Where do canaries live in the wild? Domestic canary. Choosing a bird house

Canary- a miniature bird, not distinguished by intelligence, so for what reason were they given to kings and monks in the 16th century? The reason lies in musical ability. Of course, if you go outside you can hear the singing of many birds. But it is the canary that is so unpretentious in food, it is easy to train and maintain.

Description of the canary bird

Canary slightly smaller than its ancestor - the Canary finch, it is 13.5-14.5 cm in size (singing, colorful), while decorative canaries are from 11 cm to 23 cm. canaries rounded head, long claws, short beak and harmonious finch. This bird has many colors, although yellow is the most common, the color of the plumage can be white, brown, orange, light brown, greenish. flies canary wavy, and some individuals have tufts and curls on the head. Canary changes the color of plumage depending on natural conditions, for example, with climate change. And if you change the bird’s diet, the color also changes. Unusual, right?

A special feature of the bird is its sensitivity to natural gas. The cage with this bird was taken into the mine, and if it felt alarmed, people immediately left as quickly as possible, because gas explosions occurred in such places, thereby saving the lives of many people! Did you know that canary can imitate sounds, and even remember their sequence in order to reproduce them later? She also remembers other people’s singing, storing a huge number of sounds in her memory. He starts his song in a quiet tone, and when he sings, perhaps your neighbors will hear it too.

FOOD AND MAINTENANCE OF CANARIES

What to feed a canary

From the right one diet many things depend, for example, plumage, health and life expectancy. The main diet consists from 3 feeds: grains, oilseeds and succulents.

TO grain feed include seeds various plants– oats, millet, barley, wheat, corn, buckwheat, rice, canary seed. Succulent grass seeds ( quinoa, dandelion, plantain). Bran, rapeseed, chestnuts and acorns, seeds and nuts (oilseeds, flaxseeds, sunflower). Also, canary You can give berries, fruits and vegetables. Most canaries They love grapes, apricots, cherries, sweet apples and peaches. Dry fruits are a good treat: raisins, dried apricots, prunes, figs, dates, apples. In addition, freshly squeezed juice is perfect, except those that contain a large number of Sahara.

IN winter time, add sprigs of fruit and deciduous trees, for example, apple, cherry, alder, birch, linden, maple, hawthorn, rowan, raspberry, currant, elderberry, beech, willow, aspen, alder, ash. Canary Food of animal origin is also suitable: fish oil, low-fat cottage cheese, boiled chicken eggs, honey, various insects.

What a canary can't do:

Potato

Persimmon

Mango

Papaya

Avocado

Parsley and other herbs

Keeping canary birds at home

domestic canary Spends most of his time in a cage, and care is kept to a minimum. You can choose any cage; it will be easier for you with a metal one, since it is easier to wash and can be disinfected. Equip the cage with a swing, a bowl, a drinking bowl, and a mirror. Remember that the cage should be spacious, with several perches. And all that is required of you for care is feeding the bird, changing the water daily and cleaning the cage a couple of times a week. How to tame a canary? You need to talk to her constantly and in an even tone, and let her fly out of the cage. Over time, the bird will get used to you, because it is quite tame, and can easily sit on your shoulder. These birds love to bathe, thereby cleaning their skin and feathers. The water needs to brew room temperature. Attach the bathing suit to the outside of the door, so water will not get into the cage, then remove the bathing suit and close the door. You can bathe the bird every day; wash the bathing suit every day.

VIDEO: CANARY SINGING

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD A CANARY SINGING? NO? YOU WILL HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY BY WATCHING THIS VIDEO!

In the article I will consider the character traits, how long canaries live at home and floods. I will describe how to care for the bird. I will tell you about the breeding characteristics of the canary, possible diseases in these birds and methods of their prevention.

The lifespan of canaries is 8-15 years. These indicators depend on genetics, living conditions, nutrition and care.

Description of the home canary

Canaries are domesticated birds with a unique song. They belong to a subspecies of the canary finch, which is native to the Canary Islands.

Body length adult on average reaches 12–14 cm.

They have a regular rounded head, a short pin-shaped beak, harmonious proportions and shapes.

Most birds have yellow plumage. This classic version. However, breeders have already developed a wide variety of canaries with different colors (red, green-yellow, white, chocolate and light brown) and feather shapes (with a crest and distinctive curls).

