COM Lizard classification: clear cap or broken cap?
In part 1, I published a photo of a silver Lizard and asked if it was a clear cap or broken cap. You can see the same bird from a different angle above.... Read More
Lizard canary basics
Lizard canary basics, part 13: in fine form
My guest contributor this week is Ernest Gracia, an OMJ judge living in Gibraltar, and presently a co-opted member of the IOA committee, as its representative in Gibraltar. Ernest is not a Lizard canary breeder, but he takes a special interest in the breed and is regularly invited to judge at the two Spanish Lizard […]... Read More
Lizard canary basics, part 12: head and shoulders
“The spangling is clear and distinct, each individual spangle being clear of another. It extends from the back of the cap in perfectly straight lines to the wing coverts, each succeeding spangle progressively larger than the one nearer the neck.” Extract from the LCA Description of the Ideal Lizard Canary... Read More
Lizard canary basics, part 11: the spangled crown
In History part 14 I discussed the slow, but inevitable, recognition of broken capped and non capped Lizard canaries. Caps are defined by the extent of clear feathers, but in this edition of Lizard canary basics I want to focus on the dark feathers, the ones that were once deemed to detract from perfection.... Read More
Lizard canary basics, Part 10: tiny details, big impact
Let’s start with a riddle: What am I? All canaries possess them, but I have never seen any writer on canaries mention them. You will see them in photographs, but rarely in drawings. They are an insignificant detail in every variety except one: the Lizard canary. Answer: they there are two tufts of feathers either side of […]... Read More
Sweet Bird of Youth: the sequel
I finished Lizard canary basics, part 9: Sweet Bird of Youth by asking if any of the eight juveniles I had photographed were going to be stars of the future. Would we see their names in bright lights? In the best Hollywood tradition, the article left the leading characters facing an uncertain future; to find […]... Read More
Lizard canary basics, part 9: Sweet Bird of Youth
Fans of Paul Newman and Geraldine Page are going to be disappointed. This article has nothing to do with the film, or with Tennessee Williams, other than the title. But what a title! Much better than ‘Juveniles’ which was my original choice. ... Read More