The Norwich Canary
    Three Cinnamon Norwich circa 1900 by A.F. Lydon
    Norwichs circa 1900; From the top:  1. Self-Cinnamon Yellow 
    2. Self-Cinnamon buff     3. Evenly-marked Cinnamon
     
    Named for the Cathedral City of its birth, the Norwich was among the earliest varieties to be developed in England. The breed was already the leading exhibition variety before 1850 and it is still shown in fair  numbers, though long surpassed by the Border and the Fife. The Norwich arose at a time when almost every region of Britain had its own variety of canary: the Norwich from East Anglia; the Yorkshire came from the same county; the Lancashire (or Manchester) Coppy hailed from Lancashire, while the Border straddled the England/ Scottish boundary.

    According to G.T. Dodwell a Norwich Convention was called in the 1890s from which the official 'type' standard emerged. The Norwich is a 'cobby' and thickset bird of about 6.5" length with a thick neck and a massive head. The birds are colour fed to produce a deep and rich orange tone.
     

    Cayenne-fed Norwiches from the 1860s by Ludlow
    Cayenne-fed Norwiches from the 1860s by Ludlow
    Vgt. Yellow.  Even Marked Yellow.  Clear Buff
     
    G.T Dodwell wrote:
      "Being such a heavily-built bird the Norwich has not the agility and liveliness of some of the other smaller breeds, but it should still move around freely without any suggestion of sluggishness"


    Sadly, as with so many varieties, the craze for bigger and bigger birds, with denser and denser feather, has produced a modern bird that is a very poor reflection of the classic Norwich.
     

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