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‘Finchers’ more than mates for their pets
Let’s go: Bird cages are hung up inside a tent as a bird contest is set to begin
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Let’s go: Bird cages are hung up inside a tent as a bird contest is set to begin. (JP/Musthofid)
Like an athlete, a songbird needs physical training and ample nutrition, and like a singer, a songbird needs a recording, the requirements sought to make beautiful singing as the bird lovers, also known as finchers, look away from home for pride and satisfaction.
An open plot of land in the vicinity of a residential complex in Depok in the southern outskirts of Jakarta has lately become crowded with bird lovers.
The activity can hardly be seen from the road, from which the area is separated by a Dutch-era canal and shady trees.
It’s quiet, but entering the area through a small entrance on the other side, one finds a noisy flurry, with songbirds taking part in a contest.
Dozens of finches inside their cages, suspended on numbered hooks of a canopied marquee, were humming chirps while the finchers stood outside, watching them intently. Some made body gestures to encourage their birds to sing. The term fincher is derived from Dutch vinkeniers or bird enthusiasts, who usually participate in what they call vinkensport or finch sport primarily active in the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in Belgium. Male chaffinches are reportedly made to compete for the highest number of bird calls in an hour.
As focused as the owners, the judges monitored the birds with scoring sheets in their hands.
The competition list that day consisted of 16 classes, with the birds put to the test including lovebirds, cuckoos, shamas, magpies and canaries.
The judges counted the number of times the birds chirped and awarded points based on melody, pitch, clarity, stamina, modulation and volume.
Colorful sticks would be used, especially in assessing the performance of the lovebirds.
The birds sang in a number of rounds in pitches ranging from short and medium to long. The judges would give a short pitch a yellow stick, which equals five points. The blue (20 points) and red (50 points) sticks were awarded for medium and long pitches, respectively.
The winners bagged trophies, certificates and prize money. As a low-level competition, the event, organized by Nauru Enterprises, provided only a modest prize. However, in bigger events, rewards can be tens of millions of rupiah, even the value of a car.
“We give the winners between Rp 200,000 [US$14.14] and Rp 1 million,” Nauru owner Untung Supriyadi, aka Ki Ronggo, said. The prize at the higher competitions could range from Rp 20 million to Rp 50 million.
The value of prizes depends chiefly on the number of participants and the registration fee they have to pay, which may reach Rp 5 million per entry.
Fajar, who has never taken part in a big competition, is not in it for the money at all.
“Prizes are not my priority. It’s all about whether the bird can perform as I expect. If it sings, my satisfaction is beyond imagination,” he said. The father of one brought two lovebirds to the competition that day.
His love for the songbirds is so great he spares a space in his bedroom for one.
“My wife has allowed me to place a cage in the room. I love to wake up to the singing of the bird,” Fajar said.
The Nauru event is just one of several bird-singing contests in the municipality.
Fajar, who works in Jakarta, finds his weekend time split between traveling to venues with his birds and spending time with his family.
“I take my wife and kid to the contest venue if it is convenient,” he said.
Keeping birds can be an expensive hobby.
A baby lovebird can be acquired at Rp 200,000, but one of recognized pedigree can cost far more, let alone one of highly acclaimed achievement.
A white-rumped shama, locally known as murai batu, named Kitaro, which won the recent President’s Cup, would fetch more than Rp 600 million. That is the sum President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo reportedly offered for Kitaro, but the offer was turned down by the owner.
Taking care of songbirds is akin to enjoying an art, according to the President’s long-haired namesake Joko, another participant in the competition.
“It’s an art of understanding the birds’ characters. That’s important in order to take proper care of the birds,” he said.
His cuckoo was kept in a cage covered with a green cloth. The cage was still hanging on a tree, waiting for his class to start the competition.
Bird lovers use a variety of methods to improve the quality and quantity of their birds’ calls. Techniques to develop singing aptitude include selective breeding, high-protein diets and stimulation through music and recordings of bird songs.
Fitness drills are also part of the training program with the birds being placed inside an aviary to enable them to fly as often as possible to build good stamina.
Back home from the Nauru event, Joko may have to prepare harder with probably a tighter training regime for his finches as he prepares for a bigger stage in Ragunan, South Jakarta, followed by another one in Yogyakarta.
