The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Bird Showing

By Bernard Williams / Robb Brown

I Can still remember the thrill of showing birds for the first time; the hope and expectation. It goes without saying that most of the hopes and expectations were in vain, but it was still a rewarding experience which armed me well for the many shows that were to come. 

Having those memories allows me to understand the concerns - many of them unjustified - of people showing birds for the first time. 

It is important to start at the beginning. It is no good explaining the intricacies of patronage if a newcomer doesn't even know that there are different sorts of shows. There are many levels of shows but the main two types are members' and open shows.

You can only exhibit at a members' show if you are a member of the club that is putting on the show.

An open show is open to all.

For British bird fanciers, the top shows are the specialist clubs' All-British open shows.

Open shows require entries to be made in advance, usually a week but sometimes a fortnight.

At many members' shows you can turn up with your birds and enter them on the day.

There are two main documents relating to a show - the Schedule and the Catalogue. The schedule tells you all about the show in advance - times, dates, venues, rules, judges, prizes and the classification.

The catalogue is a record of who entered which bird.

At an all variety cage bird show, the first division of the classification is between the types of birds; roughly speaking, British birds, canaries, budgerigars and foreign birds. These are further sub-divided within their own sections. For British birds, there could be British hardbills, British softbills, mules and hybrids. These will be further sub-divided to cover flighted (over-years birds) and CYB (current year bred).

At some shows there will also be classes for colour variants (colours different to those found in the wild) and Northern species (sub-species that originate in Northern Europe and some times referred to as 'Siberian'). Pay particular attention to the way Northern birds are treated because different clubs have different rules. If you have any doubts or if you cannot see a class listed for one of your birds, ask the show secretary.

The final divisions of the classification separate the exhibiting status levels (champion or novice), the different species and the sexes.

Each class will be given a number.

Taking the Staffordshire British Bird & Mule Club schedule as a typical example, you will find that class 1 is for champion flighted goldfinch cock, the equivalent class number for novice exhibitors is 63. On the classification page of the schedule this information appears as part of a logical list.

When you study an open show prize list, you will see that some awards are marked 'open'. This means that anyone can win them without needing to be a member of a particular club. Other prizes will be 'members' awards, which means that only paid-up members of the promoting society are eligible to win them. On the entry form there is normally a column for you to add your subscriptions and so you are then a member before the show and become eligible.

The prizes that cause most confusion are 'patronage awards'. These are listed separately from the main awards and details of the club that has granted patronage will be shown. On the entry form, there is a column for nominations. This is where you indicate which patronage-awarding clubs you belong to. Even though you have paid your subscription, if you fail to nominate, you will not win the prize. 

With the schedule comes an entry form. On this there are boxes to be filled in - class number, description of bird, nominations, name and address. The spaces marked 'cage number' and 'result' should be left blank. 

When you have filled in the entry form, post it with the entry fee to the show secretary, with a stamped addressed envelope for the return of the cage labels.

A few days before the show your labels will arrive. Every exhibit, in each class has a different number. The whole point of standard show cages and labels with only numbers on them is so that it is not obvious who has entered which bird. Of course, some very good birds get well known, but there is nothing anyone can do about that except to require the judges to judge them as they see them, on the day.

When the day to deliver the bird arrives, make sure you put the right bird in the right cage and affix the correct label in the correct position; hardbills, mules and hybrids on the left hand side bottom rail and softbills on the bottom rail in the middle. If in doubt, ask.

Take your cages to the table where birds are being booked in, where they will be entered as 'present'. If you are permitted to water your own birds, or if they are watered by a steward, make sure that the drinkers are only half filled. Otherwise your birds will take a bath and be too wet and bedraggled to be judged.

Unless you have a job, such as stewarding, you must now leave the show hall. Members of the public are not permitted into the hall until the show manager is satisfied that judging has been completed.

When you return, to see how your birds have got on, do not handle any cages, even your own.

While the show is on, the show manager is responsible for them, not you.

By this time, at larger shows, there will be a catalogue on sale. This, together with the awards sheet, which lists the prize winners, provides you with a record of the show.

When 'lifting time' is called you can collect your cages - though remember that different shows have different lifting procedures. At some shows, you are not permitted to lift your cages unless there is a steward in attendance. Then it is a matter of getting your birds booked out.

Only when the official responsible is satisfied that the birds you are taking belong to you will you be permitted to leave the hall.