Is The Classic Lizard Canary Heading Towards Extinction?

HUW EVANS identifies the threats – which are still widely underestimated – to this historic canary breed, but offers reasons for hope that a broader appreciation of the genetic issues involved will secure its successful future.

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COVER STORY: CANARIES

IN 1945 the Lizard canary was in a parlous state. The Second World War had taken its toll of breeders and their birds, and the number of surviving Lizards had plummeted to a dangerously low level. So concerned were the founders of the Lizard Canary Association that the minutes of the inaugural meeting held on May 13, 1945 contained the following plea:

“The Council is determined to keep the Lizard true to type. With this in view it is hoped that all members of the Association when disposing of stock birds, will give priority to fellow members. All are asked to give this resolution their fullest support.”

Thanks to the LCA’s guardianship, the Lizard recovered. Numbers have varied over the years, but you can still see more than 150 exhibits at specialist shows in the UK, and several hundred at some of the larger European events. Amidst all that abundance, surely any talk of extinction is nonsense?

The answer, as far as the classic Lizard canary is concerned, might surprise you.

I use the term “classic” to denote the true-bred Lizard, a breed that has survived intact for three centuries; no other canary has such an ancient heritage. By definition, a true-bred Lizard is a bird that is free from alien genes, but they are now in the minority since colour variants of the Lizard have developed a following in the UK and abroad.

The colour variants have been produced by cross-breeding the Lizard with colour canaries, the most common being white (better known as “blue” in the Lizard) and brown (cinnamon or Ocelado), but there are several others.