CanariesCanaries have been kept as pets since as early as 1478, when the Spaniards conquered the Canary Islands, which are off the coast of Africa. What enchanted the sailors most then is the same as todays canary owners,their ability to 'sing' and mesmerise new owners with the depth and perplexity of these songs.
Most canaries kept as pets are cock birds as the female, although just as pretty, is definately no songbird in this case, at best she'll 'cheep-cheep' as good as the rest of them, but is no comparison to the cock bird
This again,is where the natural instincts of the birds take over. The song is used to entice the hen for breeding purposes in the wild, and this explains why your pet canary stops singing between October and March. At this time you'll notice that all the feathers appear to be falling out of your bird. This is when he'll go through the moult and when breeding season, usually starting around March / April, he'll be in fine fettle again and will have to advertise his availability.
Another noticeable thing about the canary song is that it will change from year to year as he has to re-learn his song, this will account as to why no two canaries sound the same.
The cage or housing should be spacious enough to allow the canary to exercise and because he is not a climber, perches should be placed at an even level to allow a hop from one to the other. The cage should be kept draught free and although they can withstand low temperatures around them, draughts can be fatal.
fresh food and water must be offered daily, with cuttlefish and grit available at all times for the birds to use when required. Fresh fruit greens and vegetables should be offered as an important supply of vitamins and minerals.
