The Red Canary, with an average length of 5+1⁄2 inches (14 cm), is a unique breed known for its distinct color rather than its singing ability. It is the result of crossbreeding between the now-endangered Venezuelan red siskin and the yellow domestic canary. In breeding and showing, domestic canaries are divided into two types based on pigmentation: melanics and lipochromes. Lipochrome canaries have feathers with no melanin, while melanics have melanin markings on top of their lipochrome feathers. The Red Canary belongs to the lipochrome classification.