Is there anybody who does not like the canary birds? They are among the most beautiful birds that are created on earth. They dazzle you with their fascinating colors and ear-catching sound. The canary bird is also known as the domestic canary and is commonly referred to as the canary to be named after the Canary Islands which are located in Spain. It is a songbird that is small in its size and is a domesticated type since it is bred at homes. It originated in the Macaronesian Islands which include Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores. The canary birds were brought to Europe by Spanish sailors and breeding them in captivity started for the first time in the 17th century. Selling canary birds was limited to males only and they were highly sought after by kings which increased the price of this type of birds. Since that time, the canary birds have become fashionable and expensive until the Italians succeeded in getting hens and breeding canary birds on their own. The canary birds have become more popular to spread in different parts of Europe and the number of breeds increased.
♦ Divide the canary birds into three groups
The canary birds are available in three groups that differ in their characteristics. Each group of canary birds has its own traits that make it unique and highly sought after by canary lovers. The first group is called “colorbred canaries” and they are bought for their several color mutations, the second group is known as “type canaries” and they are sought after for their unique shape and conformation and finally the third group which is called “song canaries” and they are bred by many people for their beautiful song patterns.
♦ What about the canary birds’ colors?
The wild canaries differ from the domestic canaries in their color. Most of the wild canaries are yellowish green in their color, while the domestic canaries are available in a large diversity of colors such as red, white, brown, black, yellow and orange.
♦ Do you know that the canaries were used as warning systems in mines?
Canaries were used in coal mines in Britain to warn miners of any coming crisis. Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane and other toxic gases that may exist in coal mines are capable of killing the canary birds before affecting the life and health of miners which can save the miners and warn them before something bad happens to them. Because using canaries in British mines is safe for miners but dangerous for canary birds, using canary in mines was stopped in 1987 to save the canaries’ lives and protect them from being endangered.
♦ Using canary birds in researches
It seems that the canary birds have many unique features and this is why they are used in different aspects of life. The canary birds have been used by scientists for doing researches, studying neurogenesis and discovering more about the secrets of different processes that take place in the brain such as encoding and producing songs. Discovering more secrets about what happens in the canaries’ brains can help us to understand more about what happens in our brains as human beings.