Dictionary:

canary

  (kə-nâr'ē)

1. A small finch (Serinus canaria) native to the Canary Islands that is greenish to yellow and has long been bred as a cage bird.
2. Slang.
   1. A woman singer.
   2. An informer; a stool pigeon.
3. A sweet white wine from the Canary Islands, similar to Madeira.
4. A light to moderate or vivid yellow.

[French canari, from Spanish canario, of the Canary Islands, from (Islas) Canarias, Canary (Islands), from Late Latin Canāriae (Īnsulae), (islands) of dogs, from Latin canārius, pertaining to dogs, canine, from canis, dog.]

(click to enlarge)
Canary (Serinus canaria). (credit: Eric Hosking)

Popular cage bird (Serinus canaria; in the goldfinch family, Carduelidae) that owes its coloration and sustained vocal powers to 400 years of selective breeding. Varieties called rollers trill almost continuously; choppers have a loud trill of distinct notes. Well-known breeds include Hartz Mountain, Norwich, and Yorkshire. The average life span of a caged canary is 10 – 15 years. The canary is native to the Canary, Azores, and Madeira islands. The wild form is streak-backed and mostly greenish brown.

For more information on canary, visit Britannica.com.

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

Canary
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Fringillidae Genus: Serinus Species: S. canaria
Binomial name
Serinus canaria (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Canary (Serinus canaria) sometimes called the Island Canary, Wild Canary or Atlantic Canary, is a small bird in the finch family.

This bird is native to the Azores, the Canary Islands, and Madeira. The bird was named after the Canary Islands, not the other way around. In turn, the color canary yellow is named for the yellow canary.

It is 12.5-13.5 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 like the Goldfinch.

Its habitat is semi-open areas such as orchards and copses, where it nests in bushes or trees, from sea level up to 1,500 m altitude.

The population is considered stable, with the following totals:

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

Captivity

This species is often kept as a pet; see Domestic Canary for details.

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Serinus canaria. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.
• Clement, Harris and Davis, Finches and Sparrows ISBN 0-7136-8017-2.
• Hagemeijer, W., & Blair, M. J. (1997). The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds. T & A D Poyser. ISBN 0-85661-091-7.
• Snow, D. W. & Perrins, C. M. (1998). The Birds of the Western Palearctic concise ed. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-854099-X.
• Madeira birds - Canary
• Canary videos on the Internet Bird Collection

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - kanariefugl, refrænsangerinde, [sl] stikker

idioms:

• canary yellow    kanariegul

n. - Canariske Øer

Nederlands (Dutch)
kanarie, kanariewijn, lof, informant, zangeres, jonge vrouw

Français (French)
n. - canari

idioms:

• canary yellow    jaune canari

Deutsch (German)
n. - Kanarienvogel

idioms:

• canary yellow    Kanariengelb

n. - Kanarische Inseln, Kanaren

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - καναρίνι

idioms:

• canary yellow    καναρινί, καναρινής

Italiano (Italian)
canarino

idioms:

• canary yellow    giallo canarino

Português (Portuguese)
n. - canário (m), delator (m) (gír.)

idioms:

• canary yellow    amarelo (m) canário

Русский (Russian)
канарейка

idioms:

• canary yellow    канареечный цвет

Español (Spanish)
n. - canario

idioms:

• canary yellow    amarillo canario, amarillo patito

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - kanariefågel, tjallare (sl.), sopran, vokalist

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
金丝雀, 加那利葡萄酒, 淡黄色, 加那利舞

idioms:

• canary yellow    淡黄色, 鲜黄色

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 金絲雀, 加那利葡萄酒, 淡黃色, 加那利舞

idioms:

• canary yellow    淡黃色, 鮮黃色

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 카나리아, 카나리아 제도 산 포도주, 밀고자

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - カナリア, カナリア色

idioms:

• canary yellow    カナリヤ色

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) طائر حسن الصوت‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ציפור-שיר, זמרת, יין לבן מתוק, צהוב-בהיר‬
n. - ‮האיים הקנאריים‬

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