PDA

View Full Version : Unusual bird



Quakerella
12-22-2016, 03:49 AM
I just received this picture from one of my customers. It is a Lancashire Canary, very unusual looking bird. I love the way the feathers part at the crown and cover the eyes. He is so cute.
4762

PlaxMacaws
12-22-2016, 04:34 AM
He reminds me a little of 'Cousin It' from The Adams Family :D

Quakerella
12-22-2016, 05:55 AM
LOL, yes he does.

Dragonlady2
12-22-2016, 10:30 AM
I believe it's a canary. If it is, I think I read somewhere that their lifespan isn't as long as "regular" canaries?

Duh....just reread your post Rosalyn. So yes, it IS a canary....lol?

Casper's 2nd best friend
12-22-2016, 10:54 AM
Some people are not happy with what nature creates and feel they can do better by selective breeding. Whilst this might be acceptable in dairy cattle I find it rather offensive when it is done for purely cosmetic reasons. Show dogs in particular.

Quakerella
12-22-2016, 04:24 PM
I believe it's a canary. If it is, I think I read somewhere that their lifespan isn't as long as "regular" canaries?She said it was a Lancashire Canary. I had never heard of them.


Some people are not happy with what nature creates and feel they can do better by selective breeding. Whilst this might be acceptable in dairy cattle I find it rather offensive when it is done for purely cosmetic reasons. I can't say I know anything about the breeding of this bird, this is the first I have heard of it. Would you not say that would be the same with all birds that are not their natural colours in the wild? Or are we speaking of cross species breeding? I am not sure what the line is of these birds.

Casper's 2nd best friend
12-22-2016, 07:07 PM
... Would you not say that would be the same with all birds that are not their natural colours in the wild? Or are we speaking of cross species breeding? I am not sure what the line is of these birds.
In my opinion yes, just look at their motives: firstly to succeed in bird shows and then, with that recognition, to profit from breeding. I don't think that they are cross species. These birds sell for about £100. I am not sure what a normal yellow canary sells for but I doubt it is anywhere near as much.
Whilst the fashion for breeding and exhibiting canaries has declined I believe it still has its roots in Northern England where they were used as gas detectors in the coal mines. When the bird fell off its perch it was time to get out of the mine. The coal mining industry in the UK is now almost non-existent but the tradition of showing canaries still continues.

Macaw Lover
12-24-2016, 03:06 AM
When I was a kid, I had a top knotch or was it a top knot? Doing a search I see the name popping up as a Gloster.

If it weren't for breeders, and I am not referring to the back yard breeders who are just in it for the $$$, the breeders who show, striving to breed any animal and to strive to match the standard of that breed/specie in order to keep it pure, we would loose a lot of different birds, dogs, cats, horses, etc, You should be thankful for the people who do strive to keep things pure in order for future generations to know and love any animal they choose. I get so tired or all the bashing that is done against the breeders. If it were not for breeders doing this along with the love, sweat and tears they have gone through then you would not have your beloved pet. If all the breeders stopped breeding where do you think any animal is going to come from in another 20-30 years? Everything will start dying out and then what happens, that species/breed becomes extinct. Is that what you REALLY want to see happen? If it is, then you don't deserve the love of any animal and you need to rid yourself of all that you own.

Rant over

Dragonlady2
12-24-2016, 10:50 AM
From what I gather, the Lancaster canary was almost extinct. Breeders have been able to bring back the species to the point that they aren't on the list anymore.

Breeders can get a bad rap because the ones that people take note of are the unethical ones. Here in Canada, there are specific breeders to stay away from because people with negative experiences have posted about them on Facebook and kijiji. They always have ads selling birds. As long as there is a market, there will be breeders. It is up to consumer to do their homework but many don't and the result is impulse buying, not knowing what they are buying and just generally a lack of understanding of the whole process. The ethical breeders who do it for the love of the birds are seldom acknowledged. Those breeders will ensure that the animal they sell is a healthy, quality animal. JMO

Quakerella
12-24-2016, 02:20 PM
firstly to succeed in bird shows and then, with that recognition, to profit from breeding.

I can honestly say I breed for the love of the birds and watching them grow. I do not make a profit from breeding. When I account for all the hours spent hand feeding, socializing, cleaning cages etc., there really is no profit. A reputable breeder spends well over 400 hours with one bird from the beginning, and many more for the larger parrots. The one thing I do not agree with and will never do is inline breeding. I believe this is where the problems begin, but it is done all over the world.

plax
01-18-2017, 05:48 PM
All four of you have valid points. Companion parrot breeding is really a double-edged sword. We can mentally separate ethical breeders from unethical ones. But in the real world it's nearly impossible to allow one group without allowing the other. I think there would need to be a major overhaul of our legislative and enforcement systems before there were any chance of achieving such a feat. Likewise, there's no efficacious method to educate the bird-buying public on which breeders are of quality and which are not. Perhaps we need an 'Angie's List' for bird breeders? But even then, how many folks would consult it? Not many, I'm afraid.

Speaking broadly, bird breeders are responsible for both proliferation of threatened species as well as flooding the planet with unwanted/abused birds. So there's no easy answer. Two things are for certain, though... 1) Threatened species become so mainly because of man's self-serving greed. And 2) unethical breeders thrive for the same reason.

Again, I think that each of you --Jean-Pierre, Renee', Rosalyn, and Helena-- have asserted some valid points.