Fun Fife Canary Facts For Kids

Divya Raghav
Oct 20, 2022 By Divya Raghav
Originally Published on Aug 17, 2021
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
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Read these interesting Fife canary facts to learn more about this species of bird that is an excellent singer.

Fife canaries (Serinus canaria domesticus) are considered smaller versions of the border canary. These little birds are great pets and were developed in the 1950s in and around the county of Fife in Scotland. Their cage is their nest, and the females lay eggs in that nest.

They belong to the family Fringillidae and genus Serinus. These canaries lay three to six eggs during the breeding season. They are quite vocal and their songs are quite soothing.

Here, we have many amazing and interesting facts about Fife canary that you will enjoy. For more relatable content, check out these yellow-fronted canary facts and Atlantic canary facts for kids.
 

Fife Canary Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Fife canary?

The Fife canary is a type of canary bird and is a smaller version of the border canary.

What class of animal does a Fife canary belong to?

The Fife canary belongs to the class Aves. It is a species of bird commonly found in Scotland.

How many Fife canaries are there in the world?

The Fife canary is a domestic bird. Unfortunately, there is no information regarding how many of them are alive in the world. Their conservation status is also unknown, but they are common pets, so it is safe to assume that they have a stable population; otherwise, keeping them as pets would have been banned by the government.

Where does a Fife canary live?

The Fife canary is a domestic bird. It lives in a cage with humans and is mostly kept as a pet by them. It is a friendly bird and is a really good singer. That is why many people like to keep them as pets in their households.

What is a Fife canary's habitat?

Fife canaries live in cages. They are mostly kept as pets in a cage. These little birdies are found in Scotland, and the United Kingdom. They require a roomy cage as they love to fly around and sing. If possible, you should keep them in an aviary so that they can get plenty of space.

Who do Fife canaries live with?

The Fife fancy canary lives with humans. They are good breeders and can perform breeding very easily.

Beginners will also find them easy to breed. They are calm birds, so a pair can be kept in a cage or aviary, especially during the breeding season, as they get along more easily. However, they still require open spaces, and they cannot live alone.

How long does a Fife canary live?

Fife fancy canary can live up to 10 years if you give it a good and clean environment. However, these birds are small and fragile and require care to live a healthy life.

Hens can breed from one to five years of age, while a cock can breed until six years of age. Females should not be bred after five years as it can cause health issues.

How do they reproduce?

The Fife canary can be bred as they do not cause any problems during the breeding season. Like most canaries, they can also perform breeding easily if they are provided with quality food, lighting, a secure environment, and conditioning.

You need to get a breeding box for them if you want to breed them in a smaller cage. A breeding box is a cage that is closed on all sides except for a wire front.

When separate compartments are added to that box, it is called a breeding cabinet. These boxes will only contain a hen and a cock. This will provide more consistent quality and is a more reliable method.

Hens lay three to six eggs during the breeding season, which is from December to April. A hen lays eggs in the nest and can lay only one egg in a day.

Therefore, it is advised not to let it lay more than two clutches. Eggs hatch in 14 days and take about three weeks to fledge. Cocks are responsible for feeding young ones so that hens can take a rest in the nest.

What is their conservation status?

Fife fancy canary does not have a conservation status yet, and it falls under the category of Data Deficient. There is no information regarding its population or status. These little birds are available at shops or pet stores, so we can assume their population is stable and away from any harm.

Fife Canary Fun Facts

What do Fife canaries look like?

They are beautiful and small birds, also known as miniature border canaries. There are a variety of Fife canary colors and they can be seen in white, yellow, buff, blue, cinnamon, and green. Green Fife canaries are heavily variegated.

They are actually yellow or buff birds with a black and brown pigment that has superimposed over their ground colors. Because of this, they have a greenish appearance. True green canaries have dark legs and feet.

Gray Fife canaries and blue Fife canaries are not gray and blue in color. It is actually a white Fife canary with brown and black melanin over the top of white, making it look like a little blue and gray.