The presence of red feathers in the canary is the result of its crossing with the fire siskin.

According to the classification, domestic canaries come in three breeds:

1. Singers.
2. Colored.
3. Decorative.

Song canary
Colored
Decorative

In turn, decorative ones are divided into types:

• Curly.
• Crested.
• Curly.
• Painted.
• Humpbacks.

Character and habits of the bird

Each bird, like people, has a different character. In general, canaries are trusting, easy to train, and enjoy socializing. They will take every opportunity to talk to you, family members and other animals. If you decide to have one pet, then be prepared to forget about silence.

The female's song, as a rule, is simpler and more primitive than that of the male. The right decision would be to listen to the bird's singing during the purchase.

Experts based on the Canary finch have bred about 120 breeds of domestic canaries

First of all, you need to purchase and prepare a cage. Its ideal size per bird is: height – 25-30 cm, length – 30-35 cm and width – 20-25 cm. The distance between the two twigs should be less than 1.25 cm. The door should be located on the side.

If your future plans include breeding canaries, then it is better to immediately purchase a cage with two doors.

The bottom should be double and retractable (or easily separated from the main part of the cage) for ease of cleaning. It is better to put sand, a special bulk mixture or paper on it. If the choice fell on paper to equip the bottom of the cage, then use materials from glossy magazines.
It will not stick to the bottom, and cleaning will take a minimum of time.

It is important to equip the house with pressed shell rock for grinding down the beak and perches: plastic and wooden.

You need at least two feeders: for feeding grains and cereals and for mineral mixture(it must include charcoal). Both can be purchased ready-made at a pet store. You also need an additional feeder or clothespin for green food (carrots, apples, lettuce, cucumber and dandelion leaves). In addition, you should regularly treat the canary with pieces of boiled chicken egg. The bird also needs a drinking bowl, the water in which should be changed daily.

Do not give boiled water to the bird.

It is better to give preference to filtered (or settled) raw water.

House canaries love to feast on house flowers: tradescantia, ragwort and others. They can be specifically placed near the cage. However, some house plants can be poisonous to them (for example, Dieffenbachia), so it is better to completely remove them from the room where birds live.

Starting from the age of one month, the chick should be accustomed to water procedures. To do this, you need to place a shallow dish (bowl, plate, caviar jar) inside the cage every day, or place a special bath on the outside of the door with water at room temperature. Everything must be removed and washed after the bird has bathed.

Some indoor and garden plants may be poisonous to birds

The water level in the bath is no more than 3 cm.

Place the cage preferably in a sunny room with a door (but not in direct sunlight). You should choose a place where the bird will not be exposed to drafts, high humidity and temperature changes.

It is very important to let the bird out of the cage at least once a week (preferably every day). To begin with, this may be 5-10 minutes. Gradually, the time for walking around the room should be increased to one hour. During this time, it is important to monitor your pet's safety. With patience, you can teach this pet to sit on your hand.

The cage should be cleaned at least 2 times a week and disinfected at least once a month. To do this, you should remove and rinse and pour boiling water over all the drinkers, feeders, baths and accessories, replace the paper (sand or a special mixture) on the bottom of the cage, after washing it.

How and where to buy

You can buy a domestic canary at a pet store, secondhand, or from official breeders.

The best option would be the latter, since, firstly, such a person bears full responsibility for the bird that he sold. Secondly, it relates to full of love and responsibility towards their pets, and, accordingly, provides them with proper care. Thirdly, you can choose a bird in a calm home environment, after listening to his vocal abilities.

Songbirds maximize their abilities when kept comfortably

Of course, it is cheaper to purchase birds from hand, but there is no guarantee that the bird will be healthy. In the pet store, they often do not provide full care and do not pay attention to them. special attention. As a result, often under the guise of a beautifully singing male, an ordinary female is sold.

The average cost of a female is 1-1.5 thousand rubles, and a male is 4-6.5 thousand.

Features of reproduction

IN natural environment Canary breeding begins towards the end of March. Accordingly, at home favorable period Spring is the time for mating.

The choice of couple is important. The age of the male should be from 1 to 5 years, and the female – from 11 months to 3-4 years. It is important to consider that genetically, vocal qualities, hearing and sensitivity to song come from the father, and both parents influence coloration.

