The Difference Between A Male And Female Canary

How to differentiate between a male and female canary

The task of distinguishing a male and female canary (in English: Canary) is one of the difficult tasks, especially for beginners, and many resort to a veterinarian to determine the sex of the canary, or wait for the bird to lay eggs. Whoever lays the eggs is definitely a female, but there are some physical and behavioral differences that determine the sex of the bird.

physical differences

Male canaries are more slender, and their structure is more straight than females, and the male is usually larger in size with his body and head. Some canary breeds can be identified by the shape or color of their feathers, For example, the classic yellow male canary differs from the female with its bright feather color, while the color of the female feathers is dull.

DNA check

Canary breeders prefer to search online for the best DNA tests, the best veterinarians, and the cheapest price, and the DNA test often costs approximately $ 20, and it may not be allowed to send feathers or blood over the Internet because it is an illegal process, but the breeder and his bird must attend the examination clinic .

Determination of the sex of the bird based on DNA without surgical intervention is the method of this examination, in which the polymerase chain reaction is used to detect the presence of female or male chromosomes in the DNA of the bird.

Notes that must be followed before doing the examination:

Plucking feathers directly from the canary’s body, it is not permissible to examine previously fallen feathers.
Caution when taking blood from the bird, the canary may die due to bleeding.
A sample of the egg shell can be taken if the examination is of a recently hatched chick.

Visual examination

This method includes a veterinarian examining the bird’s opening visually, and there is no difficulty in it. The male has small protrusions emerging from a penis-like vent, and the female has a round dome over the vent, which narrows and exits at night in preparation for mating.

behavioral differences

The behavior of the canary gives its owner an opportunity to determine its gender, including knocking on its nest or cage. If the bird looks down and raises its tail, it is male, while females are not disturbed by this behavior.

A simple method is used to determine the sex of the canary, which is to place the small bird on a towel or napkin, and after placing it on the towel, its claws are tied to it.

Also, the song of the young bird and its singing after molting for the first time means that it is male, but in some cases it can be female and sings due to different hormones.

behavior during the mating season

Determining the sex of the bird during the mating season is one of the best times throughout the year, and this period begins, depending on the climate of the region inhabited by the canaries , and that occurs in late winter or early spring there.

The male canary begins to feed the female and puts food in front of her if the birds are in a cage, and if there is more than one male in one place, the males will be noticeably aggressive.

Females move during the mating season in search of useful materials to build a safe place for them and their eggs to be laid, while males tend to sing semi-permanently with a beautiful and quiet voice, to attract the attention of females, while females sing in a weak voice compared to males.