Australian National Budgerigar Council, Incorporated By –Law 2(c)

 A.N.B.C.  Judges Protocol – The principles of disqualification and penalty

Overarching Principles:

Pairings should observe the Guidelines at By-Law 2b regarding professionalism.

  • Initially Judge the attributes of the exhibits in line with “The Standard” pictorials.
  • Only use the ANBC Judges Penalty & Disqualifications” if an issue is CLEARLY. If any doubt exists the exhibit must be given that BENEFIT of the DOUBT and move on.
  • Publicly report on a class in a positive manner.
  • Briefly report on P & D matters if necessary for information only.
  • Your role is to officiate on the exhibition class of Budgerigars – it is the birds that are on show.
  • Inappropriate actions could stimulate scrutiny and controversy.
  • Be aware you are a knowledge voice for other judges and breeders alike.
  • Decisions to disqualify an exhibit should be, where possible, within the pairing and that decision should be firm and decisive with a brief comment at completion.

Reference:   ANBC – The Standard (2003)

There are five fundamental justifications for disqualification of a bird:

  1. Breach of the Show Rules.
  2. Entry in a class for which the bird is not eligible.
  3. Illness, injury or parasitic infestation.
  4. Severe loss of condition.
  5. Listings in The Standard 2003 at ANBC Judges Penalty & Disqualifications.

 JUSTIFICATIONS –

 1. Breach of Show Rules

The show rules are set down by the ANBC and any bird exhibited in a manner in breach of these rules must be disqualified. For example:

  • A bird may not carry more than one ring
  • Birds must be rung with a ring bearing the official symbol
  • Birds must be owner bred
  • A bird may not be prepared in a way that gives it an unfair advantage
  1. Entry in a class for which the bird is not eligible

There are two ways in which a bird may be ineligible for entry in a class.

  1. It may not belong to the variety, colour or gender specified for the class.
  2. It may visibly show characteristics of a variety or colour that is not permitted in combination with the variety or colour specified for the class.
    • In most cases the variety, colour and sex of a bird are easily distinguished. Some examples where care is required are –
    • Inos sometimes show faint markings. These may be confused with the markings of a Lacewing.
    • Modifying genes can darken a Dilute bird so that it may be confused with the light form of Greywing.
    • Greywings may show a cinnamon hue without showing cinnamon characteristics.
    • Fallows may have little body colour and be confused with Clearbodies.
    • Cere colours in some varieties may lead to uncertainty concerning the sex of a bird.
    • Permitted combinations for birds in the National Show are specified in the Standard. Birds presented in any given class may be examples of the variety or colour specified for that class, but show characteristics belonging to a variety or colour not permitted in the class.

Some examples are –

    • Combination of Opaline and Black Eye may be shown in the Opaline AOSV Class, but not the Black Eye Class.
    • Recessive Pieds do not have a white iris ring. Presence of such an iris ring in a Recessive Pied is taken to mean that the bird is showing a combination of Dominant and Recessive Pied characteristics.
    • Greywing Cinnamons show characteristics of both Varieties with a modified body colour. This combination is not permitted.
    • Dilute Cinnamonwings show characteristics of both Varieties with a modified body colour. This combination is not permitted.
    • Australian Golden Face birds where the colour is not visually Blue or Grey
  1. Illness, deformity or parasitic infestation

Illness and parasites are readily recognised.

Deformity must be clearly and permanently present to justify disqualification. Deformities may be the result of inherited features, accident or misadventure. Examples of such deformities –

  • Disturbed feather resulting from feather plucking
  • Presence of Mites (Remove from bench)
  • Missing joints on toes
  • Broken wing
  • Dislocated joints
  1. Severe loss of condition.

Loss of condition sufficient to prevent the true assessment of a bird leads to disqualification.

Examples of this degree of loss of condition are:

  • Both tail feathers missing
  • Absence of various flight feathers
  1. ANBC Judges Disqualification Guidelines.

Variety aspects eye and feather issues also form part of the guidelines. Severe Head Flecking in line with Pictorials are disqualified. 

A full and comprehensive list of conditions 3 to 5 are listed in the ANBC Judges Penalty and Disqualifications that form part of the ANBC Standard (2003)