This article was co-authored by Deanne Pawlisch, CVT, MA. Deanne Pawlisch is a Certified Veterinary Technician, who does corporate training for veterinary practices and has taught at the NAVTA-approved Veterinary Assistant Program at the Harper College in Illinois and in 2011 was elected to the board of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Foundation. Deanne has been a Board Member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Foundation in San Antonio, Texas since 2011. She holds a BS in Anthropology from Loyola University and an MA in Anthropology from Northern Illinois University.
There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Canaries love to fly and sing, but their solitary nature may make it hard to get them to play. Fortunately, if you can provide a happy home for your canary, your canary will entertain themselves. Encourage them to fly as much as possible, both in and out of their cage. Avoid the temptation to get your canary another bird companion, however, as canaries are happiest when they are alone.
Steps
Making Their Cage Fun
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1Make sure their cage is large enough. Canaries may be small, but they need roomy cages to flap, hop, and fly to their heart’s content. A canary cage should be at least 16 inches (41 cm) tall and 30 inches (76 cm) wide.
- Avoid cages with a rounded shape, as these can restrict how much the canary can fly around. They may also make it difficult to hang perches correctly.
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2Place the cage in an active area of your home. Canaries are active birds, and they may enjoy interacting with your family. Keep the cage someplace with plenty of interesting activity. A living room or home office may be ideal.[1]
- While canaries may enjoy watching humans, many do not like to be held or handled by humans. Let the canaries watch you, but try not to bother them.
- Put the cage in an area with plenty of light but no direct sunlight. It should be well-ventilated with no drafts blowing on the cage from vents or windows.
- Keep the cage about 6 feet (1.8 m) off the floor, either by hanging it or setting it on a stand.
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3Add a variety of perches to encourage flight. Canaries will be happiest when they can flit from one perch to another. When placing perches in the cage, adjust them so that they are different heights. This will give the canary multiple flight paths.[2]
- Choose perches between 3/8 inches (9.5 mm) and 3/4 of an inch (19 mm) in diameter.
- Keep a few different widths of perch inside the cage. This will reduce foot discomfort for your canary.
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4Put a few toys inside their cage. Canaries do not require as many toys as other birds, but a few interesting objects will help keep them active. Avoid crowding the cage. Two or three toys will go a long way. Good toys for canaries include:[3]
- Mirrors.
- Plastic balls.
- Swings.
- Sticks with leaves on them.
- Bells.
- Vine balls.
- Tightly-wound ropes.
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5Set a bath inside of their cage. You can attach a bird bath to the walls of the cage or place a small bowl of cold water inside. Your canary will splash and bathe in the water when they need a quick refreshment.[4]
- If your canary does not use the bath, try filling a spray bottle with cold water, and gently spritzing them with it instead.
- Change the bath water every day.
Letting Them Roam in Your Home
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1Bird proof the room. Some slight adjustments can make the room safe for your bird to fly in. Choose a room without much furniture. Turn off any fans, and make sure all windows and doors are closed. There should be no wires out in the open that they can chew.[5]
- Cover up mirrors and windows so that the bird does not crash into them while flying.
- Keep other, larger pets, such as cats or dogs, out of the room while your canary is exploring.
- Keep toxic plants and items out of the room. These include avocado, foxglove, lilies, and tomato plants.[6]
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2Open the cage door. The canary may wander out on their own. If they don’t, place a perch outside of the cage door to encourage them to leave. The bird will happily fly around the room until they become tired or hungry.[7]
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3Supervise your canary. While the canary is flying around, you should stay in the room with them. Do a quiet activity, like reading a book or surfing the internet, as they explore.
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4Lure your canary back to its cage with food. After about 30 minutes, your canary will likely be hungry. Put some fresh food in their cage, and wait for them to return to their cage. Once inside, slowly approach the cage, and close the door before they can escape again.[8]
- If you move too quickly towards the cage, the canary may see you and bolt out of it again.
- Avoid feeding your canary outside of their cage or else they may not return as easily.
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5Catch the canary with a net if necessary. Canaries can be difficult to catch by hand. Instead, use a bird net to capture your bird if they will not return to their cage willingly. Move the net slowly to capture the bird gently inside the net. Once inside, gently pick them up and put them back in their cage.
- You can try dimming the lights to help. The canary may think it is night, and they will stop flying around. This can make it easier to catch them. Don't make the room pitch black, however, as the bird may injure itself.
Giving Your Canary Company
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1Spend time with your canary. Canaries often do not like to be held or handled by humans, but they may enjoy having you in the same room. Do a quiet activity in the room with your canary. Your male canaries may even start singing to you![9]
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2Play a recording of canary songs. Young canaries may need to be taught to sing. The best way to do this is to play recordings of other canaries singing. You can use CDs or online videos. You may even find that your canary sings back to these recordings.
- Male canaries will sing regularly. Female canaries will sing on occasion, but much less frequently than males.
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3Avoid getting them a companion if your canary lives in a cage. If you have a cage instead of an aviary for your canary, it is best to keep them alone since canaries can become extremely territorial over small spaces.[10]
- If you do get a second canary, make sure it is the opposite sex of the first one. Keep them in separate cages unless it is the breeding season.
References
- ↑ http://www.hartz.com/keeping-your-bird-entertained/
- ↑ https://www.pbspettravel.co.uk/blog/how-to-keep-canaries/
- ↑ https://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/finches_and_canaries/finch_accessories/toys
- ↑ http://www.petsworld.co.uk/canaries.htm
- ↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/pet_birds/tips/bird_care.html
- ↑ http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1912&aid=2236
- ↑ https://petcentral.chewy.com/let-your-canary-fly-outside-its-cage/
- ↑ https://petcentral.chewy.com/let-your-canary-fly-outside-its-cage/
- ↑ https://www.beautyofbirds.com/canaryinfo.html
About This Article
To keep a canary entertained, try moving its cage to a busy part of your home, like the living room, so there's plenty of interesting activity for your canary to observe. Additionally, put perches at different heights in your canary's cage so it can fly between them. You can also put toys in its cage, like swings, bells, and plastic balls, so it has things to do when you're not around. In addition to filling its cage with entertaining activities, you can play recordings of canary songs so your bird can learn new songs and sing along with them. For tips from our Veterinary co-author, like how to safely let your canary out of its cage, keep reading!
