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Cheerful Canaries as Pets
By: Tweet Tweet


Canaries are pleasant birds to keep as pets, their
delightful songs are a canaries most valuable asset
and a joy to canary owners.

Like parakeets, canaries are mostly seed eaters.
Canaries are easily cared for with commonly found foods
at pet shops.


There are many kinds of canaries, but these are grouped
into two main classifications: rollers and choppers. The
choppers are the kind most often found in pet shops.
Chopper canaries can be sold when only 5 or 6 months
of age and without training for their singing.

Roller canaries are usually given schooling so their song
is heard to best advantage. Chopper canaries sing loudly
with high pitched, short notes. The roller canary sings with
a softer, sweet rolling trill.


Male Canaries are the Singers

The male is always the singer. Males sing to attract
the female canary. If canaries are kept in pairs, the
male won't sing. Males won't sing during the summer
because that is molting period. If the male is not
singing at other times, this could indicate an illness
in the bird.

Canaries can still be kept together in pairs, and
keeping two females does not usually present any problems.


Canaries love to have visual contact with people, however,
typically do not like to be handled. Talking and whistling to
your bird will provide the interaction and socialization
they need.

Canaries are small, 4 to 8 inches in length and weigh
from 12 to 29 grams. They can live up to 25 years with
proper care.

Careful breeding has produced canaries that have many
different colors of feathers...the most familiar is yellow,
shades of brown, white, red, and orange.

Canaries are not an interactive bird. They are content to
remain in their cages most of the time.

A canary's cage must be large enough for the bird to comfortably stretch
it's wings and fly. A perch should be on both sides. Minimum cage size is
12"W x 12"L x 15"H.

Tweet Tweet,  Our American Singer Canary



A Pet Canary's Diet

Pet Canaries should be fed 1-2 teaspoons of a pellet or
seed-based, fortified canary diet each day. Also, canaries
only eat off the top layer of the food dish, so if feeding
seeds, be sure to check the food daily and remove empty seed hulls.


About 5-10% of a canary's diet should be bite-sized fruits and
veggies like apples, oranges, melon, sweet potatoes, broccoli,
spinach, dandelion, mustard greens and shredded
carrots. Offer daily or every 2-3 days.


A cuttle bone should be in your canary's cage at all times.

Canaries should always have access to clean, fresh water.
Not tap water....use Steam Distilled water.

A canary's metabolism is very active, starvation can
occur in as little as 24 hours. Food should be available at
all times.


Your Pet Canary's Health

Signs of a healthy canary:

Clear, bright eyes
Clean, smooth feathers
Eats throughout the day
Normal droppings that are not runny for more than a couple of days
A curious and active disposition


See your vet if you notice:

Decreased appetite; weight loss
Decreased activity and grooming behavior
Sitting at the bottom of cage
Discharge from nose or mouth; frequent sneezing
Feathers fluffed for prolonged periods of time


See Also:

The most famous canary is Tweety Bird of Looney Tune fame.

Canaries in Coal Mines

American Singer Canaries


Picture Canary Birds



Simply Adorable Stuffed Plush Birds

Colorfully Endearing Canary Calendars