Canaries for Sale

Canaries are delightful little birds that are often bred for their unique coloring, songs, body shape, and feathers. They make entertaining but low-maintenance pets and have an interesting history. All Canary breeds are from the Islands of Canary. There are basically three types of Canary bred today domestically, but the breeds have changed a lot over the years due to breeding changes for desirable traits. The popularity of different traits has made some breeds no longer available and new varieties coming to market.

The Canary's closest ancestors from the Canary Islands, Azores, and Madeira, were first imported to Spain in approximately 1478 when the Spaniards conquered the islands. For over 100 years, Spaniards kept their Canary monopoly by only providing the species' males. It wasn't until a shipping accident when an entire cargo was accidentally let loose and the birds flew to the island of Elba, that the species was released to the wild and also to new sellers of captive Canaries. Soon the breeds expanded greatly. Countries became known for the type of Canary they produced. For example, Germany produced Canary for the type of songs they sang and the English and French produced Canaries of different colors.

Canaries are members of the Finch family and are quite small birds, but can be as long as 5"- 8" including their tails. Their plumage consists of very bright colors they are often recognized for, including yellow, yellow-green, orange, and red. Their lifespans vary as much as their breeds do, some living only as long as 6 years, others living up to 10-20 years. Males are known to live significantly longer.

Breeding Canaries

If you are looking for a particular type of Canary, there is no shortage of research to do. Popular breeds include Roller Canary, Spanish Timbrado and Waterslager for color, and Belgian Fancy Canary, Border Fancy Canary, Crested Canary, Fife Fancy Canary, Gloster, Lizard, Northern Dutch Frilled, Norwich, Parisian Frilled, Stafford, and Yorkshire Canary for their various traits.

What do Canaries Eat?

Canaries eat seed mixtures that are coated with necessary vitamins and nutrients, supplemented with other fruits and greens. Pellet diets don't need to be supplemented, but some Canaries won't recognize it as food and reject it. Some believe that depending on what your bird was bred for, song or color, you might benefit from offering the bird special foods to promote its song and coloration. Water is important to the birds and needs to be offered fresh water daily and a bath weekly. A bath with a lid provided will minimize the amount of splashing. You can help your bird by clipping its nails occasionally, but be careful not to trim too close to its veins. The supplies, along with a serum to stop bleeding, are available at your local pet store. Adequate space for a single bird is 16”, and pairs at least 20”. Perches act as furniture and serve a purpose, wearing the claws down gradually. They don't train well to perch on your finger. Most owners just enjoy their beauty and song from a distance. They do, however, get along well with other Canaries (cage only females together) and even other species of birds. Male birds are less likely to get along and will even stress if a solitary bird is paired with a mirror for “fun”. A male and female will breed together quite easily if given privacy and the right conditions.