the Rewards of Exhibiting Birds

D o you believe in love at first sight? I did not until I went to the Capitol City Bird Society's annual show in the fall of 1985. There, I met the love of my life and it changed my life forever. Did I meet the man of my dreams? No, not unless you count a small green and blue bundle of feathers as a man. But, it was at that show that I saw parrotlets for the first time. I did not know what they were but they were cute as heck and I knew I had to have one. That is just one of the many wonderful things about showing birds. You can see more different kinds of birds at shows than any other place in the world except, possibly, the rain forest. Different species, sub-species, even banded by an AF A member. I had the honor and privilege of winning it both at GABS and the National in 1997. The best way to learn about bird shows and how to exhibit birds is to join the Society of Parrot Breeders and Exhibitors. SPBE has worked long and hard to establish standards for the judging of hookbills. Lovebirds, English Budgies, and Cockatiels are usually judged under their own Societies' standards but may also be shown under SPBE's. These standards are scored on a point system based upon conformation, condition, deportment, color, and presentation. Since the primary purpose of showing is to produce the highest quality breeders, conformation is the most important factor and accounts for 40% of the point total. Conformation is based on the length, weight, size and proportion of the bird. Condition is the next important factor and is 30% of the total points. Unlike conformation, the exhibitor actually has some control over the condition of the bird. It must be wellfed and kept in a clean, appropriatelysized cage. All feathers should be intact and well-groomed with no pin feathers and should be held tight against the body. Deportment is 15% of the point total and refers to the bird's behavior in the show cage. A bird exhibiting proper deportment sits up tall on the perch and shows itself off. It should not be cowered on the floor or frantically climbing on the bars but stand erect and secure. Color is 10% of the point total and refers to the depth, uniformity and clarity of color not rarity. Many people are surprised to see a normal green Pacific Parrotlet place higher on the show bench than a rare and beautiful mutation. If that mutation does not have better conformation or condition, it should not beat the green bird just because it is rare. If that were the case, no one but very rich collectors could show birds. Finally, presentation is 5% but should not be overlooked. Although SPBE does not have cage standards, anyone who plans on showing birds should invest in some good quality show cages. Be sure and keep them and the perches clean and free from new mutations are abundant at bird shows. Shows are held all over this country and, the rest of the world, throughout the year. Never in my life did I know there were so many different kinds of Australian grass parakeets - absolutely exquisite birds. It's the same with conures and lovebirds. I never realized how many different colors were available or that there were even different species of lovebirds. For so many years I was just happy that my birds bred and produced babies. It never occurred to me to breed for specific physical traits or to develop the bird itself. My main motivation was to produce healthy, strong parrotlets for pet homes and other breeders (my rarer species are involved in breeding cooperatives but that is another story). After a decade of learning about diseases, nutrition, housing, pest control, neonate care and even tax liabilities, I recently returned to my roots and began showing my parrotlets. Showing has allowed me to take my desire for strong, healthy birds to new heights. There are many bird shows nation wide sponsored by local bird clubs. There are also two national/international shows in the U.S. The Great American Cage Bird Show or GABS, is show that was primarily designed to show hook bills.