Best birds flocking into town for show

Otago Daily Times

18-07-2025

New Zealand's best and brightest budgies, canaries, finches and anything in between will fly into Oamaru next week for the National Bird Show.
Hosted by the North Otago Bird Club, exhibitors will bring their birds to the Oamaru Drill Hall on Thursday before judging takes place on Friday.
It will be just the second time Oamaru has hosted a show and the first time in 15 years.
With only 12 members, North Otago is one of the smallest clubs to hold a show.
Show manager Eion Fletcher and show secretary Diane Tonkin were both involved the last time the nationals came to Oamaru.
This year's event was the culmination of two years' work, Mrs Tonkin said.
"We got asked [to host] two years ago and as soon as we said yes, we started.
"It will be exciting just to see how all our ideas pan out and go together and hoping that everybody will have fun and enjoy themselves."
She said, as of last Friday, they had received more than 900 entries.
"Usually you get a few late entries so I'm still hoping to reach 1400 entries."
Each person would enter between 15 and 20 birds, she said.
"One guy told me 50 [birds] he's putting in."
The club will also honour one of their founding members Ray Gibb, who died in March last year, at the show.
Mr Fletcher knew Mr Gibb well and said he would have been happy to see the show come to fruition.
"When we finally got it confirmed, he was right behind us.
"He was pretty proud of us, so it's a big disappointment he's not here."
Club president Malcolm Oakes said the show would not be going ahead if it was not for "a very small committee but a very efficient committee".
"Man they've put some work in. It's been a lot, a lot of work.
"We have to thank the town too. The town has been very, very supportive."
Oamaru company Topflite have been the naming sponsors for the show since the 1990s and are once again major contributors, he said.
Committee member Joanna Anderson said the club was excited to share "our wee slice of paradise" with the out-of-town exhibitors.
"We're looking forward to showing off Oamaru and how quirky and cool it is. We're having the dinner at the Loan & Merc, which is a really cool local venue."
To make it more accessible to the public, the club will have information sheets explaining the different types of birds.
They are running aa colouring-in competition as well which has been distributed to local schools, kindergartens and day cares.
Weston School were also going to make artwork to decorate the hall throughout the event and there would also be face painting and children's activities, she said.
"What we're trying to do is make it a real event for the community and try to involve the community."
There will be a bird auction held with some of the top breeders in the country offering up some of their birds.
The drill hall will be open to the public for viewing late on Friday afternoon, all day Saturday and on Sunday morning.
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