Dave Ingoe NZ

Dave Ingoe: Gisborne’s Dedicated Budgerigar Breeder, Judge, and Life Member of New Zealand’s Fancy

A lifelong passion sparked by one light green budgie

For Dave Ingoe, the journey into budgerigars began the instant he first laid eyes on a Light Green budgerigar at just 11 years old. Curious about what the bird was, he asked questions, and that single moment quickly turned into a lifelong fascination. Before long, Dave decided he wanted budgies of his own—and he set about making it happen.

Like many young enthusiasts, Dave funded his early start through after-school jobs. With support from his dad, he built a box cage, then expanded to two small aviaries. Those early building projects didn’t just house birds—they laid the foundations for a hobby that would grow alongside his life, his family, and his community.

Returning to breeding in 1988 and building a serious setup

After finishing school and becoming busy raising his own family, Dave took a break from budgerigars. But the passion never truly left. In 1988, he returned to the hobby and began building again—literally and figuratively.

Over time, Dave added three more aviaries, and by 2009 he had reached a peak setup: a 10 x 7 metre aviary featuring 50 breeding cages, three individual flights, and additional holding cages for management and flexibility.

In recent years, Dave has been deliberately downsizing. Over the last two years, he has reduced his numbers from 300+ budgies down to around 60 birds at present, focusing on maintaining quality, manageability, and enjoyment.

A loyal club man: Poverty Bay Bird Club and a lifetime of service

One of the most defining parts of the Dave Indigo budgerigar breeder story is his unwavering commitment to his local club. Dave’s only club membership has been with the Poverty Bay Bird Club in Gisborne, New Zealand.

Beyond breeding and showing, Dave has contributed extensively to the administration of the NZBS, serving as President, Vice President, Treasurer, Patron, Committee Member, and Bulletin Editor. At local level in Gisborne, he has filled most roles as needed. Dave is a Life Member of both the NZBS and the Poverty Bay Bird Club.

Breeding focus: Normals and Opalines

Across his years in the hobby, Dave has kept a wide range of budgerigar varieties. These days, his breeding program is more targeted. He concentrates primarily on Normal and Opaline budgerigars, refining his focus to the varieties he enjoys most and understands deeply.

 Three decades of judging—and a world highlight in Italy

Dave Ingoe is also an experienced budgerigar judge with an impressive history. He has been judging for around 30 years and is currently a BSNZ accredited judge. He has judged overseas many times, including in Australia, and his career highlight came in 2022, when he judged at the World Budgerigar Show in Italy. Dave has also attended 10 ANBC National Shows, embracing the full experience by joining trips and aviary visits offered after the shows.

Learning through travel: visiting top aviaries worldwide

A key part of Dave’s development as a budgerigar breeder has been his willingness to see how others do it. He has visited aviaries across England, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Australia. He has been impressed by the aviary setups and the quality of the birds, and Dave and the Gisborne community have also hosted many overseas judges locally.

Dave Ingoe’s feeding regime and health approach

Dave’s feeding routine is practical and consistent. His base feeding includes hard seed, a budgie and canary seed mix, and soft food fed daily. This is supplemented with millet spray, silver beet, and fresh basil (included on Gary Gazzard’s advice).

Dave reports no serious disease issues across his time as a breeder, which he attributes to a strict approach to hygiene and biosecurity. On the rare occasions he introduces new birds, he quarantines them for at least six weeks.

Life outside the aviary: orchard work, family, and the coast

Outside budgerigars, Dave Ingoe has built a full and grounded life. Along with his wife, Lorraine, he has been an orchardist for 34 years, growing citrus and apples, and is currently looking toward retirement. Dave’s other hobbies include fishing, camping, reading, and family time. He and Lorraine also have a favourite coastal spot about an hour from home, where they camp with family and friends—no buildings, just tents and caravans, camp oven cooking over fireplaces, and chasing crayfish and fish.

Personal favourites: food, film, and rugby loyalties

Dave enjoys Vietnamese food and a good roast, his favourite film is Crocodile Dundee, and he supports the All Blacks. When the Wallabies play anyone other than New Zealand, he’s happy to back the Wallabies too.

His biggest concern: keeping young people interested in birds

While Dave has had decades of enjoyment in the hobby, he carries a genuine concern for the future: young people are not taking up bird keeping in the way previous generations did. With so many competing interests available, he worries this could eventually contribute to a decline in the hobby.

More than wins: the friendships that make it worthwhile

If there is one message at the heart of Dave Ingoe’s story, it is this: while success on the show bench is enjoyable, it is not the most important part. Dave values most the pleasure the hobby has brought him over the years, and especially the friendships he has made throughout New Zealand and around the world.