New Member- Male Gloster Canary general advice sought

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brenjacques
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New Member- Male Gloster Canary general advice sought

Post by brenjacques » Mon Aug 12, 2019 10:40 am

Hi all,
I'm a new member, this being my first post.

A few months ago I bought a male Gloster canary, he's still quite young, I believe he hatched Jan-Feb 2019. My father kept canaries and finches when I was young but this is the first I have had on my own.

He is quite a happy bird, he sings most days and is very inquisitive but he HATES any kind of human interaction. Really I think it comes from his last owner, they clipped his wings slightly and the child would hold him quite a lot which I think he probably disliked quite a bit. He isn't too bad with people being near the cage, but as soon as hands are involved, anything from being near the cage or changing his food and water etc he starts to warn me off by spreading his wings and opening his beak.

I just wanted to know if there is any way to help him be more comfortable around people/hands. I've been feeding him by hand through his cage which he is either weary of or he just attacks the food, it changes day to day how he will react but at best he will take it with a lot of caution.

Also he is going through what I would think is his first moult, I have given him plenty of space and haven't disturbed him too much. I've been feeding him eggfood and crushed oyster shells along with his normal diet. Any tips about how to best care for them during a moult?

Stickgal
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Re: New Member- Male Gloster Canary general advice sought

Post by Stickgal » Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:45 pm

Not sure why no one is responding. Hopefully someone will. I'm still new and learning, so not much help.
I'm very happy being me, although sometimes I'd love to be a bird so that I could fly. Joy Fielding

Dave
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Re: New Member- Male Gloster Canary general advice sought

Post by Dave » Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:12 am

brenjacques, where are you located? Even a general location helps, because day length is so important with Canaries. Are you changing the day length for your bird, to match outdoor light?

Not very many finches get used to human hands, unless they are hand-reared. Canaries are very brave and curious finches, but even they are nervous about anything they see as a threat.

Spreading wings and open beak is the 'back off' signal. I see it when two Canaries are squabbling.
Dave

Campbellsville, Kentucky, USA
Canaries

brenjacques
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Re: New Member- Male Gloster Canary general advice sought

Post by brenjacques » Fri Aug 16, 2019 4:15 pm

Thanks for the replies. I'm located in the Midlands, UK. At the moment he is exposed to natural outdoor light, although I do cover him up at about 8pm, as the sun begins to set as I noticed he becomes unsettled and erratic if I don't. I normally uncover him at around 8am in the morning too.

With his last owner he seemed much more calm and didn't mind being handled but I suppose with me being a different person and with him being in different surroundings it would change how comfortable he is.

Just another thing, may be normal but I want to mention it. One of his legs is much darker than the other, one is quite a light red/pink but the other leg is a darker purple colour, it has been like this for as long as I can remember but I only questioned it recently. He uses it fine and his tags are loose and not restricting any part of his leg but I just want to know if this is okay or whether I should get a check over by the vet?

wildbird
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Re: New Member- Male Gloster Canary general advice sought

Post by wildbird » Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:23 pm

It will probably take some time for him to get used to you. Try holding some millet in your hand and see if he will eat some from you, if he likes that. He might be afraid that you are going to try to catch him. Just let him know that you only bring good things when your hand comes in the cage. If the cage is smaller than he is used too, that could make a difference too. The wings of a finch should never be clipped. You could clip a piece of dandelion greens to the side of the cage or finely chopped kale in a treat cup or a piece of broccoli tops. Be sure to rinse well any produce before feeding to remove pesticide. As long as he is using the leg normally, I wouldn't worry about it.

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