Common Canaries

The common canary, also called the kitchen canary, occurs after breeding various canary types together. The breeding usually helps create a bird with a distinctive musical voice. The common canary can also sport various individual feather colors. Not considered a purebred, the common canary does not hold registration with any bird club or organizations, but it makes an outstanding pet choice.

  1. Considerations

    • A canary will live 10 to 15 years. The male usually has an outstanding singing voice, but occasionally a hen may also sing well. House one male per cage. Males can become aggressive and fight. A male houses in its on cage will quickly bond with its owner and seek out human companionship. An intelligent bird, the common canary thrives on company. A bird left alone will quickly become bored. Always leave the television or radio on to entertain the canary if it must spend time alone.

    Male or Female

    • Common canary hens will live in social groups together. Their striking appearance makes them an ideal centerpiece in any cage, despite their lack of an optimum singing voice. One male will live peaceably with hens, but it will rarely sing if surrounded by them. The male's melodious sing will please the listener, but the bird will often sing at the crack of dawn. A hen offers the same visual beauty as the male but usually only has a soft twittering voice.

    Purchasing

    • The common canary usually has a lower price tag at a pet store than the expensive purebreds. Choose a bird with bright eyes and good feathers. If the bird exhibits any crusty discharge around the nose or eyes avoid purchasing it. A sick canary will often sit on its perch with its feathers puffed out. It will appear lethargic and unresponsive. If a musical voice holds significance in your decision to own a canary, ask for a guarantee that the common male canary can sing prior to purchase.

    Care

    • Provide the canary with the largest cage possible. Canaries enjoy flying around and should have ample room to maneuver from perch to perch. Many commercial canary cages come in pleasing shapes to fit into virtually any household. Place perches of varying diameters into the cage. Provide a cuttlebone for the canary ,so the bird receives ample calcium. Feed the common canary a commercial canary food diet. It should have ample, fresh water daily. The canary adores a bath every other day. Place a shallow bowl of water into the floor of the cage and allow the canary to splash at will. A wide array of commercial canary toys exist to offer the little bird fun and diverse things to enjoy.