After mating, the birds immediately begin preparing the nest. To do this, you need to purchase (or make your own) a house, which must be installed outside the cage in the gap of one of the doors. It is also necessary to place a box with material for the future nest in the corner of the cage: threads cut into 2 cm pieces, fine hay, small pieces of fabric.

Sometimes 2-3 females are placed with a male

Less than 2 weeks after the nest is ready, the female will lay eggs. The chicks will be born on the 14th day. A few hours after the offspring hatch, both parents begin to bring food to them in their beaks. And by the end of the fourth week, babies are already looking for food and eating on their own.

The male canary often takes part in incubating and feeding the offspring.

Possible diseases and their prevention

Among domestic canaries, diseases such as constipation, diarrhea, colds, vitamin deficiency, diphtheria, injuries, loss of voice, etc. are common.

A sick bird should be immediately placed in a separate quarantine cage.

For prevention, it is important to adhere to the maintenance regime, correct location cells, maintaining its cleanliness and proper nutrition.
Watch your pet!

If the canary's behavior has changed dramatically (loss of appetite, apathy, abnormal bowel movements appear), then contact a veterinarian as soon as possible.

The pet bird will become a true friend for all family members and will create a special atmosphere in the house with its singing.

Kingdom: Animals

Type: Chordates

Subtype: Vertebrates

Class: Birds

Superorder: New palates

Squad: Passeriformes

Suborder: Singers

Family: Finches

Genus: Canary finches

View: Canary finch

Subspecies: Domestic canary

History of the development of canary breeding

The wild canary was domesticated in the sixteenth century, and was a great rarity. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, a domestic canary was no longer a luxury, and many could afford to purchase a bird. Due to their wide distribution, exotic lovers could freely breed these birds.

Each breeder kept and fed the birds in his own way. Different conditions maintenance led to the fact that birds with natural green plumage began to have yellow chicks.

Breeders from different countries. From all the chicks, they selected the most unusual birds and used them in breeding to consolidate the new color. In a short time, breeders were able to develop more than thirty color variations: lemon, red, white and others.

But the Germans gave great importance birdsong and fixed the genetic characteristics responsible for musical abilities. Modern breeders have learned to work purposefully, relying not on intuition, but on genetics. Now breeders are able to anticipate and plan for the appearance of many features in these birds. For example, the color of future chicks.

Appearance

The domestic canary has several large sizes body than the natural wild ancestor. All colored singing house canaries are characterized, as a rule, by maximum length bodies within 13.5-14.5 cm, but ornamental birds of this species are known to have a larger or rather small body.

Canaries are distinguished by harmonious shapes, a rounded and very well-formed head, as well as the presence of a short and pin-shaped beak. The most famous and widespread at present is the classic yellow plumage.

However, today there is a great opportunity to purchase a feathered pet with original white, red, chocolate brown or light brown plumage. The canary's red feathers are the result of crossing a canary with a fire siskin.

Among other things, some modern breeding forms of canaries have a clearly visible crest or special curls. The canary's flight path is wavy, very reminiscent of the flight of a wild finch.

Varieties of canaries

In most cases, yellow canaries are kept as pets. But this does not mean that the bird’s plumage is only yellow.

There are three main types of house canaries:

1. Colored canaries. The color of colored canaries is varied: yellow, red, green, gray, white, variegated. Gray canaries are especially notable, they are born from the combination of green and yellow breeds. As a result of crossing, the color of the birds varies from matte black to silver. The red canary is the most striking; this color is rarely found in nature. Variegated canaries come in a wide range of colors and their common name is harlequin.
2. Decorative canaries. Distinctive features birds are unusual plumage and body shapes. The names of some breeds of decorative canaries speak for themselves, for example, curly and humpback.
3. Singers. Canaries of all kinds sing. Singers have beautiful melody variations, their voices are more musical. Dim birds are traditionally considered the best singers. Canary breeders especially highlight green and yellow individuals. Red birds are spectacular, but their voices are not pleasing to the ear. Pied birds without scarlet shades in their feathers sing wonderfully. Only the male performs arias. The bird sings throughout the year, with the exception of molting time. The most notable performance is in February-March, when the mating season is underway. The female only sings along: briefly, rarely, less melodiously. Caring for any type of canary is the same. Anyone who decides to have a bird should know the conditions for keeping a pet.

