My Cheerful Red Factor Canaries
My vibrant and melodious red factor canaries make even the coldest winter days so cheerful.
I keep a number of birds as pets, including a group of canaries and a pair of charming Combassou finches, which live with me inside my Winter House. They have a large wooden cage I designed after one that came from France, built around 1900 - probably to house doves or quails. It sits in my enclosed porch where all the birds can enjoy the views through the floor to ceiling windows. This week has been bitterly cold here in Bedford, New York, but all my curious and active little avian friends are happy as can be singing, flying from perch to perch, and eating from a fresh buffet of seeds and greens from my greenhouses.
Enjoy these photos.
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- The red factor canary, Serinus canaria domestica, is one of the most popular canary breeds. They are prized for their color rather than their song, but they are also very happy singers. Here is a canary looking down from a branch in my large cage. This day was quite cold outside – temperatures were in the 20s – I have a red heat lamp in the cage to keep it comfortably warm for the birds.
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- My canaries are located on my enclosed porch. The canaries love it here – they can see so much of the activity around the farm from the big windows and doors.
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- I also keep classical music on for them every day. The branches are specially picked and saved from my trees – usually the apple trees, when they are groomed. Canaries do not need special toys like some other birds, but they do need strong perches with multiple branches.
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- They are given lots of fresh water and food every morning. A canary’s metabolism is fast, so it’s important to be observant of their eating needs and habits. This canary is eating and looking out the window.
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- Red factor canaries need certain nutrients to maintain their bold, colorful plumage. Fresh foods containing beta-carotene, canthaxanthin and carotenoids along with greens and the appropriate canary seed make up a good well-balanced diet.
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- The birds are given a buffet of seeds, leafy greens, and fruits. Seed blends are designed to support the birds’ seasonal needs with a wide range of micronutrients for resting, breeding, and molting seasons. The greens are always freshly picked from my gardens – the outdoor vegetable garden in summer and my indoor vegetable garden the rest of the year. I am fortunate to always have organic healthy greens here at the farm.
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- Food is found on every level of the cage – they all love to fly from all the different feeding areas.
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- They like some mixes more than others, but I always offer a healthy variety containing a balance of protein, carbohydrates and essential fatty acids necessary for proper growth and immune system functioning.
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- I love seeing the birds gathered by their seed bowls – they have good strong appetites.
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- If you choose to keep canaries, remember to get the largest cage your home can accommodate, and the nicest cage your budget can afford. Canaries need room to flap their wings and fly from perch to perch.
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- First bred in the early 1900s, this type of canary is the only color-bred variety with a “red factor” as part of its genetic makeup. They were originally developed by crossing a red siskin and a yellow canary.
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- When hatched, canaries are pale yellow-peach or orange. As they grow, they develop more red coloring from the beta carotene in their foods. Healthy and well-cared for canaries can live at least 10 to 12 years.
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- Perched on a branch near the top of the cage are these two Combassou finches I added to my flock a year and a half ago. They were gifted to me by my friend, Ari Katz, who is a very knowledgeable and passionate young avian enthusiast. These small, friendly finches are native to South Africa.
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- The corn cob litter on the floor of the cage is changed daily, so the birds are always in a fresh, clean environment.
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- In general, canaries don’t like lots of handling, but my canaries are used to all the activity around them, so they are never scared when visitors approach.
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- It is interesting to see where they choose to balance and roost. These birds are constantly flying from perch to perch, level to level.
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- These birds are so photogenic no matter what they’re doing. And they are extremely curious – I wonder what caught this young canary’s attention.
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- Canaries are active during the day, but they also rest well and prefer to sleep in the dark. At the end of every day, the canary cage is covered with a sheet.
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- Male Canaries are known for their singing while females use chirps to communicate. I enjoy their chirping and their song.
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- Canaries are generally good-natured, social creatures with joyful dispositions. I have been keeping canaries for many years. Caring for birds is a big responsibility, but in return, these red factor canaries provide wonderful company and song.
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