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Post by Caseysmom on Nov 18, 2014 21:50:29 GMT -5
Welcome to Trixie! You are going to have fun listening to her little chirps  |
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Post by siobhan on Nov 19, 2014 0:14:48 GMT -5
People INSIST it's only males, but while her singing isn't like a male's, it's still not just chirping. She looked me right in the eye and let go a trill earlier. LOL Like, "see? I can sing!" I read on a site today that they can also learn to copy whistles, so I'm starting to whistle the family flock call of Beethoven's Fifth to her to see if she's willing to do that.
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Post by biteybird on Nov 19, 2014 4:37:53 GMT -5
People INSIST it's only males, but while her singing isn't like a male's, it's still not just chirping. She looked me right in the eye and let go a trill earlier. LOL Like, "see? I can sing!" OK, I should have qualified what I said ("males only" in regard to whistling).  My male canaries do the long 'ritualised' whistle sequences that are supposedly unique and passed down by the parents - they have slight variations but are usually in the same order every time. The females also chirp and whistle to some extent, but it seems that, generally speaking, they don't do the same sustained whistle sequences as the boys....HOWEVER, I have read about some exceptions. So our birdies continue to amaze us! Canaries are such happy little birds. If Trixie seems like a whistler, I agree, foster it all you can.
Oh, canaries LOVE to bathe. Mine have an electric hose timer hooked up to their outside aviary bath and it's set for 8am every day...they know when it's time and crowd around the edge. It's very funny to watch, as they dip their entire bodies and heads under and flap to their hearts' content! I wish Bonnie would bathe as often as the canaries  Well done; it sounds like Trixie has found a great home with you.
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Post by biteybird on Nov 19, 2014 4:46:08 GMT -5
One more thing...all my 'new' (purchased from a shop & kept in a cage) canaries learnt to have a bath by watching other birds bathe. So if Trixie can see some of your other birds having a bath, she'll pick it up fine.
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Post by siobhan on Nov 19, 2014 11:02:05 GMT -5
I joined a canary forum in the hope of learning more about canaries faster, but so often on those sorts of forums, the first thing the experienced people do to a newbie is scold you for everything you're doing wrong and when I said Trix was singing, one of them swore only boys sing and therefore she's a boy and I'm an idiot. Ugh. She'll get plenty of front-row seating for how to bathe because her cage is next to Ringo's, and Ringo has six baths a day. LOL Ringo LOVES baths and has a dish on top of her cage all the time. I change the water once a day and the first thing she does when I do that is have ANOTHER bath. I expect Trixie will have one when she feels secure enough.
I put her newspaper in the tray under the grate instead of on top of the grate because I thought at first, while she's nervous, I could clean her cage without having to reach in and upset her, but I see that she likes to hop onto the floor and poke around and I don't want her having to walk on the grate, so I might have to put the paper on top of it sooner than I planned. I could use paper towel instead of newspaper, which is smaller and less scary to poke in through the door. I bribed her with some millet this morning, and she was thrilled to see that and I think she feels a little friendlier as a result. LOL
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Post by msdani1981 on Nov 19, 2014 19:58:57 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum family, Trixie! Sounds like she's doing wonderful! |
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Post by cnyguy on Nov 19, 2014 23:07:08 GMT -5
I joined a canary forum in the hope of learning more about canaries faster, but so often on those sorts of forums, the first thing the experienced people do to a newbie is scold you for everything you're doing wrong and when I said Trix was singing, one of them swore only boys sing and therefore she's a boy and I'm an idiot. If that canary forum person is right, then Billie must be the only male canary in history to have laid eggs. I imagine he/she would think I'm an idiot too. Sounds like things are off to a good start with Trixie. |
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Post by siobhan on Nov 20, 2014 0:24:18 GMT -5
We had our first cage cleaning this evening and while she was nervous about that, she wasn't as nervous as Bonnie and Benjy were prior to Benjy deciding he was tame (which he did all at once and with no warning, just jumped onto my hand one day and there he's been ever since). And, I'm pleased to report, as soon as I was done, she went back to the millet and went to munching, and was more alert and more willing to stay up with me and Ringo than she has been, though after the millet, she settled into fluff and stuck her head into her wing for night-night.
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Post by biteybird on Nov 20, 2014 1:54:28 GMT -5
Sounds like she's adapted already. Canaries are amazing little birds and quite social. I don't think you'll have any problems - Trix probably feels like she's at the Hilton compared to what she's had up to now.
Don't worry about the forum dude. Some people can be a bit stuck up rather than helpful...
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Post by siobhan on Nov 20, 2014 9:05:02 GMT -5
She's chirping now. Morning seems to be her time to do that and she's fairly quiet the rest of the time. Though the rest never shut up, LOL, so I'm guessing she'll get more vocal as she gets more comfortable.
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allee
Hatchling
Posts: 10 
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Post by allee on Nov 20, 2014 10:58:52 GMT -5
I'm a little late, but please pass along my Congratulations to little Trixie for finding herself a perfect home. I'm sure she already knows her new mommy was well worth the wait.
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Post by siobhan on Nov 20, 2014 16:02:28 GMT -5
I hope she does! And I'm so proud of Ringo, who's being very nice about her new sister. She isn't staring at her constantly or bouncing off her cage or even jealous when I stand and talk to Trixie. Sometimes she sits on my shoulder while I stand there, but just as often she amuses herself or stares at my lizard instead. He stares back. I think they have an understanding. LOL Really, I'm thinking it might actually be possible, in the future, to let the two of them fly around loose in the room together. Ringo did NOT like Benjy in the least and was very jealous of any attention he got, but she seems to have accepted Trixie without question from Day One.
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Post by biteybird on Nov 21, 2014 6:16:21 GMT -5
she seems to have accepted Trixie without question from Day One. Maybe it's the recognition of different 'leagues' of birds (e.g., talking vs. non-talking?) so therefore not a threat!  |
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Post by siobhan on Nov 21, 2014 10:23:46 GMT -5
Ringo talks, albeit with a very strong Starling accent, but maybe it's a hookbill vs. softbill thing. She was very concerned about the rescue robin we tried to save (unsuccessfully) and didn't mind him, either, but he was temporary and injured and quiet. Trixie bounces around and chirps and sings and I told Ringo she's going to stay. I work such odd hours and have to split my time among so many birds that maybe she's happy to have the company. My lizard isn't company since he's antisocial and sleeps all day, and when I tried having Benjy in there, he just annoyed her. Trixie couldn't be annoying if she wanted to be.
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Post by benegesserit on Nov 24, 2014 17:49:24 GMT -5
I had a canary when I was young (actually s/he was my mother's bird, but you know me!) He used to sit on the palm of my hand if I had millet there, but whenever I tried to bring him out of the cage, he would panic. I was always scared that he'd give himself a heart attack, so I'd try that once in a while, and back off again, being young and scared.
I love their liquid voices, their colors, and I've never cared if a bird was bald or fully feathered (or missing a limb, for that matter.) I'm glad Trixie is home with you. :-)
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My male canaries do the long 'ritualised' whistle sequences that are supposedly unique and passed down by the parents - they have slight variations but are usually in the same order every time. The females also chirp and whistle to some extent, but it seems that, generally speaking, they don't do the same sustained whistle sequences as the boys....HOWEVER, I have read about some exceptions. So our birdies continue to amaze us! Canaries are such happy little birds. If Trixie seems like a whistler, I agree, foster it all you can.