Lifestyle and behavior

The vocal bird nests willingly and near estates, delighting their residents with its vocals nine months a year. It was first domesticated in 1495 by the Spanish conquerors of Madeira. They were able to monopolize the highly profitable trade in the exquisite songbird for a time, keeping its place of origin a deep secret.

Canaries live in pairs; in the fall they gather in flocks of 30 to 50 birds. The nest is built very diligently and skillfully by the female, placing it in the dense crown of trees or thorny bushes at a height of not lower than 2.5 meters. The eggs, which usually number from 3 to 5, are incubated by both parents. Young birds at 14 days old already leave the nest, at 21 they become independent, and at 35 days the males begin to sing. Wild canaries feed on grass seeds, fruits and young plant buds, and destroy insect pests and their larvae.

The bird has an innate ability to remember and repeat various sounds. The singing of a domestic canary differs in great variety from the singing of its wild relative. Over the course of many years of selection, her vocal apparatus has significantly improved and her body size has increased.

Song canaries reach a length of 13 to 15 cm, decorative ones from 12 to 22 cm. The most common plumage yellow color, also comes in red, brown, white and fawn. Their color was originally green-brown on the head, gradually turning into yellow on the abdomen.

As selection progressed in the 16th century, a yellow canary was bred in Italy, and later a white and brown one. As a result of its crossing with the fire siskin, a red variety arose.

Singing

Closely related to singing is the ability of canaries to listen. Optimal sensitivity is between 3,200 hertz and 4,000 Hz. The lower threshold of hearing is located at 1,100 Hz, and the upper at 10,000 Hz. In addition, the canary can distinguish sequences of sounds, store them in memory and reproduce them. Therefore, she can learn the singing characteristic of the species. She can imitate the sounds and sound patterns of other birds, and also incorporate other people's noises into her singing.

The canary's song begins with an alternating, quiet entry of several knees and culminates in a very loud tour of harsh descending elements. The male sings very long stanzas built from many rounds or phrases. The knee begins with an alternating, quiet entry of several elements and culminates in a very loud tour of hard descending elements. Wild birds, in contrast to the Harz roller, lack deep phrases, which are the result of selection. The Canary finch can have up to 400 elements in its arsenal and thus sings more diversely than the bred forms. However, in both cases, a variety of sound units should be taught, which can expand throughout life.

Keeping canaries at home

The life expectancy range given above is very approximate. How many years your pet will spend with you is largely determined by its care and maintenance. However, the quality and length of life is also influenced by heredity and some other factors.

Let's look at them in more detail:

1. Heredity. You need to purchase birds only from trusted breeders. If she was born as a result of inbreeding, most likely her immunity and health will be very weak.
2. Loneliness. It is very painful for the bird, so if you only have one canary, it will need a lot of your attention. Otherwise, a depressed state and depression are inevitable.
3. Neighborhood. At first glance, this point contradicts the previous one. Birds cannot be kept together of different ages and generations. It is strictly forbidden to keep different species together.
4. Microclimate. Humidity, temperature, absence of drafts, lighting - if these indicators are normal, the health of the bird will be much better.
5. Cage and accessories. A canary needs a spacious, long cage so that the bird can fly a little. If you keep a pair, you will need not just one, but three cages: a single cage, a flight cage, and one more for the female with her young. The cages should have several feeders for different types food, bathtub, drinking bowl and perches. When choosing a cage, you must take into account the material and the distance between the bars so that your singing pet does not escape.
6. Diet. You cannot limit the diet of birds to grain mixtures from the pet store alone. Experienced breeders recommend preparing them yourself, supplementing the diet with vegetables, fruits, herbs, berries, seeds and twigs, as well as animal products: boiled eggs, cottage cheese and fish oil. Particularly careful attention to the diet should be paid in the autumn-spring period, during nesting and feeding of offspring. In addition to food, the cages must contain a mineral stone.

Cleanliness and compliance sanitary standards. Canaries themselves are extremely clean. If the cage is not cleaned regularly, the bird stops singing, becomes depressed and restless, and may rip off all the feathers against the cage. Therefore, cleaning is required every day.

