When will a male canary start so sing?

[Sheather]

I adopted my canary Steve back in July at 6 month of age. I was assured he was a cock. He is is now 9 months old and has never sung anything more than the occasionally few whispey notes under his breath when he's at rest. Don't canaries normally sing a lot earlier than this?

...you don't think Steve could be a girl? Behaviorally, he's very unlike my proven hen, Kari, who is very broody and makes much different calls... maybe only due to her being of a different breed? ...of course, had Kari not laid a number of eggs, I would think her a male, as she actually does sing (nicely, too).

[4Ellen]

I read that a canary will start to sing between 6-8 months old and that he/she goes through their molt during the summer and won't really sing during that time. Hope that helps?!

[mondo]

Actually males will start "learning" to sing as soon as 1 - 2 months old.
I've had talented youngsters like that once, at first they sing very softly with low volume... but as they learn and grew older they got louder and the song becomes variable!!!

Now in Steve's case here... I think he is... sterile!
YEP, I've had sterile males once myself too... even though I took good care and love of him, he never sang, he never laid eggs (proof that its a he), and sometimes picks a fight with my male canary (another proof)... sadly there's nothing I can do, he never had the desire to sing or to attract mates so that's why I said he's sterile

if you still love Steve that's great... maybe he can be your calmer and quieter little companion

[DanteD716]

Now, at the moment I'd just assume he is not in condition. Most males will sing to attract a mate, and if he's not on condition to mate he won't need a partner. Some canaries vary, i have two males who sing all day, and one who never makes a peep. Also was he ever taught how to sing? If they aren't around singing males their first few months of life then they would never learn, as they gave nobody to copy. Find a Canary song on YouTube that you like (they also sell CDs) and keep it on repeat for a few hours every day. This got my males singing

[lovezebs]

Sheather
Hey Dylan.
A male Canary will sing!
My Luciano was singing before I got him (at 7 months) and was singing the same day that he came home with me.

Now that said, sometimes male Canaries will not sing if they are in a cage/flight with a female. Singing is a way to attract a mate. If you already have the girl, why bother?

I would try to put him in a cage in a different room for a couple of days, and see what happens.

Also, as someone mentioned, play some Canary songs that you can google for him. Most males (unless molting) will break into song, when they heat another male singing.

Let me know how it goes.

~Elana~

P.S. You can also buy a small pckg of Canary song food, which might entice him to start singing.

[Sheather]

Steve has begun to sing but I've determined he seems to just be from a very, very bad line of singers. Around the time I posted this he started to mumble a bit and now he is singing.. I guess - though only every other day or so - and though he stands high and his throat vibrates, he really only does two whistles and a very short trill and that's it. It lasts all of half a second. He doesn't seem to care about singing, he didn't do it when apart from his female or when he is with her.

[lovezebs]

Sheather
Canaries will learn from listening to other Canaries. They actually can learn new songs from listening to other males. Play some 'canary singing' or 'canary songs' off google, and he might just surprise you. They will mimic what they hear, and will try to out sing the other males.

~Elana~

[adoumski]

Try playing some youtube clips of singing canaries like everyone suggested. This should get him going.
Technically male canaries are born and will sing a inherited song. They can also be song trained (and will pick up a song better from a live tutor) . I play a daily timbrado song for my 2 male canaries, one is a year old, the other 5 month old now. I have noticed that the young canary so far is picking notes from his older friend.

[Sheather]

Steve stopped 'singing' after two days of it.

Back to peeping and cheeping and growling at other birds who take his lettuce.

Do some males simply have no drive to sing? I love him however he is, but I do find it odd to have a canary without a song.

I really do think he is a male, as while our definite hen loves nests and fiddling with them and is indifferent to mirrors, Steve could not care less for nests and loves to play/fight with his reflection. Kari sleeps in a nest every night, Steve has never once. He was also sexed as male by the breeder - but I'll admit I'm unsure how. I believe there are ways to sex young birds though I can't recall how mine was sexed.

[lovezebs]

Sheather
What you are referring to, is the rather undignified method of being flipped on your back with a crazy giant person thing blowing up your butt to look at your unmentionables, to see whether you have male or female equipment.

As to why Steve won't sing, I honestly don't know. Did he ever sing at all since you've had him?

Luciano lately has started trying to imitate the Societies in the flight. It is driving me absolutely bonkers. He had the most beautiful clear song, and now this fake Socie sound. Yuck! I've started playing Canary songs to him daily, and I hope it will improve, or I'll have to get another male, so that they can compete.

Good luck with Steve/Stephanie

P.S. I know you can have them DNA'd, but don't know how expensive that might be.

~Elana~

[vienneparis]

Sheather
Dylan, I have 2 male canaries, one is housed in a cage by himself and the other housed in an outdoor aviary with 2 female canaries and various finches. I got them at around 6 months old and both had started singing long before I bought them. They both sing daily and their songs are long and melodious.

My 2 females make short whistling, chirping, peeping sounds similar to what Steve has been doing. So far they haven't shown any interest in building nests, and they roost on branches at night.

I suspect that Steve is actually a female. It would be convenient if Steve would lay an egg or two so you can tell for sure whether he's a male or female

[Sheather]

Lovezebs @ Vienneparis I've played canary songs for Steve, and Steve responds aggressively. He does not sing in response, but he becomes agitated and very upset and starts his 'alarm chirp' as I'd suspect a male would hearing another male in his territory. Our hen Kari, however, becomes very excited and attempts to call out for the sexy guy she hears singing. Their behavior is completely opposite.

Steve sometimes makes song-like noises under his breath while standing up tall and warbling his throat - our hen has sung before, but never in this position. But these 'songs' are so quiet and so short, I don't know what to call them. I thought it was him learning to sing, but it never progressed beyond that.

Steve is also a bully at the food court. He pushes aside anyone in his way. Kari is much less bold. This may only be a personality difference however.

I still think Steve is a weird male given what I'm observing but I don't know. He is a complete mutt with no pedigree and none of his siblings were singing at all either when I got him. I know he grew up pretty much completely isolated from any male canaries to learn from but I would think he'd instinctively still try something. Is it completely improbable that there could exist lines of badly-bred canaries which have just lost their natural tendency to sing all but the most feeble of notes?

[lovezebs]

Sheather
Hi Dylan.
Naturally all male Canaries will sing. Some of course are better singers than others. Also , they can improve their songs by listening to other males. As youngsters, they will listen to their father, and learn his songs and later listen to brothers, or other males at the breeder's house, or at the pet shop. If they spend most of their lives around other species of birds, they will even try to imitate the songs of other species and add it to their repertoire. (Such as Luciano with the Societies)

You mention that Steve sings quietly under his breath. When he does this, does he hold his beak open or closed ? I ask, because the Rollers, will sing a very quiet song with a closed beak and some of them are very quiet singers.

Are Steve and Kari romantically involved? Again I ask, because if that is the case, I would place them in different cages, in seperate rooms, where they can hear each other but not see one another. It might be interesting to see if his song will become louder.

Goodluck

~Elana~

[Sheather]

Lovezebs I don't cage my birds.

I don't know then. If Steve is a girl he is the ugliest girl I've ever seen and I suppose I'm back at the drawing board.

[lovezebs]

Sheather
I know you don't cage your birds Dylan. It was just a thought, to see if Stevie would sing for you.

Poor little Steve, calling him an 'ugly girl'...... Behahahaa!

~Elana~