The domestic form of the wild canary, a finch from the Macaronesian islands, which include Spain’s Canary Islands. Kept for about 500 years, it has been bred in many colours and for its song, and became a prized pet in 17th-century Europe.
Quick answers
What is it?Bird
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Commonly
Kept as a pet for centuries, and bred into many coloured and singing varieties.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
ColoursYellow, Orange, White
SizeTiny
Length13–15 cm (common canaries)
Weight15–20 g
Legs2
Covered inFeathers
Lives inflocks
Lives for10–15 years
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Kept as a pet, especially in Europe and the United States; its wild ancestor lives in the Macaronesian islands.
- What it eats
- Seeds.
Did you know
Taken down coal mines until 1986 because it collapsed from gas before miners did.
Most males sing and most females do not.
Canary Yellow, a shade of colour, is named after it.
Often confused with
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