Also called Popinjay or Parrot archery. Not that common in the UK but incredibly popular in Belgium for some reason. It is mentioned here purely because of The Ancient Society Of Kilwinning Archers from Ayrshire, Scotland who have hosted a Papingo Shoot since 1483 (or 1488 according to some sources), with a break here and there. This is the earliest recorded archery tournament in the UK by some margin.
In Popinjay, or Papingo, arrows are shot vertically to try and dislodge wooden 'birds' fixed to a wooden pole at height. There are usually a few birds, the 'Cock' scoring 5, four Hens scoring 3 each, and a minimum of 24 Chicks scoring 1 apiece.
In the Kilwinning Shoot, the pole extends 10ft out from the tower of Kilwinning Abbey, at a height of 116ft and is host to a solitary 'bird' or 'parrot'. Archers take turns with longbows and blunts - arrows with rubber tips to prevent any more damage to the tower - shooting from the bottom of the tower with one foot on the Abbey steps. The order of shooting is decided by a Butt round which is held beforehand. Whoever shoots the bird down first gets a very old silver trophy.
