Cara Blanca

Cara Blanca, literally "white face," is a Spanish name commonly associated with the White-faced Black Spanish chicken, a Mediterranean egg breed with glossy black plumage and conspicuous white facial skin. The white face and large white earlobes develop as birds mature and are the feature that separates it from other black Mediterranean breeds such as Minorca or Castilian-type fowl. It is a light, upright, clean-legged chicken with a large single comb and a reputation for producing white-shelled eggs.

In backyard and exhibition flocks, Cara Blanca birds are kept more for heritage value and appearance than for meat. They are active, heat-tolerant foragers but can be flighty, and the large comb is vulnerable in cold damp weather. Show breeders pay close attention to an unblemished white face, correct black color, and avoiding coarse body type. Young stock should not be judged too early, because the facial whiteness expands with age; buyers should confirm whether the name refers to true White-faced Black Spanish stock or a local white-faced black chicken.

Colors: Barred, Birchen, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Columbian, Crele, Cuckoo, Duckwing, Gold, Gold Laced, Laced, Lavender, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Partridge, Penciled, Porcelain, Red, Silver, Silver Laced, Spangled, Splash, Wheaten, White