I’ve been asked to speak to the BIRDS club in Manila on August 16 about finches and Canaries along with Danny Ang (Cockatiels) and Milet Escalona (Love birds). In addition to a powerpoint presentation I’ve produced this Z-fold leaflet so allow me to brush up on canaries as I haven’t kept them for some time. I hope you find it ueful and that some of you can come along.

Serinus canarius

 

This leaflet aims to assist new canary keepers in providing an environment for birds that is conducive to their good health and well being and to aid in their conservation and propagation in the Philippines.

CANARIES & THEIR ALLIES

Canaries belong to the old-world finches – the Frigillidae which includes sparrows, weavers, green & goldfinches, bramblings, siskins, linnets and chaffinches. There are 37 canary species within the genus Serinus, found throughout Europe, Africa and western Asia.  The domesticated canary is descended from S. canarius a species from three islands off the Iberian coast including the one after which the birds are named!

Males famously broadcast their songs as a form of dominance and so are best kept separated but within ear-shot of one another to encourage singing.  Externally females are almost indistinguishable from a male but they never sing.  Males cohabitating with a female won’t sing as loud or as often as a lone male.  Experienced breeders can sex birds by the shape of the vent.

DOMESTICATION AND BREEDS

The original wild-type canary has sparrow-like coloration and is a long way from the modern canary-yellow and red-factor birds however it was chosen not it’s plumage but it’s voice.  Domestication began in Spain in the 1600s.  The Spanish timbrado canary is said to be closest to its original ancestor.  From this original wild bird many color-forms have been developed including red-factors, whites, gold, cinnamons, grays, variegated and even “blues” have been developed. Different featherings include crested and ruffled have emerged too.  There are innumerable varieties selected for conformation or song.  Some of the more common breeds are the Border, Fife, Gloster, Gibber Italicus, Raza Española, Berner, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Norwich, Australian Plainhead and the various singers and rollers. 

HOUSING

The humid wet-tropics presents challenges that must be met to become a successful aviculturist. High ambient temperature and humidity increase heat stress on birds which must be relieved. Small cages should never be left without shelter from the sun. Indoor facilities can be air-conditioned but out-doors the options are limited to shelter, mist sprays and water baths.

Vermin must be rigidly controlled or excluded from cages, aviaries and food preparation areas. Vermin requiring control include rodents, cats, snakes, cockroaches, feed moths, beetles (meal-worms & weevils), ants, slugs and other birds particularly other finches and raptors. 

Care should be taken with new equipment. New galvanized wire may be toxic, especially to parrots. This risk can be reduced by allowing the wire to weather for 4-8 weeks before introducing the birds or by washing the wire with vinegar and then rinsing. 

The most suitable wire netting for cages is welded mesh, chicken wire.  For canaries the size should not exceed 13mm square but to exclude vermin a 6 mm mesh is recommended. Painting the wire black will assist viewing the birds but ensure that the paint is not toxic.

Wooden perches of various thicknesses should be provided at different levels and varying angles throughout the enclosure.  Metal perches are not suitable.

AVIARIES – a large free flight cage housing many birds.  Since canaries are not colony breeders only a single male and 1-2 females can be kept in an aviary during the breeding period unless it is very large.  In the off-season a large flight or aviary is a good place to keep young and condition birds prior to breeding as exercise is an essential requirement. 

CAGES & CABINETS – these are the standard for breeding canaries.  A wooden box (cabinet) with a wire front is preferable to the traditional wire on all sides as the birds will feel more secure and can withdraw when threatened. Each pair should be given at least 0.8 X 0.4 X 0.4m3.  Males conditioned for singing will be OK in ≤½ this space.

BIRD ROOMS – a dedicated screened room that houses many smaller breeding cages or flights. Bird rooms are common in the Philippines as they are secure, allow intensive utilization of space, can be climate and photo period controlled, they isolate birds from any pathogens carried by other birds in the facility or from wild birds and are easily cleaned.

CONDITIONING & FEEDING

Unlike Estrillids, canaries lifecycles are regulated by day length and this must be simulated in the tropics if breeding or singing are your goals. To ensure birds come into breeding condition day length must be altered by ~15min/week to change the local 11-12h day to 14-16h and visa versa as indicated in the chart above. During breeding copious supplies of sprouted grain and egg’n’biscuit should be supplied.  After breeding the sexes should be separated and the sprouted seed withdrawn to force moulting – this should occur in the hottest part of the year to avoid heat stress.

