Sicilian Buttercups

The head, showing the comb, of a Buttercup cockerel
Photo courtesy of Rupert Stephenson

Developed on the island of Sicily, this breed was first imported into the US in 1835, but the present stock descends from hatching eggs imported in 1892. The cup-shaped comb that is its trademark is clearly pictured below on the rooster "Lester" (well, his name really is "Cholesterol," but you can see how he got his nickname). Another major characteristic of the breed is the difference in coloring of the male and female. Males are a deep orange-red with a black tail; the cape should show some black spangles. The hen is golden buff, with parallel rows of black spangles, giving her an almost spotted appearance. I understand that there are other colors in the UK, including White and Brown (which was at one time called the Sicilian Flower Bird). Ear lobes are white (in the US standard, but red in the British) and legs should be willow green.

The Buttercup is one of the nonsitting light Mediterranean breeds.

I think the hens are among the most beautiful of all chickens, and always try to have some around the farm. The roosters, to me, are just more reddish roosters.