Domestication of the canary, Serinus canaria - the change from green to yellow

Abstract

ABSTRACT: New information on the domestication of the canary, Serinus canaria, shows that the process by which the wild-type canary was transformed by artificial selection into a pure yellow one occurred earlier than previously thought. Previous studies suggest that selective breeding occurred in Germany, that the first birds with any yellow plumage appeared around 1610, and that the first all yellow birds appeared around 1677. We describe an Italian painting from the 1490s showing completely yellow birds that may be canaries. This suggests selective breeding of canaries may have occurred in Italy before this date. We also report some information from Conrad Gessner who, in 1555, described a specific type of partially yellow canary from Italy. Gessner stated these specially bred birds were transported to Germany, which is where we know selective breeding continued. Paintings in the unpublished encyclopaedia of the German cleric, Marcus zum Lamm, from around 1580 show partially yellow canaries and a crested canary. A painting from around 1657 by the German artist Johann Walter shows what is probably an all yellow canary.