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.

This post is actually more of a question to FM breeders–HOW LONG DOES A CANARY MOULT LAST?  It’s been going on for weeks now and I think Roxie continues to lose feathers badly.  No bald spots showing though, and I’m trying to provide her more protein as advised by other canary sites.

Hope you can share your experience.

(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