Can you train canaries

Immediately stop everything you are doing, and return the bird to where it is normally kept long enough for it to recover from its stress. Leave a bit of the treat you were holding in your fingers in the cage to help teach that good things can happen when things look scary, too.

If all goes well, though, and you have carefully blocked off all means of escape from the cage, including any gaps around the space you are putting your hand through a desperate-to-escape member of the finch family can squeeze through some mighty small spaces!

I like to accompany all this with a steady stream of low murmuring comments. It really doesn't matter what you say; the idea is to provide a soothing background type of noise. This lets the bird know that it is safe. To a forest-type bird, silence is anything but golden. The only time it is quiet in a forest is when there is a predator around.

Sudden silence will always make a bird sit up and look around, to find out where the predator is. So there you are, standing there murmuring to a bird cage, when all of a sudden it happens: The bird lands on your hand and starts to munch on whatever you are holding.

What do you do next? Well, the first thing you don't do is move, not even the teeniest bit. If the canary gets the notion that a hands is an unstable perch, it'll take it a good long while to unlearn it.

You want it to come to the conclusion that a hand is a nice safe place to stand. The first time in particular, just hold still, even if it tickles. Let the bird decide for itself that it's time to park on the other perch before you move your hand in the slightest.

Then slowly remove your hand from the cage, get another little bit of a treat, put it in the cage, replace the food and water, return the cage and bird to their usual location, and then you can sit back and heave that big sigh! Getting your canary to recognize your hand as an okay place to sit is the worst hurdle in hand-taming a canary.

Once you're over that, it is just a matter of slowly getting it accustomed to the routines you want it to learn. Words As A Cue - Cue words can help, too. They should be short one or two syllables and distinctive sounding enough that the bird can easily recognize them.

For example, one canary I trained was a very forward-moving, aggressive little bird. All his motions were vigorous and bold, and he never held back.

He would jump onto my hand so hard that you'd hear a little "plop" when he landed. The phrase "Plop, plop" sort of snuck into those comforting little murmurings that I mentioned earlier. A few days later he was acting distracted and not showing much interest in his taming session, when I said something along the lines of, "Come on, little plops.

Hearing that word every time he bounced over to my hand had conditioned him to associate the action with the word, so when he heard the word, the action was automatically included in his response! Once your bird is used to sitting on your hand, and knows that it also brings food and water into the cage at your directions most small birds tend to see the had as a separate being, different from you face then you can begin to accustom it to sitting on a moving hand.

Begin by slowly moving your hand toward the other perch in the cage. If the canary hops off when the hand begins to move, fine; slowly let your hand drift back to the other perch position and wait for it to come back. Eventually, it will sit still for this; then you move your hand so that it is a tad lower than the other perch and right next to it. Say the cue word that you've chosen for getting the bird to hop onto your hand and begin to slowly lower your hand.

If the canary didn't hop off when it hears the cue word when the other perch was at his chest level, it almost surely will as your hand slowly drops and the other perch comes close to head level. Canaries and many other finches are nervous about having anything closely over their heads; the instinct is to get on top of whatever it is. Once it is on the other perch, bring your hand up to its chest, hold your hand just in front of the bird and repeat your cue word. Then drift back to your other perch position and let is munch on a treat.

Keep repeating this exercise over a few days until it is moving easily and on command on and off of your hand. Then, and only then, may you begin to bring the bird out of the cage on your hand. You may teach it to sit on your shoulder using a similar process, but it is not advisable to let it get used to sitting on your head.

Never forget that a house is full of dangers for a small bird. It is your responsibility to check any room you allow your birt to fly free in for any dangers, and eliminate them. Canaries are quite capable of learning what is and what is not allowed, but it is up to you to keep an eye on them whenever they are out of their cages. McDonald In my mind, there are few creatures on God's green earth as sweet natured, beautiful, unassuming or as easy to keep as the pet canary.

If you use patience, always move slowly and calmly, and let the bird see what you are doing, never surprise it, and always reward the bird when it deserves it, you will soon be the proud possessor of a tame, bratty, bossy, loving, funny, inventive, curious, helpful, endearing, adorable and all-around cute little canary. Canaries are lively, intelligent birds, known for their singing, and friendly companionship.

Many owners train their canary to sit on their hand, on a perch, and to fly around the room. To train your canary, start by talking to it in a soothing voice for minutes twice a day so it gets comfortable with your presence. Then, after a few days, try placing your hand in its cage while holding a treat. If your canary nips at your finger or seems stressed, leave the treat and try again the next day. Repeat the process until your canary takes the treat out of your hand.

Finally, once your canary is comfortable with your hand in its cage, try holding it outside of the cage. For more tips from our Veterinary co-author, like how to do free-flight training with your canary, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy.

Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Let your canary get used to her surroundings. Canaries are prone to getting nervous about possible predators around them, so be patient and let your canary get familiar with the area around her cage.

When you enter the room, make a low sound or whistle and then repeat the same sound or whistle every time you enter the room. Keep her cage at eye level. Place her cage in a room with some household activity so she can watch you and become comfortable with your presence. Take the covering off in the morning so she can recognize that it is day and time for activity. Observe your canary. Avoid direct eye contact when you first enter and sit in the room, as many birds associate direct eye contact with danger.

Instead, watch your canary in her cage from a safe distance. As you watch your canary during the first few days, you may note she is flitting around the cage as well as feeding, bathing and preening in your presence. Talk quietly to your canary for 10 to 15 minutes, twice a day.

This will help your canary get familiar with you over a period of time, and build your relationship. Sit near her cage, whistle to her, and talk in a quiet tone. Over time, she will recognize your voice and come to see you as a friend. Part 2. Place a single toy, a mirror, or one to two perches in the cage. Change up the accessories to allow for variety, but keep only one or two items in the cage at a time.

Note how your canary interacts with the toys, especially how she flies from perch to perch. You can also place a shallow water dish in the cage, along with her normal water dish, so she can take the occasional bath. Fill the plastic shallow dish with lukewarm water and place it on the floor of the cage. Put your hand in her cage, with a treat. After several days of observing your canary, talking to your canary, and letting her play with toys in her cage, you can try placing your hand in her cage while holding a treat.

However, all canaries have the capacity to learn, so if you already have a canary you want to tame, go ahead. It may take a little longer. Set a strict training routine. Two daily sessions of 10 to 15 minutes in length should suffice.

Make sure you have these sessions at the same time each day. This way your canary will become accustomed to the routine and may even come to anticipate his training session when it gets to the right time of day. Canaries are nervous birds -- a natural response to predators -- so you need to be patient with them. Start by placing your hand in the cage, with you fingers straight and horizontal, so your bird can use them as a perch.

Eliminate gaps around your hand and the cage opening through which he can squeeze out. Hold on to a treat to lure your bird to you, these birds especially like soft, leafy greens, such as lettuce.