FINCHforum

Hi. I am just wondering if a canary (male) will still sing if there are female finch present (not in the same cage, but next to the canary cage) ?

Sadie
Yes. Even in the same cage should be fine, as long as flight is large enough .
~What sort of finches are we talking about? Green Singers can breed with Canaries, so not a good idea together.
~ My Luciano, is with Societies M/F, with Stars M/F, baby male Parrot Finch, and three as yet unfledged Gouldian babies. He sings up a storm.

~Elana~

Hi lovezebs, thank you for your response. I have two female zebra finch in a 30" flight cage next to what I am hoping is a male canary, in a 30" flight cage as well. The cages sit right next to each other. The canary is 'supposedly' a male, but no singing yet. The canary is molting, but I have heard it making short chirps occasionally, but nothing like what I would call singing. How can I tell if my canary is male or female? I hate to have paid so much for a female canary that won't sing. here is a picture of the canary.

I cannot say, honestly. I have a male canary who is 9 months old now and doesn't sing a lick of song and I have a 2 year old hen - proven, she lays eggs - who has started to sing up a storm lately. Canaries are strange.

Sadie
What a sweetie!
~ I WOULD NOT place the Canary with two Zebras .
~ As to your Canary. How long have you had him/her? I hope whoever sold you this cutie didn't sell it in moult. Just not a good thing to do.
~ First of all, with the very odd exception, only male Canaries sing. The females chirp. While moulting, boys will not sing, again with a few odd exceptions.
~Regretably you won't be able to know whether it's male or female until the moult is over. Unless you know someone who is a really experienced Canary breeder, who can check for you. They pick the bird up, turn it upside down and blow up it's bum... and then they can tell you.
~Untill that time, lots of good food for your cutie. Good quality Canary/Finch seeds mixed together. Spray millet. Lots of hard boiled egg, crushed freeze dried mealworms, lots of vegetables and fruit, cuttle bone and fortified grit. I would also buy some multi vitamine and add a bit to drinking water every couple of days. You can also buy some Canary moulting and song food for a treat.
~Once the new feathers come in, your bird should have a beautiful smooth coat of shiny feathers, and you should not be finding hundreds if feathers around the house. This will be a good time to look up Canary song on the Internet and play it to your birdie. Once he is ready, he will sing for you.
Good luck

~Elana~

Thank you so much Elana I appreciate that information
Of course I still love he/she whatever it turns out to be, but I would still prefer a male for the singing.

Thank you Dylan for that information ;)

I keep my male canary in the same cage as the female ( it's a large cage, 4x4x2) and he still sings. He just recently started singing after his molt.