Australian National Budgerigar Council
BCV Report Oct 2026
BCV October Report 2026
With September now been and gone, we are well into the onset of some lovely spring weather across the state. By the time you are reading this, we will either have some very happy Brisbane Lions or Fremantle Dockers supporters amongst our members as the AFL Finals Series draws to a close and the victorious side holds aloft the coveted Premiership Cup. That aside, back to what we are here to read about — the budgies.
The month of October brings about the recommencement of our 2026 show season after a period of relative hiatus in terms of showing since May, and a steady month just gone. With the weather on the improve, we hope that everyone is enjoying a successful breeding season and that a few hopefuls are emerging for the upcoming BCV UBC State Championship / “Harold Heath” Unbroken Cap Shield Competition.
The BCV is now putting the finishing touches on its Bird Flu Risk Mitigation Plan. This plan sets out practical controls to reduce the risk of avian influenza, including H5N1 bird flu (Bird Flu), being introduced to or spread during a show. It has been primarily developed for implementation at the upcoming 2026 Victorian State Unbroken Cap Championship Show (UBC Show), to be held by the Budgerigar Council of Victoria (BCV), based on the BCV’s understanding of the current risk profile associated with Bird Flu.
Please note that it is the BCV’s understanding that, currently, there has been no outbreak of Bird Flu in any budgerigar stud in Victoria.
Once formally accepted and rubber-stamped for approval, the plan will be circulated throughout our membership via the appropriate channels. The plan will also provide guidance to affiliated clubs for the conduct of upcoming shows, including the remaining Diploma Shows and pre-selection shows for the UBC Show during this period, to help steer us through the remainder of the 2026 calendar year.
Looking Ahead – What’s Next?
October sees two of our affiliated clubs, Eastern District and Clyde, hosting their respective Annual Shows, both of which incorporate Young, Adult and Unbroken Cap (UBC) birds.
Eastern District will be first up on Sunday 4 October. Please refer to the flyer and show schedule attached for details of this upcoming event. This will be followed by the Clyde Club the following weekend, on Saturday 10 October. If details of this event are not circulated by the time you are reading this, they shouldn’t be too far away.
The Geelong Agricultural Show has made the decision not to hold a budgerigar section this year, falling in line with the other avian species that have decided to do the same.
The back end of October culminates in the BCV hosting the third of our three major shows for the year, the BCV UBC State Championship / “Harold Heath” Unbroken Cap Shield Competition. Please refer to the attached flyer for details. This event also sees us returning to the Rowville facility.
Hopefully, we see many promising UBC hopefuls gracing the benches for this one, where the BCV Variety Challenge Certificate winners will be announced and awarded following the culmination of the previous three State Shields.
