What Is a Canary?

A canary is a small bird – around

13cm in height – which is most often
yellow but can also be bred to have a
rose coloured tint or be completely
white.

There are many different breeds of

canary but some of the most
common are Gloster, Coroner,
Yorkshire, Fife and Crested.

Fun Fact In the 1800s and early 1900s, the canary was used to detect
noxious gases in coal mines to make sure they were safe for
the miners.
 The Origin of the Canary
The canary originates from the coast of
Africa but was named after the Spanish
Canary Islands, after Spain conquered the
Canary Islands in the 1500s.

The story goes that the Spanish sailors adored

the song of the canary and imported them to
Spain. They began breeding them to sell and
the trade was very successful. By the 1900s,
many households in Europe had a canary.

Fun Fact The Latin name for canary is Serinus Canaria.

 A Canary’s Personality

Canaries are friendly and sociable. They are

happier if they are kept in a pair (male and
female) but can be kept in large groups if
they have enough space.

Although they are friendly, they do not like

to be handled and are unlikely to perch on
someone’s finger.

They do respond when they are talked to.

Did You Know…? A canary can live for up to ten years!

 Keeping Canaries
If a canary is kept as an indoor pet, it needs to be in
a cage with special sand on the bottom. It must also
be regularly cleaned out.

It must have daily exercise, so it needs to be let out

of the cage when all the doors and windows are
shut to allow it to fly around.

Canaries can also be kept outdoors in large

aviaries. This is a large cage which allows the birds
to fly whenever they choose.

They like to hop from perch to perch, so they need

small horizontal bars at varying heights in their
cages or aviaries.
 Happy Canaries

Canaries like to be entertained and need

toys in their cages.

They also need to have a bath, so a small

bowl of water needs to be at the bottom
of their enclosures.

Did You Canaries go through a moult every summer. They

Know…? replace old feathers with new ones, and it can take 6-
10 weeks. They need nutritious food to help them
with the moult.
 What Food Do They Eat?

In the wild, canaries would eat seeds, grains

and different vegetation.

Pet canaries eat special canary mix which is

sold in pet shops. Along with this, they can
be given small pieces of fruit and vegetables
as a treat.

They can also be given cuttlefish, which

provides them with extra calcium.

Did You Canaries must not eat avocado, lettuce, lemon or

Know…? potato as it will make them very ill.
 A Song and a Cheep

The male canary (cock) will

sing repetitive tunes loudly
and the female (hen) tends to
cheep.

They will stay with a partner

for years and can lay four to
six eggs within
approximately 14 days from
mating.

In some countries, there are canary song

Fun Fact In some countries, there are canary song competitions for
competitions for canaries to demonstrate their
canaries to demonstrate their tuneful songs.
tuneful songs.