Red factor canary

Breed of domestic canary

The red factor canary^[1] is a popular variety of domesticated canary, named after its colorful plumage. It is kept by those who want a pet, as well as those who enjoy showing.

Description

The red factor canary is a variety of domestic canary. It is a color canary, named after its red-colored plumage. A well-built bird, the red factor canary is about 5+1⁄2 inches (14 cm) in length. The variety is bred for the novelty of its color, rather than for its song. Red factor canaries are kept by those who want a pet, as well as those who enjoy showing.

It is an active bird, hardy and very easy to keep; however, it is not easy to breed. First bred in the 1920s, it is the only color canary that has an element of red as part of its plumage. It was developed as a cross between another type of finch—the now-endangered Venezuelan red siskin (Spinus cucullatus)—and a yellow domestic canary (Serinus canaria forma domestica).^[2]

Availability

As these canaries are bred for showing, there are many versions of this canary exist today. They are divided into the melanin and the lipochrome classes. These are further divided into frosts (soft feather) or non-frosts (hard feather), which affects how bright their color appears. Red factor canaries are usually available at most pet stores, and can also be found through bird shows, bird clubs, breeders, and on the Internet.

References

^ "The Red Factor Canary". www.canaryadvisor.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-18. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
^ Goldman, Steve (February 15, 2004). "A brand-new bird: how two amateur scientists created the first genetically engineered animal". The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 113 (4): 495–495. doi:10.1172/JCI21127. PMC 338274. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024 – via www.jci.org.