A canary is an undemanding little charmer that is usually a beginner's first bird. This small finch has the power to turn most people into lifelong canary enthusiasts. It is a pleasant companion bird with a cheerful disposition. It communicates its content with a melodious song that is soft and pleasant. The canary has been carefully bred to be available in a variety of colors, sizes, and singing varieties. Canaries are inexpensive birds that you can get at just about any pet store.
Canaries enjoy being around people but do not appreciate heavy handling in the way that budgies and parrots do. Canaries are intelligent birds. Many owners can train their canary to sit on their hand, move to a perch, or direct the bird to fly around the room. Young birds are easier to train, but you can tame and train most canaries with enough patience and consistent practice.

The canary is a relatively solitary bird—it will not get lonely if housed alone in a cage. It can also coexist in an aviary environment with other small birds. They only no-no is housing two male canaries together in a single cage; they will likely fight.
The song canary is one of the most popular kinds of canary. Song canaries, specifically males, are bred to sing. The most popular types are the Waterslager, the German Roller, the Russian Singer, the Spanish Timbrado, and the American Singer. Female canaries vocalize mostly with chirps, while males can develop elaborate songs. Canaries do not sing at all during their molting period.