Norwich Canary
Birds in Focus...
Referred to as the "John Bull" canary, the Norwich Canary has a rather robust or bullish appearance. It is a thickset bird with a full head and heavy brows. Being neither as agile nor as lively as some of the smaller breeds, they tend to have a rather laid back personality. They make quite amicable pet birds.
The handsome Norwich Canary is a "type canary", bred for physical appearance rather than color or song. Though prized for their color in the late 1800's, this is no longer considered an important attribute and they can now be found in several colors. Males also tend to have a pleasing robust song even though this is not what they were bred for.
Research indicates that the Norwich Canary was developed about 400 years ago by Flemish settlers in Norfolk, England around the city of Norwich. The Norwich Canary of today is larger than it's predecessor of the 1800's, which only reached about 5 1/4 inches (13.3 cm) in length, and it is not quite as skinny.
Drastic changes in it's appearance are attributed to breeding practices in the late 1800's; the introduction of the practice of colorfeeding along with outcrossing them with larger canary breeds, as the Lancashire which carries a crest. In 1890 at a gathering of over 400 breeders and enthusiasts at the Crystal Palace, an official "type" standard was decided on. This beautiful fluffy bird emerged as one of England's most popular canary breeds to show.
The Norwich Canary is quite robust looking having a broad body, full head, and very heavy brows. Sometimes you can barely see their eyes. They reach a length of about 6 1/4 inches (16 cm) and are found in both the standard ' plainhead' version and a 'crested' version.
Though coloration was restricted in the late 1800's to deep oranges and reds, today they are bred for "type" or physical characteristics. Norwich canaries can now be found in white, cinnamon, clear, and variegated.
The Norwich Canary however, is not a beginners bird and there are some special considerations to keep in mind. It is difficult to pair up birds to prevent feather cysts.
This is a problem that resulted in the 1920's from "double-buffing". This is where two coarse-feathered birds are crossed to develop a larger soft feather that gives the bird an overall appearance of being larger. Careful breeding has reduced the occurrence of this, but it is still a concern.
Also, the Norwich Canary is not the best feeder, so many breeders will foster the eggs out to other canaries, such as the colorbred canaries.
Norwich Canaries are somewhat rare. They are most often available through breeders, but may also occasionally be found through bird shows, bird clubs, and on the internet.
Author: Clarice Brough, CAS
Additional Information: Denise Taormina
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/birds/canaries/NorwichCanary.php