KITTING PERFORMANCE
​
The ability of Birmingham Rollers to fly and perform in groups known as kits is of paramount importance among the characteristics of standard flight for this breed of pigeon. A tightly-packed formation of rollers within the kit is most highly-favored, and rolling initiated from the front of the kit is favored over rolling from the back of the kit, though either is acceptable and either may be scored in NBRC competitions. The Standard Birmingham Roller is one who develops an awareness of the performance of the other birds within the kit, known as kit sensitivity. Kit sensitivity is a quality that promotes the simultaneous initiation of rolling among many birds within the kit, known as a “break”. A break containing multiple rollers performing quality spins is one of the most valued of Birmingham Roller feats, though quality spinning at greater depths by individual birds is, in itself, appreciated by large numbers of fanciers. NBRC 20-bird competitions require a minimum of five birds initiating the roll simultaneously in a break for scoring purposes.
Rollers that time the initiation of the roll within a half-second or more of the other rollers in the break, which is known as a “waterfall”, may also be considered standard performers for the purposes of individual competitions, or in the NBRC 11-bird national championship, and for the purpose of back-yard enjoyment, where such performance is enjoyed and highly valued by many fanciers who focus more on individual performance. The initiation of a break, however, should appear as though the birds have all hit an imaginary wall at the same time in their flight path, causing them to instantaneously initiate the roll. Any five birds or more that begin to roll at the same instant, regardless of any individual rolling that may occur before or after those five birds in the break should be scored as a break. Standard performance of the roll does not include wing-clapping, sailing, tail-sitting or any other maneuvers in flight just before or after the roll is initiated.
The roll should begin with a quick snap or instantaneous tuck backward along the line of flight, and end with a “popping out” or instant extension of the wings. However, a roller that sets up for the roll, which can be described as a slight banking move upward in a stalling motion along the line of flight is also considered standard performance. Standard performance for the Birmingham Rollers requires that birds that roll from the kit must return to the kit immediately after the roll is completed. While in flight and returning to the kit after rolling, a roller is not considered an “out bird” unless it assumes a flight path opposite that of the kit on an arc of more than 360 degrees and fails to join the kit upon intersecting it; or if the roller returns to a position more than ten feet above, below, or along side the kit at any time during flight. NBRC 20 bird competition rules state:
“A group of five birds is the minimum that can score if the remainder of the kit is returning directly from a roll, have been separated by extreme weather, or have been chased off by a bird of prey.” Kitting is a protective mechanism among pigeons and kits of Birmingham Rollers will react instinctively to the presence of birds of prey in the skies during their flight. Initially a kit may separate due to their presence whether the attack is aggressive (on kit individuals or on the entire kit), or whether the bird of prey is merely flying by inspecting the kit as potential prey. However, standard performance flight characteristics of the Birmingham Roller requires that a bird return to the main body of the kit, that group containing the largest number of birds, within five minutes after the bird of prey is no longer visible in the skies to human observers on the ground. For competition purposes, scoring will resume at that point in time. Any bird that has not returned to the kit at that time is considered an out bird for scoring purposes. Any roller that flies and performs alone, as an individual without regard for the presence of the kit, for any reason, and in spite of any perceived quality and depth of performance, as well as those deeper rollers that strike off alone in a flight pattern other than that of the kit after being with the kit for some period of time, are deemed to have a fault in character or mental strength and are considered out birds and non-standard performers. It should be noted that some deeper performers may appear to be out of the kit during their return to the kit after rolling, but shall not be deemed so, as long as they continue to chase the kit with a flight path parallel or coincident to that of the kit, and eventually intersect the kit. Any such roller that fails to join the kit upon intersecting it is then considered to be an out bird at that point in time.