Hundreds of birds will be on show this weekend as members of the Ashburton Bird Club Show prepare to host their annual show drawing exhibitors from around the South Island.
Club members Maurie Thin and Denis Trudgeon say there will be between 500 to 600 exhibit birds on show and have been busy bagging seed for sale.
The seed selection, in 1kg to 25kg bags, are suited to all bird varieties and included radish, millet, brassica, maple peas, and sunflower seeds.
Maurie says there will be some “top quality” birds on show which exhibitors, as members of the New Zealand Federated Bird Clubs, put a lot of effort into ahead of the competition.
Exhibitors would come from as far afield as Dunedin and Nelson.
Exhibit birds, song birds and around 200 birds for sale will feature.
There will also be raffles.
The show is in the Tinwald Memorial Hall on Graham St on Saturday and Sunday, from 12pm to 4pm, and 9am to 11am respectively.
Maurie has at least six of his own roller canaries being entered. Their special skill is to sing with their beaks closed.
They can be trained to mimic music; one of two performance pieces used in bird shows.
He will also show eight border canaries and three Gouldian finches.
Denis, who has no birds entered in the show this year, is a breeder of finches and has about 60 in his aviary.
Bird show:
Ashburton Bird Show at the Tinwald Memorial Hall on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17. Open to the public Saturday 12pm to 4pm; Sunday 9am to 11am. Entry $2.
