Black-headed canary (Serinus alario)

[isobea]

Update!!!

Hi everyone,
I've been home feeling a little under the weather since the hot Santa Ana winds hit us a few days ago so was poking around on the internet today. And what did I find at thefinchfarm.com? They have black-headed canaries (Alarios) for sale for $559 a pair!!!
Oh how I wish I could afford a pair...
If anyone out there has the means to buy a pair (or two), would you please, please get them and start breeding them? They have a lovely song, nice temperament and are easy to keep. They do best in an aviary or large cage. In a smaller one you would have to watch that they don't get fat.
Who knows when they will be imported again...
Iso

[isobea]

I just checked their Facebook page and they are having a 30% off sale on birds today (until midnight)!
Still too expensive for me but maybe not for somebody else...
Iso

[GouldianGuy]

Stunning birds! If I had the means I would!

[isobea]

Maybe several people could co-own a pair or two?

[lovezebs]

isobea

Start saving your pennies Iso....
Or, can't this be looked upon as a CCBE (Credit Card Bird Emergency)?

It would only be $392.00 or there abouts with the 30% discount....

[isobea]

lovezebs - oh Elana, I've been looking at it from all different angles - even as an 'investment' (if they raised a bunch of babies - 4 seems to be average).
I just saw on Facebook that they extended their 30% off sale until midnight tonight... Temptation rears its ugly head once again.
Isn't there somebody out there on the forum who wants to buy a pair of these rarely available birds? Then I could live vicariously through you...
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea

I wish I could Iso my friend , but I just spend an arm and a leg on Baby Charlie ( almost four times the amount of these Canaries on sale ) and it took me forever to save my pennies.

Good luck with getting a pair.

[isobea]

lovezebs - Elana, look at the bright side: you got so much more (pound/$ ratio) when you bought Charlie (and a mighty fine dog he is if I may say so) than I would get with these Alarios just weighing a few grams/ounces
Six more hours of temptation...
Iso

[w.l.]

Sometimes you just have to splurge.
At least you wouldn't have to travel halfway around the World to get them, and smuggle them home in your pockets!

[isobea]

w.l. - I wish I could splurge! Maybe I should buy some lottery tickets...
I just talked to a friend of mine in Germany who has been breeding and showing canaries and finches for almost 60 years and he said Alarios are NOT susceptible to canary pox. In fact he just got back from a show and the three male Alarios he had entered all got over 90 points. Great, hardy birds that breed easily and reliably, he said. About 200 Euros a piece over there.
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea

Hi Iso,

Did you succumb to temptation????

I see from your post, that they are a lot more expensive in Europe, wow.

Yes, I have moe poundage for the dollar in Charlie, but as for his singing ability.... What can I say, the boy tries to sing, but a Canary he is not!

[isobea]

lovezebs - Hi Elana, even though he is no canary, maybe you can let Charlie listen to some coyotes 'singing' and he can learn from them... About 20 years ago I had a wire fox terrier who would start 'singing' every time he heard a siren which would set the dogs across the valley off, which would set him off... A 'nice' chorus...
And you wonder why I keep buying birds that are good singers.
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea

That's hilarious, we used to have neighbors years ago, who had two German Shepherds who used to do that on a regular basis. Now there are a couple of dogs across from the dog park that do that howling all the time. It doesn't help that they live across the street from an EMS Station . Their neighbors must just love them.

So no Canary....

Read my thread about Petland's crazy bird prices.

[isobea]

Hi everyone,
It's time for yet another update.

The bad news first: Alarios can get canary pox!!! And since I lost all my siskins, European goldfinches and canaries to that about 10 years ago, I'm not willing to take the risk with these rare and expensive birds.

BUT for those of you who live in an area that doesn't have canary pox, I have good news. Not only are the black-headed canaries from the finch farm still available (and they might be able to start shipping them after this coming weekend), I also found a second ad for 'Alarios'. It is on softbillsforsale.com (you have to scroll down quite a ways, right now it's on page 7) and Frank (the contact person at Avian Pacific Aviary) is really, really nice. In his ad it says 'Alario finches' but what he actually has is 'Damara canaries' (Serinus leucolaema). Years ago they were considered a sub species of the Alario alario (aka. Serinus alario). They are even rarer than the true Alario. Pretty little birds, nice song, no special needs, BUT also susceptible to the canary pox virus. $400 a pair plus shipping.

Anybody willing to give these guys a try?

I got my male grey singer a few weeks ago never worrying about canary pox (which they are susceptible to as well). I figure if he doesn't get infected by next summer, the pox has 'left' our area and I can give the Alarios or the Damaras a try. So please, please if you buy any, keep me updated through next spring/summer.
Iso

[w.l.]

Well, I am not surprised alarios can get canary pox, given that all other related species can get it too.
This is a major reason that puts me off true finches as well. I lost my Sunda serins to this disease, and resisted buying a pair of European goldfinches this week partly because of it.
Keeping birds indoors in a mosquito-free screened room should reduce chances of infection a lot, but here mosquitos get in everywhere.