canary in our garden

Hi, yesterday we had a bright yellow canary in our garden. It stayed all day feeding with the wild birds and I was able to get up close but was unable to catch it. There was a blue tag on one of its legs.

I felt so sad when it eventually went late into the evening because it was alone and I don't know what will have happened to it.

Can anybody tell me if they have had a similar experience.

Thanks.

Liz

  • Hi Liz

    I am sorry to say that most canaries don't last very long in the wild, killed by the other birds.

    Fingers crossed that your one proves the expection to the rule.

    Robert

     

  • Hi lizzie

    Welcome to the forums :-)

    I haven't had a similar experience, but it must have been interesting to watch a canary in your garden all day. I will keep my fingers crossed that it's still around and that you see it again.

  • Hi Lizzie and welcome to the forum,

    Poor thing, I do hope he survives his taste of freedom. You are doing the right thing in trying to catch him as Robert says, the other birds may try to attack him eventually.

    Maybe you could try to find his owner and they may have better luck catching him.

    We seem to have had two or three of these reported on the forum recently.

    Please let us know the outcome.

  • The biggest danger to escaped cage birds is that they are so extremely naive. Unless they find a garden with a reliable supply of seeds, there is every chance that they will starve. Also, having no concept of safety and danger - or about the warning calls of other wild birds - they will be prime targets for every and any passing predator, as well as traffic. I was once a passenger in a car when we approached a group of birds, mainly finches, feeding on something on the road. As the car approached, the flock flew off in good time, except the cockatiel that was with them, which only took off when the car was on top of it, resulting in another ex-parrot to join the famous Norwegian Blue.

    Wild birds come in different shapes, sizes and colours, with a number of brightly coloured species native to the UK. Other birds have no reason to attack and kill a canary just because it looks a bit different. However, with its lack of social skills it is likely to end up on the bottom of the pecking order and be bullied as a subordinate individual, which can result in it losing condition or even perishing. As has been suggested, it is definitely best to try and recapture an escaped cage bird, as it will be a lot happier in the environment it knows.

  • Hi Liz and a big warm welcome to this great site. I have to say i not had the luck to have a Canary in our garden yet. How where the other birds in your garden with this strange colour bird  ?

    Onny 

  • Hi everyone, thanks for your replies. The canary seemed to get on really well with the other birds and they didn't seem to mind it. I even put a bird cage where he was feeding and he did go inside to eat the food but I came out of the house too quickly and he got out. I tried to put a towel over him but he was too quick. I was able to get very close and nearly touch him with my hand.

    When he flew off eventually I was very upset as, although I am a positive person and would like to think he went back home, deep down I felt he would die. I did try to see if anyone knew the owner but didn't have any luck.

    Sadly, I haven't seen him today.

    Liz

  • Hi Lizzie and welcome to the forums. Hope the canary returns and you have some luck catching it.

  • Hi Lizzie,

    Many years ago we saw a white canary feeding alongside the sparrows in our garden.  Like you, we were worried about its survival & managed to attract it into our house with seeds.  (It was obviously quite used to houses!)   We never found his owner, and we ended up keeping him.  He was a great singer!

    I hope the one you saw is ok.

    Best wishes,

    Keeta

  • Hello, was looking on the tinterweb having found a canary today in my garden and came across this old post.

    I managed to catch our visitor and am now searching locally for the owner, or I'll get a suitable cage if I can't find them.

    He seems a relaxed little fellow, is eating and drinking happily so hopefully he'll be good.

  • Though I'm convinced the bird is a canary, one person said it was a juvenile Yellowhammer. Though un-tagged, it's way to tame for a wild bird. Thoughts.?