Canary - Characteristics, habits and raising instructions from A to Z

Canary are ornamental birds with sweet, melodious voices, small, lovely appearances and many different colors.

Canary (scientific name: Serinus canaria domestica) are one of the most popular pet birds today. With their small, pretty appearance and clear, melodious singing, they have captivated many bird lovers.

In today's article, let's nicebirds explore the origin , habits and techniques of raising singing canaries in detail from A to Z.

Canary information:

Origin of canary

Canaries, also known as singing canaries or Canary swifts, are native to the islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean such as the Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira.

Their domestication and crossbreeding process took place as follows:

• Around the 15th and 16th centuries, the Spanish brought canaries from the Canary Islands to Europe.
• They were kept by the nobility as a symbol of luxury.
• Later, countries such as Germany, England, France, and Belgium began crossbreeding singing swiftlets to improve their breed with more diverse colors, clearer voices, and more beautiful appearances.

Nowadays, canaries have become one of the most popular ornamental birds globally such as in Europe, America and Asia - including in Vietnam.

Canary classification

Currently, based on the purpose of raising, canaries are divided into three main groups: singing, color and shape. Specifically as follows:

Canary singing

The singing swallows have bright yellow feathers.

This is a line of canaries bred for the purpose of having the best singing voice, with high and low tones and many rhythms. Some outstanding varieties are as follows:

• German Roller (Harz Roller ): Considered the "ancestor" of the singing swiftlet line, has a sweet, warm voice, and does not open its beak when singing.

• Timbrado Español : Loud, clear voice, fast tempo.

• American Singer : Easy to raise, easy to listen to voice

• Waterslager (Belgian Malinois) : The call is like the sound of running water, low and unique.

Canary color

The canary has a unique Red Facto color.

This is a line that is specially bred to have colorful, beautiful and rare fur. Some popular color lines are as follows:

• Red Factor : Red or orange feathers, crossbred from South American canaries. This is the most valuable colored canary line.
• Lipochrome : Basic colors like yellow, white, orange
• Melanin : Fur has black and gray stripes, metallic black edges
• Mosaic : Unique and clear color combination of feathers on the head, wings and chest.

Canary shape

A canary has a distinctive head feather.

It is a canary breed with the most unique shape such as fluffy feathers, long neck, curved tail,...

Some prominent varieties are as follows:

• Gloster : Round head, with a fur cap.
• Crested : Has a large crown-like tuft of fur on the head.
• Scotch Fancy : Curved figure “7”. Long neck.
• Frill (Parisian Frill) : Has curly feathers on the chest, wings and back.

Canary appearance

A super beautiful lemon yellow canary.

Although classified into many lines, canaries still have common physical characteristics such as small size, gracefulness and graceful posture. Specifically as follows:

Size and shape :

• Length : 12 - 15 cm, including tail.
• Weight : 15 - 25g
• Body shape : Small, compact, wings close to the body, long, forked tail, slender, elegant body.
• Head : Round, slightly tapering towards the beak (except for some breeds with special head shapes such as feather caps or raised hair tufts).
• Eyes : Round, bright black, looks very smart
• Beak : Small, triangular, sharp.
• Legs : Slender, long, light pink or gray in color
• Nails : Small, slightly curved.

Fur and color :

• Soft, smooth, body-hugging fur.
• Bird's nests are usually red, orange, lemon yellow, and striped.
• Swallows and swiftlets are usually traditionally yellow or have a light color scheme.

Canary behavior and habits

Canaries not only have clear, melodious voices but also have lovely, friendly habits and a very interesting lifestyle. Let's learn more about the habits and behaviors of this bird!

The male bird sings very well.

For canaries, only the male can sing well, especially during the breeding season or in quiet, well-lit spaces. The female canaries sing less and not as well.

The song of the canary is usually soft, melodious, and has many different rhythms. The song of this bird is even compared to classical music.

Male birds use their songs to attract mates, mark territory, or display their fertility.

gentle, friendly

Canaries are very gentle and friendly birds. They do not tend to bite or destroy their cages like some other pet birds.

Likes to live alone or in pairs, does not like to live in flocks like budgies.

In particular, this bird is also sensitive to light and sound. If the light is too weak, they will not sing much, and if the space is too noisy, they will also sing less.

Have good memory

Canaries are birds with very good memories, they can imitate the rhythm and song of other birds if they hear it often. Some male birds can even sing along to their model songs if trained from a young age.

Love to eat seeds

Canaries love to eat a variety of seeds such as cereals, millet, oats, rapeseed or sesame seeds. They also have a regular diet, usually eating a lot only in the early morning and afternoon.

Reproductive behavior

Here are some interesting facts about canary breeding habits:

• Reproduction usually takes place from spring to summer (around February - July).
• The male bird will court the female bird by singing or jumping around the cage.
• The female bird builds her nest with coconut fiber, shredded paper or straw, dry grass,...
• Females usually have 3 - 4 broods per year, each brood containing 3 - 5 eggs.
• The chicks are very weak after hatching, needing 30 - 40 days to fully develop and be able to fly.

