Percey ‘likes to let everyone know he’s ready to get up’
WHO needs an alarm clock when you have Percey?
Every day at 7am, without fail, the cheeky 1yearold galah lets everyone in the house — and possibly his neighbours, too — know it is breakfast time.
Owner Hannah Keen said he was as reliable as an alarm clock, but unlike other alarm clocks, it would be virtually impossible to sleep through this one.
‘‘He screams very loud. He likes to let everyone know he’s ready to get up.
‘‘He likes to eat whatever I’m eating for breakfast.’’
Fortunately, he did not talk with his mouth full, and breakfast was the quietest time of the day, she said.
But after that, he was a regular chatterbox.
She got him from the North Island in 2021 because she was passionate about birds — she had more than 300 of them at her Alexandra home, Miss Keen said.
‘‘I got him because galahs have such a great bond with people and he’s a great friend.
‘‘I’m training him to recall, so if he is let out, he will come back and land on my arm.
‘‘I’m teaching him all sorts of tricks, like dancing, spinning, hanging upside down, and he talks. His vocabulary is growing all the time.
‘‘He’s very polite. He doesn’t swear, yet.
‘‘He’s very clever.’’
Percey was one of many birds on display at the Dunedin Pigeon, Poultry and Cage Bird Club’s annual show at Forrester Park on Saturday.
Club president Stu Aitken said there were more than 700 birds on show, and about 300 hens were up for sale as well.
‘‘They’re going out the door like hotcakes.
‘‘There’s a lot more demand for them now because of the egg shortage.
‘‘People are also starting to realise how friendly chooks can be. A lot of them enjoy human company and enjoy being looked after and patted.
‘‘They do make good pets. The bonus is you get eggs from them.’’