The cadence, which is largely used to analyze and comprehend the song, is
a successive repetition of the different syllables, as in an uninterrupted
form, semi-slow (like the case of the water glucks), as in a rapid form, like
the water bubbles (Bol), the bells, etcŠ
To
have as an end the selection of a certain form, in such a way so as to bring
us to the formation of a race of song canaries, it is necessary to keep in
mind two possible directions:
a)
³Wet² song
direction
b)
³Hollow² song
direction
These
two song directions are dependent on the structure of the vocal organ or syrinx.
In the case of the malinois canary, one must always seek the ³wet²
song direction. Although it is possible to obtain a mixed
song direction, it is not advisable because it brings nothing to the object
of perfecting the song.
The
malinois canary must be specifically prepared for contests and there be evaluated.
The principal of valuation is based on the divisibility by three. The grades of valuation are: superior, medium, and inferior; or said another way: very good, good, and passable.
In
order to appreciate the quality of the song one must keep in mind the following
points:
a)
the manner of executing the
song
b)
the selection of the consonants
and vowels that compose the syllables
c)
the order in which the tours
are emitted
d)
the repetition, more or less
frequent, of certain valuable tours
e)
the depth of the song
f)
the song direction and cadence
of the tours
g)
the integrity of the song composition
For
the appreciation of the different song tours one must also keep three levels
in mind:
a)
high and hard song, always of
lower quality
b)
song of medium sonority, valid
and good, and therefore of medium quality
c)
deep song, song of very good
quality, thus of superior quality
Possibly
the woutes (a certain class of flute) and the balancing sounds (schokkel‹trans.)
will soon join the unclassified tours (improvised tours‹trans.); although
they figure on the standard at present, they seem to have disappeared.
Negative
Song Tours
These
damage the musicality or the harmony of the song. In the majority of the cases they are due to the influence
of the surroundings, although they may also occur due to the ill health, chronic
or temporary, of the bird that emits them. he produces, therefore, tours that are sharp or tours that
are nasal.
Aspirations,
in particular, may be considered as a necessary evil, since they are more
of accelerations of the respiration than negative song tours. It is for this reason that they are at
least valuated as neutral song tours and for that reason without penalty. The principal negative song tours in order
of increased gravity are:
a)
aspiration, riet
b)
sharp tones
c)
nasal tones
d)
³chop² which excludes the bird
from the contest
Specifically
Malinois Song Tours
Among
the diverse song tours that may be interpreted by the malinois, some are considered
as specifically belonging to that race:
a)
the
three water tours (Klokkende, Bollende, Rollende)
b)
the metallic notes, particularly
the ³tjonks²
c)
the woutes and the soutes (kinds
of flutes)
The
³soutes², the ³tjonks², and the ³woutes² are tours of the nightingale and
some authors compare this bird to the malinois.
In
concluding with the elements that serve to help with the analysis of the song
tours, it is necessary to add a few words on the different movements possible
in the song composition of the malinois:
- movement
in a straight line
- movement
in an ascending line
- movement
in a descending line
- movement
in a curved line
In summation, this technical analysis
permits us to undertake the study of the song in a simple manner; to treat
it by listening and representing the sounds with syllables which are analyzed
to determine the vowels and consonants used.
By means of the cadence and the composition of the syllables or sounds
we may appreciate the tours of the song and their value.
Analysis
of the Song Tours
Positive
Song Tours
Water
Gluck (Hammered Water Sound)
This
is a superior tour whose name in Castilian is a translation of the Flemish
³Klokkende Waterslag².
The
water gluck is formed of composed syllables or sounds, the most important
of which are: GLUK, GLUIC, GLUAC,
WLUC, WLUIC, WLUAC, HLUC, HLUIC, HLUAC, KLOK, GLUI, WLUI, BLUI. The result is that in each syllable one
always encounters the consonant ³L² and never the consonant ³R².
The
water glucks may be emitted in a straight line, an ascending line, a descending
line, or in a curved line.
