Canaries are bright, cheerful birds that live on average six to eight years, but ten or more years is not uncommon. There are a few care requirements that will go a long way towards ensuring that your new pet remains in good health and lives as long as possible.
Housing Your Pet - Cage Requirements
When shopping for a bird cage, purchase the largest cage you can afford. Exercise is vital to your bird's wellbeing and important to his happiness as these active birds enjoy flying a great deal.
The best kind of housing for a canary is called a "flight cage" because it permits the kind of back and forth flight your bird requires. It is wider than it is tall. Flight cages can be purchased through a variety of online and offline cage supply companies, but can sometimes be difficult to locate in local pet stores.
Bar spacing for canaries should be 1/2 inch- this ensures that the bird will be unable to stick his head between the bars, which could result in strangulation.
Plain cages will be easier to keep clean. Color is unimportant, but some feel that their birds can be seen better in white cages. Black cages tend to show droppings and dust more than lighter ones.
For more detailed discussion of cage requirements and a list of cage suppliers, Ginger Wolnik's Canary Cage Recommendations is an excellent resource.
Feeding Your Pet - Foods and Supplements
A good quality, fresh vitamized seed mix blended especially for canaries is essential and should be before the birds at all times. A good basic seed mix should be about 80% canary seed and 20% rapeseed (also called canola seed).
Do not purchase finch seed or canary/finch seed blends as these contain too many high fat, high energy seeds which finches require but canaries do not. If you are located in an area where it is difficult to locate good fresh seed, consider buying a larger quantity of feed from an online supplier and storing the surplus in plastic freezer bags in your freezer. It will stay fresh for a very long time and you can save on shipping costs. (Be sure to allow the seed to return to room temperature in an open container to prevent moisture buildup inside the package which can lead to the feed becoming moldy.)
Small amounts of song food and other treats should be provided no more than two or three times a week. A cuttlebone should be available at all times to provide calcium and keep the beak trimmed.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential. Canaries enjoy apple, orange, cantaloupe, grated carrots, broccoli, endive, dandelion greens (chemical free), kale, cucumbers and many other kinds of fruits and vegetables. Fresh foods should be given in moderation as too much can cause loose stools and lettuces (other than romaine) should not be given to birds at all, as it has very little nutritive value. Make sure to clean leftover fresh food out of your bird’s cage at the end of the day to ensure that it does not eat spoiled food!
Clean, fresh water must be present at all times. Be careful with using well water as some wells can be contaminated with bacteria and chemicals which, while not posing a problem for people or larger animals, can sicken canaries. If you have any doubt about the quality of your tap water, provide bottled water.
Perches, Toys, and Other Cage Accessories
A bird stands on his feet all his life- many problems can be averted by supplying proper perching and keeping the perches clean. Perches should be made of natural materials such as wood, sisal, or cotton. Plastic perches are inexpensive and easy to clean, but not ideal perching. A variety of perch types and diameters will permit your bird to exercise his feet properly. The highest perch in your bird's cage will be his "roost perch" where he will sleep each night and should be 1/2 inch in diameter.
Sandpaper covers should never be placed on perches as they will cause sores to develop on the bottom of the foot.
Place perches so that your bird must fly from perch to perch, not hop. When placing the food and water dishes, be sure that they are not beneath perches where they will become soiled with droppings.
Canaries enjoy toys such as preening - type toys and swings. In general, toys appropriate for a parakeet will be okay for a canary as well.
Providing everything your canary needs to remain healthy and happy will ensure that you can enjoy your pet's company and song for many years to come.
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