Techniques for taking care of beautiful canaries. Sing well.

A canary is hopping around in its cage.

To have a beautiful canary that sings well, you need to have a lot of experience, know how to harmoniously combine the captive environment, diet as well as health care and daily training. Specifically, please refer to some of the following techniques!

Prepare cages and ideal living environment

In order for the canary to adapt well to the environment and develop optimally, your cage needs to meet the following requirements:

• Size : Spacious bird cage, minimum 40 x 30 x 40 cm (length x width x height) for 1 bird.
• Cage material : Choose powder coated steel or stainless steel cage for safety and easy cleaning.
• Equipment needed : Wooden perch, feeding trough, drinking trough, small bathing tray.
• Cage location : Place in a quiet, cool place, avoid harsh sunlight, strong winds, rain,...

Provide a balanced diet

Nutrition is a key factor in determining the canary's ability to grow and sing well. You can refer to the following foods:

Main food :

• Millet, rapeseed, oats, white sesame,
• Special bran for canaries.

Supplemental food (2 - 3 times/week) :

• Crushed boiled eggs provide protein, good reproductive support.
• Green vegetables such as young cabbage, water spinach, carrots,... supplement vitamins
• Fruits like apples, ripe bananas,... help make hair smoother.
• Add trace minerals and fine sand to aid digestion.

Bathing and cleaning regularly

To help your canary always have a cheerful and happy spirit, you should pay attention to sunbathing, bathing and cleaning the cage regularly. Specifically as follows:

• Sunbathe the bird every day for about 15 = 20 minutes, from 6:30 - 8:00 am.
• Bathing: Can be done every day, let the bird bathe itself.
• Clean food and water troughs 2-3 times/week.
• Clean the bird cage every day, remove droppings, leftover food,...

Exercise, stimulate birds to sing well

To give your Canary the clearest, most melodious singing voice, you need to train and stimulate it every day. You can apply the following:

• Separate the male bird to sing so that the bird can concentrate and not be distracted.
• Every day, play the recording of birdsong for the canary to listen to for about 30 - 45 minutes in the early morning.
• Keep the surrounding environment quiet and cool.
• If you raise birds to train their voices, you should separate the male and female birds.
• During training, do not make loud noises to avoid startling the bird.

Caring for Ornamental Birds during the molting stage

Canaries molt once a year, usually in the fall. During this time, you need special care because they shed a lot and sing less. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Increase bird's intake of green vegetables, crushed boiled eggs, and give birds regular baths.
• Do not change temperature suddenly.

Unknown facts about canaries

Canaries have up to 200 different lines.

Below are some interesting facts about canaries that not everyone tells you. Let's find out now, we guarantee you will be surprised.

Canaries were once used to save miners' lives.

Since the early 20th century, canaries have been used by miners as danger sensors. If they show signs of weakness or death, it means that there is a large amount of toxic gas in the mine and they are evacuated immediately.

That is why the saying “Canary in a coal mine” has become a warning sign of danger.

The red color of canaries is kept by eating carrots.

The Red Factor Canary line was created by crossbreeding canaries and South American red Siskins. And to maintain their fiery red color, you need to feed them foods rich in carotene such as carrots, red peppers, and gac fruit every day.

Canary brains change with the seasons

Many scientific studies show that the brain of canaries will expand during the breeding season and shrink after the breeding season, this is a rare phenomenon in the animal kingdom.

Canaries can live up to 15 years.

Although the average lifespan of a Canary is only 8 - 10 years, if well cared for, this bird can live up to 15 years.

There are over 200 different varieties of canaries.

There are up to 200 different species of canaries, ranging from beautiful singing birds to birds with unique appearances or impressive plumage.

Canary price list

If you are wondering how much a canary costs? Is it expensive? Please refer to the newly updated price list of canaries in the Vietnamese market below.

Note :

• If you want to buy a canary that sings well, you should choose a male bird. It's best to listen to its singing before buying.
• For breeding, you need to choose 1 male - 1 female.
• Colored swiftlets like Red Factor need a special diet to maintain their color.
• You should buy birds from reputable farms and stores to ensure origin and quality.

The most beautiful and lovely canary pictures

Please enjoy the most beautiful and lovely pictures of canaries with different feather colors and appearances. Surely after watching, you will want to own one of these birds right away!

A canary is perched among the flowers.

A canary is eating rice.

The image of the canary has traditional blue and yellow feathers.

Image of Canary bird spreading its wings flying in the sky.

Canaries have different colorful feathers.

A Red Factor Canary with a brilliant red color.

The image of a canary has an impressive appearance with a "hat" covering its head.

Through the above article, nicebirds.net has shared all the information related to canaries . This is not only a pet bird with a beautiful, special singing voice, but also has an impressive, attractive appearance with many different colors and variations.

If you want to own a small, cute and singing "winged friend", the Canary is a perfect choice.

Don't forget to visit our Blog section to learn more about hundreds of different bird species!