The
desirable consonants in the water gluck are, in order of their value: WL, GL, BL, HL, but in the majority of
cases one encounters BL or GL and rarely WL or HL.
The
optimal vowels are, in descending order of importance: UI, U, UA, and O. The vowels A, E, I give water glucks of
lesser value and also produce a sound which hard and dry. The quality of the water sound, the selection
of the consonants and vowels, the profundity of the tone, the rhythm and movement
of this tour are also factors that influence the quality of the water gluck.
The basal sound may be compared with large drops that fall repeatedly
into a half-full receptacle, producing a resonance that reminds us of a wet
echo.
This
tour is exclusive to the ³malinois² song canary and designated by aficionados
as ³Klok² and must be emitted with a closed beak. Its maximum value is 12 points. In the emission of a perfect water gluck one always hears the
play of water in a dominant manner, a profound and grave tone, and a slow
to very slow cadence.
Bubbling
Water (Accelerated Water Sound)
Bubbling
water is the Castilian term for ³Bollende Waterslag². The usual term used among breeders is ³Bol².
Specifically
³malinois², this tour is classified among the superior tours. 9 points is the maximum awarded for this
classification.
It
has the character of a composed sound:
a deep tone and the play of water.
The
bubbling water tour is emitted with a closed beak. Its phonetic syllables are: WU, BU, and HU.
The
fundamental differences between bubbling water and water gluck consist in
the profundity of tone and slowness; it is given with less force in favor
of greater length. The cadence
of ³Bol² is more rapid than that of ³Klok².
The
structure of the vocal organ of the malinois permits the emission of bubbling
water with surprising facility. For
that reason, this song tour is not to ever be missing from the repertoire
of the race of birds.
The
bubbling water tour may be compared with the sound when air bubbles escape
from a semi-covered bottle introduced into the water or with the sound of
an aquarium aeration system run by an air pump.
To
evaluate the good quality of the bubbling water one must review the following
points:
a)
selection of consonants and
vowels
b)
depth of the tour
c)
an accelerated, regular rhythm
of the different emissions
d)
a prolonged tour, but not exaggerated
e)
a wet and never metallic sonority
Rollende
(Rolled Water)
³Rollende
Waterslag² is the Flemish name for rolled water. The usual term used is ³Rol². As its name indicates, this is not a beaten tour but a rolled
one. Of medium character, its
maximum point value is 6 points. It
is also specific to the malinois and is sung with a closed beak.
The
phonetic composition of rolled water is as follows: LU, LO, WU, WO, that is to say, the fundamental sound is ³U²
or ³O² in combination with the consonants ³L² and ³W².
When
blowing through a straw into a receptacle of water with a rapid cadence, the
sound of the play of water which is provoked is similar in an approximate
way to the tour in question.
Due
to its classification among the medium tours, the rolled water or ³Rollende
Waterslag² may sometimes be notable and agreeable to the ear when it is pure
of tone, form, and rhythm. As
M. Peleman said: ³The rolled
water obtains the maximum of points when for its euphony, its rhythm, its
purity, and its undulating movement, it holds a great attraction and enchantment,
which is difficult to ask more from.²
It
is not rare during the emission of the Rol, or at the end of it, to encounter
an irritating sound which is slightly surprising; it is a type of call considered
as an inversion of respiration, a sound emitted with the beak open and which
presents itself as an inhalation or aspiration in the midst of the song emission.
One must, therefore, consider it a necessary evil.
On the other hand, if this ³call² is truly disagreeable, it may be
penalized by one or two negative points.
Differentiating
between the three cited water tours is relatively easy. In effect, in the water gluck or ³Klok²
one hears the syllables or separated sounds, well-marked and beaten. Bubbling water or ³Bol² is emitted with
the syllables more united and less beaten while the rolled water or ³Rol²
is better described as a flowing set of syllables which are close together
and rapid. However, what characterizes
them all is the deep undertone.
The
malinois uses less force to emit the rolled water tour than to emit the gluck;
for this reason it may be sustained for a longer period.
In
speaking of Rollende Waterslag, one must also mention the ³Waterroll-Wasserroll² or ³Clapotis-splash² which is calculated to be of the same
form, but without figuring on the score sheet.
