CHRONICLE: Bird shows – yes or no
A lovely family of the Black-winged Lovebird (Agapornis taranta) consisting of a pair of parent birds and 3 chicks photographed at Vestegnens Fugleforening's bird show autumn 2011.
I have been asked on various occasions over the years why I no longer exhibit birds at one of the bird shows during the autumn.
The short answer is: "I have won all the prizes that I should have many years ago!" ….. and it is true that I have won a number of show trophies etc., but the real reason is completely different and among other things, primarily because I have become wiser.
Let me first state that I have a very ambivalent relationship with bird shows, partly because they represent many good aspects, partly because - unfortunately - participation in shows can involve great dangers and risks for the birds.
Let me start by outlining some of the positive factors of bird shows:
I really like going to bird shows both at home and abroad to see the many different species of birds (especially parrots), many of which are often exhibited with the harvested breeding results from the year's breeding season, and where you can see whole families of birds sitting in a row on a perch in beautifully decorated cages or aviaries.
Bird associations' board members and many ordinary members work tirelessly every autumn as voluntary labor in the weeks before the doors to the year's bird shows are opened in order - combined with sponsors' various forms of contribution - to make the experience for visitors to the associations' impressive annual highlight. In addition to the fact that entire exhibition areas can be beautifully decorated with beautifully arranged, cut trees, plants, flowers, etc. from nature, there are also cozy café options and tombola and - in certain cases - special activities for children, e.g. in the form of drawing competitions. In addition, there are activities such as diverse sales points within other relevant areas of interest or hobby branches, sales departments for the members' birds and information stands from e.g. “Landsorganisationen Danske Fugleforeninger” (the national Danish association of bird associations).
On annual basis bird shows also often gives access to column space in the local newspapers, whereby the bird associations can make their mark in the local environment. It is no secret that over the past several years the bird hobby has been in crisis, similar to a number of other previously very widespread hobbies such as e.g. philately, the aquarium hobby and model railway, etc. - keeping birds has roughly become an "old man's hobby", which is why the annual bird show is the obvious place to agitate for our exciting and lively hobby to the visitors. However, an exhibition only takes place once a year, and of course new members must be continuously tried to be recruited throughout the year, which in the future should probably be done on the young people's terms, namely through larger activities in the virtual world, such as the internet and social media.
I have the greatest respect for the people who - year after year - dedicate their free time to creating joy for other people in a sincere desire to pass on the good message about keeping cage birds.
In many contexts, an exhibition also serves a social function, as it also develops into a social gathering place for bird lovers from near and far who meet to have a little bird talk. In addition, the main aim of holding a bird show must probably be said to be the most important platform for mobilizing new members, regardless of whether the person is only interested in keeping a single bird as a pet or making a difference to nature by keeping them in pairs and letting them breed which is of special importance when it comes to rare species.
A pair of the colorful Crimson-bellied Conure (Pyrrhura perlata) photographed at the Helsingør Fuglevenner/Nordsjællands Fugleforening’s bird show in autumn 2011.
... but now for the negative things – bird shows are turning points of infection with incurable, serious infectious diseases:
In connection with arranging bird shows, birds from many different aviculturists - who in their own bird collection maintain very varying levels of hygiene - very often sit close to each other. Some of the serious incurable diseases that parrots and parakeets in particular can suffer from are extremely contagious. Participating with your birds at a bird show can therefore be like playing a lottery, where you bring healthy birds to the birds show and afterwards risk bringing sick birds’ home. These types of diseases do not necessarily mean that one's other birds become ill immediately afterwards, as the incubation period for some of these diseases in some cases can be very long.
