Finches form a large family belonging to the perching order of birds. They include common British birds E.g. sparrows, yellow-hammers and sonnets, most of which are poor songsters, but also canaries.

Canaries are now bred and raised in many parts of the world, but their original natural home was the Canary Islands, the Madeiras and the Azores. in the wild state, canaries, which are finches, are about 14 centimeters long and are olive-green in color, streaked with brown above, and greenish-yellow beneath.

Canaries were first caged in the sixteenth century, and the tame birds of today differ quite a bit from the original wild ones. This is because, for many generations men have bred them to bring out certain qualities and check others. Some breeds are especially noted for song, some for shape, and some for color.

The most popular of all are roller canaries, which are bred for their singing. People in America are now able to breed roller canaries with great success, but probably the best known songsters are the birds from the Harz Mountains in Germany.

Did you know that young canaries imitate the notes of other birds? So to teach young canaries to sing, the best singers among the adult birds are used. Sometimes canaries can even be taught to sing like nightingales by playing them records of nightingale songs!

Canaries are easy to care for. Their cages should have loose clean sand in the bottom. The birds should have fresh drinking water and a lukewarm bath daily. For food, they should be given mixed birdseed and some green stuff, such as checkweed or lettuce leaves. They should never be fed acid fruits. They like to peck at a cuttlefish bone, from which they get the lime they need.

Canaries are very sensitive to drafts, so in winter their cages should not be hung near windows. They like to stretch their wings from time to time by flying, so they should be let out in a closed room occasionally. When the canary’s nails grow too long, they should be trimmed.