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 Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; , ) is a Spanish archipelago and the southernmost autonomous community of Spain located in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Morocco at the closest point. The Canaries are among the outermost regions (OMR) of the European Union proper. It is also one of the eight regions with special consideration of historical nationality recognized as such by the Spanish Government. The Canary Islands belong to the African Plate like the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla, the two on the African mainland. The seven main islands are (from largest to smallest in area) Tenerife, Fuerteventura,