# Island Canary

*Serinus canaria*

Wild island canaries are mostly greenish-brown with yellow-green highlights; the bright yellow variety was bred selectively by humans.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Fringillidae › Serinus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Laurel forests, pine woods, agricultural fields, and gardens.
- **Diet:** Primarily seeds, plant buds, and occasionally small insects.
- **Range:** Canary Islands, Azores, Madeira
- **Size:** 12-13.5 cm long, weight of 15-20 grams
- **Lifespan:** 5 to 10 years in the wild
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, urbanization, and predation by invasive feral cats.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. Observe from a respectful distance of 5-10 meters to avoid disrupting its foraging. Use binoculars for a closer look. Safe to encounter; no risk of bites or stings.

## About

The Atlantic canary ( Serinus canaria ), known worldwide simply as the wild canary and also called the island canary , canary , or common canary , is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Serinus in the finch family, Fringillidae. It is native to the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira. Wild birds are mostly yellow-green, with brownish streaking on the back. The species is common in captivity and a number of colour varieties have been bred.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/490fe0c2-26ad-4389-b618-3b6871609408
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/9246
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serinus canaria
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/12383875/medium.jpg (Juan Emilio, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.