Camarillo, California "One of the finest Keepers and Breeders of Exotic Pigeons and Doves in the United States." Do Not Miss This Talk & Slide Show! Lynn will be the A.D.A.'s Guest Speaker at the National Young Bird Show, in Louisville, KY. He will be speaking Friday, October 19th, 2001, at 7:30pm in the Tudor Room of the Executive Inn across from the Convention Center. Admission is free. Reservations are required! [e-mail me ] if you plan to attend! Lynn will also be offering a pair of his Green-wing doves on Saturday at the A.D.A. Silent Auction. "Lynn Hall, is one of the most experienced aviculturists in the fields of fruit doves and pigeons. His expertise and commitment to this interesting field has given others the opportunity to learn how to keep and propagate these types of doves & pigeons. Many Zoos and private fanciers who keep the fruit doves have all gained from Lynn's experience and willingness to share his knowledge.
Lynn's knowledge also extends to many other areas within the avicultural world. Lynn and Marjorie Hall are well known for their Fennex Fox propagation success and many zoos adopted his method of keeping these small cute (wild) animals."
John Pire
"A Sketch of How I Got Started with Birds and Later with Pigeons and Doves." By Lynn Hall (Received 5-25-01) I was born and raised in California, but spent much of my younger days in the open spaces with my father and Mother, living in a conestoga wagon or trailer house, following my Father wild-catting for oil in the West. I spent most of my time alone in some of the most remote areas of the western U.S. I have no regrets as this is always led to the opportunity to live and play with wildlife as no one lived where we ended up. I always had some strange kind of pet. We finally settled down in Long Beach, California where I went to school. I still spent my summers with my Dad in some real out of the way place.
When I was in the fifth grade I was given a pair of White King pigeons. This was the beginning of my love for pigeons and doves.
When my boys were growing up we always had a small collection of fancy pigeons in the back yard. When the boys left so did the pigeons. I missed having birds so I started all over again with pheasants, finches and soft-bills as wild pigeons and doves were not that popular and there were few to choose from. I kept what was available to me and always drooled over the articles about wild pigeons and doves. In 1982 we moved to our new house in Santa Rosa Valley. This is just south of Ventura in one of the best climates in California. I had a set of aviaries built and moved what I had in. In the 1980's I kept thinking of the wonderful pigeons and doves I had seen in my travels. The Pheasant Pigeon I saw in Germany and again in New Guinea really set me off. In 1984, with the aid of Don Wells, we went to Jakarta to see and purchase some Pheasant Pigeons that a bird exporter told us he had. When we arrived he did not have any Pheasant Pigeons but told us he would have them in a couple days. He did, and this was one of the most exciting days of my life in bird keeping. We made arrangements for him to hold them until we had permits and quarantine space. With them, we brought in four species of Fruit Doves, White Headed Cuckoo Doves, Celebes and others. This was the beginning of my effort to acquire many of the doves of Southeast Asia that were only pictures in my mind. I now keep about thirty-five varieties of doves and pigeons and I hope I have stopped importing because it can be a very heart-rending affair. But who knows as there is always going to be more that can set you off.
One of the most important things in keeping birds of any kind is a very understanding and patient wife. Mine is the best, even when I call her from Jakarta and she is sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for someone to get the rattle snake out of her house. She still understands what I am doing and is in full support. I am now 77 years old and, with the aid of a few added spare parts, am going strong. I will always keep a few birds as I feel that to live a full life you must have a reason to get up each day and what better reason than watching and listening to your birds.