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The American Singer Canary

Welcome to Part 4 of The Finches of Serenity.

This is our blog series about the beautiful finches and canaries in our Serenity Aviaries!

Here, we’ll discuss the captivating songbird, the American Singer Canary.

Other Common Names for American Singer Canaries

• North American Canary
• Water Canary

American Singer Canary Natural Habitat

As its name suggests, the American Singer Canary is widespread exclusively across North America.

However, this cross-bred bird is a very common pet and they don’t live in a specific region or have a common wild habitat.

They’re very receptive to being housed in large bird cages and spacious aviaries.

You will find American singer canaries as pets, at bird shows, and with specialty breeders and trainers, as opposed to out in the wild.

Physical Characteristics of American Singer Canaries

The American Singer Canary is the result of selective breeding between the Border Canary and the German Roller Canary.

The Border Canary is known for its stunning appearance, while the Roller is known for its unique songs.

American singers will grow between four to eight inches from beak to tail, with the males growing a little larger than the females.

Both sexes take on a few color mutations, all of which are vibrant and beautiful.

Their traditional colors are a solid yellow or red/orange with orange/pink legs, black eyes, and a pink/off-white colored beak.

Other less common plumage colors are white, green, brown, blue, fawn, and bronze.

Some variations have subtle color patterns and gradient combinations, but their feathers are most often a solid color.

Bird Song of an American Singer Canary

The German Roller Canary has gifted these stunning birds with an equally delightful song.

They emit drawn-out chirps with variations in pitch and frequency.

It’s a very unique sound that’s enchanted people since the 1930s when these birds were first bred.

Like most birds, the male American Singer sings the songs, while the females make short chirping calls.

Play this short video and see if it lives up to the hype!

Behavior and Temperament of American Singer Canaries

This species is generally well-mannered and social with other birds, making them excellent pets in mixed aviaries.

They are relatively timid as well, so when mixing birds in an aviary, they need to be housed with other passive birds.

They tend to sing the most when in an enclosure by themselves, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy to be alone.

Finches and canaries like the company of other feathered friends, so if possible, add a friend or two to their enclosure.

Considerations for Housing Multiple Canaries

It is best to use caution when housing males with other males.

Competition over territory is common with male American Singer Canaries, so aggression might ensue in a small enclosure.

Having more females than males is a way to avoid aggression.

Regardless of the types of birds in an aviary, if the space is too small, they will become stressed, agitated, and aggressive.

They are very active and playful birds, so you must provide an appropriately sized aviary.

Breeding Habits of American Singers

American Singer Canaries are relatively easy to breed.

Their standard breeding season is between December and April, but they will readily breed under the right conditions.

The hen will lay three to six eggs per clutch.

She will also need a nest for laying eggs, which we provide in our Serenity Aviaries.

The mother and father canary will both assist in incubating the eggs until they hatch, which takes about two weeks.

About 20 days after hatching, the fledglings will be weaned from the nest, but will stay close to their parents for feeding purposes.

Two to three months after hatching, it’s best to remove the young canaries from the enclosure.

If the parent canaries want to mate again, they may get aggressive toward the young ones.

So to avoid stress and aggression, fledglings should be placed in another aviary.

Serenity offers breeding pairs of American Singers on request, but they don’t come standard.

We will handle the setup of the aviary, along with nests and accessories, and will also remove the young canaries when needed.

Care Guide for American Singer Canaries

Proper Aviary Design

Aviary Size

Although American Singer Canaries are sometimes found in smaller cages, a larger enclosure is always recommended.

The limited room can cause stress, agitation, and aggression in any bird, and American Singers are no different.

How big should an aviary be?

We recommend having 2 square feet of floor space per bird in an aviary.

We offer many aviary sizes and orientations that give birds ample room to fly and designate their own territory.

Before we build anything, we’ll determine the best size and dimensions for a company’s interior.

Then, we’ll decide on the appropriate number of finches for that custom aviary.

Aviary Shape

Because canaries exercise by flying back and forth, the length of their enclosure is more important than the height.

You should also avoid using rounded edges for the aviary, as this removes some of their available space.

Aviary Materials

Chewing and ingesting materials is an issue for many birds in aviaries.

To avoid this, the structure should be free of softwood, paint, untreated steel, and soft plastics.

