Could Sneaky Beaky be the oldest parakeet in the UK?

Owner Julie Whitehead came forward to tell us about her African ring-necked parakeet, who will be 34 this year, after reading our story about 21-year-old Lola, who is probably the oldest dog in Britain.

Sneaky Beaky is blind in one eye, cannot fly and cannot sleep on his perch any more, but he is still a happy bird according to his owner.

Mrs Whitehead, who lives in Wainscott, got him as a present for her 21st birthday. She will be 55 in May.

At the time she and her husband Lynn, were living in Scotland as Lynn worked on gas and oil pipelines.

Mrs Whitehead wanted a pet to keep her company during the day and the couple felt owning a dog would be problematic with the amount of moves they had to make, so decided to get a bird instead.

They spotted three African ring-necked parakeets in the shop and Sneaky Beaky was hiding behind the two others – hence how he got his name.

Mum-of-three Mrs Whitehead said: “He was very young and because he was hiding behind the two, I chose him.”

For a while Sneaky Beaky had his own aviary but has had to come back and live in the couple’s home because of his failing health.

Mrs Whitehead said: “A few years ago he went blind in one eye and broke a wing one day when he tried to land on the back of the settee.

“Because of his age, he now sleeps on a horizontal ladder in his cage, which is safer for him as he can sometimes fall off his perch.

“He has also forgotten how to talk, it’s like a dementia thing. He used to sing, say hello and goodbye, and if I asked him for a song he would reply, ‘nice peanut for Beaky, something nice for Beaky’, and we would have to give him something before he would sing.

“I absolutely love him and he still can sit on my arm and have a bit of fruit. He likes bananas and apples and loves a bit of cheese.”

Mrs Whitehead hopes her veteran pet might be a record-breaker. “I’ve got my fingers crossed he’s the oldest parakeet in Britain,” she said.

African and Indian ringneck parakeets in captivity can live to be 20 to 30 years old, according to most bird websites, but there are some reports of ring-necks living up to 50 years.

A spokesman for the Guinness Book of Records said: “There is no alive record, so the owners would need to apply and submit the evidence for their parakeet.”