Yellow canaries are funny birds, playful and good-natured. That is why they have become so popular as pets. But, having got canaries at home, we must not forget to play with them – they endure loneliness with difficulty.
Domestic canaries are descended from finches inhabiting the Canary Islands and Madeira Island. For 500 years spent next to a man, the canary has changed the vocal apparatus, that is, its singing is different from the voice of the wild ancestors of the bird. This is the only animal that has undergone such changes, becoming a pet. One of the most popular varieties of canaries, the roller garck, was bred in Germany and is distinguished by surprisingly melodious singing. The breeding and sale of these songbirds, as well as the construction of cages for them, was the most popular part-time job among the miners – the main boom of canary breeding came in the second half of the 19th century. A popular legend that the miners allegedly took with them the reared canaries under the ground as an indicator of oxygen levels is not true. In reality, songbirds were too expensive for these purposes, and the miners made ordinary wild birds as their companions.
At the moment, there are over 120 canary species in the world. Canaries participate in special championships held by professional associations of bird watchers. The singing of each breed is assessed by expert judges who are guided by specially developed criteria. The canary was first brought to Russia from Italy at the end of the 16th century. Canaries perfectly memorize and repeat complex melodies, as well as imitate human speech, like parrots. Before the revolution in Russia there were special canary centers for the breeding of this species of birds. Canaries have a positive effect on the human psyche and can improve relationships between members of the family in which they live. Canaries live to be 15 years old and continue to sing until they die.
Canaries were kept in pre-revolutionary homes for the same purpose as miners used them – birds could signal the accumulation of carbon monoxide in the room and malfunctioning of the furnace valve. In Russia, before the overthrow of the monarchy, the canary was the same obligatory home attribute as the icons in the corner. It was believed that they were able to protect the house from evil entities and protect their owners from everyday adversity. Canaries are not only bright yellow – some species of these birds have white, red or brown plumage. Canary hearing is able to perceive sounds in the range from 1100 to 10 000 Hz.
