Canaries

Family

Fringillidae

Scientific Name

Serinus canaria

Basic Animal Group

Birds

Diet

Herbivores

Length

~10-12cm

Weight

~15g

Wingspan

~21-24cm

Incubation Period

~13-14 days

Clutch

~2-3 clutches/year
~3-4 eggs/clutch

Origin

Canary Islands

Lifespan

~10-20 years

Characteristics

small-canary

Fun Facts

  1. A songbird, with the female’s singing being shorter and less frequent than that of males.
  2. They molt during the summer months and this is the reason why they sing less frequent  to conserve their energy for this process.
  3. According to the Guinness World  Records the oldest registered canary was 34 years old (1941-1975).
  4. Although spicy, canaries like to eat jalepeno peppers which are good for their health as they contain Vitamins A and C.
  5. In the English language the people tend to use the phrase ‘the canary in the cold mine’ when referring to a warning for an emergency. This is because in the past, coal miners would become aware that there is a release of toxic gases if canaries showed signs of distress or illness and thus would evacuate.