Atlantic Canary

Cf. European Serin.  European Serin overlaps with Atlantic Canary in the Canary Islands and has been recorded as a vagrant on the Azores and Madeira.  The two species differ vocally but are very similar-looking.  Some individuals may not be identifiable by visible features alone, but their typical plumages are distinguishable:

Voice:  European Serin’s song is described as wheezy and unmusical, and its call is a buzzy trill.  Atlantic Canary is renowned for the sweetness of its singing.  Its call may be buzzy at times, but not usually.

Overall Shape:  Atlantic Canary has a longer tail and proportionately smaller-looking head than European Serin.  Conversely, the serin appears large-headed and short-tailed.

Male Head Pattern:  Male European Serin typically has a large dark cheek patch bordered by a bright yellow brow-stripe.  Male Atlantic Canary varies widely, with some individuals being extensively saturated with yellow and others being grayer, and most have some gray on the cheek and some yellow on the brow.  This distinction is mostly reliable for identifying male canaries that do not have the serin’s pattern.  Individuals that have the serin’s pattern could be either species

Female Breast Pattern:  Female European Serin has a boldly streaked breast, whereas female Atlantic Canary’s breast is either indistinctly streaked or unstreaked.

Female Rump:  Female European Serin has an unstreaked pale-yellow rump patch.  The typical female Atlantic Canary has a vaguely streaked and largely yellow rump.  This distinction is rarely useful in the field, as both have yellow rumps and the difference is one of degree that is difficult to evaluate.

Bill Color and Shape:  Some identification references contrast the bills of European Serin and Atlantic Canary, characterizing the serin’s bill as blunt and gray and the canary’s as longer and pinker.  These contrasts may be accurate in many cases, but not always—the canary’s bill can also appear blunt and gray.