Domestic canary In the UK, this practice ceased in 1986. Typically, the domestic canary is kept as a popular cage and aviary bird. Given proper housing and care, a canary's lifespan ranges from 10 to 15 years. The birds are named after Spain's Canary Islands, which derive their name from the Latin "Insula Canaria" (after one of the larger islands, Gran Canaria), meaning "island of dogs", due to its "vast multitudes of dogs of very large size". Canaries are generally divided into three main groups: While wild canaries are a yellowish-green colour, domestic canaries have been selectively bred for a wide variety
Canary Islands chiffchaff and a longer tail. Its underparts have a brownish-buff tone, especially on the flanks and breast, and the upperparts are darker brown than the common chiffchaff. Many calls are similar to the common chiffchaff but the song lacks the metronomic quality of that species and is harsher, shorter and more varied and with a faster delivery. The Canary Islands chiffchaff occurs in most habitats from coastal gardens to high altitude vegetation but is absent from semi-desert scrub at lower altitudes. In the breeding period, January to June, the Canary Islands chiffchaff is territorial and is found singly or in pairs,