ON THE odd occasion that my canary-breeding hobby comes up in conversation with non-fanciers, very often the response they offer is: “Those are the yellow ones, aren’t they?”
These days, I have learned to judge each situation. So, while I’ll leave it at that on some occasions, if the conversation develops I’ll reveal that, actually, there is a wide range of breeds, each with its own distinct characteristics. I’ll explain that these may be most noticeable in physical features, or colour, or song, and that all these breeds have been developed from a little green bird from the Canary Islands. This is often a revelation to the listener, and it certainly still causes me a great deal of wonder every time I think about it. If I’m allowed to ramble on, I will acknowledge that many of the breeds were developed in particular regions of the UK and that their names reflect those origins.
Attractive opposites
I’ll often start my tale with the since this is a bird which fits the image that most have in their minds of what a canary looks like. There is no doubting its appeal. The Fife is diminutive, with jaunty movement which creates the impression that
