Classification Explained

The Yorkshire Canary Club Show Classification is divided into separate sections, with the intention of enabling similar birds to compete together, without disadvantaging either the bird or the exhibitor.

Firstly, Champion and Novice exhibitors compete in separate sections.

This is to ensure that newcomers into the hobby are competing with people of similar experience. Fanciers may remain in the Novice section until they have had one win in classes of ten or more exhibits, for each of seven years. Only those wins gained at YCC full patronage shows count towards Novice status. It may take longer than seven years to gain these wins, and this helps ensure fanciers are better prepared to compete with the more experienced exhibitors, when the time comes for them to move into the Champion section.

Secondly, each main category of birds are split into separate sections, i.e. clear birds, green marked birds, cinnamon birds, white or allied colours, and non colour-fed greens. The YCC runs three competitions throughout the show season for clears, green marked and cinnamon birds, (YA, YB and YC competitions respectively) for both Champion and Novice exhibitors. This promotes increased competition with fanciers securing points for class places at various shows throughout the year.

Within each colour group category, classes are divided again, into adult birds (termed flighted - birds that are more than 1 year old, which have moulted out their flight feathers), and unflighted birds (current season birds, which although they have moulted, have not moulted out their flight feathers.)

Finally, the classes are broken down into yellow cock, buff cock, yellow hen, buff hen.

In the clear and green marked sections, this makes a total of 8 classes Champion and 8 classes for Novice birds, per colour category. In the remaining sections, cinnamon, white and non colour-fed greens, the classes may be combined because competition is less strong.

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YCC SHOW CLASSIFICATION (rev 1999)

CHAMPION   NOVICE
 Adult  Unflighted Description of exhibit  Adult  Unflighted
CLEAR BIRDS (note)
1
5
 Clear Yellow Cock
28
32
2
6
 Clear Buff Cock
29
33
3
7
 Clear Yellow Hen
30
34
4
8
 Clear Buff Hen
31
35
GREEN MARKED BIRDS (note)
9
13
 Green Marked Yellow Cock
36
40
10
14
 Green Marked Buff Cock
37
41
11
15
 Green Marked Yellow Hen
38
42
12
16
 Green Marked Buff Hen
39
43
CINNAMON BIRDS (note)
17
-
 Cinnamon Yellow or Buff Cock
44
-
18
-
 Cinnamon Yellow or Buff Hen
45
-
-
19
 Cinnamon Yellow Cock
-
46
-
20
 Cinnamon Buff Cock
-
47
-
21
 Cinnamon Yellow Hen
-
48
-
22
 Cinnamon Buff Hen
-
49
Adult or U/F WHITE OR ALLIED COLOUR BIRDS Adult or U/F
23 State adult or unflighted, cock or hen 50
Adult or U/F NON-FED GREEN BIRDS Adult or U/F
24 Yellow self or foul green non-fed cock 51
25 Buff self or foul green non-fed cock 52
26 Yellow self or foul green non-fed hen 53
27 Buff self or foul green non-fed hen 54

Notes on classifying Yorkshires
The SIX TECHNICAL POINTS
Defined as both eyes, primary/secondary wing flights and outer sides of tail
Clear Bird Classes
Clears or birds carrying green marks on up to ONE of the six technical points
return
view
illustrations
Green Marked Classes
Birds with green marks touching TWO or MORE of the six technical points
return
view
illustrations
Cinnamon Classes
Birds showing any visible cinnamon feathering when the bird is standing in its natural position in the show cage
return
view
illustrations
The presence of discoloured feathers on the thigh, or the natural discoloration of beak, legs or feet, or any mark which is not visible when the bird stands in its natural position in the show cage, is entirely ignored throughout the classification.
Refer to the illustrated Technical Markings guide for detailed explanations.
Technical Markings guide