By
its natural sound, this tour cannot be confused with others. The sound of moving water is perceptible
in whatever form; all that is heard is recognizable as the play of splashing
water.
The
words ³Waterroll² or ³Wasserroll² indicate, in effect, a series of rolled
sounds whose phonetic transcription regularly includes the letter ³R² together
with other consonants and vowels. When
one hears a good Wasserroll, one has the sensation of hearing the water of
a brook, flowing well, striking against the rocks.
These
notes may be transcribed as follows:
- RODOGWODLRODLIRODLOREŠ
- GWADIRADIWAWARLRADIŠ
- BLUIDRIDRLIONLLNRIOLŠ
In
summation, Rollende Waterslag is the water sound emitted with the vowels U
or O and consonants L and W in syllables which are connected to one another. The Wasserroll is habitually emitted with
the same vowels as Rollende and with the consonants W-L-G-B-D, always in combination
with R. Whatever the order of
the consonants, one clearly perceives the R which is the principle characteristic
of the Clapotis or splash.
Flutes
Practically
all malinois, like the majority of birds, emit flutes. Their diversity is great and they may
be divided into high, sharp, aspirated, gulped, dry, deep, and wet.
They
are classified among the superior tours.
It is not a song tour which is specifically malinois and a maximum
of 9 points may be attributed to it.
Sharp
and high flutes and those that are aspirated have no value. Often they are defective and must be considered
negative. Their syllables are
constructed with an obscure ³i² and with the initial consonants S-R-Ts.
Moreover, if the flutes are rapid and consist of the syllables Si-Si
or Tsi-Tsi or Zit-Zit they are defective.
Flutes
that are forced, breathy, and monotonous are considered medium. Those that are profound and grave with
a ³U² are of very good quality.
In
order for a flute to be valued in the good quality range, it must be emitted
very slowly, in a continuous manner, with a more or less undulating movement
(ascending and descending) and with a closed beak. ³U² is the fundamental sound (pronounced like ³oo² in the English
word smooth‹trans.), accompanied by the consonants S-Z-Ts. The best flutes are those called ³soutes²
(Soeten) and are
represented by the syllables Tsut-Zut-Sut-Tut.
There
exists a variation of flute emitted under the form of an undulating ³Klok²,
of a somewhat grave tone. Following the same movement as the water gluck but
without the fundamental sound of the play of water. The phonetic representations are the following: Blui, Hlui, and Wlui. It is evident that this tour induces confusion.
If the bird presents it in its perfect form within a Stam or team,
it may therefore receive a mistaken score.
In
summation, this tour must be listened to with the maximum attention. One of the missions of the judge is to
avoid the attribution of points for the diverse tours which may add value
to a bird which in reality does not merit it.
It
is necessary to remember that a good flute must be slow, sustained, prolonged,
more or less rhythmic, and has as it principal sounds ³U² or a smooth ³Y²,
S, Z, Ts. This song tour can
be quite valuable if the bird emits it gravely, profoundly, undulatingly,
and of the manner that is perceived Tsut or Zut.
One
must keep in mind that a flute with the principal sound ³i² has no more than
medium value and should be awarded points accordingly.
Metallic
Notes
This
is the Castilian translation of the Flemish ³Staaltonen². ³Tjonken² or ³Chonks² are the phonetic
imitations of one possible variant of the metallic note.
This
is a tour which is proper to the malinois, in particular the Chonk. It is classified among the superior tours
and is also beaten. Its maximum
point value is 9.
In
order to determine that metallic notes are of good quality, it is necessary
to keep the following points in mind:
- selection
of the consonants and vowels
- cadence
and sound of the tour
- slow and
regular rhythm
- movement
of the emissions
- the metallic
sound of the tour
This
note is similar to the resonance produced by beating a suspended metal tube
with a metal rod.
The
different metallic compositions of the metallic notes are: Ting, Tong, Toeng, Tung, Chonk, Chunk.
