My canary's song

[Reni]

Pips is a Gloster Consort canary whom I have since December 2017. He had a beautiful song and I loved listening to it. After his molt, a period when canaries don't sing, he finally started singing again in August, BUT, his beautiful song is gone..... His song sounds more like that of finches, no high volume whistles or long holding high tunes, only some warbling as I call it. I miss his lovely singing!
Has anyone experienced their canary changing their song? He lives is a big 30" wide x 36" high cage, so no lack of space, His cage is next to a cage with my two cockatiels.
I'm sad about this.

Reni

 

[Serin]

Interested to hear input. My neighbor's canary stopped singing in March and has never tweeted another note and it has me stumped. Mine has been quiet for a few months now during the molt but I hope he starts up soon.
Have you tried to play canary songs to get him to respond?

 

[Clairecanary15]

Odear poor Pips. I had a cockbird that stopped during the moult.. I think he was depressed. He is now with the flock and whistling away. I am going to get uV lamps for my canaries inside to make sure they get the perky vitamin D.

Im sure your Pips will come round..it is the season to rest for them. I have my radio on and mine love it in the house or as serin suggested a canary cd. As long as he is well with a balanced diet and had his regular mite treatment I can't see why he wont sing again with gusto.

 

[Reni]

Thanks for your input. I only once had a YouTube canary song playing for him. Do canaries imitate or learn from others that are singing?

 

[Clairecanary15]

One of the other members has said playing music..any kind will add to the cockbirds repertoire, especially picking it up during the moult when they are quieter.
Mine love the radio and music with a beat lol. Sometimes they stop if it doesn't have enough of a beat..very amusing.
My husband is very good at whistling and they repeat what he whistles. Its like my husband is having a conversation in canary with them. They line up to have a chat..lovely to see and watch.

 

[Adam21]

Is he with any other canaries that sing? Because all my canaries copy each other's sounds. The sons learned singing by literally getting side by side with their father when he would sing(he was annoyed by them lol, it was really funny and cute). The girls try copying the boys and the all birds copy each other with their chirps/grunts/normal noises. So they slightly change from time to time. However, the boys know how to sing, and they will get back to singing, it is just still early for that now. So no need to worry. They're still resting from the molt.

These birds can be a bit depressed, and obviously if anyone has the means to get a full aviary or flight cage and make it safe yet entertaining for them, that would be the right route to go. I can ask my parents for that, but doubt they would dedicate that much money into some birds. With dogs, everyone else sees it differently and will invest into them hefty amounts. Also my family probably wouldn't want big cage inside the house. I will eventually get some flight cages for them, and get some nice branches and other items to make it a more natural environment for the birds. At the same time carefully place the branches and not add too many because they can get hurt at night if they run into branches flying around erratically. So less is sort of better, they like flying. I look forward the day where they are flying a bigger distance they aren't used to and are happy with the new environment I will give them. It's just hard finding these neat branches/leaves at stores, you'd need to purchase them online.

 

[Dona]

I had a border canary for 17 years. He was with his breeder and other canaries for 1 year. Then he came to us and his song grew richer and more detailed in time, taking short breaks each year, without any exposure to other canaries. He did live next door to a cockatiel for most of his life. I hope your boy gets his song back.

 

[Reni]

Still hoping for his song to return.

 

[Clairecanary15]

Have you come across this @finchly ?

So sad when they stop singing..usually they will start up again.

 

[finchly]

Thank you @Clairecanary15 , and no I have not.

I would play the Youtube ‘canary singing’ videos for him, perhaps make a collection and let them keep going for awhile. That usually gets mine all going, even the ones too young to sing yet.

Welcome to AA Reni. I have about 10 Glosters at the moment. I love them.

 

[Clairecanary15]

They are very cute and comical too. I hope the youtube collection works..brilliant.

 

[Reni]

Hi Finchly, nice to read that you have so many Glosters. Are the males all good singers? Have you experienced any of them stopping with singing? So letting him listening to canary singing on you tube may help? I'll continue it then. Thanks.

 

[finchly]

@Reni no I have not experienced it, this was just a suggestion. Yes my males are good singers, after about 4 months old. But the daddy is a talented singer and sings a lot so they learn from him.

 

[Clairecanary15]

Maybe the sounds of hens would get his interest. The hens may be what got my Willow going, along with the other 2 cockbirds. Willow is now with my flock after being very quiet..he is now hearing hens and cockbirds together. Try playing the hens on one device and cockbirds on another. .creating a natural -ish flock for him.

 

[finchly]

Great idea, @Clairecanary15