Playing audio to canary

[frillwing]

Any opinions on playing audio such as this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fD0QBrTUxC4 for a frill canary? Is it beneficial? Should the bird singing in the audio clip be of the same species?a Dutch frill canary?Thanks.peace

[Dave]

Some Canary breeders swear that they can teach Canaries to sing in such a way that they can win contests. They even keep their windows closed so that their Canaries won't pick up off notes from wild birds.

The research on Canary song says that young males, in the fall, can pick up songs. But that when they mature, they revert to their genetic song.

I've had good results in starting male Canaries singing with gusto to tapes of other Canaries. And also with the vacuum cleaner running.

[tex]

Also it can be funny watching the reaction of your birds, my finches are hysterical when i play them you tube clips

[Paul's Amazing Birds]

Not into canary song training but I do have some speakers in my aviary for my own enjoyment when I'm out there. There' an extensive playlist of selections piped in from the house including some canary CDs but I found that they really seem to like the sound of male opera tenors the best. I get a huge response to Puccini, Vivaldi and Verdi.
At this time of year the young males are going off by themselves to practice singing very softly to themselves. Very cool to watch but by December/January, they'll have it all perfected to the point where I can hardly hear my own playlists.

[Phoenix811]

I play youtube videos for my finches, they respond to most of the different birds, but are especially excited and sing along to their own breed. (In the summer I take them outside and they respond to cardinals, blue jays, and other song birds- my one little guy goes crazy for the song of the ice cream truck hahah- it was a hilarious discovery!)

[lovezebs]

frillwing

Male Canaries learn their song from their male relatives. They will also mimic other birds' songs, so playing Canary songs for him may teach them to imitate the songs of the other bird.

[Dave]

lovezebs, there is research that says male Canaries, in their first summer, pick up song from other Canaries. But most of their song is genetic. As breeding season approaches, most male Canaries are singing their genetic song without much influence from other birds.

Old-time Canary breeders say that the most valuable Canaries are the hens that have produced a good singer. That adds to the idea that the song is genetic.

It's too bad that Canaries and Finches are such a small group of people and birds. There are lots of research questions that don't get answered. The little research I've read seems to center on the song.