FINCHforum

On New Years Eve I rescued a sickly Canary with air sac mites. It was sold to me as a male. It didn't make any difference to me, I just wanted to get it out of there. Fast forward to today. He is fully recovered but has never sung. I visually sexed him and was 99% sure he was a male. I figured he had damage from the mites and wasn't readily singing. I play a canary CD for him and he perks up and jumps around and squeaks like he is trying to sing,but nothing comes out but squeaks. He is in with a female Society Finch and they are the best of friends,cuddling and eating together,bathing together,etc. Today I came home and they were both sleeping in the canary cup. I thought it was very cute,then I thought..."Let me put some nesting material in the cage and see what he does with it." Lo and Behold not five minutes later he had started lining the nest with nesting material and trying it out sitting in it. If he is a female that would be a relief, because I always felt sorry for him not being able to sing thinking it was damge from the mites. Do male Canary build nests? All my reading says no, but some say he will "help". I am enclosing a pic. Thoughts?? Thank You.

He or she is really cute.

Well, you cannot visually sex canaries....so give your "he" a few days. If he lays egg, he is a she!

Adorable picture! Sorry can't help with the sexing though

Male canaries will often help in building a nest. I've never had one build one on it's own (but then again I've never given a single male a nest). Still, I would bet that you probably have a hen - especially if she's spending any time sitting in it. Looks just like any hen would when sitting on eggs. Bob

It lovely to see Bennie (or is it Benita?) - looking so well! Male Canaries will help with creating nests, but they generally just pull nests apart if you give it to them. I have a male canary, Kevin, and several male star finches. They all enjoy pulling 'fake nests' to pieces. I've never seen one construct one, however

bugaboo5 wrote: Well, you cannot visually sex canaries....so give your "he" a few days. If he lays egg, he is a she!

Bugaboo this is the visual I used http://www.westernwaterslager.com/text/ ... Sexing.htm

He definitely did not have a smooth abdomen and had a little protrusion a bit smaller than a pencil eraser. The day I got him he was caked with poo and when I was cleaning him up I noticed,then I looked again several weeks later. It is so weird. Everything else points to female. His little tummy looked just like that pic tho...There has been a flurry of soft feathers in the cage. Maybe she's loosing the abdomen feathers for the Brood Patch? I haven't looked lately. I guess I need to.

Visually sexing canaries from the vent isn't 100% reliable due to they need to be ready for breeding to give you the answer. Canaries outside of breeding condition would look more like a male's vent than a hens. To answer your question yes males will help in building a nest and yes males will also build a nest from the start. Males will also sit on a nest that contains nothing, eggs and young. This can be confusing I know but males that do this are usually good fathers and these behaviors are not common to come by. I would say give IT a few days and check the belly above the vent to find a flat spot or the vent to be swollen almost double in size. If you find a canary egg well that will tell you hen, I haven't come across a male canary yet that can lay an egg but have seen many do things that is out of the norm.

I know all my male canaries had a tiny button (I saw some books were referring at it as a 'penis'). That is how I used to check the sex of the birds when I had canaries, I had about 10 over 15 years and was never wrong. Just turned them upside down and blew their feathers off ).
No idea who builds the nest as mine never did it, I just gave them a nest with some threads in, I had some eggs from only one hen but none hatched.

Congratulations on the little one, she or he looks lovely, identical with my favourite canary, the smartest I had, called Dieter.

Diana wrote: I know all my male canaries had a tiny button (I saw some books were referring at it as a 'penis'). That is how I used to check the sex of the birds when I had canaries, I had about 10 over 15 years and was never wrong. Just turned them upside down and blew their feathers off ).
No idea who builds the nest as mine never did it, I just gave them a nest with some threads in, I had some eggs from only one hen but none hatched.

Congratulations on the little one, she or he looks lovely, identical with my favourite canary, the smartest I had, called Dieter.

Diana-That's exactly what I'm talking about. I'm so glad to hear from someone who has used this method because most people think I'm crazy. Actually my first Canary I had was a red factor and the old timer Canary breeder pulled him out of the cage, turned him over and blew on his nether regions and said,"Yep! It's a boy" ;)Thanx for the compliment. Bennie is very soft feathered. I'll take another look when I get home since obviously,whatever sex,it should be in condition by it's behavior. I love the name Dieter by the way.

Thank you, Lizzie.
I think sexing canaries like that is fun. I started to have canaries when I was 7 and had them actually for more than 15 years (always only one pair). I used to go with my father to the Sunday pet market and buy a pair for the one left behind if one died and that is how I was checking. I was about 10 or 12 when I did that to one in front of the guy selling it who laughed and told my father: she knows her stuff!

Good luck with the little one!

What a great story Diana!

I tend to agree with Dan on the visual sexing when it comes to canaries. Vents of young birds and birds outside of the breeding season tend to look like males. If you ask me, it is easier to spot a female in breeding condition than it is a male, as the whole hind end gets swollen and protruding like that of a baboon. The "psudopenis" thing isn't always obvious in a male. I'm not an expert, but have raised about 50 canaries (give or take a couple) within the past few years. Bob

Welp!! Here's the nest that was built when I got home from dinner... Is that the clincher?