Striking yellow bird. What is it?

briany

Saw this in the back garden today on the rowan tree, all by itself. Anyone have any inkling as to what it could be? I have more of these pictures but they're basically all from about the same distance, maybe with the bird turned around a bit or slight variations like that.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

My eyes aren't what they were but it looks like a Norwich canary from this distance!

mgwhelan

Heres a zoom in.



Looks like a canary all right.

briany

I Googled 'Norwich Canary' and it directed me to the domestic canary. I don't know really know about birds but I thought that species was a pet mainly and not suited to this part of the world. I'm sure they can be set free and all but would it survive long?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Norwich Canaries are a cagebird. This could be an escapee. My late father bred canaries and had a large outdoor aviary connected to the bird shed. Perhaps this one got loose due to damage from the high winds recently.

Zoo4m8

My father also bred canaries and from memory and has been suggested it's a Norwich and no, it won't last long unfortunately. Left to its own devices with clement weather it will survive fairly well but it's most likely to get nobbled by the nearest sparrowhawk.

While we are on the subject there is a very interesting book , The Cinnamon Bird, by R M Lockley (first published 1948) about a experiment that involved releasing six pairs of canaries into the wild on the island of Skokholm off the Welsh coast, well worth a read if it can be found.

jmkennedyie

Re the other birds in the pic I can make out some house sparrow and probable starling, but one or two remind me of tree sparrow which would be a wonderful species to have visit. Keep an eye out for them.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I'm sorry but I don't think there are any Tree Sparrows in that picture.

wexandproud

as the other posters said it is a canary but i think it could be an "irish fancy" canary which are a little smaller than the norwich, but this one is "muffed up" from the cold

bernard0368

OP, you are not down by Corkagh park by any chance. There was a similar bird by the fishing lakes for the last couple of weeks. Which I think escaped from the pet farm.

briany

bernard0368 wrote: »

OP, you are not down by Corkagh park by any chance. There was a similar bird by the fishing lakes for the last couple of weeks. Which I think escaped from the pet farm.

No, this was taken near Rush in North County Dublin. Possible that it flew that far? Like I say, I don't know birds or their habits.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

No, it would not have flown far. Possibly a local escapee from an aviary or cage in a house.
Is it still about?

briany

Kinsley Unsightly Rawhide wrote: »

No, it would not have flown far. Possibly a local escapee from an aviary or cage in a house.
Is it still about?

Can't say that I've seen it again but will keep an eye out.

wobbles

Poor thing wont last long at all in the wild. I keep a few canarys myself and often get called saying someone has found one or one has flown into their house. Luckily ive been able to keep them myself or pass them on to other bird keepers and give them a second chance