Canary Bird
Canary – Adobe

The obvious connection to the Canary Islands are of course, canaries. Where else do you use the word canary?

However the word Canary was derived from the Latin word Canaria which Canis translates to dogs!

Variety of dogs
wide variety of dogs – Adobe

There are quite a few theories around it’s origins, but the prevailing one comes from King Juba II of Mauretania, an ancient Kingdom in the Maghreb, who is thought to have named the island of Grand Canaria, named the island Canaria due to the presence of many large dogs on the island. Eventually, the entire archipelago became referred to as the Canary Islands.

Even their coat of arms have dogs on them.

Canary Islands Coat of Arms
Canary Islands Coat of Arms

So rather, the Canary birds were named after the Island and not the other way around. They are native to the islands Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands.

Other Interesting Facts

Facts You May Not Know