After a very unpleasant experience a few years ago, I am now quite sure that I will never, ever exhibit birds again. Some of the parrots that I deal with are some of the rarer Lovebird species (genus Agapornis). Back in the spring of 2015, when I wanted to have my collection of one of these species supplemented, I contacted a foreign breeder who is known - and recognized - throughout Europe for having the best specimens of exactly this species, and as years after years have won "Best of show" awards at, among others the world's largest show for Lovebirds, namely the show, "BVA Masters", which the Belgische Vereniging Agapornis organizes every year in the city of Aalst. I therefore agreed with this breeder that I would like - if possible - to buy 10 pairs of young birds from a number of different breeding pairs, even if I first had to sign up for this and wait for the birds for approximately one year's time. After a little more than a year, I was then contacted by the breeder, who, among other things, sent me photos of his young birds that really had the quality I had requested. When we subsequently had to agree when I could come and pick up the young birds from the breeder in question, I asked my usual in-depth questions about the health of the birds. The breeder confirmed that his birds of course were healthy and well. However, I keep a so-called “closed bird collection”, which means that all newly purchased birds must be quarantined for a certain period and including clinically tested for a number of serious infectious diseases such as Avian Polyoma Virus (APV), Avian Borna Virus (ABV)/Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD), Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease (PBFD) and Chlamydia psittaci (Ornithosis). I had been informed by the foreign breeder that he had placed the birds that I had to collect from him in a completely new extension to his bird house. It was agreed that a number of random clinical samples should be taken among the birds, and then all birds would subsequently be tested for the above-mentioned diseases upon arrival in Denmark. The breeder had clinical tests done on 10 of the 20 birds that we had agreed that I should buy, but when the results of the blood tests came from the laboratory, the results were shocking, as a total of 7 of the birds had tested positive for one of the most contagious, serious viral diseases that can be imagined, namely Avian Polyoma Virus. The breeder did not seem particularly surprised or shocked by this result. He told me that it was his impression that more or less all Lovebirds carried these diseases, which I could tell him was definitely not the case. When he realized how serious the situation was, he asked me on several occasions for advice on what to do, since he also had some other more expensive parrot species in his bird collection, and because over many years he had purposefully worked on to build an award-winning strain of this particular Lovebird species. I answered him, that the way forward was to immediately put down all visibly sick birds and test all birds and afterwards also put down the healthy carriers that tested positive. It then had to be combined with extensive cleaning and disinfection of both the bird house, aviary facility, cages, bottom layer, equipment, etc. I also directed him to consult a veterinarian specialized in bird diseases as soon as possible. I was therefore very surprised when I learned shortly afterwards that this breeder again exhibited his birds at the "BVA Masters 2016" in Aalst, where he once again won "Best of show" with his birds. It made me think about how many places in Europe there are birds sitting from this breeder who are healthy carriers of this incurable, serious, contagious disease. At the BVA's shows, the Lovebirds from many different places in Europe - but also in the world – and they are placed in small exhibition cages close to each other, and healthy biological work processes are not used, which otherwise also could prevent pathogens from being transmitted from one small exhibition cage to the next. Next, both the exhibiting aviculturists and the visitors can carry pathogens on their clothing which also transmit infection. The exhibition thereby becomes a "central" for contagion and the spread of serious diseases. It is deeply irresponsible and reprehensible that associations are more interested in creating standard descriptions of the various Lovebird species with associated countless mutations and in winning prizes for this instead of focusing on the birds being healthy and fit by ensuring something as basic as to avoid serious diseases arising and spreading among our birds at an exhibition.
The "BVA Masters", organized every autumn by the Belgische Vereniging Agapornis and held in the city of Aalst, features thousands of Lovebirds (most color mutations) coming from large parts of Europe and exhibited close to each other in small display cages. This photo is from the exhibition in 2010.
Generally speaking, holding of bird shows in the northern hemisphere in autumn is also a challenge, as birds, when they are acclimatized to live outside in the cold weather, are taken to a bird show over 3 days in a weekend, where they sit indoors in a heated hall. When, after the bird show is over, the birds have to return home to their outdoor aviaries, problems arise, especially if the weather is really cold. Over the years, this has unfortunately cost a number of exhibition birds their lives, as they are also exposed to intensively stress during the entire process.
In summary, it can be stated that it does not serve the well-being of the birds to be exhibited, so it is only an activity that aims to fulfill a number of human needs such as e.g. to gain recognition by winning a prize, to socialize with others and an opportunity to recruit new members of the bird associations.
Whether one wants to exhibit one's birds at an exhibition is of course solely up to the individual aviculturist's attitude and conscience to decide, I shall not interfere in that. Therefore, consider this chronicle solely as a contribution to the debate surrounding the issues of exhibiting caged birds.
Jorgen Petersen
Conceived/Updated: 31.01.2017 / 12.01.2024
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Photo from Køge Fugleforening's bird show autumn 2021, where 4 stunning juvenile birds of the Yellow-winged Blue-fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva xanthopteryx) - which really showed how this species naturally should look - quite deservedly ran, i.a. with the prize, "The best number of the show".