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Canary birds finches are birds that are familiar to most people. In addition to the fact that canaries chirp very melodiously and attract attention with their voices, they also amaze with the splendor of colors and shapes. It is worth noting that the birds are completely unpretentious in care, neat and do not cause trouble to their owners.
Credit: birdskeeper.com
What does a canary look like?
| Name | The Canary birds Finch Serinus canaria is a species of wild bird from which all currently known species of canaries originate. |
| Length | 0.1-0.2 m |
| Adult weight | 0.01-0.03 kg |
| Color | Varied (depending on the subspecies) |
| Beak | Short, pin-shaped |
| Eyes | Round, small, dark. |
| Tail | Bends under a crescent-shaped perch. |
| dimorphism | By external characteristics: – males have a longer tail; – in females the cloaca is flat. When singing, the throat of males swells, but that of females does not. By behavior: – Only the male canary sings melodiously and loudly. – During the mating season, females become passive. The sex of a chick can only be determined accurately using a DNA test. |
How is it different from other birds?
- They do not like to be handled (in practice, such manipulations should be avoided).
- The main activity is singing, jumping on poles and eating food.
- Small sizes.
- They get used to well at home (even alone).
- They are not picky about care (they do not require much attention, do not have any special gastronomic preferences, and are neat).
- They sing beautifully.
Habitat and lifestyle
The homeland of canaries is the Canary Islands (hence the name of the genus), the islands of Madeira and Cape Verde, where the wild population still lives. From 16th Art. These singing birds were brought to the European continent, where they willingly took root next to people and from where they spread across all continents.
Canary finches live in the wild in large or small flocks, within which there is certainly a lot of “communication”. Their day is spent entirely in search of food to the sound of melodic trills. Birds go to sleep in a large flock on tree branches.
What does it eat?
A balanced diet for a canary is the key to its health and longevity. It should include:
- grain or ready-made industrial grain mixtures for this type of bird (rice, crushed corn, rapeseed, yellow or red millet, canary seed, hemp seeds, white sorghum, flaxseed or sunflower seed);
- nuts;
- vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini);
- fruits (apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, grapes) and juices from them;
- branch food (apple tree, cherry, raspberry, currant, alder, rowan, elderberry, maple, linden, birch, viburnum, aspen, beech);
- greenery, grass.
Credit: Voice of America
Care instructions
- After purchase, the bird should be kept in quarantine for two weeks.
- During molting, add high-protein food (boiled eggs, small insects, larvae) to the bird’s diet.
- Once every 1.5-2 months, canaries need a haircut – trimming their wings (reduces the risk of escape) and claws;
- To feed feathered pets, it is better to use special food for this type of bird (when using grain and seeds, you should additionally give vitamin and mineral premixes);
- Recommended cage parameters – from 0.25×0.25×0.45 m;
- Adhere to a day cycle close to the natural environment (short days in winter and long days in summer);
- Do not allow birds into the reach zone:
– mosquitoes;
– Teflon dishes;
– threads, yarn, fiber;
– tobacco, cigarettes, smoke from them;
— pesticides and other poisons;
— flowerpots with poisonous leaves;
– sweets, chocolate, salt, alcohol;
– products made of cedar or mahogany;
— heavy metals (zinc, lead) and items made from them;
— air fresheners, fragrances, aroma candles.
Reproduction
The breeding season falls between March and April. During this period, the female lays 5 bluish-green eggs, which she incubates for 13 days. Both feathered parents are involved in feeding the offspring. From 3 months of age, the chicks begin to leave the nest, and by 6 months they become fully sexually mature.
Canaries can reproduce well even in captivity. In addition, they can mate with siskins and other passerines. But the offspring from such matings are born fertile and do not live long.
How long do canaries live?
The singing bird lives in captivity for up to 20 years. In the natural environment, the life cycle of birds is significantly shortened, because it is affected by unfavorable climatic conditions, food shortages, infectious infections and capture by birds of prey.
