Description- Canaries can be the easiest pet birds to have.  Even the smallest apartment has room for one.  They are simple to care for and do not require much attention.  Canaries are solitary in nature, so a lone male is perfectly content by himself and will sing whether you are there or not.  It can be your only pet or part of a household menagerie.  These birds are a type of finch that is native to the Canary Islands, after which they are named.  The wild canary, which still exists, is brownish green and looks like a sparrow.  Captive bred for 500 years, the yellow mutation has long been the most popular.  Today, canaries are available in many colors and a range of sizes, shapes, and patterns.

Cage- If you are keeping a canary as a pet for its singing ability, just buy any cage that you like. It must be constructed of metal and at least 18" long and 10" wide. Canaries exercise by flying back and forth, not up and down.  The best perches are made of half-inch by half-inch, SQUARE, “baluster” board, available at any good lumberyard.  At least once a month, either replace the perch, or clean it with hot water, bleach, and pine oil.  Make sure that it is dry before you put it back in the cage.  The sandpaper that fits over the perch is not a good idea.  Most don’t fit properly and constantly slip, putting the bird off balance.

Lights- A full-spectrum fluorescent light above the cage will provide Vitamin D for your canary.  Incandescent full-spectrum bulbs are now available if you have space next to the cage for a lamp.  If your canary is near a window, it will enjoy the view and sunshine but make sure the area doesn’t overheat.  Birds must be able to self regulate temperature by moving in and our of the sun. (Note: window glass will filter out Vitamin D.)  Birds need 10-12 hours of rest per day, so consider a cage cover.

Food- The “white bread” of canary nutrition is a seed mix consisting of 70% Canary Seed and 30% Rape.  Every Day the bird must get a high protein food.  Any fruit, vegetable, or green that is used for human consumption, with the exception of avocado, can be offered to Canaries.  Canned corn, collards, kale, broccoli, cucumber, apple, carrot, and squash are just a few favorites.  Canaries should always have Cuttlebone and mineral grit.  A variety of pellets and other processed foods are now sold for canaries.  I recommend Zupreen Natural Pellet because vitamin and balanced nutrition is in every piece.

Baths- Canaries love to bathe, and may try to bathe in their water bowl if bathtubs are lacking.  You can use a small dish like a Tupperware container inside the cage as a bathtub.  The bottom should not be slippery.  A clay plant-saucer may work. Use room-temperature to cool-ish water; one quarter inch of water is sufficient.  Remove the tub immediately after use.  Provide the bath early so the bird is dry before bedtime.
(Modified from Berks County Bird Club “Canaries”)

If you have any further questions, or would like to know more about my own canary care, feel free to e-mail me.