October is unofficially FinchMe’s canary month, and as such let us get to know more about these melodious singers which are thankfully part of the finch family as well.  Before we start I would like you to take a look at this video to get more up-close and personal with the species.

(A Singing Yellow Variegated Canary)

The canary is a species that can be found in only three islands which are part of the Portuguese archipelago, namely: Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands. The population is the heaviest at the Canary Islands, where the bird got its name. Right now the species is not considered endangered, and can be found domesticated all over the world.

The species(scientific name Serinus canaria) is well loved by pet owners mostly because of its song. Spanish monks brought it all over Europe in the 1600’s after teaching the birds how to sing. Since then breeds were developed according to song, form, and color. Canary bird shows are held in Europe every year with at least 20,000 birds in registration.

Adaptation is crucial to the survival of any species especially when it is brought to a foreign country. The canary has been sucessfully bred in Europe, America, Australia and other countries. It has survived climate changes as well as differences in land elevation, humidity, and temperature. Canaries have proved to be quite hardy for generations. Their breeding patterns though are a little erratic and only seasoned breeders are able to successfully produce quality birds.  Here in the Philippines, a pair will cost you at least P12,000 for unproven or first time breeders and birds with unknown origin.  The cost can go up proportionally according to the bird’s 1) quality and type of song, 2) duration and frequency of the song, 3) proven breeding capabilities, 4)and mutation.

• Only the male canary sings.
• Before 1987, the British use so-called Miner’s Canaries to detect toxic chemicals before exploring the mine further(when the bird dies then there are poisonous gases in the mine).
• Canaries get along well in the same cage or aviary with society and zebra finches.
• Male canaries tend to fight for females and territory and most breeders house each male on a different cage.
• Warner Bros. “Tweety Bird” is the most popular canary ever, although Tweety is just a cartoon character.

More information will be provided by other FinchMe canary breeders in later posts.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_Canary
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/birds/a/canaries.htm
http://www.thecanarysnest.com/primer/
http://www.americansingercanary.com/carefaq.htm