Singing Canary birds
The canary’s singing is a delightful reproduction of melodic trills, which is distinguished by its inimitability and luxury of tones. It is simply impossible to resist such magnificence. It is interesting that each subspecies of birds has its own unique timbre and type of songs.
Classification
For more than 500 years, people have managed to study canaries as much as possible and develop almost 12 thousand of their varieties. Birds are classified into three groups, which in turn are divided into subgroups and subspecies.
| Subgroup | • Crested | • Melanin (dark) | |
| Peculiarities | They have a specific “bang-cap” on the parietal part of the head. They live up to 15 years. A specific feature is that you cannot cross two crested pets, since all their offspring will be lethal. For breeding, you should take one crested individual and one with a smooth head. | The color of a feather is determined by the presence of dark pigment. | They have a high-pitched voice, thanks to which they produce wonderful trills. |
| Examples of subspecies | – German Crested; – Lancashire; – English Crested; – gloucester. | – black (green, black, gray, bronze, copper, red-black); – agate (silver); – brown; – isabella (pink). | – German (harz roller); – Belgian (Malinois); – Spanish (timbrados); – Russian (not recognized by the international community). |
| Subgroup | • Curly | • Lipochromic (light) |
| Peculiarities | Unpretentious birds with smooth thin feathers, the length of which reaches 20 cm. They live for about 20 years. | Due to a small amount or complete absence of pigment (“alibinism”), bird feathers are light. |
| Examples of subspecies | – Norwich; – Bernese; – Spanish decorative; – Yorkshire; – border; – mini-border. | – yellow; – white (English and German); – red (mosaic, orange); – Ivory; – with red eyes. |
| Subgroup | • Curly |
| Peculiarities | They have a specific curliness due to the curling of feathers along the entire length. Most birds are large, reaching 17-20 cm in length (with the exception of the Japanese canary). |
| Examples of subspecies | – Parisian curly (trumpet); – French curly; – Swiss curly; – Italian curly; – Paduan or Milanese curly; – Japanese curly (makij); – northern curly; – Fiorino. |
| Subgroup | • Humpbacks |
| Peculiarities | The main difference is the Canary birds non-standard appearance. The head is lowered much lower than the shoulders, which causes a “hunchback” effect. Rarely found in nurseries. |
| Examples of subspecies | – Belgian humpback; – Scottish; – Munich humpback; – Japanese humpback. |
| Subgroup | • Painted |
| Peculiarities | The appearance of color begins after the first year of molting and lasts up to three years. Then the bright plumage begins to “fade out” and within 2-3 years becomes almost invisible again. They are not particularly popular among breeders, since changes in color after hybridization have damaged their singing abilities, and these birds are considered less sweet than their relatives. |
| Examples of subspecies | – London; – lizard. |
Popular Canary Breeds
| ested | Yellow | Reds |
| Forest (greenfinches) | Humpbacks | Timbrados (Spanish) |
| Singers (banduk) | Colored | White |
| Melanin series | Pink (peach) | Gray |
| Brown | Decorative | curly |
| Belgian | Munich | Scottish |
| Japanese | Gloucester | Lancashire |
| German Crested | Curly | Norwich |
| Border | Yorkshire | Painted |
| Lizards | London | German roller |
| Belgian Malinois | Timbrados spanish | American singer |
| Russian singers |
Credit: petcarestores.com
Canaries are very suitable birds for keeping at home because they are not as noisy as parrots and are more clean. It is not difficult to tame birds, nor is it difficult to gain their trust. Although these birds do not know how to perform tricks or accurately imitate human speech, they will gladly embellish the home environment with sweet singing that will appeal to everyone. According to ornithologists, you can listen to canaries chirping endlessly, because in addition to aesthetic pleasure, their trills calm and relax.
Also Check: What Does A Canary Eat
Also check: Features OF Passerine Parrots
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