Prior to breeding it is important to condition the birds especially the hens to prevent egg-binding.  Flight exercise is extremely important so breeding cages should be a minimum of 0.8 long.  Supplemental calcium intake via grit, cuttle-bone and brassicate vegetables like broccoli should be given 2 weeks prior and during breedig. When feeding young seed soaked overnight should be offered at the rate of ½tsp/bird/day. A suitable seed mix would be 4:1:1; Canary, White Millet and Yellow Millet or Japanese Millet. During “Winter” oily seeds such as rape, niger and hemp are essential and a half measure should be added to the mix.

 SEEDING GRASSES & SPROUTED SEED – these are rich in vitamins and proteins not found in the dormant seed. To sprout seed, place paper toweling on the bottom of as sealable plastic container and wet it.  Sprinkle a single layer of seed over it. There should be just enough excess water that the seed moves.  To inhibit mould Virkon-S can be used in the water. It is important to pretest germination rates of a range of seed as much of the seed sold is dead.

GREENS – leafy vegetables such as broccoli, Baguio spinach, mustard-greens, petchay are rich sources of vitamins and minerals. Lettuce plants that has gone to seed are a favorite treat for of canaries as they provide both greens and essential oily seeds for the birds

GRIT – Grit has two important functions for finches. I assists in the grinding of the food in the gizzard and it provides a source of calcium – essential for good health, egg and bone formation. Suitable grits are sand of various grades, clean soil, fine shell-grit, crushed egg-shell and cuttle-bone. Some aviculturists like to include charcoal in a grit mix as it absorbs any toxins taken orally.

SOFT-FOODS – Commercial egg’n’biscuit mixes combined with mashed hardboiled egg (shell included) and a few drops of water to make a crumbly consistency must be fed regularly throughout the breeding season. Vitamin & mineral supplement can also be added to the mixture. Do not feed more than can be consumed in 3-4h so its best fed in smaller quantities 2-3 times a day

WATER

Clean fresh water should always be on hand.  Don’t place the dish under perches or roosting area. A shallow dish for bathing should be provided especially during the summer moulting.  If there’s no time to remove and clean dishes daily it is recommended to use the poultry disinfectant Virkon-S in the water.

COLOR FEEDING

Red-factor canaries are incapable of converting yellow carotinoids to red ones and must have these fed to them during the moulting period in order to maintain their color.  While feeding red vegetables like peppers or capsicums will help, the desired intensity is usually only attained by including a colorant in the water

HEALTH MANAGEMENT & DISEASE CONTROL

Canaries are subject to similar diseases to other finches but are particularly subject to air-sac mite, coccidia and worms. Ask your local vet for advice and symptoms of infection.  Always quarantine and observe new birds for sickness for a minimum of a month before introducing them to your flock.

BREEDING MANAGEMENT

Always select healthy stock, in good condition (refer to figure). The breastbone of a bird in poor condition will be sharp to the touch.

Breast-bone of the bird 

Good Condition     Poor Condition

Whenever possible pair birds of the same age and try to ensure that they are as distantly related as possible. Do not let pairs raise more than 3 nests a year as it can cause undue stress on birds- particularly the female.  While males to help raise young their presence is not actually necessary to raise a brood.

NESTING – Most canaries will choose and elevated platform to construct a nest on.  Usually they are provided with dish-shaped receptacles such as the ones shown here:

 Construction material must be provided.  Many breeders use coir (coconut husk fiber) or 50mm lengths of teased hessian bag fibers. Soft lining materials like kapok and feathers should also be supplied. Most canaries will tolerate nest inspections but prefer the privacy of a screen on the cage directly in front of the nest. To reduce aggression and to increase the chances of breeding remove young from your breeding cage as soon as they are independent – normally 3 weeks after fledging.

HYBRIDISATION – Canaries will hybridize with a number of related birds including Linnets, Siskins, Green and Gold- finches as well as other Serinus spp. Usually a canary is used as the female parent as they tend to be more reliable at raising the young.  Almost invariably the hybrids are sterile mules but their intermediate nature can give rise to novel song-types that don’t occur in either of the parents.  Given that the supply of these species are limited, breeders should first establish them before they attempt hybridization.

Footnote:

All birds except poultry are required to be registered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). All captive birds held or traded since 2004 should be registered stock or their progeny. Newly imported birds must likewise be registered. For more information regarding registration and importation and other legal matters associated with keeping birds seek advice from a local bird-club or contact the DENR.