Black-headed canary (Serinus alario)

[isobea]

Hi everyone,
I used to have 'Alarios' in Germany (a long, long time ago). Does anyone on the forum keep them? Or have you seen them for sale? I used to look for them but eventually gave up. But then again, I never knew all you wonderful, helpful people...
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea
Hi Iso.
Not familiar with them. Is it a different mutation? Or a different sub-species? Or just a different colour?

Will have to look them up now. Good old curiosity, what can I say

~Elana~

[isobea]

Elana - they aren't canaries at all. It's just their English name that makes things confusing. In Europe they are called Alarios. Image Google them, if you like black, white and chocolate brown combined in one bird, you might like these guys.
Iso

[Colt]

Have you tried Birds Express or Paradise Earth/Bird Products?

Other than that I'd check with the NFSS group to see if anyone is breeding them.

[lovezebs]

isobea

I did just look them up. Pretty birds, but have never heared of them before. Do they have a song similar to a Canary?

~Elana~

[monotwine]

They are a Southern African canary species. So you might have to try a bird importer that specilizes in African birds unless you find a local breeder (which would be best).
We can get them here if you have a permit to keep indigenous birds. Not often that one sees them though.
Never kept them myself. Most canary have a sweet trill or something, but not a full long song like domestic canaries.

[isobea]

monotwine - my favorite male back then had a very nice song. How good/varied the song is seems to vary from bird to bird (kind of like the strawberry finches). I know they are relatively close relatives of the canary because one time I had an Alario/canary hybrid baby. It was a female and turned out to be fertile. When I was in Germany last summer, my friends still had a few Alarios. They've been breeding them for at least the last 30 years and have some really nice, healthy birds. Wish I could bring some of them over!
Iso

[jonvill]

I have never seen Alario finches for sale in this area. I wonder why they are not sold here.

[MiaCarter]

Wow, they are quite lovely.

I've never seen one of these guys, not in real life or for sale.

[isobea]

Too bad - now we've covered the west coast (jonvill) and the east coast (MiaCarter) and no luck yet. Has anybody in the middle of the country seen them for sale or even knows of somebody who raises them? I'm still hopeful, against all odds it seems.
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea
Hi Iso.
You could get in touch with Bird Express, and ask if they have a way of getting some in.

Their Ph. # is 626-401-1991
E-Mail Sales@BIRDEXPRESS.NET

Maybe they have some connections, and might be able to get you one.

~Elana~

[isobea]

lovezebs - Thanks Elana! I've been checking their website for a while, but somehow never thought about just calling them.
If these birds are that rare, I'm afraid they would be terribly expensive. Would probably have to auction off my 23 year old son (well, at least he's through college. His new owner wouldn't have that expense anymore ).
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea
Hi Iso.
Would you like to auction off my 24 and almost 26 year old sons as well? I'll keep my daughter in law.

~Elana~

[isobea]

Update: got an E-mail back from Birds Express. They've never had black-headed canaries and have no plans to import them in the near future. Bummer. Does anybody know about other importers? I already checked the website for Paradise Earth like Colt suggested and they don't have them either.

Elana - I have no prior experience auctioning off kids - what is the percentage the auctioneer would get?

Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea

How about you get to keep them, if you can't sell them.

Too bad about the b.h. Canaries. I'll keep my eyes and ears open on this end. I know there are other importers, just have to locate them. I wonder if it would be worthwhile bringing one or two in from Europe. Germany, or maybe Holland (?) That way, you can get birds that have been hatched and raised around people, rather than wild caught .

~Elana~