|  |     My male canary stops singing for months and then starts for no reason.
    I have had him since he was 4 months old.  When I first got him he
    used to sing constantly. He then stopped for a few months.  I got
    a female and kept their cages close by in hopes that they would
    eventually mate.  He would sing to her once in awhile but not 
    with any intensity.  I finally put them in together in early march
    of this year, which did not work very well.  He did not like her
    in his cage and would constantly boss her.  I then took her out
    and placed them in separate rooms for the summer.  Last week I 
    placed her cage next to his and he is constantly singing - all of
    the time and he and she both seem genuinely interested in each other.
    I may try again, even though it is not really breeding season for
    canaries, they seem extremely interested so it's worth a shot.
    I hope that they mate for he is all white and she is white with
    dark brown patches and crested.
    
    Just keep an eye on your little guy.  If he is eating well and seems
    quite healthy I'm sure his singing will come back to him.  My 
    male sang alot in his first 9 months or so then he just sang
    occasionally and not with the vigor he once had.  However, since
    he is preoccupied with his lady he is singing all day long!
    I read that canary males usually breed only up to 4 years of age
    so that may account for their short singing spans.  I'm not sure.
    Get him a lady and it may change his mood!
    
    Good luck!
    
    Denise
 | 
|  |     Our white border male canary stopped singing when his intended mate
    died (she was in a cage next to his while they were getting
    acquainted). Then he moulted. Then there were weeks where he didn't
    sing, in spite of fresh greens, fruits, song food, etc. etc.  All
    of a sudden, this evening he started singing again (and he was always
    a morning singer before).  We did move his cage last Saturday 
    so he can't see the other two canaries anymore (a pair of American singers),
    which might account for the singing.  He can hear the hen, though.
    (Her mate has *never* been a good singer, but he is very young still.)
    
    Good luck! I agree with the other suggestion that you consider getting
    a hen, but supposedly when the two actually get together, the singing
    diminishes and sometimes stops altogether (based on what I could
    find in books on canaries and breeding of same). /Linda Compton
      
    
    
 | 
|  |     Hi!
    
    It is not uncommon for birds to hush up when their people are around,
    especially the larger hook bills.  The canary is totally different. 
    Rarely do they really belt out a song before they are a year old to
    begin with.  And when they moult and/or are out of breeding season they
    won't sing.  If you canaries, as do only a few of mine, sing beyond the
    breeding season, consider yourself blessed!  The strongest song is at
    the peak of season.
    
    So worry not about your little @#%&^$*(!  he's just being contrary!
    
    Have fun!
    
    Jean Hutchins
    (till 12/29/89)
    
 |