Domestic canaries come in many varieties, all belonging to one species: Serinus canaria domestica. Canary varieties are classified according to their type, colors, and singing abilities, and hence we have type canaries, color canaries, and song canaries.
Type canaries
This canary group has been bred for a distinctive appearance, shape, structure, and size. Most of the canary names in this group reference the name of the city or country from which they originated. The following table presents the most popular type canaries:
| Name | Origin |
| Norwich | England |
| Lancashire | England |
| Yorkshire | England |
| Gloster | England |
| Stafford | England |
| Border | The border between England and Scotland |
| Fife | Scotland |
| Scotch Fancy | Scotland |
| Parisian fill | France |
| Lizard | France |
| North Dutch Frill | Holland |
| South Dutch Frill | Holland |
| Gibber | Italy |
| Padovan Frill | Italy |
| Fiorino Frill | Italy |
| Giboso | Spain |
| Belgian Fancy | Belgium |
| Japanese Hoso | Japan |
Song canaries
All male canaries can sing, but not all can sing well. The song canaries have a category of their own since they have distinctive singing abilities. They include, but are not limited to, the following:
| Name | Country |
| Waterslager | Belgium |
| Roller or Harz Mountain | Germany |
| American Singer | United States |
| Timbrado | Spain |
| Flute | Russia |
Color canaries
Canary pigments are divided into two groups: lipochrome and melanin. The lipochrome pigment is responsible for the ground colors yellow, red, and orange, while melanin is the black and brown colors seen on a bird’s feathers in the form of a spot, or several scattered spots, or mottled spots on the bird’s body. Some color canaries include:
- Green (yellow lipochrome ground color covered with brown and black melanin)
- Cinnamon or brown (yellow lipochrome ground color and brown melanin)
- Fawn (white ground color and brown melanin)
- Silver brown (white ground color with brown and black melanin)
- Red factor lipochrome (orange lipochrome which turns red when the bird is fed carotenoids)
- Yellow mosaic or yellow dimorphic (yellow lipochrome on specific parts of the body and the rest is clear or white)
- Red mosaic or red dimorphic (red lipochrome on specific parts of the body and the rest is clear or white)
- Yellow lipochrome (purely yellow canary)
- Red-brown (red lipochrome ground color and brown melanin)
- Onyx (white ground color and black melanin)
- Ivory (lipochrom yellow Ivory)
- Dominant white (white ground color with yellow tints on the edge of wing feathers)
- Recessive white (purely white ground color or clear)
and the list go on:
- Satinet
- Pastel
- Ino
- Agate
- Isabell
- Opal
- Bronze
- Pheao
- Eumo
- Topaz
- Albino