Discover the fascinating traditions—and perhaps catch an early morning concert—on your Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam adventure.
Question: What are birds judged on to win prizes during Vietnam's New Year?
Button: Singing.
Early every morning in Tao Dan Park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, local men start the day by each setting up camp with a chair, a cup of coffee, and a cage or two. The cages are for birds that they continually train to sing, sometimes for many years, for an audience of other birds, bird owners, and appreciative locals. This is a bird club, a practice popularized here but now common in other parks and cities as well.
The annual cycle of bird club is premised on three competitions: one in April, one in December, and one on Tet (Vietnamese New Year). Though there are almost always listeners at the daily rehearsals, much larger crowds gather for the competitions, eager to see whether a champion canary will retain her title, or if an upstart tailorbird will take the crown. Audience participation is strictly limited to applause; the judging is done solely by an umpire council.
What makes one bird a winner? The umpires look at four factors, two musical and two not. How well a bird can sing is the first criteria, of course, but the panel also considers how long a bird can hold a note (longer being better). Appearances matter, too, as the remaining criteria are the shape of the bird and its beauty relative to its breed. Competitions aren’t just friendly wagers: the organizing club rewards the winning bird’s owners with trophies and cash prizes.
As a result, bird club members can also be a little obsessive; devotion to songbirds has reportedly been a factor in multiple divorces. Yet enthusiasts will tell you it’s not really about winning or losing: tending their birds gives the owners a unique sense of purpose and fulfillment. They know that they are adding to the quality of life in the city, as many of their fellow citizens stop by the park before work, letting the songfests lift their spirits for the day ahead.
Fun Facts About Bird Clubs
- The first bird club meeting took place in 1954 and bird clubs have continued uninterrupted for 65 years.
- The meetings occur in early morning, when the birds are at their most alert and adaptable, and end at 8am.
- Owners play classical music and recordings of birdsong to train their birds when not at the park.
- The birds learn fastest by being around other songbirds in the park, which also helps them get used to performing around humans.
- A new songbird can be expected to repeat songs within a few months, but full training takes two years.
- To keep them pretty enough for competition standards, birds are given daily baths.
- No pellets here: songbirds are treated to live grasshoppers, fresh fruit, and nuts.
- Cages vary from as cheap as $10 to as much as $8,000 in cost.
- Owners release a bird if its appearance is marred; one owner freed a $3,000 songbird because it got a scratch on its eye.
- All this effort and expense can be worth it: a bird that is both talented and uniquely beautiful in appearance can fetch tens of thousands of dollars, with one selling for a record-setting six figures.
Discover the fascinating traditions—and perhaps catch an early morning concert—on your Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam adventure.