Contrary
to the majority of the tours of the malinois song canary, the birds may emit
the metallic notes with the beak slightly open without damaging the sonority,
always provided that the tour is not so hard that it offends the ear.
Chor
and Knorr
Although
combined within the same rubric, these are two very distinct tours; the difference
resides essentially in the fact that the Chor is short while the Knorr is
presented as a roll in an elongated and continuous manner.
Knorr
and Chor are sung with a closed beak.
If at the start one hears a profound sound, with an undulating movement,
which the canary emits before Chor, this is called Schokkel-Chor when it has
the characteristics of a beaten tour with three or four emissions in a row.
Schokkel-Chor is the Flemish for Balancing-Chor (in Spanish the Schokkel
is known as Balancing note‹trans.).
One should remember that Chor is a tour proper to the nightingale.
Woutes
In
Flemish this is written ³Wouten². Here
we deal with a phonetic imitation, a sound without variation, composed of
consonants and vowels in the following order: w-u-t-e. Actually, the phoneme ³u² with or without ³t² after it is tolerated.
A
hollow song tour, its maximum point value is 6. Quality Woutes have the following characteristics:
- exact
selection of consonants and vowels
- slow and
regular rhythm
- profundity
of the tour
- emission
with a closed beak
Today
this tour has practically disappeared.
This is due to the selection of an exclusively wet direction, rather
than a hollow one of which Woutes are a part.
Bells
(Bellen)
³Bells²
is the Castilian translation of the Flemish term ³Bellen². This tour pertains to the medium type
and may obtain a maximum of 6 points.
A beaten and ³marked² tour, always beginning with the consonant ³L²,
it must be emitted with a closed beak.
In
order to be of good quality the bells must possess:
·
proper selection of consonants
and vowels
·
rhythm and cadence of the emitted
syllables
·
profundity of the tour
·
musicality of the tour
The
diverse phonetic possibilities are:
LI-LU-LING-LUNG-LIUNG.
Some
specialists in malinois song particularly appreciate this tour, always assuming
it has no imperfection.
Rolled
Timbres
This
is called ³Belrol² in Flemish and constitutes a tour which is uninterrupted;
its quality is founded in:
- the appropriate
selection of consonants and vowels
- regular
and continuous rhythm of the tour
- fusion
of the syllables
- metallic
sound and vibrant pronunciation of the consonant ³R² associated with the
vowels I-U-O.
The
rolled timbre is a vibrating rather than beaten tour which sometimes seems
like the ringing of a telephone. Its
tone is moderately elevated with the possibility of dry, hard, and sometimes
nasal and vulgar tours. In order
to emit it, the bird may be obliged to slightly open its beak.
One
must keep in mind that judges appreciate those rolled timbres which are short
and repeated as being more harmonious.
Rolled
Flutes
Rolled
flutes is the translation of the Flemish ³Fluitenrol².
A
medium tour, it may obtain a maximum of 6 points, if and when the canary emits
it with a closed beak.
These
rolls are nothing more than consecutive flutes emitted at an accelerated cadence.
Good quality is always a function of the vowels and consonants utilized: in particular the consonant ³R² must be slightly perceptible;
the regular but accelerated rhythm, the movement and the profundity of the
undertone are the key factors. Phonetically, rolled flutes are presented constructed, by preference,
with the consonants D-T-R associated with the vowels U-O-I. Among the numerous variants are more appreciated
combinations based on the following syllables: Ru-Ro-Ru-Ru-Ro.
Tjoks‹Rolled
Tjoks
³Tjok²
is the Flemish onomatopoeic term for this type of song. The Castilian translation is ³Toc² or
³Tsoc² (it can also be rolled).
- it is
a tour which is worth a maximum of 6 points
- it is
also a tour beaten uninterruptedly (interruptedly?‹trans.)
- it is
sung with a closed beak
For
a Tsoc to be of good quality it is necessary to: obtain a correct selection of consonants and vowels, tone,
rhythm, purity, and movement of the tour.
The cadence must be slow, and the syllables well marked.
