Crusty old Buddy has a cracker chance at record

A steady diet of Jimmy’s Pies could be an Otago cockatiel’s secret to a long life.

Roxburgh cockatiel Buddy is on track to breaking the Guinness World Record for the oldest cockatiel when he turns 32 in June.

Anne Walders and her late husband bought Buddy in 1986 to replace their previous cockatiel, John Wayne, who flew off her shoulder while she was mowing the lawns.

Buddy has had a long and happy life, being raised alongside Walders’ two children who are now 46 and 47. He often travelled in the car as a young bird, wolf-whistling at people on pedestrian crossings and accompanying the family on trips to Nelson. He even had his own place at the table where he frequently enjoyed a Jimmy’s Pie – a famous Otago brand – and a cup of coffee.

‘‘Usually if we are sitting here having a pie and he is sitting on a chair, he goes crook until he gets a piece,’’ Walders said.