Do you know that flappy flappy thing they do?

[Stevie]

Sounds silly I know. I have had my canaries for about 24 hours now. One is very noisey and flying around a lot and one is very quiet. In the last 2-3 hours my noiser one has started to make a little less noise and do that flappy flappy thing.

Sorry , can't think of a better way to describe it. You know when they look they are trying to fly wihtout leaving the perch.

What does it mean from a behaviour point of view? Does it mean happy? Bored?

As you can imagine as an animal lover and being new to keeping birds I am being very observant to make sure they are okay while they settle in.

Give me a couple of months and I will be like, yeah whatever

[finchmix22]

Stevie
How big is their cage? They are exercising their wings doing that "flappy thing." Make sure they have a couple feet width to fly and perch and put food on the bottom, not under a perch, to encourage them to fly down and up in the cage. Welcome to the forum!

[Stevie]

How big is their cage?

Thanks for replying Deborah. It is a small avairy which approx is 9 feet x 21 inches x 56 inches high.

She has been flying down as well as up and I have food on the floor and in a hanging feeder.

It's an indoor aviary and the room the aviary in is larger, 12 foot by 15 foot.

I am keen to let her out to fly around in the room for excercise. Though not sure how long I should let a new bird stay in the cage, before letting them out for excercise. What is the general rule?

I have only had them 24 hours.

[Corkysgirl]

Stevie When I read what you wrote, right away I thought your canary was trying to get attention...your attention or the other canaries attention. My parakeet does this. Here is a good article. I didn't read the whole thing so if it has anything "funny" in it, I'm adding a disclaimer. Haha, because of yesterday's post, how to tell a male from a female...if you find an egg...you can be sure it's a female.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... 5&aid=3334

[finchmix22]

Also,
Do they have swings, greenery and foraging food etc.? All those help them keep busy and not get too bored. If the canary is tame or hand tamed, then it could be trying to get your attention. All my bird will hold onto a perch and flap their wings, especially the young ones who are not as strong.

[MiaCarter]

Agreed with all the comments above!

Mine would do it as a "look-at-me!" gesture / show of excitement, especially when I'd come in in the morning with breakfast and they knew that I'd open the cage and let them free-fly.

I bet you're loving your new canaries! I haven't had one in a couple years and I'm dying to find a new one. I've looked at a few but none were "my" canary. I'm sure all you animal folks know what I mean; how you can look at a dozen birds/dogs/cats/etc. and you know when you've found "yours." The one you were meant to have!

Did you get two females? Or a male and a female? (That was my guess, since you said one was quiet and one talkative.)

[Stevie]

Thank you for all your ideas.

Sorry for the long post you all got me thinking and a forum is a good place to discuss things right

I read last night that they can 'wing flip' (much better than 'flappy flappy thing') if they have come from a larger space and or missing a friend or mate. This is the possibly the case. The aviary was wider than mine though not massive, and full of breeding pairs. The bouncy green one has a foot ring with 54 and 13 on it. I wonder if this one was last years birds 2013 and maybe is missing a mate.

Though the attension thing makes a lota lota sense because the canary instantly responds to my voice and looks desperate to get out and come and play. Does not look distressed so much as really, really excited and restless...I think - whatta I know though

There is a certain route and repition to the flying from branch to branch which worries me as this is common in caged animals that are unhappy.

I know little about canaries at the moment, though I am wondering if maybe the guy got the sexes wrong. It seems sexing is hard form the article I read. That lay an egg thing was so funny, though what other way can you put it.

The behaviour of one being more active (clearly older) and one being more sedate (definatley younger). Seems to me that the quiet one would be the female from what I have read.

I also saw somewhere that shape is sometimes helpful in sexing canaries. The more active on is more upright and sleek. The other one is more fluffy layed back and cuddly looking, a girl maybe?

Could the ages be something to do with it? One is maybe a year old I think, from the ring, and stuck with this little one who still has a little downy feather and is dozing on the branch on an off between activity.

The little quiet yellow one communiates with the more active one with the odd chirp which is not reciprocated. They both have roosted together at night though.

I have some swings coming today in the mail and also have been growing some marigold seedlings. I have been putting these in the bars around the aviary for them to foriage and find. Plus I am getting some fun foods for them today.

I'm confused about toys for finches and canaries, so many different ideas about what you should and should not have, what do people here suggest?

When can I let them out to play? Do they need a few weeks to get used to thier new home? Myabe it is restless energy, not like they are in a tiny cage though.

Part of me i ever so slighlty worried as I have one calm happy relaxed bird and one either frantic or exicited and I want to make things right for my new little friend

[Stevie]

Thank you for all your ideas.

