When do canaries sing

Pleasurable as it is to our ears, the birds have evolved their song skills for the purposes of courtship and proclaiming territory. Domestic birds, after hundreds of generations of selective breeding, might well sing for most of the year, even with no hen to court, but deep down they are doing what songbirds have always done - singing for a mate, and telling rivals to get lost! Canaries only begin to sing after eight months, so if your bird is younger than that there is a certain amount of potluck involved.

By speaking to the breeder and listening to birds in full song you will, however, get a good idea of how your pet will eventually shape up as a songster. One of the great assets of Canary song, in addition to its melodious and liquid beauty, is its volume. Unlike certain members of the parrot family, Canaries sing quietly, and your neighbours will have to put their ears to the wall and listen hard if they want to hear it.

All male canaries sing, starting as early as three months of age. If a male canary becomes ill, it may stop singing until the following spring even though the initial illness has resolved.

Canaries are not social birds. One bird kept as a single pet will be content. Males must be housed separately from other males to prevent fighting but may be kept within visual or auditory range to stimulate singing. Group housing with mixed ages and both sexes will work only if the cage has enough perches and many feeding stations. If capture of a canary is necessary, one useful approach is to remove all perches and turn off the lights before reaching into the enclosure.

Handling of canaries should be minimized. Canaries spend a great deal of their time eating and flying from perch to perch. Fresh food and water must be available at all times, and multiple, small diameter branches are important accessories in the enclosure.

Appearance alone does not indicate if your canary is a male or a female; however, behavior during the breeding season makes a clear distinction. Males are particularly vocal at this time, and the vent area in the male becomes enlarged and prominent. Canaries are relatively easy to breed in captivity if they are healthy adults and if they have access to an acceptable partner, abundant food and water, and the presence of a nest and nesting materials. A lengthening photoperiod is the primary stimulant to breed, whether natural or artificially produced.

To prevent potential injury to the female, the pair should not be housed together until both are in breeding condition.

The hen may lay eggs, which she incubates for approximately 14 days before hatching. The chicks are featherless when they hatch and are ready to leave the nest in days. Canaries are raised by both parents. When the chick first starts to get pin feathers, a closed band is slipped over the toes onto the leg for permanent identification.

Once the bones harden, this can no longer be done. Once a year at the end of the breeding season, canaries replace all their plumage. One method used to permanently identify your canary in case of loss or escape is for your avian veterinarian to inject a custom microchip under the skin. The only true way to tell a male canary from a female is to hear the mature song, though the occasional female can hold her own with the males, at least until the boys mature and become better singers.

The quality of song depends on the type of canary. Red factor canaries are not song-type canaries they are of the color-bred type , but some individuals also sing well and many people buy them for song, as well as attractiveness. Canaries may cease singing during a molt, usually for a period of a few months during the year.

This is normal. A canary might also stop singing due to poor health or the presence of a dominant canary in the same cage making his life miserable. Mite infection is treatable if caught early on, so be proactive in seeking out treatment as soon as you suspect that your canary might have mites.

Canary pox is a virus transmitted by mosquitoes that poses a serious threat to canaries, especially those housed outdoors which is why many people recommend housing these birds indoors with higher infection rates occurring during summer months. When choosing your canary, take a moment to listen carefully to the young birds before you buy them. You can also buy canary training CDs or tapes to play for your young singer.

Skip to content. Song Canary Serinus canaria. The song canary is one of the most popular in the canary group, and is typically sought out for its beautiful melodic song. Canary Food Shop Now. Red-Factor Canary.