Quality On The Show Bench In Bahrain

When DAVE BROWN fulfilled an invitation to judge the zebra finches at the Bahrain Zebra Finch and Budgerigar Club’s show this year, he was well impressed at the quality of birds set in front of him – and some of the birdrooms he visited made an equal impression.

IN THE past decade the cage bird fancy in the Gulf states and Bahrain, in particular, has seen not only clubs and well-run shows evolve, but also the development of studs containing birds of excellent quality. This is mainly due to the support of a band of dedicated fanciers.

Having had to sadly turn down an invitation a couple of years ago, I was delighted that circumstance this time allowed me to accept an offer to judge the “English” zebra finches at the 2018 Bahrain Zebra Finch and Budgerigar Club show.

The invite was received from Zahed Ahmed, a fancier unrivalled when it comes to enthusiasm for networking and organisational skills. His passion for the hobby means that he has visited shows around Europe and the UK to learn and implement the best practice at home, and his bird knowledge has led him to be invited to judge a range of species in other countries such as Dubai, Morocco and Pakistan.

Fellow Brit Ron Pearce (the perfect travelling companion) was invited to judge the budgerigars and both of us were amazed by the level of hospitality provided by Zahed and fellow members of the club. Special mention should be made to Abdullah Moh’d who acted as our guide for our stay and ensured we were fed, watered and saw the sights, including traditional tea in the sooq (market) and wild flamingo spotting.