Choosing a bird house

Before you get canaries you need to take care of a cage for them, how to choose a bird house? You will need a cage, the simpler it is, the better - it will be easier to clean it. Singing males are often kept in separate small cages 45 x 30 x 25 cm. Canaries live well in pairs, in this case a larger cage is needed.

It's better to select cells rectangular shape, all-metal, combined and wooden are acceptable. However, it is easier to clean a metal cage because it can be scalded with boiling water to disinfect it. An excellent choice of house for canaries would be a box-type cage. Whatever cage you choose for your feathered pets, the main thing is that it has two doors: one for the bath and nest (so that you can change and clean it), and the other for cleaning the cage as needed. Now on sale very much big choice cages for small birds, many of them are very functional.

It is necessary that the bird house has several perches installed on different heights so that the canaries can flutter around them throughout the cage. It is better if the perches are natural - willow, bird cherry or hazel twigs and have a thickness of 8 - 15 mm.

To feed the birds you will need 3 feeders:

1. For grain.
2. For soft food.
3. For mineral fertilizing.

Canaries love to swim, so there should be a hanging bath in the cage. If there is no such thing, then install a bathtub at the bottom of their house, but in this case you will need to think about how to attach it so that frisky birds do not turn it over.

Where to place the cage?

The temperature in the room where the canaries are kept is maintained within 17-22 degrees. Drafts like bright sun are unacceptable, so you cannot place the cage on the windowsill (if your windows face south and east), near the balcony door and air conditioners. Ideal place for a house - against the wall next to the window, but away from the balcony and air conditioning, better in a room without a TV (since birds do not tolerate noise well).

Only with sufficient lighting will the canary feel good: daylight hours should be at least 13-14 hours. In winter, take care of an additional source: hang a fluorescent lamp next to the cage.

Canaries love to bask in the sun, but not in direct sunlight. It’s good if sometimes the bird’s house is visited Sun rays, which are useful for birds. IN good weather in summer you can put the cage on the balcony, but so that part of the house is shaded from the scorching sun and, if necessary, the birds have somewhere to hide from it.

Canaries are very sensitive to household (kitchen) odors, tobacco smoke, so you need to make sure that the cage with the birds is located away from the kitchen (humidity and temperature there are constantly changing). With a high concentration of gas impurities and cigarette smoke in the air, bird poisoning and even death can occur.

By the way, I want to note that canaries have saved people’s lives more than once. This amazing ability small birds - ore miners began to sense methane leaks. They took a cage with canaries with them into the mines and watched the birds; if they began to behave alarmingly, the workers left the mine. Thanks to canaries, the lives of thousands of people have been saved more than once. If there are other animals in the house, then you need to take this into account and hang the cage with the birds out of their reach, so as not to traumatize the psyche of the birds.

How to carry out water procedures?

Bathing water is placed in a separate container for a short period of time. Bathing is very beneficial for these birds; during it, their plumage and skin are cleansed. To make the canaries feel comfortable during water procedures, the water in the bath should be warm. You need to leave the bird alone for half an hour, and then you should pour out the water and wash the bath. You can begin to teach canaries to bathe from the age of one month (from the moment they emerge from the egg, after leaving the mother).

What to feed a canary?

The more varied the canaries' diet, the better they feel. The basis, as for all granivorous birds, is a grain mixture. Grain mixture for canaries includes more different components than for finches and parrots.

The canary food mixture consists of:

• 15 percent canary seed,
• 5 percent yellow millet,
• 5 percent red millet,
• 3 percent hemp,
• 20 percent rapeseed,
• 2 percent poppy,
• 10 percent weed seeds,
• 40 percent oatmeal.

This recipe is not a dogma; many amateurs create their own recipes, taking into account many years of experience. However, for proper nutrition, one mixture is not enough. The menu can be replenished with greens (lettuce, spinach), vegetables (peppers, carrots), apples.

In addition to grain, canaries are given:

• grated carrots,
• boiled chicken egg,
• fresh herbs,
• fruits.

Don’t forget to include health “products” in your diet: coarse sand is needed to improve digestion, chalk is needed to obtain calcium, Activated carbon– in case of illness. Birds must have mineral supplements in their cages. Place the feed in a separate feeder. Drinking water is given boiled and at room temperature.

