Canary

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

A song, not a shoulder bird

Domestic canaries are Serinus canaria domestica, descended from island finches. Adults are about 4.5 to 5.5 inches. They usually last 10 to 15 years, a beginner can learn the care, and they do not talk. Color varieties, including red-factor birds, and song breeds such as the roller are different projects under this name. A pet-shop yellow bird is usually a male color canary chosen because he was singing on the shelf.

They need a flight cage, at least the 18 by 14 by 18 inch minimum, and longer is the point. Canaries fly. A short decorative cage with no room to move makes a fat, bored bird. Perches of several diameters, a cuttlebone, and no draft from a window crack are the setup. Handle almost never. Grabbing a canary is how you injure a tiny chest. Watch and listen.

Molt, light, and a small emergency

Song often drops in a heavy molt. Extra egg food and a stable day length help. A bird on the floor, tail bobbing as it breathes, is not a molt. That is a same-day call to an avian vet listed by AAV. The quiet bird page fits a canary that stops singing and fluffs.

Canary questions

Do female canaries sing?

Usually no. The long, structured song is the male's. A quiet canary may be a hen, a young bird, or a sick one. A bird that also sits fluffed needs a vet, not a waiting period for the song.

Can canaries talk?

No. They sing. They do not mimic speech.

What should a canary eat?

A canary seed mix, vegetables, a little fruit, and egg food, especially when molting or breeding. Seed alone is the cheap diet that shortens the 10 to 15 year span.