That trilling sensation, the pet canary,has been a favorite among bird keepers for hundreds of years, with over one hundred and eighty breeds.This bird was domesticated by the Spaniards when they colonized the Canary Islands and Madeira. However, it is South Africa, not the Canary Islands, which should be known the world over as the land of the canaries.
The Cape canary is a welcome visitor in many gardens along the Garden Route
The Canary Islands were not named for the canaries but after the large Canary Mastiffs, a breed of dog developed in these islands. “Canary” was derived from the word “canis”, for dog. The original Yellow canary of these islands was a greenish-yellowfinch with an unusually complex steel tone combined with trilling and various notes. Europeans fell in love with it. Ironically, and sadly, the Canary Islands is no longer the home of the canary. Prussian explorer and scientist Alexander von Humboldt wrote of his brief residence in Tenerife and included an entry on the canary. He noted in 1799 that the bird had once been common in the seven wooded islands of the Canaries and some parts of Madeira until the forests were cut down.
In 2016 Avibase, the World Bird Database has no species of wild canary listed in the Canary Islands. However, South Africa, and bordering nations, are rich in canary songsters: the Black Headed canary (Serinusalario), the Brimstone canary (Serinussuphuratus), the Lemon-breasted canary (S. citrinipectus), the Yellow Fronted canary (Crithagramozambicus), the Cape canary or Cape siskin (C. totta), the Protea canary (C. leucopterus), the Forest canary (C. scotups), the Streaky-headed seedeater (C. gularis), the White Throated canary (C. albogularis) and of course the Yellow canary,Crithagraflaviventris, formerly known as Serinusflaviventris. All are indigenous to South Africa with populations of some of these species occurring in Namibia, Lesotho and Mozambique. There is a concentration of species within the Garden Route.
Lemon breasted canaries are not successfully bred in captivity and are not especially strong singers. They are beautiful yellow birds whose survival is linked with the Lala palm which they use for nesting material and for cover.These above species all are classed as “least concern”, meaning their populations are sufficiently large at this time and they are not threatened with extinction.
The various species and their cousins the siskins are known by many names. The generic term for canariesin Kwangali is Nsense and Kandingo, in Afrikaans is Geelkanarie; in Southern Sotho, canaries and siskins are called Tšoere.
Some wild canary species sound a great deal like the domestic songsters and are a true pleasure to hear singing away in the garden. It is best for the ecosystem and for curbing the spread of parasites that canaries be bought from breeders of the European pet canary breeds instead of taking them from the wild.
The life history of the wild yellow canary is similar to that of many of the other species. The species is generalist, occurring in such diverse habitats as dune areas, weedy roadsides, fynbos, and gardens. Favorite foods include the seeds of daisies, groundsels, dock and calendula, supplemented by the fruit of the Eastern tree aloe and various invertebrates such as fly larvae and beach hoppers. Canaries do not nest in colonies and they choose one mate. Bark, rootlets and tendrils are used to build the outside of the nest and soft fluffy seeds like milkweed seeds are used to make the inner nest soft. This species favors nesting in honey-thorns and Gombossie shrubs. The laying of two to five eggs takes place almost all year in the dry portions of South Africa, reaching a peak during the months of August through April outside the Western Cape. Eggs are laid from early July through October in the Western Cape. After about twenty-one days the chicks leave the nest and the parents teach them to fly. Fast predators to avoid include Peregrine and other falcons.
There are some differences between the wild yellow canaries and the tame ones, most notably in eye size, but the food and habitat requirements are still similar. The canary is a popular pet bird in South Africa;it used to be more popular in decades past. Budgerigars and small parrots have the top spots as favorite pet birds now.
Canaries have left their impression on our language. In the 1940s if a man in the United States wanted to compliment a beautiful woman he used the slang term “canary”. The word was also used to describe a female singer in a band. In movies of the era produced in Great Britain, the United States and elsewhere, if someone acted as an informer to law enforcement, he or she was said to “sing like a canary”. Said informer was also known as a “stool pigeon”, and I haven’t been able to find out the origin of that strange bit of slang
If you are thinking of owning one of these singers for the first time and joining the thousands of canary owners in South Africa, consult with breeders and shopkeepers to learn the best cage facilities, living conditions, and types of grit and food. Canaries aren’t different from other pet birds in most respects. They need light, space for short flights within the cage, and cleanliness. They also need toys for mental stimulation. Small birds of any sort are not good pets in a home with a cat. The cat’s presence in the home, even if she cannot reach the bird, will keep it in a state of constant stress that will probably be fatal. The author speaks from sad experience. That is why she no longer has small birds! Canaries learn to sing from their companions in the wild, and so a young canary must be taught to sing, either from listening to an adult male, or from various commercial CDs available.