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 one day.

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 and a cup of coffee.

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

"He is family, he is Buddy Walders, and probably when the day comes [that] he dies it will be quite upsetting. I will miss him. He is quite a character."

JO MCKENZIE-MCLEAN/STUFF Buddy has his own plate from which he frequently enjoys a Jimmy's Pie.

Buddy not only gave her a purpose, but provided her with entertainment and company. He chattered away saying words like hello and thank you. He could ask for a cup of tea and could whistle Pop Goes the Weasel tunes.

He was a healthy bird, but his ageing joints were causing him some problems.

JO MCKENZIE-MCLEAN/STUFF Anne Walders and her 31-year-old cockatiel Buddy.

"He carries his wings very low now ... those joints are starting to show the wear and tear on them. But ... he is doing pretty good for an old bugger," Walders said.

"He is probably staying alive to keep me alive."

She had no idea how long Buddy would live, but hoped he could break the Guinness World Record.

JO MCKENZIE-MCLEAN/STUFF Buddy and Anne Walders.

"Ten years is actually 40 years in human life for a bird, so I call him an old bugger now ... He is about 137 in human years.

"Buddy is 32 in six months ... The way he is going now, I'm not sure whether we will get too many years, but we are hopeful."