This
is a tour which is very much appreciated by the aficionados, is easy to recognize,
and is almost impossible to confuse with another type. The sound of knocking on a wooden door
with one¹s knuckles is a good approximation of the Tsoc.
This
tour is negative when the bird utilizes the vowel ³U² instead of ³O².
There
exists a variant of Tsoc, the Rolled Tsoc, which is uninterrupted, giving
the same impression as a rolled tour.
Although it is treated as a very spectacular variation, it is less
appreciated than the first Tsoc; we insist that Rolled Tsoc is a variant although
it figures on the score sheet (Rolled Tsoc or ³Tjokkenrol² in Flemish).
It is necessary to avoid confusing repeated
Tsocs with Rolled Tsocs.
Improvised
Tours
In
reality we are talking about song tours that are not classified on the standard.
In effect, in the past a more numerous repertoire of tours was attributed
to the malinois than what is actually done today, these simply being certain
variants. The most important were:
- Deep Roll
(Heulrol or Holrol)
- Glu (or
Glucken)
- Laugher
or Laughter Tour (Lachtour)
To this list one should add ³Woutes² and
³Soutes² and also ³Schokkel² and its variant ³Waterschokkel² which are practically
lost.
Negative
Song Tours
Fortunately,
it is rare to encounter these at contests, although for that reason one should
not think that these tours no longer exist. The reason for their absence is, no doubt, the rigor with which
the breeders listen to their canaries before taking them to contests.
Negative
song tours are those that are not valuable, not acceptable, nor recommended,
and which ³offend² the ear or damage the musicality of the song composition
of the malinois. It originates
in the majority of cases from the influence of surrounding sounds, always
by means of an incompatibility with the vocal structure of the singer. This is the case with song canaries that
live in the same aviary with color, posture, or type canaries or with native
finches or hybrids, etcŠ
Other
causes rest in poor conditions of health or sanitation, whether temporary
or chronic (from these conditions arise sharp and nasal tours). These defective tours may also be encountered
among birds whose parents or grandparents are not of pure malinois race.
The
negative song tours, in order of increasing gravity are:
- aspiration
³RIET²
- sharp
tours ³HOGE-SPITSE²
- ³SNETTER²,
³SNITTER², TI, TE
- nasal
tours ³NEUZIGE-TOUREN²
- ³TJEP²,
³TSIET², and ³TJAP² (CHOP)
Negative
song tours are not hereditary song tours, but they are contagious; it is more
probable that a bird copies what he hears, and from this fact we see the importance
of the breeder being able to recognize them.
If
the negative song tours originate in a bad state of health or sanitation,
it is logical to think that once these are treated, they will disappear. In every case it is necessary to eliminate
those canaries which present these defects from the aviary, especially at
breeding time, lest the new singers copy them from an early age.
Form
of penalization of these negative tours is the following:
- one negative
point for all those song tours that are not dangerous (this is a warning
signal)
- two negative
points for the dangerous cases; on these occasions it will be difficult
for the breeder to eliminate the defect
The
penalization of one point is reserved for flutes or rolled timbres that are
too high, or for a small aspiration, with the end of calling attention to
it. These defects are not too grave overall
if the bird realizes a worthy point total.
Sharp
tours stand out in metallic notes, flutes, bells, and timbres (Belrol). The malinois song canary has a great capacity
for learning and reproducing nasal tours. Accelerated rhythm diminishes the profundity and roundness
of the tone.
There
exist birds that are predisposed to sing negative song: those that possess a repertoire that is
almost complete, that is to say, that accumulate a great quantity of tours.
Of these canaries it is said that they are saturated.
It
so happens that the vocal structure of these birds doesn¹t permit any one
to obtain a complete song as foreseen in the standard. The wet direction is the only valid criterion to guide possible
advances. The breeder must therefore
rely on a limited number of tours, endowed with purity, profundity, and roundness.
The
³aspiration² is considered an inevitable evil. It is a catch in the breath (gasp) and cannot be included among
the negative song tours. The
exaggerated reiteration of the aspiration is a motive for a one or two point
penalty, according to the damage suffered by the musicality and harmony of
the song composition of the bird.
