Gloster Fancy Canary
Birds in Focus...
The Gloster Fancy Canary is a perfect choice for the beginner as it is lively, very hardy and will readily breed. As with most canaries it is basically a cage bird, but quite enjoyable to observe. They have a pleasant song, though folks who prefer a song canary may find it a bit louder and more choppy than they prefer.
As a "type canary", the Gloster Canary is bred for physical appearance rather than color or song. These attractive little birds have a roundish compact body and are quite lively and bold.
The Gloster Canary actually has two versions, the crested bird (shown above) is known as the 'Corona' while the plain headed bird is known as the 'Consort'. Though the crested version is favored at shows, both types are of equal importance in the propagation of this breed. Other than the feathers on the head, the basic body types are the same for both versions of this bird.
The Gloster Canary is a relatively new breed. Unlike older breeds, the Gloster's development in England in the mid 1920's has been well documented indicating that it is a careful blending of three breeds; the crested Roller Canary, the small Crested Canary, and the Border Canary.
The Gloster Canary was the result of attempts to develop a miniature crested breed. Mrs. Rogerson's of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire (the breed's namesake) crossed crested Roller Canaries with Border Canaries while John McLay, a well known breeder and judge of Crested canaries in Scotland, crossed small Crested Canaries with small Border Canaries.
At the Crystal Palace exhibition in 1925, Judge A. W. Smith recognized Mrs. Rogerson's original strain as a new, unique, and distinct breed. He went on to encouraged development of the Gloster with the blending of the three different breeds, and he later developed the first breed standards.
The Gloster Fancy Canary is a small, short stubby, canary reaching about 4 1/2" (11.5 cm) in length. It is an active, lively, semi-erect, proud bird. The Corona (crest) bird should have a round symmetrical crest with a center point. The crest should have no interruptions, radiate evenly, and not cover eyes. The Consort (uncrested) head should not be too small and should reveal a light brow line.
The Gloster's plumage occurs in all canary colors and markings, except the Red-Factor colorings. Green and cinnamon are two popular varieties, along with the frosts (buff) being favorites for show varieties. Any with red coloring on their bodies are rejected in shows.
Breeding the Gloster Canary is no different than breeding colorbreds or any other variety of canary... with one exception, Glosters should only be bred corona to consort (see description above). Other pairings could create a lethal factor and there have also been reports of bald headed birds and poor crests.
Avoid an environment that is wet, cool, and drafty. One problem that occasionally arises with Gloster Canaries are feather lumps. Feather lumps are an ingrown feather, where the feather attempts to grow out, but cannot break the skin so will grow backwards.
Gloster Canaries are readily available and are fairly inexpensive. Sometimes available at pet stores, but more readily they can be found through bird shows, bird clubs, breeders, and on the internet.
Authors: Clarice Brough, CAS and Denise Taormina
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/birds/canaries/GlosterCanary.php