Competition: Winning partridge chirps 250 times

Owner says he turned down a Rs200,000 offer for the bird.

BAHAWALPUR:

A partridge chirped 250 times at a stretch to win a tweeting competition held in Uch Sharif on Saturday.

The first and second runners-up chirped 248 and 237 times, respectively.

The owners of the three birds told The Express Tribune that they were offered handsome prices for the birds after the competition but they turned down the proposals. Muhammad Younas, owner of the winning partridge, said he was offered Rs200,000. “I treat it like my children. I can’t consider selling it ever,” he said. He said the bird’s diet included apples and almonds.

Ustad Shami and Rafique Mastoi, owners of the first and second runners-up, said they were offered Rs150,000 and Rs100,000, respectively, for their birds.  Shami said he was pleased with his partridge’s performance. “It lost the first position by a close margin. I hope it will win the competition next year,” he said.

The participating birds were left in the open and monitored by umpires. Birds were knocked out of the competition as soon as they stopped chirping. The one that stopped in the end won the competition.

The owners of the winner and first and second runner-up were given trophies at the end of the competition.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2012.