Canaries come in hundreds of varieties and are divided into three main categories: 1) Colored Canaries: bred for specific colors, i.e. Cinnamon Canaries, Lizard Canaries, Red Canaries, Stafford Canaries; 2) Song Canaries: bred for their ability to sing, i.e. Spanish Timbrado, Roller Canaries, Waterslagger, American Singer; and 3) Type Canaries: bred solely for appearance, physical traits and shape, i.e. Belgium Canaries, Crested Canaries, Gloster Canaries, Frilled Canaries, Scots Fancy Canaries.

Although canaries are never going to be considered a cuddly pet, they are very social and friendly. The male canary has a melodious song and although females normally are not singers, they are great chirpers. Canaries are a great choice for persons who enjoy watching birds rather than having a demanding pet that requires a lot of personal attention.

Housing for a canary should be as large as possible to give your canary room for flight or at least large enough for full extended wing flapping/exercising. A flight cage would be ideal but the cage at least should not be smaller than 12” wide and 17” long. Canaries also enjoy small toys especially bells they can ring.

A canary needs plenty of natural light but do not place the cage near air/heat vents or where it can be exposed to drafts. Be sure to cover your canary's cage at night so the light stops with the sunset and he can stay in tune with the seasons.

A proper diet for a canary should be a high-quality seed mix in addition to plenty of fresh food items including green leafy vegetables (fresh dandelions are very good for canaries). Including cooked beans and grains and egg in your canary's diet is also a plus, especially during molting season which occurs once a year usually in the summer time for appropriate 6/8 weeks. Also hemp seeds offer a complete amino acid profile and has an ideal balance of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids as well as provides an impressive amount of trace minerals. Hemp seeds also have the highest concentration of protein in the plant kingdom. Citrus fruits should not be part of a canary's diet as citrus can easily cause diarrhea.

Canaries should never be keep in the kitchen as smoke/cooking fumes/non-stick pots and pans, are dangerous/deadly to them. Also please note that air fresheners, scented candles and aerosol sprays are also hazardous to canaries.

Canaries also love bathing and should be able to indulge often. Offer cold water for your canary's bath as cold water improves feather condition. Warm water strips essential oils from the feathers and may encourage picking and itching. You should make sure your canary has plenty of time to bathe especially during molting season.

How do you know if a canary is male or female? The sure fire way is to take your canary to a veterinarian with a suitable ultrasound machine and he can tell you within minutes what sex your canary is.

Or you can try James Anagnos unusual way of sexing young chicks still in the nest:“sexing canaries is very easy to do when the young birds are still in the nest, when their first feathers come in and their wings still look like straws. Just tap the nest with your finger and the female birds will just stay there looking at you while male birds will all put their heads down and stick their behinds up in the air. This is 100% foolproof. Every bird that puts his head down is a male.” (from Avian Web)

How to know if your canary is healthy:

Your canary should be active and moving freely around its cage.

Your canary's feathers should appear to be bright, clean and colorful.

Your canary's eyes should be bright and clear.

Your canary if not singing should be chirping and making other happy noises.

If your canary is puffed up and sitting motionless, or has watery or red inflamed eyes; or watery discharge from the beak; or its droppings are white and watery, please contact your avian veterinarian.

With proper care you will enjoy a healthy canary that will be a pleasurable companion and, if male, sing with heart for you.

Every other weekend I watch my 3-year-old grandson. JJ is a very active and inquisitive young man who frankly is into everything. Anyhow, I was typing away on the computer in my office where Cappy, the canary, lives. JJ was watching Cappy fly around the room and into my plant jungle or so I thought. Sudden I hear frantic chirping and smell a strong gaseous odor. JJ is saying quietly "birdie down", I say "what" and JJ repeats louder "birdie down". I ask where and JJ points to the foot of my office chair. Cappy is lying with his eyes closed at the foot of my chair. I scoop up my poor limp canary turn on the room fan, get JJ and leave the room and close the door. In the hall, I turn on the large ceiling exhaust fan, turn on the fan in the Grey Room and close the door. On the way to the living room I turn on the bathroom fans and kitchen stove fan and grab a kitchen towel and quickly sit down in front of the small fan I keep by my TV chair and hold my sweet canary in the cool air praying he will open his eyes and not be the limp thing I now hold in my shaking hands. I know I have lost my little friend and my mind is filled with fear for my three parrots now closed in the room across from my deadly office. What do I do, I cannot abandon my friend who is dying in my arms so I hold him and pray. Cappy opens his eyes and I pray harder and place him on the footstool in front of my fan so that he can take full advantage of the fresh cool air and quickly go to make sure my parrots are all safe. Gratefully there is no odor in the hall or in my greys' room, I was able to keep it all in my office. Thank the Lord.

I let the parrots out and they fly to the living room. I watch them closely because Ana Grey hates small birds and will stalk them (hence, Cappy lives in the office not the bird room) but Ana Grey stays away from my TV chair where she usually sits with me. I guess she knows that Cappy is ill and not to be bothered.

I watch my parrots closely and they are all fine in fact they fly back to their bird room so I know it is free of odor.

Cappy is up from his reclining position with his back to the fan so he can still receive cool air but he is now standing with his eyes open and watching me. JJ has been watching Cappy very quietly and petting his back. I have not said anything yet to my grandson but he knows spraying Cappy has made him very sick.

After cleaning Cappy's cage and airing out my office and getting rid of the dreadful compressed gas, I go into the living room and can't find Cappy. After a frantic look-around I find him sitting in the window enjoying the view.

It's been over 24 hours since this mishap and Cappy is fine and flying in my office was I type. I am just grateful that I had the presence of mind to keep Cappy in front of a fan instead of just assuming he was lost forever. Thank you God.

I am writing this so you will all know that accidents can happen anytime and that in case your grey/parrot is exposed to deadly odors or smells do not assume all is lost. Turn on that fan or somehow get your parrot to flowing fresh air so that he/she has a chance to breathe clean fresh air and hopefully live.

http://www.avianweb.com/canaryinfo.html

http://www.avianweb.com/canarydiseases.html