How to Buy a Canary in the United States | PetzLover

Song, color or type: which canary should you buy?

The Merck Veterinary Manual sorts domestic canaries, whose wild ancestors come from the Canary Islands and Madeira, into three main groups. PetMD counts more than 200 breeds across them.

The American Singer is a US breed. The American Singers Club, founded in Milton, Massachusetts, in 1934, describes it as a cross of the German Roller and the English Border Fancy, and says only birds wearing the club's closed, registered bands can be called American Singers. Males of every group sing, but a song breed from a breeder who selects for song is the surest choice if song is why you want the bird.

Do only male canaries sing?

Almost always. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that the male's song is how males are told apart from females, since the sexes look alike. The Vet Desk says hens can sing but hardly ever do, and nearly all lack the male's rolling warble; young males practice warbling until their song develops at around six months.

PetMD adds that males sing to attract females during breeding periods, typically fall, winter and spring, and stop during the summer molt. A quiet bird in July may still be a male, and a male kept with a hen may sing less. To judge sex and song before you buy:

1. Visit in fall, winter or spring, when males sing.
2. Listen for several minutes; a full, varied song means a male.
3. If the bird is quiet when you visit, ask for a recent video and whether it is a proven singer or a young bird from singing parents.
4. Ask for the hatch date and band; a bird under about six months may not sing yet.
5. Get in writing what happens if a bird sold as a male turns out to be a hen.

Hens make good pets for people who want a quieter bird, and they chirp and call. A hen can lay eggs without a male, so she needs a good diet.

Can you keep more than one canary?

Usually one per cage. The Merck Veterinary Manual describes canaries as territorial birds that prefer to be housed alone or in mated pairs, and PetMD says males should not share a cage because they fight. Males kept apart but within earshot may sing to compete.

• One male: the classic singing pet.
• A mated pair: possible, but PetMD notes a male kept with a female may sing less, and the pair may breed.
• More birds: give each its own cage, or enlarge the space accordingly, and never mix canaries with other species, PetMD advises.

Canaries are not cuddly pets. PetMD says they can be hand-tamed with time and patience and trained to perch on a finger, but they generally do not enjoy much handling. Its minimum cage for one canary is 18 x 14 x 18 inches with bars no more than 3/8 inch apart, and bigger is better.

Where should you buy a canary, and what should you ask?

Good sources are breeders who let you visit, bird stores and owners selling birds they raised. For song breeds, the American Singers Club says its fall shows are the best place to meet breeders, and it keeps a breeder referral list. Buy only domestic, captive-bred canaries: native wild songbirds are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and can never be sold as pets.

• Which breed is it, and is it a song, color or type canary?
• When did it hatch, and what does its band say?
• Is it a proven singing male, a young male, a hen or unsexed?
• What does it eat: seed only, or pellets, egg food and vegetables?
• Has it or the flock had breathing problems, mites or pox?
• Can I see and hear it in person?

On PetzLover you can browse canaries for sale, filter by location and message the seller to arrange a visit.

How do you check a canary's health before you buy?

PetMD lists the signs of a healthy canary: bright, clear eyes, a clean beak and vent, clear nostrils, smooth intact feathers, intact skin on the feet and a strong appetite. Then check for these canary problems:

• Breathing noises. Clicking, high-pitched sounds, tail bobbing or open-mouth breathing can mean air sac mites, which the Merck Veterinary Manual says are found most often in canaries and gouldian finches; mortality can be high.
• Crusty legs and toes. Scaly leg mites form crusts on canaries' legs and toes, a condition Merck calls tassel foot.
• Scabs or lumps around the eyes, beak or feet. These can be canary pox, which mosquitoes spread; Merck advises indoor housing and mosquito control, and a canarypox vaccine exists.
• Weight loss or a fluffed-up, sleepy bird. The University of Georgia's vet college says avian gastric yeast is considered common in canaries, and Merck notes that atoxoplasmosis is still diagnosed in them.
• Lumps under the feathers. Feather cysts and fatty tumors are on PetMD's list of canary problems.

How much does a canary for sale cost in the US?

The Vet Desk's January 2026 bird cost guide says canaries and finches will likely cost about $20 to $50. Prices vary with the breed and with whether the seller can show the bird singing.

The Better Business Bureau warns about bird sellers who take payment and never deliver, then invent fees for shipping or health problems. Refuse deposits for unseen birds, avoid wire transfers, gift cards and payment apps, use the Report Scam button on a suspicious listing and report losses at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Sellers can read how to sell canaries. If you cannot find the bird you want, post a canary wanted ad, and if you already keep canaries and someone near you is looking for one, see how to respond to a canary wanted ad.