture (NCA).

For an additional £40 per annum, all societies affiliated to the NCA can purchase the third-party liability through the association to cover all shows and meetings.

Members of the Canary Council, Budgerigar Society, Foreign Bird Federation and British Bird Council can access the insurance policy through their own organisation. Canary Council chairman Barry Mills wants to make as many special­ist canary clubs as possible aware of the new scheme so they can take advantage of it. Mr Mills said: "This insurance scheme provides f2 million of public liability cover for all meetings and shows held by the club during the year. Among other benefits, it even provides cover in the unlikely event of claims that may arise from the negli­gence of the club's officers in running the club's affairs."

NCA secretary Dave Whittaker wants all cage bird societies and non-­specialist or independent bird clubs to know that the scheme is also open to them if they are directly affiliated to the NCA.

"Their annual NCA subscription is £20 and they can secure the insur­ance cover at the special price of £40. So for £60 they get NCA membership benefits and insurance cover for less than they have probably paid for insurance alone up until now. It rep­resents a very good deal."

Mr Whittaker emphasised that the NCA exists to represent the inter­ests of all bird keepers at local, national and European levels. The main focus of the association's mis­sion is to take care of all those mat­ters which affect the hobby, he said. • Further details and application forms are available from Dave Whittaker, NCA secretary, Davies House, Spnng Gardens. Northampton NN1 1DR.