Health, disease and prevention

A sick pet must be placed in a separate, so-called quarantine cage.

For the purpose of prevention, it is very important to fully comply with the regime for keeping domestic birds in captivity, maintain cleanliness in the cage and provide the canary with complete, balanced food. If there are sudden changes in the bird’s behavior, the appearance of lethargy or apathy, loss of appetite, or abnormal bowel movements, it is very important to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Breeding canaries

In his homeland, in natural conditions, in wild canaries the breeding season begins in the 2nd half of March. Best time for mating and breeding chicks in our conditions - spring (March, April, May). During this period there is more daylight, and the female can feed the chicks longer. To obtain good offspring, it is necessary to carefully select a male and a female.

The male should be large, with an interesting song, beautiful plumage, and active. Age – at least 1 year. The female must also have the appropriate qualities. It is advisable to select pairs of males from one and a half to two years and even up to five years, and females from 11 months to three to four years. The coloration of the offspring is influenced by both sires, while vocal quality, song sensitivity and hearing are influenced by the male. This should also be taken into account when selecting a pair.

Some fanciers practice breeding one male with two or three females and at the same time get normal litters, but this requires great experience. A more accessible method is to breed one male with one female. Before mating, a cage with a male and a cage with a female are placed next to each other so that the birds see each other and begin to show mutual interest. During this period, the male is given soft food in addition to grain every day for 5-6 days. Females also increase their diet. Birds ready to mate are placed in one cage.

The male is placed first, and after a day or two the female is placed next to him. The female, released towards the male, quickly mates with him and begins building a nest. From the beginning of mating and construction of the nest to the laying of the first egg, three to ten days pass. The mating cage can be regular or slightly larger. The nest can be hung in the corner of the cage from the inside or outside, in a quiet place.

In order for the female to calmly build a nest, she needs to place in the cage pieces of cut cotton or linen threads 2-3 cm in size, small pieces of linen or cotton fabric, and even well-dried small hay, gathered into a ball. Within 6-7 days, the female builds a nest, after which she begins to lay eggs. After the female lays 3-4 eggs, the male is removed from the cage, since the female herself can feed the chicks. But you can leave the male, and he will actively help the female in hatching and feeding the chicks.

The female canary incubates the chicks for 13 days. Males also take part in incubating the eggs. At the moment when the female goes to feed, he replaces her. On the 14th day, the chicks hatch from the eggs. 3-4 hours after the chicks hatch, the female begins to feed them. Both parents also feed the chicks from their beaks.

The cubs that fly away from the nest initially seem clumsy and inept. On the 24-28th day after hatching, the chicks separated from their parents are good at finding and eating soft and grain food.

How to determine the sex of a canary?

It is quite difficult to distinguish a canary from a canary based on physiological characteristics.

Here are the main ones:

• The female's tail is slightly shorter than that of the male.
• The cloaca is located on the bird's lower abdomen. In females it is flat, in males it is slightly convex.
• The male reacts indignantly when someone tries to touch his lower abdomen. The female just shyly pulls up her paws.

Canaries reach sexual maturity at 1 – 1.5 years. During this period, it is easy to determine the gender: take a closer look at the existing couples. The male actively cares for the female, offering her food and whistling beautiful melodies, she, in turn, responds to him with short trills and begins to build a nest.

But the main factor determining sex is considered to be the bird’s vocal abilities. Kenars sing very beautifully, puff out their throats expressively when playing music and gradually expand their vocal repertoire. Females rarely sing; they usually coo, squeak and whistle.

1. Miners often took canaries with them. The fact is that the bird has a high sensitivity to carbon monoxide, so it could serve as an alarm in case of danger.
2. Many writers and composers sang canaries in their works. As for composers, they tried to create similar sounds in their musical works.
3. Canaries are very cute and sociable birds. At good care they can live up to 15 years.
4. Thanks to the mixing of different species, it was possible to develop many unique subspecies, for example, the American Singer, the crested canary.
5. The canary got its name in honor of the Canary Islands.
6. The first to come up with the idea of ​​domesticating the canary were the Spanish monks.

Quite often, people choose small birds as pets. In a small apartment, they do not take up too much space, they do not require daily walks, they do not damage furniture, and they provide much more communication than fish or turtles. Among all the feathered living creatures, budgerigars are in first place in popularity, and the domestic canary is in second place. We will talk about representatives of the latter species.

