ANBC Judges Coordinator Report March 2026

Hi All,

The 2026 show season is now well underway. I’ve already attended several shows this year, both as an Exhibitor and as a Judge, and it’s been encouraging to see strong Exhibitor numbers and impressive quality Budgies on the bench. If what we’re seeing so far is any indication, the standard of Budgies at this year’s Trill™ Expert ANBC National Show on the Gold Coast will be outstanding. One of the most pleasing aspects has been the level of support clubs are receiving from Exhibitors outside their own memberships. This kind of teamwork and willingness to travel is what helps create great shows.

I’ve spoken before about my approach to positive judging, but it’s equally important that we continue to uphold the ANBC Standard and its Penalty & Disqualification (P&D) clause. As Judges, we must apply the P&D consistently and then move forward with the rest of the Judging process. This year, I’ve paid particular attention to how Flecking is being assessed, both from the Judges’ perspective and that of an Exhibitor.

At the shows I’ve attended, the Judging teams have taken a proactive and collaborative approach: walking the hall before Judging begins, reviewing Exhibits together, and discussing any potential issues, including Flecking. During Judging, if a bird appeared to be a candidate for disqualification (Flecking included) the Judge would call over a colleague before making a final decision. This ensured the ANBC Standard Penalty & Disqualification (P&D) clause was applied correctly and consistently. At one show, four birds were disqualified for being too Heavily Flecked. All four birds were correctly identified as exceeding the threshold set by the marker Bird in the ANBC Standard Penalty & Disqualification (P&D) clause.

When the Judging of the Section was completed, the Judge explained their decisions to Exhibitors, noting that one of the birds was otherwise a quality Bird, but still had to be disqualified. Where Birds fell below the flecking threshold, Judges applied the appropriate penalty and continued with the Class/Section. Overall, the approach to Judging Flecking has been sound, fair, and well aligned with the ANBC Standard Penalty & Disqualification (P&D) clause.

What has been equally encouraging is the reaction from Exhibitors. At none of the shows did Exhibitors express a sense of injustice, whether or not the Bird in question belonged to them. In fact, on several occasions Exhibitors admired the quality of a Bird that had been disqualified, while fully accepting that it was too Heavily Flecked. This tells me we are reaching an important point: Exhibitors increasingly understand that Heavily Flecked birds do not belong on the show bench, even though they may still have value in the Breeding Room, and that is perfectly fine.

Regards,
James Bader
ANBC Judges Co-Ordinator