Key dates & Schedule
Key dates & Schedule
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In 1869 Aviary Birds were referred to as ‘caged birds’, consisted mainly of canaries and were judged in the Poultry Competition. By 1907 the competition name had officially changed to Poultry, Pigeons, Canaries and Cage Birds and began to include parrots, finches and budgerigars. In 2017 the competition was renamed Aviary Birds.
Initially, cage birds were kept only by the rich, but today budgerigars are regarded as the world’s most popular pet. In 1845 a pair of Australian budgerigars was presented as a gift to Queen Victoria, and it was speculated many ships returning to England took these precious birds along with them - they were much sought after by gypsies and fortune-tellers.