Up to 600 birds of every shape, size and colour imaginable will be on song this weekend inside Greerton Hall.
Tauranga Bird Club's 55th annual Bird Show will be attended by bird hobbyists from all over the North Island, and the public is welcome to come and admire their feathered friends.
Club
secretary Gwen Wilkinson has been breeding fringe-topped Gloster canaries for 25 years and says bird keeping is an addictive pastime.
"I remember going to see my first-ever bird show and being really taken with their little fringes. They were beautiful."
A large number of canaries (including Yorkshire, Gloster and Norwich breeds) will be on display alongside finches, blackbirds, budgies, parrots and cheeky cockatiels.
Mrs Wilkinson say birds are judged on their appearance and condition, as well as on their ability to stand up straight on their perch.
"All birds will have their own show cage and there are different ways of teaching the birds to stand tall. I used to train mine by putting paper across the front of their cage so the bird would have to stand up nice and high to see over the top."
As for the noise involved in gathering 600 birds together in one place, Mrs Wilkinson says it depends on whether the birds decide to be vocal all at once "but it's not too bad. We just get used to it. It's something a bit different and very entertaining to come and watch."
Up to 50 exhibitors will be participating in the weekend show. Judging will take place on Saturday morning, and the hall is open to the public from 1.30pm onwards.
WHEN AND WHERE
What: Tauranga Bird Club's 55th annual Bird Show
Where: Greerton Hall, Cameron Rd
When: Saturday 1.30pm-5pm, and Sunday 9am-1:30pm.
Cost: Family $5 (max four people), adults $3, children $2, under 5s are free.
