• ttbc Catalan: canari
• ttbc Low Saxon (“Low German”): Kanaarnvagel , Kanaarjenvagel , Kanaljenvagel
• ttbc Spanish: canario

Adjective

canary (: more canary, : most canary)

1. of a light yellow colour.

Translations

• Danish: kanariegul

Verb

1. to dance nimbly (as in the canary dance)

Translations

Derived terms

• bush canary
• canary creeper
• canary grass
• canary in a coal mine
• canary yellow

Related terms

• serin
• yellowhead

See also

This page is about the wild bird. See Domestic Canary for the cagebird.

The Canary (Serinus canaria) sometimes called the Island Canary, Tame Canary or Atlantic Canary, is a small bird in the finch family. It is native to the Azores, the Canary Islands, and Madeira.

Appearance

It is 12.5 cm long, with a wingspan of 20-23 cm and a weight of 15-20 g. It is yellow-green, with brownish streaking on its back. It is about 10% larger, longer and less contrasted than its relative the Serin, and has more grey and brown in its plumage and relatively shorter wings. The song is a silvery twittering similar to the songs of the Serin and Citril Finch.

• Azores: 30,000-60,000 pairs.
• Canary Islands: 80,000-90,000 pairs.
• Madeira: 4,000-5,000 pairs.

Etymology

The bird is named after the Canary Islands, not the other way around, 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 colour canary yellow is in turn named after the yellow Domestic Canary.

Captivity

This species is often kept as a pet; see Domestic Canary for details. Birds have escaped from captivity and have established feral populations on Bermuda, Midway Atoll in Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

References

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