A variety of birds – from finches and thrushes to brightly coloured parrots – will be showcased at the Whakatāne Bird Club’s 70th Bird Show.

The show is being held this weekend at the Kawerau Town Hall and opens to the public at 1pm on Saturday and 9.30am on Sunday.

Visitors can expect to see about 400 birds, with organisers saying that at one point the show was home to around 1200 birds.

In recent years bird numbers and attendance have declined, but despite this, the club remains enthusiastic and committed to continuing the event.

Visitors will be able to see eight varieties of canaries – Yorkshire, Norwich, border, colour fed, non-colour fed, gloster, lizard and rollers – along with budgerigars; zebra and Bengalese finches; cockatiels; a variety of parrots and parakeets; lovebirds; and many species of small finches, including Gouldian finches, fire finches, cordon bleus, Java sparrows and doves.

The show will also feature “British birds” such as blackbirds, thrushes, greenfinches, chaffinches and goldfinches.

At the event, birds compete for the title of best bird in their section and have the opportunity to win seed prizes, prize money, rosettes, ribbons, medals and certificates.

Entrants have travelled from all around the country, including New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Auckland, alongside Whakatāne members.

Judges also travel from around the country to assess the birds on their “type standard”, which includes size, shape and condition.

Roller canaries are the only birds judged solely on their song. These birds can produce up to 12 different song types and are awarded points based on how well they perform each one.

Barri Bowden, show manager for the bird club, said the show was one of the best places for people to begin bird ownership, especially for families with young children.

“For families with young children, if they’re looking for birds, it’s the best place to come,” he said.

Everything needed for bird ownership is available to buy at the bird show, from the birds themselves to the cages and food.

Whakatāne Bird Club is encouraging anyone interested in birds to attend the show and is always seeking new members.