Mango, my new red factor

[mntnfishguy11]

This is my first bird ever!! After a couple days of thinking I decided with the name of Mango. He seems to be a really happy and trusting bird and he seems to enjoy my apartment. But what tropical bird wouldn't with 8 aquariums, a small indoor pond and lots of tropical houseplants (I live in a high desert in SW Colorado so I turned my apartment into a tropical paradise!).

Here's a couple pictures




He came from a couple who could no longer take care of him anymore, and I know little about how they cared for him. But since I have him now I have been letting him get some free flight time whenever I can. He initially struggled with it which makes me think he never was allowed to do so before. But he has got the hang of it now and has his favorite perches (shower curtain bar, coffee table) and I think that may have something to do with him trusting me so much. I have had him for about two weeks now but I am able to handle him and he even flies to my hand/fingers from across the room when I call him. Several times he has tried to fly to me when I'm not ready and lands on my shirt instead of my fingers...

I also have taken his cage outside on my balcony to get some sun and let him chat with the local finches. Not sure why he has become so attached and trusting of me so fast (perhaps me living alone and being the only person he sees on a regular basis might have something to do with it), but so far everything is going very well. Still working on getting him a bigger cage, or a small aviary with some companions, haven't decided which route to go yet. Anyway, not bad for the first two weeks of my first bird!

[Rox]

He is really cute!! His wings will strengthen up with all the flying space he now has during free flight time, so don't worry if he struggles a bit for now. He will get there.

It's really cool that he trusts you so much already

[MariusStegmann]

Because canaries are gluttons, it is quite easy to tame them. They certainly know where the food came from. He is very pretty.

[debbie276]

Beautiful bird! Love the name mango
So nice that he is so tame and trusting of you
best of luck

[Atbird]

He is so cute. I love how he is so tame. If there are a lot of plants, make sure they are not poisonous to birds (different list than dog/cat) because canaries are gluttons and he will start to nibble on the plants....I have a lipstick plant that has to be protected from the canaries

[mntnfishguy11]

Most of the plants are safe but I keep an eye on him when he's flying around and keep him away from the poisenious ones. He has nibbled at a couple of them but hasn't really shown a lot of interest in most of the plants, or any of the greens I have tried to feed him, though he's starting to nibble at them lately. I think he's been fed mostly seeds for most if his life...

[wildbird]

Be sure the aquarium has a full cover on it, as if he falls in, he may drown. Be careful to keep all windows and doors to the outside closed and make sure no one opens an outside door while he is flying free. Also, in the room that he is free in, cover any windows and mirroirs so he doesn't fly into them. Very pretty bird. I'll bet he is really happy there. You're lucky that he is so tame. Maybe he was handfed.

[Zebrafincher]

Hi there,
Canaries are great pets. I lost my beloved old canary kevin several months ago. He was 14 and the crankiest bird I've ever had!! Still miss him heaps. All my birds free fly and its normal for them to take time to get used to it. Esp. If they've been kept in cages all their life. Mango is a really beautiful bird. Canaries get very attached to their owners. Good luck.
Zebrafincher

[Madcat]

Are u kiddin me?!?! First bird acting like THAT?!?! this is great!

[Beaker'sMom]

He is SO beautiful! And how precious that he trusts you and is willing to perch on your finger! I've had mine for a few years and he just tries to attack me! Lol...
Thanks for sharing!

[Beaker'sMom]

Hi there,
Canaries are great pets. I lost my beloved old canary kevin several months ago. He was 14 and the crankiest bird I've ever had!! Still miss him heaps. All my birds free fly and its normal for them to take time to get used to it. Esp. If they've been kept in cages all their life. Mango is a really beautiful bird. Canaries get very attached to their owners. Good luck.
Zebrafincher

I didn't know you lost Kevin...gosh I'm so sorry! But I'm amazed at his long and happy life...what a blessing. I hope my little guy makes it that far.

[MiaCarter]

Wpw! What a lovely little bird! So pretty and he looks beautifully tame too!

With red factor canaries, they're a bit like flamingoes in that their diet impacts their coloring.

Beta carotene is a must! There are a number of veggies that have it, like carrots, greens and the non-spicy red bell peppers.

There are also red factor supplements with beta carotene, Canthaxanthin - the components that cause the red coloration.

[Jen]

mntnfishguy11

Mango is a beautiful bird....so cool that he comes to you so easily. Thanks for sharing!

[mntnfishguy11]

Kind of weird how tame he is. When I let him out of his cage he loves to spend time nibbling on my alyssum plants in my hydroponic betta tanks, but every time I walk into the room he flies right to me.

Building him a new cage, follow the thread here
http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=33662