doves sparring and cocks fighting

while walking home, i stopped by the side of a canal to watch two young spotted doves sparring. it was quite interesting to watch. the two birds would first perform a ritual - each of them would dip its head and raised its tail and make some sounds - did not sound like a 'war-cry'.

next, they would approach each other cautiously and when they were near enough, one of them would leap up to strike at the other combatant. i would not consider it a fierce fight. it was not even a tussle; more like two puppies having a romp but in a less vigorous manner.

when i moved closer to catch them in action, the two shy birds decided to go their separate ways.

watching the two doves sparring brought me back to those cock fighting kampong days. when i was a young boy i used to watch cock fights on the field of the jewish cemetery which was on the hilly ground next to my house. the fights were usually held on weekends and gambling/betting was always involved.

most of the prized cocks were brought there from elsewhere. i suppose, from other villages in different parts of singapore. most of the cock owners were javanese malay.

a cock fight is like a boxing match. the cocks are meticulously prepared for the match. the owner or trainer will massage the cock, clean its beak and sharpen its spurs. a wet cloth is used to clean the feathers of the bird.

the arena for the fight is the enclosure formed by the spectators. the birds flap their wings and leap quite high during the fight. they use their beaks and the sharp spurs on their legs to inflict injuries on their opponents. it can become quite bloody, with some birds getting their eyes pierced and losing their sight.

when they are exhausted or weak, the birds will seek refuge under the wings of their opponent. the referee makes no attempt to break them up. the fight ends when the loser runs away from the scene and makes no attempt for a come-back. this may take a few minutes or may go on for more than an hour.

the owner will each have a pail of water beside him. at the end of each round, he will use the water to clean and wet the feathers of the bird. he uses a plume to clear the throat of the bird of sputum. he kisses and sucks off the blood on the comb of the bird.

as a boy, i did find it violent and cruel but i continued to watch those fights. in some fights, the vanquished actually ended up losing its life.