Types of canaries

Most people mistakenly believe that this bird is only yellow. Most often, they are actually kept as pets. However, the canary bird actually comes in three varieties.

Whatever canaries are chosen, their maintenance and care are the same. And even though caring for them is not difficult, every future owner of these birds must know the basics and details.

The right house

First of all, you will need, of course, a cage for the canaries. It is better to choose it in a simple form, without decorative frills, domes and other details. The birds themselves are beautiful and additional accessories they don’t need it, but cleaning the house will be more difficult. What size cage to buy depends on your goals. To keep a single canary singer, a rectangular cage measuring 45/30/25 cm will be enough. If you plan to breed canaries, you will need as many as three cages:

1. described above - the canar will live in it during non-breeding time;
2. a 70/30/40 cm cage in which the birds will breed;
3. a cage up to a meter long, where the females and the younger generation will be located after nesting.

The ideal choice would be box type cages. On one side they should be lattice (or mesh), and on the rest - plywood, plastic or made of plexiglass. Any one should have two doors: on one the nest or bath will hang (this makes them easier to clean and change), and the other for caring for the cage.

Cage equipment

The house must have several perches - canaries love to flit from place to place. It's good if they are made from natural wood- willow, hazel or bird cherry. The perches should be at different heights and have a thickness of 8 to 15 mm, otherwise the birds will be uncomfortable on them. A canary cage should include at least three feeders: for mineral feeding, grain and soft food. A bath is a must, preferably a hanging one - these birds love to “splash in the water.” No hanging - put at least a ground bath in the cage, not too light or attached so that the canaries do not turn it over. Drinkers should be positioned with the spouts inward and the mounts facing outward. This will make it easier to fill them. That's basically all the canaries need. Maintaining and caring for them will consist of cleaning and feeding - as we see, there is nothing complicated about this. The main thing is that everything is done regularly and carefully.

Place for a cage

It is very important for the canary, whose maintenance and care you have taken upon yourself, to set up its house correctly. Drafts are dangerous for birds to catch colds, so place them close to air conditioners and balcony doors it’s not worth it, and the window on the selected window sill should be closed. The kitchen is also prohibited: the humidity and temperature there are constantly changing. And the smells from cooking and cleaning surfaces will not benefit the canaries. Other pets, if you have them, should not be able to drop the cage or even reach it. In addition, it is desirable that the house receives sunlight - at least for a short time: it is beneficial for the birds. In summer, you can put the cage on the balcony, making sure to shade part of the home so that the canaries have somewhere to hide from the sun.

Cleaning question

Since a canary is not a dog that can be taken outside to “do its business,” future owners of this bird should think in advance about how they will regularly clean the cage. To make your task as easy as possible, you should line the pallet of your feathered pet’s home with something. For this purpose, you can use sand, which will absorb excrement. It can also be easily replaced if necessary. However, keep in mind that canaries are very active birds and will likely scatter sand around the cage. Therefore, it is best to line the bottom with absorbent paper - it is easy to change, and there will be less debris.

To release or not?

There remains one last question regarding your canary. Maintenance and care include concern for her health and safety. So if you give your pet walks around the apartment (especially if you have a cat or dog at home), then you may lose your feathered friend. Open windows are a risk that the bird will fly away. Hot surfaces such as irons and burners also pose a danger to the canary. Moreover, even a curtain in which the bird can become entangled, or a narrow gap from which it cannot get out, threatens it with injury. So most canine breeders advise not to let the birds out of the cage.

What to feed a canary?

IN wildlife the bird obtains its own food, paying attention to grains, greens and insects in the right doses. In captivity, she is deprived of the ability to control her diet, so the owners will have to buy special food for canaries. Moreover, you cannot replace it with, for example, food for parrots - the composition is not the same. You should choose medium-priced feed. During molting or nesting, regular food should be replaced with specialized food: this way the birds will survive “difficult” periods more easily. You can add sunflower seeds and crushed buckwheat to the prepared mixtures. Don't forget what the canary eats and soft food. She will have to be given a boiled egg a couple of times a week.

