Colours Standards Report Nov 2026

ANBC Colours & Standards Report – Nov 2026

ANBC Standard Pictorial – Progress Update

October has seen further progress towards the development of a new ANBC Standard Pictorial, an important project aimed at providing Australian exhibitors, breeders and judges with an updated visual reference to support our National Standard.

Following discussions within the Colours & Standards Committee, there has been considerable support for using the existing World Budgerigar Organisation (WBO) pictorial as the foundation for our updated Australian version, incorporating a number of modifications to better reflect our requirements.

One of the proposed additions is a rear-view illustration, designed to demonstrate correct wing carriage and secondary flight feather structure. This would provide an additional visual reference for breeders and judges when assessing these important features.

Consultation with Roy Aplin

During September, I made contact with renowned UK budgerigar artist Roy Aplin to establish whether he would be interested in undertaking the artwork for the updated ANBC Pictorial. Roy has considerable experience in producing budgerigar standard illustrations, including his involvement with the WBO Standard, and his understanding of the features required in exhibition budgerigars makes him particularly well suited to this type of work.

I was pleased to receive a positive response from Roy, who expressed his willingness to assist with the project.

Following further correspondence during October, Roy has provided an indicative quotation, which in my view, represents a reasonable quotation considering the specialist nature of the work, Roy’s extensive experience and the quality of his previous illustrations. An important consideration is that our proposed Australian Pictorial will be based on existing WBO artwork, with specific modifications. Roy’s involvement would allow us to build upon his original work while respecting the intellectual property associated with those illustrations.

The Process Moving Forward

Discussions are continuing regarding the most appropriate process for progressing the project, including consideration of whether additional quotations should be sought from Australian artists. From a Colours & Standards perspective, I believe it is important that the Committee plays a leading role in determining the technical requirements and coordinating the development of the artwork. The Committee has the specialist knowledge needed to assess whether the finished illustrations accurately represent The Standard.

At the same time, it is important that the ANBC Executive and delegates are appropriately involved in the decision-making and approval process, particularly where Council expenditure is concerned. The objective is to achieve the best possible outcome for the ANBC through a process that is practical, transparent and respectful of the specialist work already undertaken.

No final decision has been made on commissioning the artwork, and further discussions will take place before the project proceeds.

Looking Ahead

The development of an updated ANBC Standard Pictorial is an exciting opportunity to improve the resources available to our Australian budgerigar fancy. A well-designed pictorial will provide a valuable reference for exhibitors at every level, assist judges in maintaining consistency and help breeders better understand the characteristics we are striving to achieve. It is important that we take the time to get this right, ensuring the final illustrations accurately reflect the ANBC Standard and remain useful for many years to come. I look forward to providing further updates as the project progresses and thank the Colours & Standards Committee, ANBC Executive and delegates for their continued input and support.

 

Peter Thurn
ANBC Colours & Standards Co-Ordinator
Australian National Budgerigar Council