Serinus canaria
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This is a specific care sheet for Canarys (S. canaria), for more in this genus see Category:Serinus.
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The Domestic Canary is the pet variety of a Canary. A Canary is a small songbird which originates from the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands and is part of the Finch family. Breeding of Canaries began in the early 1600’s when Spanish sailors brought them to Europe. At first Canaries were only owned by rich people as they were in short supply. Eventually many people started to breed them and this brought the price down. Nowadays Canaries are selectively bred and this means many colours are now available, and are still very popular for their singing voice.
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[edit] Housing
A clean and roomy secure cage out of direct sunlight and away from drafts is best for a Canary. A single Canary requires a cage of about 12’’ x 12’’ x 10’’ at a minimum, however the bigger the cage the better. The bars should be no wider than 12mm apart to prevent escape and prevent the bird getting trapped. The cage needs to have at least 2 perches made from softwood, tree branches work fine and help maintain the bird’s claws. The cage should also contain food and water containers. The water and food containers should be cleaned daily to prevent the Canary becoming ill. The paper on the bottom of the tray should be changed every 2 to 3 days and a full cleaning and drying of the cage should take place at least once a week. Try to avoid the tall and narrow cages designed for budgies. At night time the cage should be covered to prevent disturbances and allow the Canary to rest.
[edit] Feeding
[edit] Canary Seed
Fresh Canary seed mix is the best everyday food for you bird, vitamin coated seed mixes are readily available at a pet stores. A Canary will eat about one teaspoon of seed a day and Canaries will rarely overeat, however they may need to eat a little bit more when the weather is cold or during their moult. Make sure to avoid larger white and yellow seeds as Canaries will not eat this and they are not part of their diet. Fresh water need to provided every day as a Canary cannot survive for longer than 24 hours without water so this is very important.
[edit] Pelleted Diet
Pelleted diets are also readily available and contain vitamins and more protein than standard canary seed, making additional supplementation unnecessary. However birds not raised on pellets may not recognise them as food, and therefore may not eat them.
[edit] Additional food
Daily supplements that canaries like to eat include green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, dandelions, spinach, celery, peas, and watercress. Small amounts of fruits such as apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, and melons can also be given to Canaries. However some people feel that these treats will contribute to a lethargic or lazy bird and may prevent Canaries from singing.
[edit] Canary Song Food
Every few days you can also provide the bird with some song food, this will help develop their vocal cords.
[edit] Proteins
About once a week you can give your bird an additional protein supplement such as an egg biscuit.
[edit] Handling/Training
A lot of the time Canaries are only enjoyed for their beauty and their ability to sing. However, some Canaries are allowed out of their cage to perch, and some are show canaries and require taming or training. Canaries can perform simple tricks such as playing with a toy, but they are quite timid and it takes a lot of time and patience. If Canaries are exposed to distinctive sounds when they are young, the male Canary can learn to mimic sounds such as a telephone ring or a door bell.
If you want to tame or train your canary, it is best to buy a single bird and it is much easier to tame the bird when it’s young. Clipping the bird’s wings will make it much easier as it inhibits their ability to fly. When you need to hold your canary, place your palm on its back and wrap your fingers around the bird with your thumb and forefinger on either side of the head. Canaries rarely bite, and even if they do, they do not have a harmful or dangerous bite.
Potential Problems:
Canaries are strong birds and nearly all illnesses can be traced to improper diet, dirty cages, and drafts. A balanced diet and plenty of exercise will prevent most Canary illnesses. If a canary becomes ill it will lose weight very quickly, so it is important that you know your bird and watch for real drastic changes as indications of illness. Some signs of illness to be aware of are droppings that are not black and white, feathers that are ruffled, lack of appetite, wheezing, moulting out of season, singing has stopped, and generally rundown and lame.
Some of the most common illnesses and injuries canaries could contract are broken wings or legs, cuts and open wounds, overgrown beaks and nails, ingrown feathers (feather lumps), feather picking, false moult caused by mishandling or a poor diet, confinement cramps in the legs from a cage that is too small, weight loss, heat stroke, shock, concussion, egg binding, diarrhoea, mites, colds, baldness, scaly legs, sore eyes, tumours, loss of song, constipation, and diarrhoea.
The initial treatment is to try and isolate the bird in a hospital cage. This is where you cover all but the front of the cage and add a light bulb or heating pad to keep the interior of the cage at a constant temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove all perches and put food and water dishes on the floor. If you don't see improvements within a few hours, take the bird to an avian veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
