Canary

The Canary (domestic canary, Serinus canaria forma domestica) is a small songbird in the finch family, kept as a pet in cages and aviaries. Common Canaries are about 13 to 15 cm long and weigh roughly 15 to 20 grams, with a round head and a short, pin-shaped beak.

They come in many plumage colours, including yellow, orange, brown, black, white and red. Bright yellow is the best-known, and it even gave its name to a shade of yellow. Breeds are generally grouped into those bred for song, for colour, or for shape and posture. Some are tiny, like the Fife Fancy at about 10 cm, and some are large, like the Lancashire at about 23 cm.

Canaries are mainly kept for their melodious song, their colours and their shapes.

The Canary is a domesticated form of the wild canary, a small finch from the Macaronesian Islands. The wild birds are named after Spain's Canary Islands and are usually yellowish-green or grey. Keeping them began after the European conquest of the islands where the wild birds lived.

Canaries became prized possessions in 17th century Europe and gradually became popular in poorer households too, thanks to their song and how readily they breed. Over about 500 years of captivity, many coloured, decorative and singing varieties have been developed. They were also very popular pets in the United States from the 19th century to the mid 20th century.

Many breeds were developed or further bred in Britain, such as the Lizard (the oldest breed still in existence), the Norwich, the Border Fancy, the Fife Fancy, the Gloster, the Lancashire and the Yorkshire. The Harz Roller, from Germany, was the first type bred specifically for song. In the 1920s the red factor Canary was created by crossing with the red siskin. Canaries were also once used in coal mines as a sentinel for toxic gases.

Canaries are solitary, rather introverted birds and are normally comfortable living alone in a cage. They tend to be skittish around people and are not nearly as tame as budgies or parrots, though with patience they can learn to approach and sit on a hand or shoulder.

Males sing to attract mates and claim territory, often starting early in the morning. Most females do not sing, though they chirp. Canaries communicate through calls and song, and they respond to the warning calls of other birds. When excited they may hop from perch to perch or chirp.

Outside the breeding season they are peaceful and sociable and can live in groups in an aviary, where a pecking order forms. In the breeding season males become territorial and can fight fiercely. Canaries keep an individual distance from one another, even paired partners. They moult between August and October in the Northern Hemisphere, and males often stop singing while new feathers grow.

With good care, a Canary's lifespan is typically 7 to 12 years, or 10 to 15 years.

Parasites are the most common cause of illness. Stress can weaken the immune system, letting gut bacteria multiply and cause enteritis with diarrhoea and dehydration. Other known problems include broken wings, legs and toes, and cataracts.

Canarypox is a virus spread by infected birds or by mosquitoes, causing nodules around the beak and breathing difficulties. Ornithosis has no clear symptoms and is hard to diagnose. Canaries can also catch Newcastle disease, which can cause conjunctivitis in people. Canaries often die with little warning. The Belgian Waterslager breed has abnormal hair cells linked to high-frequency hearing loss.

This is general awareness only, not veterinary advice. Always consult a vet about your pet's health.

How long do canaries live?

With good care, a Canary's lifespan ranges from 7 to 12 years, or 10 to 15 years.

Do female canaries sing?

Most females do not sing, though they chirp. Those that do sing are less intense and loud than males. Females sing most often in October, and Spanish Timbrado females sing better than those of other breeds.

Can you tell if a canary is male or female by looking?

Not easily. Canaries look alike in both sexes, and even experienced breeders have got it wrong. A key clue is that most males sing and most females do not.

Do canaries like company?

They are solitary birds and are normally comfortable living alone. Outside the breeding season they can be peaceful in groups, but they keep their distance from each other.

Can canaries pass anything on to people?

Canaries can catch Newcastle disease, which can cause conjunctivitis in humans. It spreads through raw chicken eggshells or wild birds.

Canaries learn their songs. The basic song pattern is inherited, but the fine details are learned from listening, especially to their father. Young males begin learning at about 30 to 40 days old and reach full song at around 300 days.

Singing Canaries are the only pets whose voices have been shaped by humans. Canaries can imitate other birds and other sounds, and in rare cases human speech. In pre-revolution Russia, some learned to sing the national anthem.

The Harz Roller sings with a closed beak and an inflated throat, while the Belgian Waterslager mimics babbling water. In the 1960s, the feathery crest of the Gloster Corona was popular partly because it resembled The Beatles' hairstyles. Canaries cross readily with other finches, and some hybrids are sterile.