Email from a VCC visitor:

I am an avian rescuer, by that, I mean that I adopt birdies that are defective or were abandoned, etc. In general, those are not canaries but other species whichs anatomy and physicology I am quite informed about. But I am pretty clueless about canaries.
One thing puzzles me: the shape of the vent/cloaca in canaries.
In budgies, for example, the abdomen is basically (if no conditions are presented) “roundish”, no protuberances, basically the vent is not really raised nor shaped in any particular way. Basically, the vent is represented by a hole in the lower abdomen. Canaries’ feathers are so much fluffier and the vent is not so easy to watch/see. I have got the impression that the vent appears in a sort of protuberance, so to speak, and is not lying almost “flat” against the abdomen. There is like a roundish protuberance behind the vent. I am supposed to have females (and they behave like such, although I never bred them or anything). But I am not sure if I am explaining this right and need to see pics of how a female cloaca/vent is like because I want to make sure my canaries have a normal vent and tha the shape I see is not the result of some tumor or something weird in the area. Could you send me a drawing of how a vent should be like and/or tell me if there is away to know if the bird has a tumor? (I can’t take it to the vet because I already have been taking care of sick birdies and am broke - btw, my females seem healthy and normal, it is the vent that makes me wonder).

We have Sad News - our member JACK GORTON PASSED AWAY ON FEBRUARY 6TH, 2009 on his Cruise to South America.  He was between Falkland Island and the Tip of South America.  He was in the middle of his trip. Jack  was a Vancouver Canary Club member and served us as a Treasurer for many years. Jack will sadly be missed by all of us.

The Memorial Service for Jack Gorton will be held on:
Saturday February 28th, 2009
Time:  10:00 am.
Place:  Ryerson United Church
2195 45th West Avenue ,Vancouver, BC

This week’s photo was sent in by Mostafa.
It’s a photo of Melon and her babies.
Melon is a red intensive canary.

Thanks for sending in the photo, Mostafa!

If you would like to send in a photo of your canary, please click here - send in photo.

VCC Event - BIRD MART

Date:  Sunday, September 21, 2008

Time:  To be announced
Place:  Lockdale Community Center
             490 Sperling Avenue
             Burnaby, BC

The Vancouver Canary Club will be hosting a BIRD MART on Sunday, September 21, 2008.
The Bird Mart is a fundraiser for our upcoming VCC Fall Show.
We are looking for Buyers and Sellers!

• For Buyers:  We will have many avian products, bird feed, cage accessories as well as birds - canaries, finches, and perhaps other types of birds.
• For Sellers:  You can have a table spot to sell your goods for $25.00.

If you are interested in renting a table or would like more information, please contact us by clicking here:
http://www.vancouvercanaryclub.com/contact-us/

Please come out and support the VCC Fall Show!!!

A visitor, Sabrina, emailed this question: 

“HOW DO YOU TELL IF THE CANARY IS FEMALE OR MALE? I BOUGHT A YELLOW CANARY AND IT’S HARD TO TELL IF IT’S A BOY OR GIRL. SHE DOESN’T SING LIKE A MALE DOES.”

 ——————–

Hi, Sabrina!

Usually, the males sing and not the females.  However, we’ve had females that sound like they were singing.  They would trill and tweet kind of like a male canary.  It’s really difficult to tell a male from a female until breeding season.

To check, and if you’re feeling brave enough to hold your canary, gently blow on its vent to move the feathers so you can see it’s underbelly.  The male will have a penis like a very small swelling next to the vent.  If the vent is smooth and round, torpedo-shaped, then it is female.

More experienced breeders can tell just by looking at their birds if they have other canaries of same type and colour to compare it to.  It may be more difficult to sex younger canaries. Hope this helps!