Canary Symbolism & Meaning

Need more joy in each day? Want to express your individuality? The Canary, as a Spirit, Totem, and Power Animal, can help! Canary teaches you how song brings sweetness into your life and how to sing with your unique voice. Delve deeply into Canary symbolism and meaning to find out how this Animal Spirit Guide can support, educate, and guide you!

Canary Table of Contents

• Canary Symbolism & Meaning
• Spirit Animal
• Totem Animal
• Power Animal
• Native American Symbolism
• Italian Fairy Tales & Canary Symbolism
• Canary Dreams
• Back to all Birds
• Back to all Spirit Animal Meanings

Canary Symbolism & Meaning

The lovely little Canary originated in the Canary Islands. A songbird that’s part of the Finch family, People started breeding Canaries for domestication in the 17th century. Spanish sailors brought them from Europe to America due to their popularity in both the Spanish and English courts. Canary was rather expensive and chic. Some clever monks bred Canaries, selling the male Birds that sang. Breeding efforts also moved into Italy.

With all this pomp, Canary symbolism and meaning include wealth, acclaim, and treasured possessions. It wouldn’t take too long, however, before commoners began breeding, selling, and keeping Canaries as pets; this Bird has a solid life span averaging 13 years if cared for properly.

The bright yellow color of the Canary and their general disposition has given them correlations with joy, the sun, blessings, and pleasure. The singing of a Canary may be sweet, but it also can represent someone who gossips. A Canary in a cage implies our limitations or even entrapment, particularly of an emotional nature.

Canaries come in other colors or may have blended hues, including pink, red, orange, and brown. The color of your Canary can impact the meaning associated with this Bird. Pink, for example, implies friendship, red – passion, orange – enthusiasm and success, and brown -security and stability.

Besides color variances, there are three types of breeding Canaries. One is bread for a specific pigmentation, one for singing and one for variations in feather patterns. Perhaps the most famous of all Canaries is Tweety Bird from Looney Tunes, who is the penultimate yellow singing Canary with a personality far greater than his size.

The male Canary songbirds use their music to woo a lady friend. Once found, the male stops singing. They may also stop if they see a reflection of themselves, mistaking it for a female Canary. Caged or in the wild, male Canaries sometimes sing just to pass the time or as a way of musically marking their territory. Canary certainly embraces vocalists and minstrels, finding their efforts endearing.

Generally, Canary is a staunch individualist. They prefer solitary living except for mating. If another bird comes into their personal space, this sweet little Bird becomes quite aggressive. So, having just one Canary as a pet is not harming them. They’ll likely be far happier.

Keywords and characteristics associated with Canary Animal Spirit include air element, blessings, emotions, esteem, happiness, independence, lavishness, musicality, omens & signs, prophecy, reclusive, restraint, solitary practices, songs (of love especially), success, sun magic, uniqueness, and well being.

In reviewing the Canary, the phrase, “Canary in a coal mine” often comes up. There was a time that caged canaries went with minors down dangerous tunnels. The Canary was far more susceptible to harmful gasses, and the Bird’s behavior (sadly even death) warned the miners to leave those tunnels with great haste. Over time, this allusion came to mean anything that warns of approaching danger that can harm our health or general welfare.

Canary History: One story tells us that a Frenchman named Jean de Bethencourt married a Canary Island native woman. He fell in love with the song of Canaries while working the land and fishing. He began catching and caging birds and began selling them to Spanish sailors who then distributed them far and wide (with a suitable markup in price, of course).

We know that this Bird arrived in Spain in the 15h century and quickly became very popular. One cannot help but wonder if the Spanish conquest of the Canary Islands had a little to do with the lucrative trade for these birds! Switzerland entered the bird market in the 16th century; this was also the period when the monks wholly controlled Canary breeding behind cloistered walls.

It was some time before various regions found a female or two so they could start breeding their own and not be held captive by the monastery. It led to selective breeding for color and feather variations in not only Europe but also Russia and Germany.

Fancy Canaries were all the rage in aristocratic homes by the 19th century, particularly those coming from the Harz mountains of Germany. Canary sellers seemed to be everywhere while focusing on the best singing Canaries. The prices were high, costing twice as much as a person earned in a week in Holland. Some people saved for a whole year just to get one. Queen Elizabeth II was quite an ardent fan of Canaries, having hired a team of keepers to facilitate her hobby. Canaries even became attractions for various fairs and celebrations.

Canary Spirit Animal

When Canary Spirit Animal sings into your life, it brings a variety of messages, the first one being hope. Canary is attracted to those who feel downtrodden, depressed, and who have trouble seeing the good in life. If you are deep in that cavern, Canary’s song can lead you to safety and a far better outlook. Everyone fails. Everyone has faults, but that is not the whole of you. Sadness cannot bind you forever. Canary reminds you of all that you can be if you start opening your wings.

Canary also bears lessons about finding your voice. Words have power; how you deliver what you say or write matters. When speaking of matters of love, for example, the music in your message should be sweet, welcoming, and warm. The tone changes completely when you take on a more aloof stance.

Going further, Canary teaches the amazing magic of sound, and it applies to more than just our language. Holistic methods like sound therapy apply too. In this practice, listening to specific sounds changes brainwave activity and structure. Have you ever heard a strain of music that just makes you feel good – that is Canary wizardry. Surround yourself with the sounds that create a healthy, happy mindset.

For some, a visit from Canary indicates that you are stuck in some sort of cage. Perhaps you have an emotionally manipulative partner. Perhaps a financial limitation currently ensnares you. Whatever your “cage,” Canary stands by to help you liberate yourself. See through Canary’s eyes to the truth of things, as well as your options. There are ways out – ways toward freedom and self-actualization: Trust in that.

