Meet My New Blogger Friend From Singapore

Hello Linda!

I'm Edmund from Singapore. I've been reading your blog with much enjoyment over the past year. Though I mainly keep Asian songbirds like the white rumped shama, the oriental magpie and white eyes, my curiously of canaries have gotten the better of me.

I've with me now, a male and a female green Timbrado. They were not purchased as a pair. The female though, has laid eggs at the store where I bought her from. She's been with me since 2 days back, and he, about a week and a half. These birds are born in 2013 as the ring suggests and the store keeper says so. I've been giving them commercial egg food, garden greens, broccoli heads, cuttlefish bone, and a good seed mix.

An interesting thing has happened. He sings his heart out when he's hung alone at the window. However, when he's in plain sight of her, he stops singing altogether and goes about eating and preening. She doesn't appear excited also. I can tell that she's eating a lot of greens which I suppose they weren't given at the store.

While I'm not in a hurry to breed them, it puzzles me how he'd stop singing when he sees her. All my other male birds in the house goes berserk when they hear a female of their species on YouTube.

While I will carry on pampering them, and I don't think these fellas are ill in any way, I'd like to ask for your advice on why this interesting behavior is observed. She's a good looking lady in terms of plumage and posture. I'd be asking for her number if I was a bird. Hehehe....

Looking forward to some golden words of advice.

And thank you. Your blog has given me so many nights of joyous reading.

Warmest Regards,

Edmund

Singapore

Hello Edmund!
 I am so happy to meet you and learn about your birds! Sounds like you have a pair!

Some males will not sing when they see the female unless they are in breeding condition. Mrs. Tim appears to have pin feathers on her head, since the molt finishes on the head, it seems she is still finishing the molt. Once she has finished the molt, hearing him sing will bring her into breeding condition.

It is a good idea to add some vitamins such as poultry vitamins or Boost 250 or Orlux etc. to their water and change it daily.

To get him to sing, place the males cage above the hens cage.  

Normally birds in the Northern Hemisphere breed in Spring but not sure about your area as you are barely Northern Hemisphere. Southern Hemisphere is breeding now. 

Canaries are Amazing!

Linda

Thanks Linda!

You've set my mind at ease. I'll put him above her cage then. Singapore is a tiny tropical country. Hot year round. Hope I get some action soon! Cheers Linda!

Best,

Edmund

Breeder Tip - Picking the Right Mate:  When I have a cock that is to be bred to several hens, I place the hens in a small flight and then the cock. He will sing and try to court a ready hen but ignore the rest. Of course, if one squats for him, she is the most ready!