Vitamins for health

Only grain and ready-made mixtures Feeding birds is like sitting on oatmeal and pasta all the time. Remember that the canary eats greens willingly and with pleasure. In summer, it’s easy to pick the leaves of dandelion, lettuce, sorrel or young plantain. Suitable out of season bell pepper, apples and grated carrots. After all, you can buy greens for sprouting at the same pet store. Just don’t go overboard with the amount of vitamins, as the bird’s stomach may react negatively to such “care”.

Minerals are a must!

Food for canaries must certainly include some seemingly inedible things. First of all, it is large river sand, necessary for birds for digestion. You can buy it at a pet store. If you don’t find it, collect it on the beach and scald it several times for disinfection. To provide birds with calcium, ground egg shells or chalk are given (can be hung on a hook). Charcoal is also needed - it is used to treat canaries in case of illness. The pharmacy one is perfect. All these supplements are placed in a dedicated feeder. Don't forget to change them weekly - birds contaminate the contents of the bowls.

Caution: Obesity!

Oddly enough, for such active birds there is a problem excess weight is also relevant. Therefore, it is necessary to limit their grain diet. A couple of spoons of basic food per day is enough for one canary, so try to stick to this norm.

Breeding canaries

If you are interested in getting offspring from your pets, decide how you will proceed. There are three possibilities:

1. Create a permanent pair. In this case, the canaries will always live in the same cage. This option is especially suitable for those who have a small poultry farm.
2. If there are several females, the male can be placed next to them one by one. In this case, you will need a cage for each canary. Maintenance and care will therefore become more troublesome and take more time.
3. Equip a spacious enclosure in which the birds will be kept together - 3-4 “girls” for each “guy”. In such conditions, the canaries will sort out their “matchmaking” themselves, and only one room will have to be cleaned. Just remember to put the males back in their cages when nesting is over.

In nature, all mating games begin in the spring - with warming and the appearance of sufficient food. At home, canary breeding can occur at any time.

We have already talked about the houses necessary for successful reproduction. Now let's talk about the material for building nests. Pieces of thick thread no longer than two centimeters are quite suitable so that the canaries do not get their paws tangled in them. An additional perch should be installed next to the nest, to which the female will move before taking off. Otherwise, she may crush the egg or chick.

Mating season

The signal of readiness for mating will be a short, sharp, calling song of the canary, and the female responds to it (if she agrees) with a squeak. At the same time, she begins to collect building materials that, in her opinion, are suitable (twigs, feathers, etc.) and tries to build a nest in some secluded corner. Having noticed these signs, the canaries need to lengthen the daylight hours: then throw fabric over the cage. At the same time, the proportion of vitamin feed in the birds’ diet should be increased: greens, sprouted grains, vegetables, fruits. If the courtship process is successful in canaries, the first testicle will appear in a week, after which the female will lay eggs for another 2-3 days.

The new mother will hatch the eggs for two weeks. The male does not take part in this process. Chicks that are one month old are already quite independent. They are moved to a meter-long enclosure where they can fly. As soon as it becomes possible to determine the sex of the young, all males are seated in their own apartments, since they are aggressive towards members of their own sex and can fight to the point of injury. Female canaries get along quite well in a common cage.

How to transport canaries

Sometimes it becomes necessary to transport your birds. If transportation is intended over short distances (within hometown, maximum - to the dacha), this can be done by placing the canaries in small transport cages measuring 15/7/7 cm. Please note that the journey should not last more than three hours: the lack of space will have a bad effect on the birds. To make them feel calmer, you can cover them with a thick rag - “make it night.” Food and partial drinking must be in every cell.

Health control

The owner of a canary must carefully monitor his pet in order to determine in time whether he has lost weight or, conversely, whether he has gained weight, or whether the molting period has approached. Other health problems can only be determined by a veterinarian. Let's find out how to inspect the bird yourself. So, the canary is carefully taken into the palm, its head is fixed with the index and middle fingers, and the body is turned upside down. Very quietly, easily the owner blows on a place not covered with feathers. It is called apteria. If panicles of new feathers or stumps are visible, this means that the bird is molting. She may need to be fed with special food. If the apteria is completely covered with fat, then your canary needs a diet and a transplant into a larger cage - a kind of gym.

A well-groomed canary raised in appropriate conditions and fed normally (the photo convincingly proves this) is unusually beautiful. And you will have fun singing!