Canary
Canaries are small, non-migratory songbirds native to the Canary Islands, Azores, and Madeira, known for their vibrant colors and melodious singing. They typically measure 4 to 4 ¾ inches (10 to 12 centimeters) in length, displaying gray-brown striped plumage on their backs and dull yellowish-green underparts. Over centuries, canaries have been domesticated, resulting in various breeds that exhibit a broader spectrum of colors, including red, yellow, and pink, as well as distinct features like feather crests. Social by nature, canaries thrive in flocks, particularly during their breeding season from January to July, where males sing to attract mates. Nesting involves a collaborative effort, with males selecting sites and gathering materials, while females construct the nest and incubate the eggs. Canaries primarily feed on seeds, but their diet also includes grass, figs, weeds, and small insects. With a life span averaging between 10 to 15 years, these birds have also played a historical role in detecting hazardous gases in coal mines. Their captivating songs and varied appearances make them a popular choice for pet owners and bird enthusiasts alike.
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Canary
Canaries are small, non-migratory birds with gray-brown and yellow-green plumage native to the Canary Islands, Azores, and Madeira in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. They are popular songbirds and have been domesticated as caged pets, resulting in an expanded variety of colors.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Serinus
Species: Canarius
Wild canaries measure between 4 to 4 3/4 inches (10 to 12 centimeters) and have gray-brown striped plumage, or feathering, on their backs, necks, and the surfaces of their wings and tails. Their breasts and rumps are a dull yellowish-green.
Domestic canaries comprise three main breeds—song canaries, color-bred canaries, and type canaries—which measure between 3 and 4 inches (7 1/2 and 10 centimeters). Colors vary between red, yellow, and pink, while type canaries have distinct features, like crests of feathers on the tops of their heads.
These social birds roost and feed in flocks. The breeding season occurs from January to July. Males gather on branches to sing to females searching for a mate. In warmer regions, they may build their nests early in January or February, while birds in cooler mountainous regions wait until June. The male selects a suitable nest site in a small tree or bush and gathers nest materials, like twigs, grass stems, moss, lichens, and other plant matter. The female forms the nest into a cup shape and lines it with feathers, hair, wool, and soft plant matter. She incubates three to four (rarely five) eggs for 13 to 14 days. Both parents feed soft, half-ripe seeds to their young. They leave the nest after 15 to 17 days and are full-grown in one year. Some pairs may have two to three broods, or batches, of young each mating season.
Canaries have strong bills and jaws for cracking the hard shells of seeds. Their strong gizzards, or stomachs, help crush, grind, and digest the hard seed kernels. They also eat grass, figs, weeds, and small insects.
Humans have bred canaries for over 400 years. In the twentieth century, some canary species were used to detect poisonous gases in coal mines. The average life span of canaries is between 10 and 15 years.
Bibliography
"Atlantic Canary." Animalia, animalia.bio/atlantic-canary. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.
Zayas, Maria. "Canary Care Sheet." Pet MD, 11 Sept. 2023, www.petmd.com/bird/canary-care-sheet. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.