Merbok Singing Competition: Pertandingan Seni Suara Merbuk

Under the rays of the morning sun, approximately 80 merbok birds (zebra doves), hung from 21-foot poles, were entered into a monthly singing competition.

there are about 80 merboks entered for the competition this round

There were four different categories of birds, not placed according to their age but rather how active they sing. Groups A and B are for birds that can sing for a long period of time, while Category C is for birds that don’t sing as much. Meanwhile, Category D, also known as Baby 2, is entered by birds that do exceed 7 sounds when they sing. If they sang more than this number of times, they would be disqualified, as marked by a red flag placed at the top of their cages. Owners of Baby 2 birds that have been disqualified would then know prior to entering their charges in the next tier of category in upcoming singing competitions.

the merbok birds are either Thai species bred locally or imported from Thailand

there are different categories of competition

this monthly competition attracts hobbyists from different states of Peninsular Malaysia

According to one of the four judges, Tan Yun Meng, all of these songbirds that entered the competition were either from Thailand or of Thai descent but bred locally. It is deemed that the voice quality of Thai merbok is better compared to Malaysian merbok. While genetics do play a part in the voice quality of such birds, a large part of the influence is based on nurturing by the owner.

only judges are allowed in the field to listen to the birds sing

besides the quality of the bird's voice points are also given for its melody — besides the quality of the bird’s voice points are also given for its melody

a merbok enthusiast observes his bird from afar

Tan, a spare part dealer in his 60s now, has more than forty years of experience as a judge and is regularly invited to neighbouring countries to carry out his duty in searching for the best merbok singer at competitions. Although he personally rears just two or three mid-range merbok birds at any one time, the reason being that as a judge, he is unable to enter his birds in the competitions, to avoid biasness or favouritsm, Tan does know a thing or two about unearthing better voice quality from merboks. While one of his tips is to watch the bird’s diet and tweak it accordingly, another would be to restrict the frequency of putting the bird in an environment that forces it to sing, such as at a competition.

one of the judges, Tan Yun Meng, listens to the singing birds intently

Tan Yun Meng is one of four of the experienced judges

which bird will emerge champion, only time will tell

Pertandingan Seni Suara Merbuk Menglembu on Sunday, 9th April 2023, was a pretty stiff competition that saw owners walking home with trophies and sponsored prizes. There was also a lucky draw with RM300 cash up for grabs.