Juvenile on Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain The colour canary yellow is in turn named after the yellow domestic canary, produced by a mutation which suppressed the melanins of the original dull greenish wild Atlantic canary colour. A legend of the islands, however, states that it was the conquistadors who named the islands after a fierce tribe inhabiting the largest island of the group, known as the 'Canarii'. The islands' name is derived from the Latin name canariae insulae ('islands of dogs') used by Arnobius, referring to the large dogs kept by the inhabitants of the islands. The bird is named after the Canary Islands, not the other way around. The Atlantic canary's closest relative is the European serin, and the two can produce on average 25% fertile hybrids if crossed. Decades later, Cuvier reclassified them into the genus Serinus and there they have remained. Linnaeus originally classified the Atlantic canary as a subspecies of the European serin and assigned them to the genus Fringilla. The Atlantic canary was classified by Linnaeus in 1758 in his Systema Naturae. Hybridization with the white-rumped seedeater has been noted by Antonio Arnaiz-Villena et al. The song is a silvery twittering similar to the songs of the European serin and citril finch. It is about 10% larger, longer and less contrasted than its relative the European serin, and has more grey and brown in its plumage and relatively shorter wings. Juvenile birds are largely brown with dark streaks.

The female is similar to the male but duller with a greyer head and breast and less yellow underparts. The upperparts are grey-green with dark streaks and the rump is dull yellow. The lower belly and undertail-coverts are whitish and there are some dark streaks on the sides. The male has a largely yellow-green head and underparts with a yellower forehead, face and supercilium. The Atlantic canary can range from 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) in length, with a wingspan of 21 to 23.7 cm (8.3 to 9.3 in) and a weight of 8.4 to 24.3 g (0.30 to 0.86 oz), with an average of around 15 g (0.53 oz). This bird is the natural symbol of the Canary Islands, together with the Canary Island date palm. The species is common in captivity and a number of colour varieties have been bred. Wild birds are mostly yellow-green, with brownish streaking on the back. It is native to the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira. These birds can be white, yellow, green, buff, or multicolored.The Atlantic canary ( Serinus canaria), known worldwide simply as the wild canary and also called the island canary, common canary, or canary, is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Serinus in the finch family, Fringillidae. Their legs are slender and longer than many other types of canaries. They have compact wings and long, narrow tails. The Belgian Fancy Canary Image Credit: Tony Tilford, ShutterstockĬonsidered an old continental breed, the Belgian Fancy canary is a popular breed, with a long neck and slender body.

Here are 14 types of canary bird varieties that you should know about. Some have been around for a long time, while others are fairly new to the breeding world. While they all look similar in shape and size, there are differences between each type of canary, which is why they all have unique names. There are several different types of canary bird varieties. Canaries also make for great pets and do not require as much space or care as many other pets, like cats and dogs. However, this is not to say that canaries are not beautiful or good singers, because they do have both those qualities. There are several types of canary bird varieties available to buy as pets, each bred for the bird’s shape and size rather than their singing capabilities or colors.

Canari size chart