Domestic canary

The domestic canary (Serinus canaria forma domestica), often simply known as the canary, is a domesticated form of the wild canary, a small songbird in the finch family originating in the Macaronesian Islands. Over the past 500 years of captivity, a wide variety of coloured, decorative and singing canaries have been bred through selection.

The canary has been kept as a pet for centuries, which began after the European conquests of the islands inhabited by its wild ancestor. They were domesticated and became prized possessions in 17th century Europe, eventually becoming popular even amongst poorer households, largely due to its melodious song and flexibility in breeding. They were also a highly popular pet in the United States from the 19th century until the mid 20th century. Canaries have also been used in the coal mining industry to detect carbon monoxide, a practice that has since been ceased.

Domestic canaries come in a wide variety of different plumage colours, unlike its wild ancestor which are usually grey or light green. The most well-known, stereotypical plumage colour of canaries is bright yellow, which has even given a name to a specific shade of yellow referred to as Canary Yellow. Singing canaries are the only pets whose voice and vocalisations have been influenced by humans to alter their sounds. The Harz Roller breed of singing canary has achieved wide fame in this field.