Canary Varieties

Canaries come in hundreds of varieties and are divided into three main categories as pets: "colored canaries," bred for specific colors with any other characteristics regarded as a bonus; "song canaries," bred for their ability to sing; and "type canaries," bred solely for appearance, physical traits or shape.

  1. Color Bred Canaries

    • Color-bred canaries are found in a variety of colors including green, orange, white, gray, frosted and red, with the popular Red Factor canary the most valuable. Diet is an important factor in maintaining the color of these birds. Foods such as berries, beets, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cherries, cayenne pepper and paprika help to enhance the colors of canaries in this category. According to the website Canary Advisor, there are over 200 canary colors.

    Singing Canaries

    • Among the singing canaries, the Roller Canary is the best singer, according to the Animal World website. Male canaries kept as single birds, regardless of their category, exhibit stronger singing ability than females. In addition to the Roller Canary, song canaries include the American Singer canary, the Spanish Timbrado canary, the Waterslager canary and the Russian Singer. Training for song canaries includes the use of recordings. Although other types of canaries have the ability to sing, those bred specifically for singing have a more distinct and melodious sound.

    Border Fancy Canary

    • Bred for their appearance, Border Fancy canaries are 5 3/4 inches long and are found in colors such as white, yellow, buff, green, blue and cinnamon, ticked or variegated. The Border Fancy canary is one of the largest in size for this category.

    Fife Fancy Canary

    • The Fife Fancy canary is 4 1/4 inches long with a rounded body. Fifes appear in colors such as green, yellow, white and variegated. Like the Border Fancy, this canary is bred for appearance, but the male also sings. According to Animal World, the Fife is a hardy bird and an excellent choice for the new canary owner.

    Gloster Fancy Canary

    • Another hardy canary, the Gloster, is about 4 1/2 inches long and stubby. The Gloster comes in two varieties; the Gloster Corona canary, which is the crested variety, has a round, symmetrical crest of feathers atop its head. The Gloster Corona Canary has the same body type, but does not have the crest. Although Gloster canaries sing, they are bred for their appearance. Gloster Fancies appear in green, cinnamon and frosts.

    Frilled Canaries

    • Two popular types of frilled canaries are the Northern Dutch Frilled canary and the Parisian Frilled canary. The difference between the Northern Dutch and the Parisian canary is in the amount and location of the frilled feathers. The frilled feathers on the Northern Dutch canary appear as a band around the middle. On the Parisian canary, all feathers are frilled except for the flight and tail feathers. Another distinction is the twisted, corkscrew-shaped toes on the Parisian canary. The colors seen in frilled canaries are green, buff, clear, ticked or variegated and some whites, according to Animal World. The Northern Dutch stands approximately 6 1/2 inches; the Parisian canary is 7 3/4 to 8 1/4 inches. Both frilled canaries are bred for appearance.

    Lizard Canary

    • This variety of canary is bred for the spangled appearance of its feathers, which give it a scaled look. The spangling appears as rows of black crescent-shaped spots that run down the bird's back. The Lizard canary is 5 1/2 inches long with ground colors of yellow, buff or red.