Inside the national budgerigar titles in Cairns
The national budgerigar championships begin in Cairns on Saturday, where more than 600 budgies from across Australia will battle it out to be crowned finest of their kind.
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The national budgerigar championships begin in Cairns on Saturday, with more than 600 budgies from across Australia battling to be crowned the finest of their kind.
The 49th Annual Expert ANBC National Titles will name 29 champion budgies, each representing a different class of bird such as rainbow, opaline or albino varieties.
Troy Holmes, delegate to the Australian National Budgerigar Council, said the titles were “like the State of Origin” for budgie breeders.
“These national titles are being streamed across the world,” he said.
“We’ve had a lot of people checking in from Belgium, from Kuwait, from the UK, from the US – everyone’s excited to see what’s going on here in Australia.”
Eighty-seven budgies born in 2024 are chosen to represent each Australian state, with Queensland split into north and south zones, totalling 609 birds.
Mr Holmes said there were roughly 165,000 budgies born in 2024, putting into perspective how coveted a national title is.
“If you can win (a national title), it’s a very, very big deal. If you’ve got the best grey green (budgie) in the country, given how many birds have been bred, that’s a pretty high accolade,” Mr Holmes said.
“And from that, you can obviously establish a stud of budgerigars. But really, it’s about the camaraderie – it’s about bringing people together from all across the country.”
Out of the 87 birds chosen to represent North Queensland, 16 birds are from the Cairns and District Budgerigar Club.
Club member and show co-ordinator, Bruce Schuster, went to his first national titles in 2000 and has not missed one since.
He has won three national titles and has three birds in contention this year.
“I’ve only got a little aviary, I’m a little backyard breeder, so for me to win three (titles), I would never have thought that,” Mr Schuster said.
“But it’s all about the hobby coming together and enjoying themselves, and really, that’s where friendships are made … we just want everyone to enjoy themselves.”
Jamie Durie, who is a commentator for the event, said he was drawn to the event given the bird community’s connection to gardening.
“Most birdos are also into gardens, which is my turf. So I feel like I’m talking to my people,” he said.
“What a lot of people don’t realise is that budgerigars are native to Australia, and they have a necessary part in our ecology.
“A lot of them are attacked by predators, and particularly with the wild weather we’ve been having of late, it’s great that we’re increasing the numbers of these native birds.”
The titles will take place at Brothers Leagues Club Cairns from Saturday, May 24 to Sunday, May 25.
Any members of Australian budgerigar clubs are required to pay $15 upon entry.
Members of the public wishing to attend are asked to provide a gold coin donation for the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
To see the program and for information, visit anbc.org.au
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Originally published as Inside the national budgerigar titles in Cairns
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