canary-yellow vs canary

canary-yellow is not a noun while canary is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
canary-yellow	No	Yes	No	No
canary	Yes	Yes	No	No

As adjectives, canary-yellow and canary are synonyms defined as:

canary-yellow and canary: having the color of a canary; of a light to moderate yellow

canary-yellow (noun)	canary (noun)
	any of several small Old World finches
	a moderate yellow with a greenish tinge
	a female singer
	someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police

canary-yellow (adjective)	canary (adjective)
having the color of a canary; of a light to moderate yellow	having the color of a canary; of a light to moderate yellow