Taming and Training Canaries and Other Finches, Part 2
See Part 1 of this article: Taming and Training Canaries and Other Finches, Part I
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Last time we discussed some finch training basics…getting your pet to calm down when near people and out of its cage. Please see Part I of this article for further details.
Returning to the Cage
As mentioned in Part I of this article, canaries and other finches are much easier to train when outside their cages. If your bird is to become truly tame, it is essential that it return to the cage on its own, and not be chased there. This may take a great deal of time, and will require you to be very patient.
Use treats to lure the bird inside. Canaries and finches often relish egg food, and may respond quickly when it is offered. Many finches cannot resist small insects. A convenient way to keep these handy is to utilize canned insects most silkworms are nearly always a big hit.
Your pet may also respond to fruit treats – freeze dried mango, coconut, papaya, blueberries and others work well for many species.
If you must net the bird, darken the room and try to be as quick and careful as possible.
Calling your Bird to Hand
The treats mentioned above may also be used to induce your pet to fly to your hand. If you call the bird each time food is presented, it may eventually fly to you when called, even if it does not see food in your hand. Continue to provide a treat each time it responds, but, as time goes on, hide the treat until your pet actually alights upon your hand (or head, as the case may be!).
Again, canaries are most apt to respond to this type of training, but I have also run across surprisingly responsive spice finches, Java rice birds, zebra finches, fire finches and others.
Further Reading
Although canaries are perceived to be natural songsters, a good deal of learning is involved…and you can help (no, you needn’t be a good whistler!). Learn more about improving your canary’s singing abilities in my article Teaching Your Canary to Sing.
Please write in with your comments and questions.
Thanks,
until next time,
Frank Indiviglio.
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about 2 years ago
Thank you this has realy helped me with my Zebra finches. if you can email me and tell me more i will be happy thaks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
about 2 years ago
Hello David, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for the kind words; I’m glad you found the article useful. Please write back with any specific questions you may have, and I’ll do my best to help.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 1 year ago
Hello Frank:
I’m so glad to have found an authority on finches such as yourself! We have a non-hand-fed nor reared female green singer (acquired in Sept. 2006) whom we have somewhat tamed. The taming stages are succinctly chronicled in my “Finch” playlist on You Tube (at http://www.youtube.com/user/CVersailles#grid/user/7DD42C08B7A359CA). For almost 3 years now, the finch has been let free from 9 to 5 in our living room (a sunroom) or dining room, along with our budgie. She is now well cued to our schedule and “modus operandus” and knows to get back in her cage on her own when needed. She is “desensitized” enough to be taken in the car, to people’s houses, on vacation, etc. She may experience stress and discomfort in certain situations, but she no longer “panics.” At onset, we noticed the bird refused to go to the bottom of her cage and would not feed in feeders placed near the bottom. So we put her in a cage where the feeders are not as low and enclosed in transparent “bubbles” that provide “a good view.” Yet, the bird’s feeding habits are like “a gazelle at the waterhole” (i.e., she feels “vulnerable” while feeding). My problem is that I have not been able to positively reinforce the bird with treats. On the one hand, though she eats very well and seems in perfect health, she is not very food-oriented and doesn’t like anything enough to be considered a real “treat” (forget about dried fruit, bugs and the like, nothing really does the trick.) She will accept food within the cage or on her cage porch, but when I try to “treat” her outside the cage with “rewards” (e.g., dehulled millet), she gets all stressed out while eating the treat, jumps back in her cage and will no longer interact (I have not gotten passed 3 treats in this manner and, usually, by the second one, she is too nervous to continue). Is it possible that this is a consequence of her associating “feeding” with “vulnerability” and “danger”? Your thoughts, opinions and advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
about 1 year ago
Hello Claire, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for the kind words and your most interesting observations and video links; all will be of great value to other bird owners.
I believe you are correct in your beliefs about the bird’s nervousness when feeding out of the cage. Natural instincts are often modified by captivity, and so are sometimes expressed differently – but, as you were able to deduce, the underlying principles still hold true. I’ve observed a great many other animals, long term captive birds, reptiles and amphibians, that refused to feed when outside of their cage, even though well-adjusted to people. In zoos, animals often will not leave their cages id a door is left open (although sometimes they will, as I learned when I working with a Kodiak Bear!) and escaped animals often try to get back into their enclosures.
You’ve done a great deal more with your finch than most accomplish – thanks for the note and please check in again,
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 1 year ago
Hello again:
Thank you for such a prompt reply, confirming that my observations are not mere “ramblings.” Note that she WILL nibble on food outside the cage, but only if I put it in a certain tree perch that overlooks the whole room and the garden. If I put it on a perch near a corner or in the middle of the room, she will not go. And she will not accept it “from our hand” in such circumstances. So, I feel that when we have our little morning sessions, dealing with me is already somewhat stressful and the added stress that she perceives while “feeding” is just too much for her to handle at once… I guess we will just continue with praise, relationship building and bonding, and forget about the treats! (P.S.: Thank you for YOUR kind words!)
about 1 year ago
Hello Claire,
Thanks again, I’m sure the height/view is important as well, look forward to hearing from you in the future,
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 1 year ago
that is cool. send bach soon.
about 1 year ago
Hello Gracie, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog. And the kind words…I look forward to hearing from you in the future.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 1 year ago
i have just got 4 zebra finches on friday is it possible to train all 4 at same time? they stay in my bedroom so i cover the cage at night as well is that necessary to do so ? and how long before they use the feeder compartments on the cage ?as i filled up some small bowls at bottom of the cage 1 food and 1 water any advice im a novice with this sort of thing
about 1 year ago
Hello Lee, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog.
Good questions….it is more difficult to train finches in groups, as there will surely be at least 1 shy individual, which may panic the others by its reactions. But you can try…4 together will provide you with lots to observe, even if training is not possible.
They usually take to feeders well – once 1 starts, the others will follow….cut back on food in bowls and remove the bowls on a day when you can be nearby to observe.
You might enjoy reading The Unknown Side of the Zebra Finch (history as a pet and lab animal).
Good luck and please keep me posted.
about 9 months ago
oh really good idea. But is that worked in the real world?
about 9 months ago
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog. Birds are very individual in their responses to people, but in general canaries do tame down fairly easily. Even wild birds can be induced to feed from the hand with care – please see this article for details (bird in photo is feeding from my hand).
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 5 months ago
Hi can you send me alot of tips because would if my zebra finch crawls in small tight spaces, would if it goes inside a crack in the wall can you give me more information to me please
about 5 months ago
Hello Alex, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog. It’s not a good idea to release a bird into a room unless it has been carefully “bird-proofed” by sealing all possible hiding places and removing other hazards.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.