Canary: lifespan, size, diet and care

How big it is

An adult is up to 20 cm (8 in) long.

Zoomed ×8: here you see the man up to 23.8 cm (9 in) off the ground

1Goldfishlong 25 cm (10 in)2Budgieslong 20 cm (8 in)3Canarylong 20 cm (8 in)4Red-eared slidershell 29 cm (11 in)5Hamsterlong (head and body) 18 cm (7 in)

1. Goldfishlong 25 cm (10 in)
2. Budgieslong 20 cm (8 in)
3. Canarylong 20 cm (8 in)
4. Red-eared slidershell 29 cm (11 in)
5. Hamsterlong (head and body) 18 cm (7 in)

All the pets next to a person

Before it arrives

• Best as a pair: the German Animal Welfare Federation says never keep one alone (two, or a group of at least four), while Merck says canaries are territorial and do well alone or in pairs
• An aviary at least 2 m long, 1 m wide and 2 m high (about 6.5 × 3.3 × 6.5 ft) for 2 to 6 canaries; at the very least, a cage where it can stretch its wings in every direction
• Natural branches of different thicknesses as perches; no mirrors, fake birds or sandpaper perches
• Several feeders and water bottles (ideally one per bird) and a bath dish
• Paper on the floor and a lamp with UVA and UVB if it lives only indoors
• Good seed or pellets, a cuttlebone and grit
• A bright, quiet spot at 18–20 °C (64–68 °F), never the kitchen, with no smoke, air fresheners or overheated non-stick pans
• A safe room where it can fly free every day, for a few hours

Its home: temperature and light

The room

18–20 °C (64–68 °F)

Light

12–14 hours a day

UVB lamp

needed

What it eats and how often

1–2 teaspoons of seed a day, plus vegetables and cuttlebone

• Adults: every day

One to two teaspoons of good-quality seed per canary a day (or complete pellets, which the RVC says are better balanced), plus fresh herbs and vegetables, very little fruit, a cuttlebone for calcium and a little grit. Remove old food every day.

Vaccines and checkups

The care calendar

What to do, from the most frequent to the least.

• every dayFresh food and waterFresh water every day; remove old food and wash the bowls and water bottle.
• every dayCage paperChange the cage paper every day: it lets you check the droppings.
• every weekWeigh-inWith a digital gram scale: if the weight changes by more than 10%, see the vet.
• every weekBath timeA dish of fresh water to bathe in, once or twice a week or more: they enjoy it.
• every weekFull clean of the cageAt least once a week, with a bird-safe disinfectant.
• every 6 monthsUV lampIf it lives only indoors it needs a lamp with UVA and UVB: replace it after 6 to 12 months, as the brand says.
• every yearCheck-upOnce a year, with an avian vet.

Call the vet right away if…

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Sits fluffed up, tired and quieter than usual
• Breathes heavily or with its tail bobbing
• Sits on the cage floor or can't stay on the perch
• Diarrhea, blood in the droppings, or far fewer droppings than usual
• Has lost more than 10% of its weight, or eats and drinks much less

Ate something dangerous? What to do now