African Owl
HEAD (20 pts.): Proportionately large, massive, round in shape; side view circular with eye in center; front view presenting a high crown, circular from eye to eye; full between the eye and beak; cheeks well rounded and full in appearance; wide in gape or "frog mouthed."

BEAK, BEAK SETTING, AND BEAK SUBSTANCE (16 pts.): Short and thick, the upper mandible continuing the circular sweep of the head, both side and front view; the upper and lower mandibles of equal substance, meeting and fitting in a straight line which, when continued backward, should pass a little below the center of the eye; blunt at the tip. Color to be genetically compatible with the plumage. Beak wattles: Fine in texture, small in size and covered with a white powdery bloom; should not rise out of the curve of the head, but form part of the curve. Viewed from the front, the wattles should be of a flattened heart-shape.

EYE, EYE CERE (10 pts.): Large and bold; all eye colors acceptable; eye set in center of the side of the head. Eyes showing cracks, splits within the eye or different colored eyes, in pieds only, ie, one bull eye and one colored eye, will lose two points automatically. Eyes must be the same in colored birds. Cere: Fine and neat in texture, circular in shape; color to be genetically compatible with plumage. Ceres that project past the circle of the head must be penalized severely.

GULLET (4 pts.): Wide from side view, thin from the front view, filling in the hollow space at the throat, starting near the tip of the lower mandible and terminating in the frill.

NECK (4 pts.): Rather short, thick at the shoulders and tapering gradually to its smallest diameter under the cheek or jowl; clean cut at the throat, giving prominence to the gullet and cheeks; the back part joining the curve of the back skull in an unbroken graceful curve.

FRILL (6 pts.): As ample and well developed as possible, running well down the center of the breast. There must be at least two protruding feathers to avoid disqualification.

FLIGHTS AND TAIL (6 pts.): Short and hard; folding compactly; the flights resting on the tail, with tips nearly meeting; tail carried just clear of the floor.

LEGS AND FEET (4 pts.): Legs strong and short, but long enough to give grace to the carriage; free from feathers below the hock. Feet rather small and neat. Toes well spread apart. Color bright red.

SIZE AND SHAPE (10 pts.): Eight inches from front of breast to tip of tail and eight inches from floor to crown. Judges should consider nine inches by nine inches acceptable. Birds larger than this can be considered in class competition, but are not to be considered for special awards. A good small bird should be considered better than a good large one.
SHAPE: Compact, giving the impression of hardness and vigor; breast short, full, broad and muscular, tapering to wedge shape toward the tip of the tail; back short and slightly rounded from shoulder to shoulder.

CARRIAGE (10 pts.): Bold, alert and upright; the eye in a perpendicular line above the balls of the feet, the breast thrown out prominently, the neck slightly arched.

COLOR (10 pts.): All colors should be sound, clear and even, including rump, thighs and belly; the hackle luster should be green except in powdered blues and silvers, in which the luster should be frosted in white. Bars of blues should be black; silvers, dark dun or brown; mealies, deep red; cream, brilliant yellow; lavenders have no bars. Checkers should show even and distinct checkering on wings, breast, thighs and rump. Pieds and poor color on all varieties can be marked down, up to five points. Black and blue colored birds must have black toenails. If not, they can be marked down up to two points. In any print pattern the entire body and tail should be of one color shade throughout. Judge should mark down, up to five points.

DISQUALIFICATIONS: Missing feathers on wing and tail; Not a complete bird (missing toes, eyes, etc.); No frill whatsoever; Excessive plucking of feathers; Obvious faking or excessive trimming. (trimming the beak and toe nails not to be objectionable)