Rupert, our forum adviser
 

Colonel Rupert Gwee(right on the picture), a highly respected and experienced bird keeper/breeder in Singapore's bird keeping circle and is perhaps the largest private breeder in singapore. He was a speaker at the 'Aves 2005 Avicultural Convention" in Grafton, Australia(http://www.parrotconventionsaves.com/). He is known for his knowledge on a vast array of birds and his collection of both rare and elusive birds. Recognized and certified by AVA, he frequently exports his birds overseas. Quality means more than quantity to him when it comes to breeding.


It was only around April 2002 that he decided to expand his collection and to start breeding parrots/ hook-bills. To date, through reading books, personal observation and his knowledge of microbiology and biochemistry from his university undergraduate days, he has successfully bred about a third of the species/sub-species that he owns. More species are expected to come into breeding as they come of age either later this year or the next.


Rupert's passion for parrot-keeping has seen him rapidly learn everything from making fabricating his own heater-circuits, professional-grade acrylic-brooders, wire-cages, avian nutrition and medicine. He spends his weekends at the Mandai Birds Sanctuary, where most of his collection is housed.


Not one to shy away from experimentation and personal observation, Rupert actually keeps 3 breeding pairs of eclectus and a couple of other breeding pairs of birds in the living room of his apartment so that he and his family members can actually seen what goes on!