By using high-grade materials, our Serenity Aviaries don’t allow for chewing or ingestion.

These structures are made from solid oak, stainless steel wire, anodized aluminum, high-grade laminate panels, and acrylic or glass windows.

Aviary Features

For an aviary housing American Singer Canaries, you’ll need food and water access, ventilation, adequate internal lighting and heating, among other accessories.

Each of our aviaries comes with these features, and we’ll perform regular maintenance and food replenishment on each service visit.

We also offer many additional accessories for your and your finch’s benefit.

Housing Compatible Bird Species

Always avoid pairing just two male American Singers together.

Fighting is common with one another due to the males’ territorial nature.

It is acceptable to house a pair consisting of a male and a female.

And if you want to house more than one male, we recommend having more females than males.

For a happy American Singer, mixed aviaries provide the best results.

They will generally get along with other good-natured, or “passive” canaries, finches, and hardbills.

Color diversity is also important, as many male birds get aggressive with species that resemble their plumage.

We offer a varied collection of birds for our clients.

This gives our clients some colorful diversity in their Serenity Aviary along with peaceful interactions between birds that delight guests at their businesses.

Fresh Food

American Singer Canaries will prefer a good mix of canary seed, small fruits, veggies, and egg food.

Lafeber’s, for example, offers a nutrient-rich canary food great for American Singer Canaries.

If you lease an aviary through Serenity, we will stock your aviary with nutrient-rich bird food.

We put the food in the Infinity Feeder for you, which is included in your enclosure.

A benefit of our Infinity Feeder is that it holds more food than any feeder on the market.

Better yet, you won’t have to replace any food.

The feeder will hold enough until our next service visit when we replenish it for you, free of charge.

Fresh Water

Fresh water should also be provided daily for drinking and bathing.

For a personal enclosure, include at least two sources of water for these activities.

Then, make sure to clean and replenish them every day.

Our innovative Infinity Feeder isn’t only for food, however.

It’s also designed for drinking water and it keeps the water fresher for longer than any bird waterer on the market.

We will also provide an additional water dish so your American Singers can bathe when they desire.

Functional Decor for Aviaries

We recommend including some decor in your American Singer cage.

These canaries need little entertainment, but some important items to include are branches, swings, and nests.

Swings and Branches

Swings and branches offer exercise, entertainment, a spot to perch, and a spot for establishing territory.

A bonus is that by landing on these horizontal branches, they naturally trim their claws.

According to Animal-World, you should have at least one perch high up in the cage.

American Singers like to roost on these high perches and will be more inclined to speak if they’re looking down at us.

Are you looking for accessories for your existing aviary?

Visit our sister company, Custom Cages, for a list of decor ranging from perches to cage blinds, to ventilation attachments, to small and large hanging toys.

Nests

As for nests, canaries will use them for resting, hiding, and breeding (If you have a breeding pair).

Again, these should be positioned higher in the enclosure where they prefer to sleep.

If you get an accessories package through Serenity, you will receive perches, swings, nests, and more!

We’ll also install them for you and replace them for no extra cost if they’re damaged.

Ongoing Aviary Cleaning and Maintenance

For the health of your American Singer Canaries, their enclosure should be cleaned regularly.

Food and water dishes should be cleaned and replenished daily.

You should also devise a schedule to replace bedding, sanitize decor and nests, and deep clean the entire aviary.

Serenity Aviary Cleaning Service

By leasing an aviary through Serenity, you’ll get a spacious bird enclosure, a collection of finches, a full suite of decor, and routine cleaning services all for no upfront cost and a low monthly fee.

Serenity has been servicing commercial aviaries for about 15 years, so if you lease an aviary through us, the activities above will be taken care of for you.

We will also service existing aviaries even if they’re not provided by us!

For each aviary cleaning service, we’ll sanitize the feeder and replenish it with fresh food and water.

We’ll also deep clean the rest of the aviary, check the health of your American Singers, and replace any products or birds, if necessary.

Wrapping Up

The American Singer Canary is a beautiful bird in both appearance and song, and it is shown by its popularity in the USA.

Whether you’re looking to train your canary for bird shows, have a mixed aviary at your home, or get a spacious mixed aviary for your business, an American Singer is a great addition.

Their kind demeanor and aptitude for living in an aviary will make your life easier, and they will happily enchant you and your guests for years to come.