After more than five decades of keeping birds, Tauranga Bird Club vice president Richard Hindrup is still as passionate about budgies as he was when he received his first bird at the age of eight.

Now, 52 years later, Hindrup is celebrating recent success on the show circuit after winning top novice honours at the Whakatāne Bird Show and is preparing to exhibit at the upcoming Tauranga Bird Show on June 20-21.

“I’ve always had birds in my life,” Hindrup said. “My first bird was a budgie, and when I was 10, my grandfather built me an aviary. That’s where it really started.”

Hindrup joined the Tauranga Bird Club as a teen and had remained involved ever since. While family and work commitments saw him step away from the hobby at times, he returned to bird breeding seriously about four years ago.

Today, he keeps about 80 budgies in a colourful collection that reflects a lifelong fascination with the popular parrot species.

‘Very rewarding’

Although he helped with bird shows as a junior club member, Hindrup only began exhibiting competitively three years ago. His dedication is already paying off.

At last month’s Whakatāne Bird Show, he won Best Current Year Bird (Novice) and Best Any Age Bird (Novice), earning rosettes and certificates for his prize-winning budgies.

Richard Hindrup’s award-winning budgie. Photo / Kelly O’Hara

“It’s very rewarding,” he said. “There’s a lot of time and effort that goes into breeding and preparing birds for showing. When you see that ribbon on the front of the cage, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

Preparing a bird for competition involved much more than simply placing it in a show cage.

“You have to train them to be comfortable in the cage and get them used to being handled,” Hindrup said. “The judges look at everything – their feather condition, how they sit on the perch, their markings, their overall appearance and presentation.”

Skill, patience, luck

Birds must also be healthy, calm and entered in the correct class to be eligible for judging.

Like many competitive pursuits, bird showing combines skill, patience and a little luck.

“You never breed the perfect bird,” Hindrup said. “The challenge is trying to get as close to the standard as possible. That’s what keeps people interested and coming back.

Richard Hindrup, Vice President of the Tauranga Bird Club, with some of his budgies. Photo / Kelly O’Hara

“Attending the shows is the tool for evaluating how you are performing against other breeder’s birds, which gives you insights on how to improve your own stud. There is a wealth of knowledge which can be sourced from at the shows as well.”

More than 600 birds

The upcoming Tauranga Bird Show will feature a wide range of more than 600 birds, including budgies, canaries and finches, with exhibitors competing for top honours.

Activities at the show include a hands-on interactive bird experience, raffles and prizes. Visitors will also have an opportunity to purchase birds and learn more about the hobby.

Hindrup plans to both exhibit and sell some of his budgies at the show.

The Tauranga Bird Club continues to thrive and is believed to be one of the largest and most active bird clubs in New Zealand. Hindrup said the club’s success is built on knowledgeable members, a welcoming atmosphere and a strong sense of community.

“We not only focus upon domesticated birds but also native and exotic species that we see in our surroundings. The club will be sponsoring a kiwi chick this year at the National Kiwi Hatchery in Ngongotaha,” Hindrup said.

Free membership

The club will offer free membership at the show for the rest of the financial year, which gives access to discounted seed and other activities until March 31, 2027.

“People join because they like birds, but they often stay because of the friendships,” he said. “We have people from all walks of life, and there’s always someone willing to share their knowledge.”

He believes bird keeping is an excellent hobby that can be enjoyed by all ages in their own homes.

Richard Hindrup, who recently won top novice honours at Whakatāne Bird Show, will exhibit at the upcoming Tauranga Bird Show. Photo / Kelly O’Hara

“It teaches responsibility and animal husbandry, especially for young people,” he said. “Birds are fascinating to watch and care for, and they are not a high-cost hobby to engage in.”

For those curious about bird breeding and exhibiting, Hindrup encourages them to visit the show and speak with club members.

“We would love to invite kids to enter their birds in their own cage at the show by emailing: taurangabirdclub@gmail.com,” Tauranga Bird Club president Sheryl Baron said.

The Tauranga Bird Show at Tauranga Racecourse runs 1pm-5pm on June 20 and 9am-midday on June 21 and brings together some of the region’s finest birds and breeders, offering a colourful day out. Entry is $5 per adult, $3 per under-12, and a family pass is $12 on the door.