Serinus canaria forma domestica
Domestic Canary
Canaries suit people who want the presence and song of a bird without daily handling, provided they have real flying space.
FringillidaeLifespan 8–12 yearsCare complexity 2/5Suitable for beginners
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Serinus canaria forma domestica
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Origin
- Canary Islands, domesticated from the wild island canary
- Lifespan
- 8–12 years
- Adult size
- 12–20 cm
- Weight
- 15–30 g
- Temperament
- Hands-off, self-contained and cheerful
- Activity level
- Moderate to high within the cage
- Social needs
- Can live singly; males will not sing as readily in company
- Intelligence
- Learns routines; not a handling bird
- Noise
- Pleasant song, mostly from males
Housing and environment
- Housing
- Flight cage at least 90 cm long with horizontal space for flying
- Space requirement
- Quiet, bright position out of direct sun and draughts
- Temperature
- 15–25°C
- Humidity
- 40–60%
- Exercise
- A long flight cage matters more than out-of-cage time
- Grooming
- Self-bathing daily if water is offered
Diet and feeding
Canary seed mix or pellets plus fresh greens and egg food in moult
Behaviour and compatibility
Singing, bathing, flying between perches
- With children
- Good as a watch-and-listen bird rather than a handled pet
- With other animals
- Keep away from cats entirely
- Training difficulty
- Not typically handled or trained
Health
- Air sac mites
- Feather cysts
- Obesity
- Egg binding
- Canary pox
Avian vet care; sudden fluffing and quietness signals serious illness
Special care requirements
Males often stop singing during the annual moult — this is normal