Canary
Canary birds are suitable for beginners as they don’t have any unusual special needs. But it is important to know that they don’t like being touched and can't be hand-tamed.
Adult Size
4-4 in.
Weight
less 1 oz.
Life Expectancy
5-15 yrs.
History of the Canary
The wild canary is a small finch that is native to the Macaronesian islands of the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Bred in captivity since the 17th century, the bird arrived in Europe by way of Spanish sailors after the conquest of the Macaronesian islands. The canaries sold in pet stores are now genetically quite different from their wild canary ancestors.
Characteristics of the Canary
Canaries are known and loved for their lovely singing. Their yellow plumage is their trademark. But they can actually come in many different colors.
Talking Bird
Hand-tam Bird
Bird Noise
Canary Care
A canary is a solitary species, but a canary in the midst of breeding season will want to mate. Some canaries will show little interest in anything but breeding, but some do become fiercely attached to a mate. As for breeding behavior, canaries are like clocks that use the sun to show them when it’s time to nest. This natural behavior is disadvantageous for the house canary, whose life is filled with artificial lighting.
Proper housing is essential for keeping any bird healthy and happy, but it is especially crucial for the canary. Each canary must have its own cage. Failure to do so can result in death. Canaries are territorial and do not like to be housed together. With proper care, canaries can live for more than 14 years.
Speech & Sound
Most canary novices will want a canary that sings well, rather than a ravishing beauty with a mediocre song. Finding a good singer is tricky business, and takes skill and experience. The longest and sweetest songs come from the male canary when he has reached maturity at 6 months of age or more. Experts suggest hearing a bird sing before buying it, or consulting a respected breeder. Hens are also capable of singing, but not as well nor as often.
Diet and Nutrition
In the wild, canaries forage for seeds supplemented with an occasional insect.
Feed domestic canaries a good quality seed mixture (coated with vitamins) that is explicitly designed for canaries. Remove the seed hulls of the eaten seeds that litter the top layer of bird feeder daily; your canary needs easy access to its food. You can offer a canary pellet food as well, but it is not as palatable as seeds. Leave a dish of pellets in the cage along with a dish of seeds as food options.
Give your canary daily supplements of vegetable greens such as kale, broccoli, dandelions, spinach, celery, peas, and watercress, as well as small amounts of apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, or melons. Your bird needs protein, so provide it with bits of a hard-boiled egg.
Exercise
Canaries must have space to move around. Keep its cage free of clutter to give it the space it needs to move about from perch to perch. A canary doesn't need a lot of enrichment materials like a parrot does. In fact, just a single toy, mirror, or branch is enough. Your bird will exercise if it uses the birdbath. Give your bird a swing, bells, or hanging wooden or acrylic toys as a special treat.
Once the bird is accustomed to you, allow the bird out once a day to fly about the room. It only needs about an hour of flight time. Fully supervise its outside cage time. Keep all windows closed, turn off ceiling fans, and keep other pets out of the room.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Good beginner bird
- Melodious songster
Cons
- Small size makes them more delicate
- Can be feisty, bullish
- Can get destructive if bored
Did You Know?
Miners used to take canaries into coal mines with them.
The canary originates from the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Azores.
Canaries need a cage that’s around as wide as it is high.