The negative tour CHOP (TJAP) is the most
dangerous of all, and also the most contagious; for this reason its emission
supposes the disqualification of the malinois canary. Fortunately, it has disappeared almost
completely.
Judgment
of the Malinois Canary
The
evaluation or judgment of the malinois has as its objective the attribution,
by means of listening to it, of an exact value for the song of the bird. As it is logical to suppose, this value
is not valid beyond the song actually performed during the judgment; that
is to say, one cannot value those tours which are not sung. Therefore, a badly trained bird or one in a deficient physical
condition will not execute its song repertoire in a complete form during the
contest.
During
training the breeder must especially attend to the canary being accustomed
to singing when ³he is required to².
Basis
of Judgment
The
repertoire of the malinois song canary encompasses twelve different phrases
or ³tours², recognized on the World Show standard by the COM (World Ornithological
Confederation), by the FOCDE (Federation for Cultural and Sport Ornithology),
and likewise by all of the foreign specialty federations.
For
valuation, the song tours are classified into:
- superior
tours
- medium
tours
- inferior
tours
The
point value for the first group runs from 0 to 9, except for the water gluck
(Klok) to which is conceded from 0 to 12 points; from 0 to 6 for the medium
tours; the inferior tours receive from 0 to 3 points.
In
valuation one uses divisibility by three.
This system will be better understood with an example: for a medium tour, qualifying for a maximum
of 6 points, one concedes 2 points if it is passable, 3 or 4 if it is good,
5 or 6 if the tour is very good.
We
have, then, three subcategories:
- very good
quality rendition of the song tour
- good quality
rendition of the song tour
- passable
quality rendition of the song tour
Table
of Points
In
order to determine the value of each song tour, the judge keeps the following
aspects in mind:
- selection
of consonants and vowels employed
- cadence
and rhythm of the tour
- movement
and profundity of the tour
- repetition
of the song tour
Impression
To
reward a bird which makes a favorable impression, the judge may attribute
from one to three points to it.
Team
Harmony
The
term ³harmony² derives from the classical Greek and signifies a composition
(a combining‹trans.). In our
case we treat, naturally, of a musical composition (the notes Do, Me, So sounded
together at the same time form harmony).
Commonly,
one understands by the term team
the grouping of four canaries belonging to the same breeder. Team harmony may be defined as a combination
of quality and similarity. When
four canaries sing in harmony, there exists a sensible uniformity and homogeneity
among their songs. On the other
hand, when uniformity in the quartet is missing, one clearly perceives a discord
of notes.
A
team of malinois in harmony gives the breeder a guarantee of song quality
among their descendents.
In
1962, in the Judges¹ Commission of the COM, a proposal was introduced to give
teams a score in harmony. The
proposal was accepted, and in 1963 the following was decided: ³Each team of four canaries may obtain,
beyond their point total, one, two, or three supplementary points for the
song harmony that exists between the four subjects.²
The
points are attributed as follows:
- for ³sufficient²
song harmony, 1 point
- for ³good²
song harmony, 2 points
- for ³very
good² song harmony, 3 points
It
is obvious that when no harmony exists no points are given for it, not even
in a case where the four examples, individually, are excellent.
The
points for harmony are not multiplied by three; they are simply added to the
total obtained by the team.
The
harmony points are given exclusively to the merit of the breeder, who has
enough knowledge to present a uniform and homogenous group.
Negative
Points
Beyond
rewarding the canaries, the judge also has the faculty to penalize each negative
song tour by one, two, or three points, following also in this case the divisibility
by three.
·
1 point:
taken for negative tours or faults which are of little importance and,
in any case, correctable
·
2 points:
penalizing grave but not contagious faults
·
3 points:
taken for negative tours or faults which are very grave and contagious
(Earlier, the cases in which the judge
may determine to exclude a bird were already explained).
