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Classifications of the Stafford Canary

The following is the current classifications for the Stafford Canary at the National Show

SECTION 1: Crested - Clear & Variegated (Crest can be Clear, Dark, or Grizzle)

FROST                                                                    NON-FROST

01

03

Clear Red Ground

Ticked or Variegated Red Ground

02

04

HEN                                                                             COCK

05

07

Clear Red Ground Mosaic

Ticked or Variegated Red Ground Mosaic

06

08

FROST                                                              NON-FROST

09

11

Clear Rose Ground

Ticked or Variegated Rose Ground

10

12

HEN                                                                             COCK

13

15

Clear Red Ground Mosaic

Ticked or Variegated Red Ground Mosaic

14

16

SECTION 2: Non-Crested - Clear , Ticked, or Variegated

FROST                                                                    NON-FROST

17

19

Clear Red Ground

Ticked or Variegated Red Ground

18

20

HEN                                                                             COCK

21

23

Clear Red Ground Mosaic

Ticked or Variegated Red Ground Mosaic

22

24

FROST                                                              NON-FROST

25

27

Clear Rose Ground

Ticked or Variegated Rose Ground

26

28

HEN                                                                             COCK

29

31

Clear Red Ground Mosaic

Ticked or Variegated Red Ground Mosaic

30

32

Classification continued. . .

Terminology

  • AGATE - A self bird, the first reduction of a green canary diluting of black & brown melanin pigment, appearing as gray, with a characteristic mustache.

  • BRONZE - A self green bird on red ground having striated black melanistic pigmentation.

  • BROWN - A self bird having brown striated melanistic pigmentation.

  • CINNAMON - Another term used for brown. Often used to describe variegated brown birds, e.g., "a cinnamon crested, frosted, variegated cinnamon and rose hen".

  • CLEAR - A bird showing no melanistic pigmentation of its body. Check the under flu feathers, A satinette appears clear but the under flu feathers are dark.) The crest can be clear, grizzle or dark.

  • CRESTED - A growth of feather radiating from a central point on the head. One of two partners in a breeding pair.

  • DARK CRESTED - A crest of dark feathers (black, brown/cinnamon).

  • DIMORPHIC - A very board feather that extends the amount of frosting on the edges of the feather. Dimorphism exhibits two distinct forms of feather pattern for the cock & hen, may appear in clear variegated and self varieties, (What appears to be clear red or rose fledglings in the Summer/Fall moult will turn white with red markings in certain areas of the body depending on the sex of the bird.)

  • FLIGHTED - A bird having moulted its flight feathers. (Over 18 months old.)

  • FOUL - A self bird having up to three light feathers in either its wings or tail.

  • FROSTED - A bird showing white frosting on the tips of its feathers.

  • GRIZZLE - A term to describe melanistic markings in the crest, appearing as a salt & peppery crest.

  • INO - A self bird having chocolate brown melanistic pigmentation in a spangled formation & red eyes in a recessive (non-sex linked) factor, therefore without albinism. (The non-pigmented is a red eye, clear red lipochrome & is called a Rubino.)

  • ISABEL - A self bird, A diluted brown (cinnamon) bird.

  • ISABEL SATINETTE - See Satinette

Terminology continued. . .

Remember to review the Standards

SECTION 3: Crested -Melanin

FROST                                                                    NON-FROST

33

35

37

Red Bronze, Self Foul or 3/4 Dark

Red Brown, Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

All Other Red Ground Staffords (including Agate, Isabel, Pastel, Ino , Opal & Satinette) Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

34

36

38

HEN                                                                             COCK

39

All Red Ground Melanin Mosaics (Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

40

FROST                                                              NON-FROST

Rose Bronze, Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

Rose Brown Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

All Other Rose Ground Staffords (including Agate, Isabel, Pastel, Ino , Opal & Satinette) Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

41

43

45

42

44

46

HEN                                                                             COCK

47

All Rose Ground Melanin Mosaics (Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

48

SECTION 4: Non-Crested -Melanin

FROST                                                                    NON-FROST

49

51

53

Red Bronze, Self Foul or 3/4 Dark

Red Brown, Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

All Other Red Ground Staffords (including Agate, Isabel, Pastel, Ino , Opal & Satinette) Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

50

52

54

HEN                                                                             COCK

55

All Red Ground Melanin Mosaics (Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

56

FROST                                                              NON-FROST

Rose Bronze, Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

Rose Brown Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

All Other Rose Ground Staffords (including Agate, Isabel, Pastel, Ino , Opal & Satinette) Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

57

59

61

58

60

62

HEN                                                                             COCK

63

All Rose Ground Melanin Mosaics (Self, Foul or 3/4 Dark

64

  • MOSAIC - A term used interchangeably with dimorphic. However, there is a dramatic difference. The male markings in a new type Mosaic are brighter and more extensive than in the old type dimorphic male markings. In the clear Mosaic variety, both male and female show more ground color contrasted with more distinct red markings.

  • NON-CRESTED - A Stafford without a crest but with a round head, which sustains the round crest. One of two partners in a breeding pair. Not interchangeable with the Color Bred Red ground canary.

  • NON-FROSTED - A bird that shows no frosting on its feather tips.

  • OPAL - A self-bird characterized by the inhibition of brown, having gray/blue striated melanistic pigmentation. the dark, melanistic color appears in the underside of the feathers, while the outer feather have a milky gray/blue glaze.

  • PASTEL - A paling or dilute factor called ivory in the lipochrome and pastel in the melanin. The first reduction in black and brown melanin pigment produces agate, the second reduction is the Pastel. In the self, appears as a suffusion of brown melanistic pigmentation covering the entire plumage.

  • SATINETTE - A ruby eyed self bird appearing as a clear bird of ground color, with only the melanistic coloring of the dark under flu distinguishing it as a self bird, not a clear bird. (When the Satinette also has striations, it is then called Isabel Satinette. Here, the brown melanistic pigmentation is in a striated formation with ground color between. The ruby eyes determine if the bird is an Isabel Satinette or a black-eyed Isabel).

  • SELF - A bird with melanistic pigmentation on all of its feathers, legs, feet and beak.

  • 3/4 PARTS DARK - A bird showing only one quarter of its body with light feathering.

  • TICKED - A clear bird having a mark on its body coverable by a penny. ("one pence piece").

  • UNFLIGHTED - A bird that has not moulted its flight feathers. Current year bird. (In England, a bird is not color-fed until after the fledgling moult and therefore it's primary flight feathers will appear white to pale yellow against the red or rose ground color. This obvious contrast is a sure sign of this being a current year's bird, in a country where closed bands are not used for dating birds.)

  • VARIEGATED - A clear bird showing any form of melanistic markings on it's feathers, from a tick to 3 parts dark.

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