Sorry for the long post you all got me thinking and a forum is a good place to discuss things right

I read last night that they can 'wing flip' (much better than 'flappy flappy thing') if they have come from a larger space and or missing a friend or mate. This is the possibly the case. The aviary was wider than mine though not massive, and full of breeding pairs. The bouncy green one has a foot ring with 54 and 13 on it. I wonder if this one was last years birds 2013 and maybe is missing a mate.

Though the attension thing makes a lota lota sense because the canary instantly responds to my voice and looks desperate to get out and come and play. Does not look distressed so much as really, really excited and restless...I think - whatta I know though

There is a certain route and repition to the flying from branch to branch which worries me as this is common in caged animals that are unhappy.

I know little about canaries at the moment, though I am wondering if maybe the guy got the sexes wrong. It seems sexing is hard form the article I read. That lay an egg thing was so funny, though what other way can you put it.

The behaviour of one being more active (clearly older) and one being more sedate (definatley younger). Seems to me that the quiet one would be the female from what I have read.

I also saw somewhere that shape is sometimes helpful in sexing canaries. The more active on is more upright and sleek. The other one is more fluffy layed back and cuddly looking, a girl maybe?

Could the ages be something to do with it? One is maybe a year old I think, from the ring, and stuck with this little one who still has a little downy feather and is dozing on the branch on an off between activity.

The little quiet yellow one communiates with the more active one with the odd chirp which is not reciprocated. They both have roosted together at night though.

I have some swings coming today in the mail and also have been growing some marigold seedlings. I have been putting these in the bars around the aviary for them to foriage and find. Plus I am getting some fun foods for them today.

I'm confused about toys for finches and canaries, so many different ideas about what you should and should not have, what do people here suggest?

When can I let them out to play? Do they need a few weeks to get used to thier new home? Maybe it is restless energy, not like they are in a tiny cage though.

Part of me is ever so slighlty worried.

I have one calm happy relaxed bird and one either frantic or exicited and I want to make things right for my new little friend

[MiaCarter]

Give them time. Stress is common in a move to a new home. So there's going to be nervous energy and it can take a while for their real personalities to show.

It sounds like one is a bit manic and tuned up and the other more shy and perhaps nervous. I bet he'll open up soon, though.
They could also be new to each other which could add some stress.

In terms of toys....
My canaries loved swings. They were big swingers. (<-- tehehehe...not like that.)
I got them other toys like mirrors and dangley beads with bells and stairs and that all got ignored (except for the mirror, which got attacked). So similar to finches in that way; they don't seem to like the toys like the hookbills.
But they did love foraging type activities. I give a foraging bin with hay and seeds and other goodies like bugs sprinkled in there.

On letting them out....
I'd wait until they're comfortable in their enclosure before you let them out. At least a week or two. It depends on the individuals. But you can always tell when they're comfortable in their cage; they get a joyful ease about them.

Sexing canaries is not my specialty. It's hard with photos. Easier in person. Females are more calm and sedate, and they can have a rounder look to them. Males are more gregarious and vocal. They sing, of course, whereas females never usually do too much more than chattering here and there.

ETA -- Stevie, what's in your profile photo? It looks like a rust colored cockatoo with his feathers down.

[Stevie]

It sounds like one is a bit manic and tuned up and the other more shy and perhaps nervous. I bet he'll open up soon, though.
They could also be new to each other which could add some stress.

Thank you. I think you are all putting my mind at rest. love the swingers joke

I laugh at my partner with our cats, I was brought up with cats so understand them very well, and I never worry when they act strange. Usually it is to get attension.

Birds, I have wanted since I was a kid as aunties and grannies had/have them. I always wanted them to have more space than a little cage. I think it is more me getting used to the whole thing here.

But they did love foraging type activities. I give a foraging bin with hay and seeds and other goodies like bugs sprinkled in there.

I will have a go at this and some other things today.

The quieter one was chatting away to me today and has been more active.

I think it is more me that is the problem here isn't? Not the birds eh! LOL!

They are probably saying to each other, 'hey mate, look we got one 'ere, this human bloke has no idea what he is doing. You play good cop I will play bad cop. He will get all stressed and lavish us with toys, food and treats galore. What a dumb human'.

Yes, the orange cockateil. Didn't show up to well in the photo. I didn't have any birds to put in the photo so I used that in the short term. I am a fine artist - painting, drawing - realism mostly. I also make macrame sculputres. This is a little baby owl I hand knotted, now sold.



I hope you find a new canary soon, they are so cute.