Physical
Aspects or Standard
With
the erroneous conviction of improving the song, many breeders have crossed
the waterslager race with other song races or with color or posture canaries. In this way the number of malinois of
pure race has diminished appreciably while the number of ³crossbred² canaries
has been augmented. It goes without
saying that this lamentable system, since the malinois canary is a subject
which is typically robust, strong, and sound, causes the degeneration of the
race with these crosses.
For
this reason it is recommended that malinois breeders work on pairings which
continue purity and not crosses which yield mixed canaries, in order to conserve
the general physical aspects of the race, given the relationship between posture,
form, and robustness and the profound and melodious song of the malinois canary.
The
Dutch and Belgians, by common accord, established, approximately forty years
ago, the following characteristics as a ³type standard²:
- head: small, beak conical, eyes black and
brilliant
- neck: fine and long
- body: rounded, back well filled, breast
notable and broad
- wings: held well next to the body without
crossed tips
- legs and
feet: of medium length, fine
- tail: well closed
- plumage: smooth and bright, without frills
- color: yellow or spotted yellow, the spots
must not exceed 75% of the plumage
- position: slightly curved
- length: about 16.5 cm (6.5 inches‹trans.)
- condition: good health, without any sign of
illness
The
COM also accepted this standard in the OMJ Congress of 1970 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Naturally, the notable and broad breast and the fine and long neck
hold a relation to the volume and form of the respiratory apparatus; in the
song function, the slightly curved posture at the moment of emitting the song
is also important.
Furthermore,
one must keep in mind the original colors expressed, not only in reference
to the plumage, but also in terms of the eye color.
The
original colors are, in one way, a guarantee for obtaining an original and
pure malinois song. It does not
fit the standard of this canary to have red factors, opals, agates cinnamons,
and isabels, etc. Likewise,
and for the same reasons, there should not be plum or red eye color. In the same way, the presence of frilled
plumage denounces a fault in racial purity.
All
of the defects of type standard lead one to suppose the presence of unorthodox
crosses, as in the case of crosses with canaries of the Harz race, color canaries,
posture or frilled canaries.
Feeding
During Contests
In
these periods, the birds must eat rape seed (40%) and canary grass seed (60%);
this proportion of seed was approved as a Belgian proposal at the Assembly
of the OMJ-COM at the World Show held at Alicante (Spain) in January of 2000
since numerous observations had demonstrated that the birds were more completely
nourished with the combination than with canary grass seed alone.
The mixture indicated above may perfectly
supply nutrition without risk to the health of the canary; notwithstanding,
there exist as many seed combinations as there are breeders.
It is enough to here remember that the giving of hemp and pealed
oats is extremely inadvisable as prejudicial to the good song of the canary. Niger is indispensable.
Place
of Judgment
For
the maximum song output from the examples at a contest, in the area of judgment
and its surroundings, there must not be drafts and the light must be artificial
and not intense. The shelves
are to be sufficiently wide to prevent waste falling from the cages above
and the cages are to be located in the same order as they were assigned; they
are to be separated by board dividers in order to prevent the canaries from
seeing each other.
A
curtain is to cover the cages and they are only uncovered for thirty minutes
each four hours. Between the
floor level and the lowest shelf there must be a minimum space of one meter. If the ambient air is excessively dry,
a receptacle of water with some eucalyptus leaves in it should be placed on
a warm radiator.
If
it is possible, the judgment should be effected within booths which measure
approximately 2 meters high by 1.8 meters wide and 2.73 meters long (about
6-1/2 feet by 6 feet by 9 feet‹trans.); the light should be adequate, without
dazzling the canary, to allow the judge to determine with facility that the
canary is emitting the tour being scored.
The distance between the judge and the canaries is to be approximately
1.5 meters (about 5 feet‹trans.).
The
temperature in the judging booth should be approximately 20 degrees C (68
degrees F‹trans.). The booths
should have an ample front window covered with mosquito cloth in such a way
that from outside the judgment may be observed by the breeders who must remain
in total silence and may only enter or exit the area in the intervals when
the birds are changed.
The
order of judgment is drawn daily and 20 minutes is employed for each group
of individuals or team. If only
three examples on a team sing, they may not receive any type of award, beyond
the number score obtained. No
canary presented on a team may obtain an award as an individual, not even
if the rest have died or have not sung.
