"I wouldn't have a clue," Mrs Thompson, who is in her 50s, said yesterday.
The collection included budgerigars, bourks, turquoisines, Indian ringnecks, elegants, zebra finches, rosellas, diamond doves and lovebirds, and even a pair of sun conure parrots called Sonny and Cher.
She has been preparing for the 78th grand national bird show at the Waitaki Recreation Centre this week, hosted by the North Otago Bird Fanciers Club.
It is the first time the national show has been held in Oamaru and it has attracted 1670 entries from throughout New Zealand.
Mrs Thompson has entered about 40 budgies and lovebirds, although she expected there would be a couple of scratchings.
To prepare for the show, the birds were first caught with a net and gloves - "because they bite" - and sprayed with apple cider vinegar and water, to make them preen and to make the feathers shine.
They were then put in show cages where it was hoped they would "show off" for the judge.
Mrs Thompson, who had always liked birds, started with a few canaries.
She was given a tin shed and, from there, "built and built and built", she said.
However, there are no plans to keep building as she has run out of room in the back yard.
"The dog's got to be able to run around somewhere," she said.
Initially, Mrs Thompson had no interest in showing "but by gee, you get bitten by the bug", she said.
Rosettes on the wall of her lounge and several trophies were testament to her showing successes.
Some of the young birds were hand-reared and it was not unusual for her to get up at "unearthly hours" to feed baby budgies sitting on hot water bottles, she said.
The show is open to the public from 5pm-6pm today, 9am-4.30pm tomorrow and 9am-midday on Sunday.
It will be officially opened by Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton tonight.
