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Is a canary a good pet?

Aves

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I am considering to get a canary in the future, and I'd like to know the good, bad, ugly, and the care requirements. So I'll know if I want one or if I should just get something else.
 

Zara

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Maybe this will help...
 

camelotshadow

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Mom always had canaries. The males sing nice. They basically stayed in the cage but some people have tamed them.
They can be great cheerful companions but not sure they are that hands on if you want that time of relationship.
 

JLcribber

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You asked the wrong question. It should be "Is Aves a good bird owner?". Species becomes irrelevant at that point.
 

MC_Hahn's

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One of my very close friends had a canary. She was golden with brown markings and was a gift from a local breeder. I had the pleasure of watching her several years ago.

The Good: Very sweet and beautiful birds. "Ginger" was a surprisingly tame bird that loved interacting with people. She was a good eater, and her singing was beautiful! Usually it is easier to find a pet sitter for smaller birds like canaries as well.
The Bad: The singing is both a blessing and a curse. She sang constantly in the two weeks that I watched her. Her voice was a lot more shrill than budgies, sort of like a video game. Canaries can also be more difficult to transition to pellets at a later age. Their bites also hurt a lot more than you'd think... They clamp onto your finger and won't let go (happened to me while changing a food bowl on her first day home). Like other small birds, they are more likely to have a heart attack at the vet, although this depends on the individual bird (at least, that's what my vet said).
The Ugly: The worst thing was her droppings. She was on a seed and veggie diet, but the poop was always messy. Not in an unhealthy way, but that she pooped everywhere. Paper had to be put out in advance during flight time. Heads and furniture were always major targets. And the droppings were so small that you wouldn't notice them until you cleaned or crushed one.

Overall, canaries are wonderful little birds in my opinion. Perhaps try visiting a person who owns them or a bird rescue sometime in the future so that you can have a more hands-on experience. :D
 

BirdWorld

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I also love canaries and would love to get one or two. Maybe in the future. Should you keep them in pairs like with budgies or is it fine to own a single one even if it isn’t tame?
 

MC_Hahn's

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I forgot to mention that the canary developed an egg laying problem. She went to the vet multiple times (once an overnight stay) but eventually passed away due to a vitamin deficiency.

The canary was alright on her own, although she probably would have benefited from a friend.
 

Aves

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Thank you everyone!
You asked the wrong question. It should be "Is Aves a good bird owner?". Species becomes irrelevant at that point.
Okay. That's an interesting point of view, I'll give it some thought.
 

BirdWorld

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You asked the wrong question. It should be "Is Aves a good bird owner?". Species becomes irrelevant at that point.
I think I will have to disagree a bit here.... I can be a good owner to my budgies but do horribly with a cockatoo. You could ask if wolves are a good pet, not if someone is a good dog owner. Just my opinion. I totally understand where you’re coming from, I just think that species has to do with it too. :)
 

JLcribber

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I think I will have to disagree a bit here.... I can be a good owner to my budgies but do horribly with a cockatoo. You could ask if wolves are a good pet, not if someone is a good dog owner. Just my opinion. I totally understand where you’re coming from, I just think that species has to do with it too. :)
Let me rephrase. What does Aves bring to the table as in resources($) for whatever may be needed? Especially vet care. What kind of environment will you provide (space)? Can you provide stability and consistency for years to come in this birds life? What knowledge do you have of your selected species natural behaviour and the basics of behaviour in general (ABC's)? These are the requirements of a competent parrot owner.
 

finchly

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There are lots of misconceptions floating around about canaries. I’ll try to help you out.
They are fantastic little pets. They’re quite clever- you’ll be amazed. Like today. I have a pair that are loose in the bird room so I had food/water on a tabled for them. I walked in, and they’d clearly had a bath in the water dish on the table, so I moved their food and water bowls in order to wipe it off. Then I got out the food bin to start feeding (forgetting about their dishes). They flew to the table and looked pointedly from the spot where their dishes should be, to me. Lol

Also I have found that different ones sing louder or softer than others. So rather than writing them off as “too loud,” you can listen and figure out which type you like. Or just get a hen.

Many people feel that canaries are fine as solo pets. If he’s going to be your darling, have out of cage time and so on that’s probably fine. But they truly are flock animals and appreciate having a friend. Two hens or a proper pair can live in a cage. If you put 2 males together in a cage they’ll probably fight. You can keep mixed sexes in an aviary without issue though.
The Ugly: The worst thing was her droppings. She was on a seed and veggie diet, but the poop was always messy. Not in an unhealthy way, but that she pooped everywhere. Paper had to be put out in advance during flight time. Heads and furniture were always major targets. And the droppings were so small that you wouldn't notice them until you cleaned or crushed one.
This cracks me up because it’s true! “Big bird” people are always shocked at how messy the little guys are. I’ve never had one poop on my head but they certainly go everywhere else!
By the way @MC_Hahn's if it was singing it was a boy.
 

Aves

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There are lots of misconceptions floating around about canaries. I’ll try to help you out.
They are fantastic little pets. They’re quite clever- you’ll be amazed. Like today. I have a pair that are loose in the bird room so I had food/water on a tabled for them. I walked in, and they’d clearly had a bath in the water dish on the table, so I moved their food and water bowls in order to wipe it off. Then I got out the food bin to start feeding (forgetting about their dishes). They flew to the table and looked pointedly from the spot where their dishes should be, to me. Lol

Also I have found that different ones sing louder or softer than others. So rather than writing them off as “too loud,” you can listen and figure out which type you like. Or just get a hen.

Many people feel that canaries are fine as solo pets. If he’s going to be your darling, have out of cage time and so on that’s probably fine. But they truly are flock animals and appreciate having a friend. Two hens or a proper pair can live in a cage. If you put 2 males together in a cage they’ll probably fight. You can keep mixed sexes in an aviary without issue though.

This cracks me up because it’s true! “Big bird” people are always shocked at how messy the little guys are. I’ve never had one poop on my head but they certainly go everywhere else!
By the way @MC_Hahn's if it was singing it was a boy.
Thank you! I have a question. I've heard they need very controlled lighting because of their body clocks or something. Is that true?
 

finchly

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Well sort of. It’s the usual like with all birds, good light for D3, more in your summer to bring on breeding if that’s what you’re doing.

But there’s a myth that they’ll die if you don’t control their light exactly. It’s totally false just use common sense.
 

Aves

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Well sort of. It’s the usual like with all birds, good light for D3, more in your summer to bring on breeding if that’s what you’re doing.

But there’s a myth that they’ll die if you don’t control their light exactly. It’s totally false just use common sense.
Weird..... I didn't get a notification for your response. Thank you.
 

Just-passn-thru

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I think I will have to disagree a bit here.... I can be a good owner to my budgies but do horribly with a cockatoo. You could ask if wolves are a good pet, not if someone is a good dog owner. Just my opinion. I totally understand where you’re coming from, I just think that species has to do with it too. :)
I agree! Good for you ...
 

MC_Hahn's

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if it was singing it was a boy.
She laid multiple eggs, so I'd hope she was female. ;) It wasn't quite singing, just very loud peeping and chirping. Compared to the budgies' squawking though, it was definitely music to my ears! :lol:

She sounded like this bird:

As for the shrill singing that I mentioned, I heard the males and females alike chirping away at a pet store once, and they sure talked up a storm!
 
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