Choosing A Canary

Choosing A Canary

Most people who buy canaries are interested in the bird's ability to sing. There are two kinds of singers. One kind is the chopper. It sings with its beak wide open,and its song is bright and trilly. The second kind of singer is the roller. It is rarer than the chopper and more expensive.The roller sings with its beak closed,and its song is much softer than that of the chopper. It rolls its voice instead of trilling it.

If you want a singer,be sure you get a male canary.Only males are capable of singing. Females chirp occasionally but cannot sing. Most pet shops guarantee that the birds they sell are males and that they will sing.

Before you buy a canary, though, stand near the cages in a pet store and listen as the birds sing. The song of one bird may be more appealing to you than that of another. When yo finally choose a singer that you like, make sure that is healthy. The same rules for choosing a healthy parakeet apply to choosing a canary. Do not choose a droopy bird or an extremely nervous one. You can be reasonably sure that birds guaranteed to sing are usually guaranteed to be in good health.

When you get your new canary home, put its traveling box in front of the cage door and give the bird a chance to enter its nez cage by itself. if,after an hour, the canary does not leave the traveling box, gently pick the bird p and put it into its cage. Then give your canary a couple of days of privacy. It will let you know when it has become accustomed to its new home by chirping and singing cheerfully.

Any cage that is suitable for a parakeet will do nicely for your canary. But be sure that you have a cover for the cage. Besides keeping the canary warm during the night, the cover will discourage it from singing early in the morning when you are trying to sleep. Most canaries will not sing in the dark. A canary's cage must be kept clean, just like a parakeet's. Remember to use the perch brush every day to keep the perches clean.

Your canary loves sunshine, and its cage should be placed in front of a window. But make sure that some of the cage is always shaded. Too much sunlight can be harmful to a bird.

Feeding your canary will be no problem. Canary seed is sold in most stores along with treat and conditioning foods. Check your pet's food cups daily, and make sure that the water cup is full at all times-canaries need a lot of water. Like parakeets, your canary should be supplied with gravel and a cuttlebone. And your canary should also have a toy that looks something like a small bird. This toy will keep your bird busy and discourage it from plucking at its own feathers.

Canaries, unlike parakeets, love to take baths. Your pet will appreciate having a plastic birdbath placed over the opening of its cage door every day. But do not have your canary bathe if the room is chilly. Like all birds, canaries catch colds easily. If they become ill, they should be treated in the same way as sick parakeets, with warmth and medicine.