· The canary originates from the forests of the Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira. The Spanish spread it throughout Europe, as a captive bird, after their capture of the Canary Islands in the late 15th Century

· The wild canary is a greenish-yellow in colour, about 10cms long and noted for its remarkable song

· Occasionally canaries are very long lived, reaching over 20 years of age but their normal life span in captivity is 5-6 years

· They are the most popular finch kept as pets in Britain

· They were used underground by miners and had to risk exposure to several deadly gases. The canary so quickly succumbs to carbon monoxide that it was commonly used as an indicator of the presence of gas