The historical homeland of these birds is the Canary Islands. At one time, they struck people with amazing singing, gradually gaining popularity around the world.
The ancestors of magnificent birds are Canary finches living in wildlife. The favorite place for the “deployment” of untamed canaries is rocks, small bushes, forests, fields.
From the "wild" state to the status of "pet", miracle singers have come a long way. Breeders from different countries willingly engaged in and are engaged in breeding new species. Today there are over 400 varieties of this population. Conventionally, they can be divided into 3 groups:
- Singers.
- With a beautiful color.
- With bizarre shapes.
Among them: singing Russian, red and yellow canaries.
Yellow
This breed of bird is one of the most popular today. In the wild, only pale-colored individuals are found.
The bird received a bright color during the selection process. From breeders you can buy pets of pale yellow, fiery and lemon flowers.
Bird that sings
The small feathered creature is unusually beautiful, but received the greatest value because of its melodious voice. Many lovers of canaries deserve to be called "the best singers of nature."
But not everyone knows which of the canaries sings - female or male. In fact, only males do this - Kenars. In this case, females play the role of “mothers” and, while the fathers “give concerts,” they nurture the younger generation.
In order for the singer’s talent to gain full strength, it is necessary to take several actions: remove all “annoying” moments. The bird is distracted by everything: loud voices, bright lights, friends, girlfriends, etc. Therefore, for the time of the novice musician, you should separate from the outside world (cover with a sheet) and begin the real training in singing.
A device with certain music is placed next to the cell. It can be a flute, a pipe, or, what is most effective, a song of the congeners.
After several months of hard work, the kenar will begin to sing in all its “canary neck”.
Gender difference
Not everyone knows how to distinguish a male from a female canary. This is quite difficult to do. Nevertheless, there are several striking differences.
Behavior
Boys are more mischievous. For the experiment, you can take the animal in your hand and pat it on your stomach. The one who will rest and try to free himself with all his might is the Kenar, that is, the male. In this case, the girls simply press their paws. On this basis, one can distinguish a male from a female canary.
Voice
Here, of course, you have to watch longer. The fact is that seriously, males begin to show their talent by 8-9 months. And there is a time (for example, nesting or molting) when the singer prefers to be silent. In this case, you should trust the advice of the seller, who knows exactly everything about the canaries, he also knows how to distinguish the male from the female.
"Passport"
To do this, take the “fluffy lump” in your hand and turn it upside down. By blowing to the area “below the waist”, you can see that the singer has this place swollen and elongated, while the mother-canary will be flat there.
As a rule, sellers themselves are well versed in all delicate issues and, if necessary, will help determine the choice of canaries, how to distinguish a male from a female, they will also be happy to show you.
Content
Like any living thing, a canary needs caring hands. But in order to enjoy sweet-sounding singing every day, you will need quite a bit:
- cage, approximately 45/25/30 cm (length, width, height);
- drinking bowl, bath, feeding trough;
- appropriate food: dry and “wet”;
- and, of course, the bird itself.
The cage needs to be cleaned about twice a week. Washed sand is placed on the bottom, and dry chamomile grass is placed on the pallet (for appropriate disinfection).
Water for drinking and swimming is recommended to be changed every day. Males Kenars, like all “great talents,” are very clean and take a bath daily.
Nutrition
Despite the small size of the bird (13-14 cm in length), a properly selected diet is of great importance. With an unbalanced diet, the bird can quickly become ill and “forget” about its direct purpose - to delight its owners with a beautiful view and singing abilities. The fact is that she shows herself in the best light only in full health.
In addition to the usual grain mixture, sprouted wheat, oats, seeds, etc. are added to the diet of canaries. In winter, green “grass” is grown in special pots. A crushed egg and ground shells are also added to the menu.
Animals eat twice a day, and only "freshly prepared" dishes.
Kenar Choir
Trained birds can even sing in chorus. I must say that they can’t be left alone for a long time, since the canary is quite an outgoing creature.
So, if a duet, trio or quartet sings to "full power", then they can compete with one of the popular pop groups with their vocals. A person who loves the trill of canaries can subsequently give his preference to this particular “music" rather than jazz or pop music.
Conclusion
Great feathered friends are relatively inexpensive. If we consider the benefits they bring, then we can understand that in the first years of life they pay back with interest.
When asking a question about how many canaries live, specialists will answer you that with proper care they can live up to 15 years. And all this time the hosts can please their beauty, singing and mischief. Especially the canaries will welcome children.
But it must be remembered that if there is no experience in the maintenance of such birds, and a person has no idea what to do with them, it is recommended that you first consult with a specialist. Otherwise, if you ignore the basic rules, the canary will simply perish.
Additionally, you can familiarize yourself with thematic literature, ask friends about the content of canaries. There is nothing complicated, but if there is no time to do canaries, you should not buy them.