Canary Totem Animal

Those folks born with a Canary Totem Animal have amazing skills when it comes to their voices. They talk clearly, dynamically, persuasively and with intent. This person’s voice has a musicality to it that’s unmistakable. No matter what the Canary person says – people listen closely. Each word lands like a charm to the ears. Many with the Canary Totem always sing in the shower!

If this is your Birth Totem, you come across as a breath of fresh air. Your personality is nearly as bright as a sunny summer day. You move with an air of natural joy and celebration of life; this is a great gift for everyone you meet – the uplifting feelings are infectious.

It is truly hard for the Canary Totem to be down in the dumps. Even in trying times, you somehow find that spark of goodness. You point to the light at the end of the tunnel, follow it, and bring everyone else with you. The past gets left behind, and a new, promising day emerges.

As a Canary Person, you enjoy domesticated life. Roaming, lots of travel, moving in large groups just aren’t in your nature. You are a one-on-one kind of gal or guy, wanting that intimacy of face time. You live in the moment, feel the moment, and on the rare occasions, you do find your feathers terribly ruffled you will make that known, loudly. People always know what’s on your mind because you communicate it in spades.

Walking with Canary Medicine attracts you to natural light. You prefer sitting outdoors or near an Eastern facing window. Your home cannot be dark, and broad-spectrum light bulbs improve the ambiance of your workspace greatly. Light is life for the Canary. If you do not get enough, you may get depressed or anxious. 

Yellow is the color of the mind. Most people with a Canary Totem are smart, clever, and perpetual students of life. You thirst for knowledge deeply. As you find it, your heart and spirit swell; those tidbits feed your very soul.

Canary Power Animal

Call on Canary Power Animal when you are striving for true happiness in your life. Canary, with its cheerful, sunshiny, yellow coloring and equally gleeful song, can show you how to celebrate the blessing in your life. At the same time, when you call on Canary for support, the creature helps you when you are searching for your own soul song and rhythm.

Invoke Canary when you want to improve your communication abilities, or in instances when you are seeking word power for magic. As Canary helps you find your own song, the creature also aids you in the discovery of your unique voice; this makes the Bird the perfect Power Animal to call on when you want to open up to others and share honest feelings. In finding your voice, you’ll benefit from being able to make a stand against others who might try to manipulate you and free yourself from oppressive situations or relationships.

Canary’s music fills the soul and uplifts the spirit. Invoke Canary when you need to pull yourself out of the doldrums. Canary is also a supportive Animal Ally for moments when you want to embrace life with a sense of fresh enthusiasm! 

Native American Canary Symbolic Meanings

Not much is said specifically about Canary among Native Americans. The Finch, however, is part of the Canary family, and the Bird is something people view as a positive oracle. Also, birds with yellow feathers represented happiness, solar energy, keen-mindedness, and fertility.

Canary Symbolic Meanings & Italian Fairy Tales

The following is the story of “The Canary Prince:” Our story begins with a jealous stepmother who has her husband, the king, in a forest castle. One fine day, the king’s son is hunting and stumbles across an old abandoned castle and sees a young woman high up in a window. He cannot communicate but seeks out a witch for aid. The Witch convinces the staff to take a book to the princess. As she excitedly looks forward through the pages, the prince appears. When the pages turn backward, he becomes a Canary.

Of course, the stepmother had to check on things. Seeing a young man by the window, she attaches pins to the sill, plotting that if the girl leaned toward her love, she would get stabbed. Unfortunately, they stab the prince in his Canary form, falling to the ground. The princess swiftly moves the pages forward, and he returns to a man but still bleeds. His companions take him in haste back to his father.

While they are traveling, the princess makes her exit using sheets as a rope. Now in a safer haven, the princess holds her love’s standard. When he hunts again, she turns him into a Canary flying toward her. Upon arrival, she turns him back. At first, he was angry, thinking his harm came from the princess. She produces that standard and explains the truth. When they marry her father, the king learns of the stepmother’s wickedness and ensures she receives proper punishment.

Canary Dreams

If the Canary in your dreams has a broken wing, it’s a sign to be careful. Not only are you stuck by the cage, but now by injury. Look around your space and make sure it is set up not only for safety but for spiritual energy flow (Chi) – think Feng Shui on a simpler level. Move those items that tend to trip, bump, and otherwise make movement awkward.

A quiet Canary sitting on a perch indicates that you have lost your song or feel silenced in some way. What is holding you mute? Do you feel others aren’t listening? It’s time to reclaim your power and place with words. Sing loud and long, asserting your vision. You will find this bolsters self-confidence at home, work and even in hobbies or social occasions.

When the Canary seems to be lightly flying about, you also need to lighten your mood. Go to your favorite place, eat your favorite treat – let the day be all about you. If you wish, visualize the bright yellow color of the Canary radiating down on you as light.

As a whole, the Canary is considered a positive dream omen. It portends happiness, prosperity, trusted friends, and overall harmony. Young adults dreaming of getting their first Canary may soon find love or receive high honors. Someone gifting you a Canary portends some type of inheritance. Should the Canary seem ill, it represents an unfaithful friend. A female Canary sitting on her eggs indicates refreshed hopes.

Should the Canary in your dream seem wildly big or bright, it represents the need to reign in your expectations. You have raised the bar impossibly high, with too much confidence on top of that. Unless checked, the situation leads to utter failure. 

Canaries singing in your ear mean that people are flattering you to get something. On the other hand, if they are singing out loud or out into the open air, it symbolizes effective communication that goes very well. 

Canary Symbolic Meanings Key

• Blessings
• Esteem
• Happiness
• Independence
• Lavishness
• Musicality
• Omens & Signs
• Prophesy
• Sun Magic
• Uniqueness