Hawkesbury Show 2021: Aviary birds take flight, and Don Burke breeds budgies

news, local-news, aviary birds, bird breeders, hawkesbury show 2021, the Avicultural Society of NSW, don burke, apex pavilion, African Lovebirds Society of Australia, Australian Heritage Budgerigar Association

Aviary birds were on show at the Hawkesbury as the Avicultural Society of NSW visited for the first time in 2021, taking up residence in the Apex Pavilion – which will be host to rats and mice on Saturday and cats on Sunday. Colin Isbister, president of the African Lovebirds Society of Australia, said it was his first time at the Hawkesbury Show and the highlights from his club were “new colour mutations” in Lovebirds, including orange-faced birds, violets, and Fischer Lovebirds including mottled, blue and dilute masked. “The grand champion this year is a violet green peach face. The style of the bird, the feather quality, the way it sits, and the bird per our breed standard all make it a champion,” Ms Isbister told the Gazette. Debbie Brincat of Andrews Bird and Pet Palace in Fairfield was showing Reggie, a 3.5-month-old Blue and Gold Macaw, as well as a 4-year-old Blue Indian Ringneck named Blue. “I sell hand-raised aviary birds for breeding,” she said. She also had a Galah-cross-Shortbilled-Corella, an African Grey, a White-bellied Caique, a Jenday Conure and a Bourke Parrot. Former Burke’s Backyard presenter Don Burke was also involved in the Aviary Birds showcase, with his Budgerigars. He is involved with the not-for-profit Australian Heritage Budgerigar Association (AHBA). “I have been breeding budgies for 60 years, and I have been trying to work on saving the older varieties,” Mr Burke told the Gazette. “We have by far the best budgies in the world here in Australia and we’re preserving them. There’s a lot of genetic cruelty out there but [in the AHBA] we’re going back to the old-fashioned pretty colours, and healthy birds.”

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April 23 2021 – 1:32PM

Aviary birds were on show at the Hawkesbury as the Avicultural Society of NSW visited for the first time in 2021, taking up residence in the Apex Pavilion – which will be host to rats and mice on Saturday and cats on Sunday.

Colin Isbister, president of the African Lovebirds Society of Australia, said it was his first time at the Hawkesbury Show and the highlights from his club were “new colour mutations” in Lovebirds, including orange-faced birds, violets, and Fischer Lovebirds including mottled, blue and dilute masked.

“The grand champion this year is a violet green peach face. The style of the bird, the feather quality, the way it sits, and the bird per our breed standard all make it a champion,” Ms Isbister told the Gazette.

Debbie Brincat of Andrews Bird and Pet Palace with Reggie, a 3.5-month-old Blue and Gold Macaw. Picture: Sarah Falson

Debbie Brincat of Andrews Bird and Pet Palace in Fairfield was showing Reggie, a 3.5-month-old Blue and Gold Macaw, as well as a 4-year-old Blue Indian Ringneck named Blue.

“I sell hand-raised aviary birds for breeding,” she said.

She also had a Galah-cross-Shortbilled-Corella, an African Grey, a White-bellied Caique, a Jenday Conure and a Bourke Parrot.

Don Burke, a member of the Australian Heritage Budgerigar Association, with one of his budgies. Picture: Sarah Falson

Former Burke’s Backyard presenter Don Burke was also involved in the Aviary Birds showcase, with his Budgerigars. He is involved with the not-for-profit Australian Heritage Budgerigar Association (AHBA).

“I have been breeding budgies for 60 years, and I have been trying to work on saving the older varieties,” Mr Burke told the Gazette.

“We have by far the best budgies in the world here in Australia and we’re preserving them. There’s a lot of genetic cruelty out there but [in the AHBA] we’re going back to the old-fashioned pretty colours, and healthy birds.”