Australian National Budgerigar Council, Incorporated By-Law 2(b-1)        

A.N.B.C. JUDGES’ CODE OF PERFORMANCE 

(Includes Three Tier/Level Judging if space at venue is not sufficient for Two levels of judging) 

  1. All Judges should be suitably attired so as to present a professional image. If attire is supplied by state or zone ensure fittings are appropriate. ANBC Judges Badges should form part of this attire. 
  2. All judges must have a meeting prior to commencement of judging to ensure that they adopt a standard approach, which in turn will look to those watching to be uniform and professional.  It would be advisable for the show manager to attend this meeting.  A.N.B.C. National Judges Coordinator should also be present by invitation. 
  3. Only one stick (or paddle) per pair of Judges to be used simultaneously. 
  4. Where birds are being Judged on two (2) levels: 
    • [a] Stand well back [at least 2 metres] and as a team make a preliminary assessment of the class.   It may be necessary to move forward to get some of the birds to perch, but do not waste time on the ones that will not fully perch at this stage. Ensure however that all birds have perched at least momentarily and been viewed from both sides for completeness. 
    • [b] Move the initially assessed best birds on the top level and place in order of merit on first assessments (left to right unless instructed otherwise). 
    • [c] Place those still on lower level in order of merit on first assessment. 
    • [d] Compare the birds one against the other determining which is the better bird, it is at this stage that you may find cause to disqualify or penalise. Any disqualified birds are to be discarded to the end of the bottom row. 
    • [e] Uniformly move the lower level birds to the upper level and assess as per [d]. 
    • [f] Uniformly replace best birds to top level  
    • [g] Compare the best bird from the lower group with those at the end of the top group on the upper level. 
    • [h] Move birds to final position and ensure any birds disqualified have a cage space between them and those birds judged. 
    • [i] Check and overview the entire class to ensure no oversight has occurred. 
    • [j] Make the awards. 
  5. Where birds are being Judged on three (3) levels:
    Staging needs to be able to cater for 24 cages to ensure space is available to compare birds from one level to another – i.e. 3 x 8
    An actual uniform judging level is to be determined by the host state and this will usually be determined by the height and preference of all the judges selected. This level must be announced to the public prior to judging commencing (the ANBC preference is be the intermediate level however, if this determination varied the processes below would need to change). 

    • [a] Stand well back [at least 2 metres] and as a team make a preliminary assessment of the class.   It may be necessary to move forward to get some of the birds to perch, but do not waste time on the ones that will not fully perch at this stage. Ensure however that all birds have perched at least momentarily and been viewed from both sides for completeness.  
    • [b] Place the initially assessed 7 best birds to the top level and place in some order of merit on first assessments (left to right judging process is to be used at all times unless instructed otherwise).  
    • [c] Place those birds still remaining on the lower levels in some order of merit on first assessment with the higher placed birds on the intermediate level progressing to the lower placed birds on the lower level. If at this stage you find cause to disqualify a bird, these bird(s) are to be discarded to the end of the bottom row with remaining birds moved appropriately on the three levels. 
    • [d] Uniformly transpose the top-level birds with the intermediate level birds and judge these initially assessed best birds on that intermediate level by comparing the birds one against the other determining which the best bird is.
    • [e] After assessment uniformly replace these best birds back to the top level with this process leaving the intermediate birds on that level. 
    • [f] Compare the intermediate level birds in a similar fashion one against the other determining which are the better birds and place appropriately on that level.  
    • [g] Uniformly transpose the intermediate level birds with the lower level birds and compare these birds one against the other.  Ensure that any bird(s) that may have been disqualified remain unmoved on the right side of the lower level 
    • [h] After assessment uniformly replace these birds back to the lower level with the process leaving the intermediate birds on that intermediate level. 
    • [i] Compare the best bird from the lower group with those at the end of the intermediate group on the intermediate level. 
    • [j] Compare the best bird from the intermediate group with those at the end of the top group on the top level. 
    • [k] If there is any need to again review or compare birds at the top level do so by again making space on the intermediate level. Once this review is complete ensure that any birds moved are correctly replaced in original positions. 
    • [l] Move birds to final positions and ensure any birds disqualified have a cage space between them and those birds judged. 
    • [m] Check and overview the entire class to ensure no oversight has occurred. 
    • [n] Mark the awards 
  6. Each pair of Judges should have a note book and pen, to make notes for later reference
  7. Commentary is to be given on each class after it is judged with comment on Class in general and specific coverage on birds in the top row placings.  Comment on disqualifications or any severe penalties positioned on the bottom row is to be provided. During the commentary, other than for identifying the bird correctly, birds which are allowed combinations in the Class in accordance with the listed Groups for Combinations in the Standard or the ANBC Schedule of Classes are not to be specifically referred to.