On the other hand, the yellow Fife canary is lightly variegated as it does not have any dark feathers. Instead, its round head, tail, and feathers are bright yellow.

Fife Canary

 

How cute are they?

Fifes are cute, soft, and friendly birds. A Fife canary shows affection and love to its owner once it bonds with it. They are calm birds that are great singers, and people love to keep them as pets. Their small size and shape make them more adorable.

How do they communicate?

Fife fancy canary bird is a vocal bird and uses various calls and sounds to communicate. Fife canary song is quite soothing and relaxing. Cocks are brilliant singers, and people often buy these canaries to listen to their beautiful voices.

How big is a Fife canary?

A Fife canary size is quite small. This bird is only about 2.8-4.3 in (7-11 cm) in length. These birds are really small, and that is why people love them. They are almost the same in length as a common domestic canary. They are three times smaller than the least terns and killdeer.

How fast can a Fife canary fly?

They love to fly, it is often advised that their owners should provide them open spaces to fly without trouble as they might get frustrated if they do not get enough space to fly.

How much does a Fife canary weigh?

The weight of a Fife fancy canary is unavailable in any reports or records. But, judging by its small size, you can assume that this small bird is lightweight. As they are almost the same in size as a common domestic canary, their weight should also be somewhere between 0.3-0.8 oz (8.4-24 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male of the species is called cock, and the female is called a hen.

What would you call a baby Fife canary?

A baby Fife fancy canary bird is called a chick.

What do they eat?

Its diet mainly consists of canary seed, round black rapeseeds, and a variety of greens, such as kale and broccoli. They are not picky eaters in nature, so they will eat whatever you give them to eat. You should generally consult your veterinarian before giving them something out of their usual diet.

Are they dangerous?

A Fife canary's personality is calm and social. This bird is very friendly with humans and a female counterpart, but you should never keep two males in a single cage as it is a territorial bird, and keeping them together may cause a fight. Other than that, they are not at all dangerous and are totally harmless to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

A Fife canary is a really good pet and is loved by people. They are small and friendly birds and can be kept in cages.

However, they require a lot of space to fly around, so you should get a big cage or aviary. This bird is an excellent singer, and that is also another reason why people keep it as a pet. They are easy to handle and hardly suffer from any disease.

You can also take them to bird shows as they are really beautiful and may grab a win for you and them. Breeders who take them to shows prefer to keep them in cabinets and not in the wild as they can be trained inside cabinets.

After training, you can also allow them to leave the cage to perch. You can also take a picture of them sitting on your shoulder and show that adorable picture to your friends and family.

Please adhere to your local laws and regulations about keeping these animals as pets.

Did you know...

Fife canaries have beautiful bodies and feathers available in various rich, smooth, and soft colors. These birds come in white, yellow, buff, blue, cinnamon, and green.

The Australian Fife canary is cheaper than the one found in the United Kingdom and comes in all canary colors.

The Fife canary's song

Fife canaries are excellent singers. They fall under the category of 'chopper'. Choppers are birds that sing very loudly by opening their beaks wide for maximum volume. However, they are still quieter than parrots.

Can you touch canary eggs?

Yes, you can touch the eggs of a canary, but you have to be extremely careful as there might be certain germs or chemicals in your hands that can harm the eggs. You should wash your hands properly before touching the eggs as those germs, chemicals, or oils can pass through the eggshell and kill the developing chick.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our seaside sparrow fun facts and chipping sparrow surprising facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable fife canary coloring pages.

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Written by Divya Raghav

Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Accounting and Finance, Master of Business Administration

Divya Raghav picture

Divya RaghavBachelor of Commerce specializing in Accounting and Finance, Master of Business Administration

With a diverse range of experience in finance, administration, and operations, Divya is a diligent worker known for her attention to detail. Born and raised in Bangalore, she completed her Bachelor's in Commerce from Christ University and is now pursuing an MBA at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Bangalore. Along with her professional pursuits, Divya has a passion for baking, dancing, and writing content. She is also an avid animal lover who dedicates her time to volunteering for animal welfare causes.

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