How to Tell When Canaries Want to Mate

Canaries have been popular pets since the late 1500s, when the English fell in love with their daily singing. Calm and relatively easy to take care of, this species of bird is still a favorite pet. They have their own style of mating and, with a few astute observations, you will know whether or not your pet canary is ready to mate.

Things You'll Need

Nesting materials
Food with extra calcium and vitamin D (for females)
A canary of each sex

Instructions

- 1
  Observe the canaries in song. Most canaries sing, but the male of the species is much louder and sings more often. The song will become nearly continuous when the interest in mating begins to rise and will be increasingly directed at the female. The male canary might even perch next to the female and attempt to sing into her ear. The female will sing in return, a lighter, softer tone that sounds like chatter. She will turn away from the male as she does this, but raise her backside as a show of attraction.
- 2
  Watch for elevated interest as the courting continues. The male will chase the female around the cage playfully and bite at her beak. This can look like dangerous behavior, but the gesture is usually mild and does not result in any pain for the female. Initially, the female will resist the advances, but this is all part of the "mating game," and the female will likely reciprocate eventually. During this stage, introduce vitamin-fortified food into the female's diet, as this will make it easier for her body to lay eggs.
- 3
  Look for the male to try to mount the female canary once the first stages are complete. While she might fly away the first few times, she will then submit to his advances.
- 4
  Introduce nesting material to the cage when the female begins to fly all around the cage restlessly. This is an indication she is ready to nest. She is looking for nesting material, and if none can be found inside the cage, introduce it and she will likely construct her nest and lay eggs.