The order of position of the birds on the table is the following:
Individuals
participate in groups of 4, whether or not bred by the same breeder; they
are staged in the same form in such a manner that the one with the lowest
number goes into the A position and that with the highest number into the
D position.
This
form of staging the cages for judging malinois song canaries was approved,
at the request of the Belgian judges at the OMJ-COM Assembly of the World
Show at Ieper (Belgium) in January, 2002.
The
results of the judgment are to be kept secret until they are officially announced
publicly.
Food
and water are to be placed into the feeders and drinkers from the receptacles,
these must not be dipped into tubs or anything like that; the aim of this
rule is to avoid contagious diseases from being passed from one bird to another.
If
the contest examples are removed after judgment, the Competition Committee
is to effect the band check immediately after their judgment.
The
number of examples which may be judged per day per judge is 80.
The
cages must conform to the following:
they must be constructed of wood; their dimensions are 20 cm high,
15 cm wide, and 21 cm long (about 8 inches by 6 inches by 8-1/4 inches‹trans.). Seen from the front, the drinker is located
on the left and the feeder is on the right. The first perch must be located on the third wire from the
feeder side and the second on the sixth counting from the door. They may be the property of the exhibitor,
but they must conform strictly to the norms in form and especially in reference
to any recognizable external signs.
For
the attribution of prizes, the minimum point scores required, including points
for harmony, are the following (see the table below).
At
the proposal of Belgium, these minimum scores to obtain a prize were approved
at the OMJ-COM Assembly at the World Show at Alicante (Spain) in January,
2000.
|
|
PRIZE
|
TEAM
|
INDIVIDUAL
|
|
Section B
(song malinois)
|
1st
2nd
3rd
|
372
360
348
|
96
93
90
|
|
Section B
(song-color malinois)
|
1st
2nd
3rd
|
320
300
280
|
80
75
70
|
|
Section B
(song-color malinois‹final)
|
1st
2nd
3rd
|
(650) 325
(618) 309
(586) 293
|
(164) 82
(156) 78
(148) 74
|
In
case there are various birds with score sheets with the same score and meet
the prize requirements, one proceeds by comparing the particular point scores
beginning with the principal note (water gluck); that which has more points
is first, and if the impasse persists one continues to proceed by comparing
all of the score one by one, including the impression score, and finally one
takes into account the negative scores.
At
the proposal of Belgium, this form of tie breaking was for malinois song canaries
was approved in the Assembly of the OMJ-COM judges at the World Show at Ieper
(Belgium).
Disqualification
A
bird must be disqualified when it is sick or disabled, for reasons of identification,
or when there has been a ³manipulation². In these cases it need not be scored and
its score card must be nullified and signed by the judge.
It
must be remitted without delay to a member of the Commission of Control. Disqualifications must be witnessed and
controlled by three members of the aforementioned Committee, who sign the
score sheet after having written the word ³disqualified² and the reasons for
it.
Declassification
There
is reason to declassify (remove from the class‹trans.) a bird when its dark
markings cover more than 75% of its plumage.
In this case, the score card is filled in and the observations area
is filled in with the reason for the declassification, and by this the bird
has no claim to an award, but it is to be judged like all the other malinois.
Song-Color
The white birds which are presented to
the contest are judged with the same score sheet as that used for the rest
of the malinois; the judge must fill the observations area in with the phrase
Song-Color. The bird is thereby
³declassified² from the contest of the rest of the malinois and passed on
to participate in the Song-Color contest, assuming that the Association
has arranged for a color judge to evaluate it, and in the case that they
have publicized this ahead of time for the Song-Color variety or white malinois
birds in their show program.
THIS STANDARD was created by the Technical Commission
of the Malinois Song Canary at the reunion of the commissions celebrated in
Toledo in September of 2002, taking the COM Standard as a basis since we adhere
to it in all its norms.
- Technical
Commission of the Malinois Song Canary
- Francisco
Cabello Pedraza, President
