AFA Award Rules and Categories


The AFA is reinstating a proud tradition long regarded as the most celebrated and esteemed awards presented in American aviculture, the prestigious AFA AVY Awards. The categories are open to members and in some instances, other aviculturists or institutions, who have uniquely distinguished themselves in challenging and difficult areas of aviculture.

Although it is not mandatory to award all categories each year, nominations in all areas are encouraged. Nominations for each award category must be submitted by December 31 of each year to the committee chair at LSR@CockatielsPlusParrots.com. Nominees will be published in a future issue of the AFA Watchbird. Awards merited for the current year will be presented at the AFA convention the following year.

U.S. FIRST BREEDING AVY AWARDS

  1. Nominations for a First Time Breeding must be within the past five years (exceptions are permitted by committee ruling).
  2. Nominees must have bred the species for a First Breeding within the (50) United States.
  3. The person nominated does not have to be a member of the AFA.
  4. Each nominee must submit an article on the avicultural details of the First Breeding, which will be submitted to the AFA Watchbird. The editor of the AFA Watchbird will form an article for publication if all relevant facts are included.
  5. Nominations may be submitted by the breeders of the First Breeding or by any other individual or Affiliated Club.
  6. Nominees for a First Breeding must establish that the young of the U.S. First Breeding are completely weaned and self-sufficient before submitting the nomination. Birds that are not weaned before nomination deadline (due to late hatching dates in that calendar year), should be nominated the following year after self-sufficiency has been proven.
  7. Confirmation of First Breeding nominations will be verified through the AFA Awards Committee.
  8. Nominations for First Breeding Awards will be published in the AFA Watchbird to aid in their confirmation.
  9. Scientific names will be used from Maron, Boch & Farrand Jr.
  10. Only identifiable subspecies will be given recognition. Subspecies of an avian species that has already been bred in the U.S. will not be awarded unless there is sufficient documentation on both the species previously bred, and the subspecies nominated, provided that there is little difference. The AVY Awards Committee will make the final decision.
  11. Nominations must be submitted by December 31st of the nominating year. The award will be presented at the AFA convention the following year, which will allow the Awards Committee time to confirm the First Time Breeding.

Nomination Requirements for First Breeding Awards

  1. Nominees must submit a completed copy of the Breeding History questionnaire.
  2. Nominees must submit photographs of both weaned young and of the parent birds for the purpose of documentation and species identification.
  3. Nominees must submit a name, address, and phone number, of a witness other than the breeder.
  4. Confirmed nominee must submit a completed article for publication in AFA Watchbird.

ZOO CATEGORY AVY AWARDS

Category I. Most Progress for the Establishment of an Individual Species or Group of Related Birds.

Category I recognizes aviculturists who have made the effort to successfully breed a species or related group of birds on a consistent basis. Success must be achieved with a minimum of two pair, or through the second generation if it pertains to a single species. The Awards Committee will judge whether establishment is achieved. Birds with a shorter reproductive life span (such as finches), will need greater numbers produced than birds that have longer reproductive life spans (such as parrots). The difficulty of each species to reproduce offspring will be taken into consideration by the committee.

Category II. Breeding a Difficult Species.

Breeding a significant or highly difficult species reflects the obvious use of sound Management techniques. This category eliminates chance breedings and must be well documented.

Nomination Requirement for Zoo Categories

  1. Nominations for the Zoo Category awards may be made by zoo personnel from the nominating institution.
  2. Achievements must have occurred within the United States.
  3. Confirmation of a Zoo Category award nomination will be verified through the Awards Committee.
  4. Nominations must include detailed written qualifications for the institution nominated for the Zoo Category award.
  5. Nominations for a Zoo Category award must be submitted by December 31st of the nominating year. The award will be presented the following year at the AFA Convention, which allows the committee time to confirm the nomination.

GOLD AVY: HONOR AWARD

  1. The Gold AVY Award is merited for individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to aviculture. The Gold AVY is not solely an achievement award, although achievement may be part of the overall contribution.
  2. The Gold AVY Award is a once in a lifetime award and may be given posthumously.
  3. Nominations for the Gold AVY Award must be submitted by an Affiliated Club and not by an individual.
  4. Nominations for the Gold AVY Award must be for an individual and does not include research institutions, clubs, or organizations, etc.
  5. Nominees for the Gold AVY Award must be a member of AFA, or a member of an AFA Affiliated Club.
  6. Nominations must be as detailed as possible in order to provide enough information to aid the work of the Award Committee.
  7. Nominations must be submitted by December 31st to be awarded at the AFA convention the following year.

SILVER AVY AWARDS

Category I. Most Progress for the Establishment of an Individual Species or Group of Related Birds.

This category recognizes aviculturists who have made the effort to successfully breed an individual species or related group of birds on a consistent basis. Success must be achieved with a minimum of two pairs of birds, or through the second generation if involving a single species. The Awards Committee will judge whether establishment is achieved. Birds with shorter reproductive life spans (such as finches), will need greater numbers produced than birds that have longer reproductive life spans (such as parrots). The difficulty of each species to reproduce offspring will be taken into consideration by the committee.

Category II. Breeding a Significant or Highly Difficult Species.

Breeding a significant or highly difficult species reflects the obvious use of sound management techniques. This category eliminates chance breedings and must be well documented.

Category III. Progress in Establishing New Mutations in the United States.

This category demonstrates achievement in establishing a new mutation that has not yet been established in the United States. To qualify, offspring visible for the mutation must be bred, and demonstrate self-sufficiency, through the second generation. Birds that are not weaned before nomination deadline (due to late hatching dates in that calendar year), should be nominated the following year after self-sufficiency has been proven.

Category IV. Progress in Show Standards.

This category covers birds for which there are written show standards and show classifications. An exhibitor’s bird must have won three or more national level shows (may include annual specialty/large regional shows), judged by three or more certified panel judges, with a bird bred by the exhibitor. All wins must be achieved by a single entry wearing a closed, coded leg band with a published show report record of the recorded win. The Awards Committee will determine the inclusion of annual specialty/regional shows based on the number of entries and exhibitors.

BRONZE: AVY APPRECIATION AWARD

The AVY Appreciation Award is for individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to an AFA affiliated club. This is not an award for avicultural success, but for personal work for an affiliated club that is of an exceptional nature.

  1. Nominations for the AVY Appreciation Award must be nominated by the affiliated club of which the nominee is a member. The nomination must be signed by the president and all members of the board of directors, even if the nominee is a member of the affiliated club’s board of directors.
  2. The individual nominated for an AVY Appreciation Award must be an individual member of AFA.
  3. Nominees may be either individuals or a married couple. If a married couple is nominated, their qualifications must be the same and for the same reasons.
  4. Only one nomination per affiliated club, per calendar year, can be submitted by the deadline of December 31st of the nominating year.
  5. Up to three nominations for the AVY Appreciation Award will be awarded each year by the AVY Award Committee. The Awards Committee is not required to use all three awards if there are not enough nominations, or if the committee believes there is insufficient data received or that nominations do not merit the award.
  6. Each winning nomination will receive an AVY Appreciation Award and each Affiliated Club to which the winning member belongs will be rewarded with a fifty dollar ($50.00) cash award going directly to the Affiliated Club.
  7. Confirmation of an AVY Appreciation Award will be verified only through the AFA Awards Committee.
  8. The more detailed the nomination, the easier it is for the Awards Committee to make a correct decision.
  9. An AVY Appreciation Award may only be received once in a lifetime, unless the award is from a different AFA Affiliated Club.
  10. Nominations not receiving an award may resubmit the following year, as it does not necessarily mean they were not qualified.