Canary enthusiasts are among the most passionate of the bird keepers — they need more than a little zeal to master the hundreds of canary types, each with its own special traits. Canaries are bred for three basic characteristics: song, color, or type (appearance), though the male bird in each of these types will sing.
Most canary novices will want a canary that sings well, rather than a ravishing beauty with a mediocre song. Finding a good singer is tricky business, and takes skill and experience. The longest and sweetest songs come from the male canary when he has reached maturity at 6 months of age or more.
Canaries are susceptible to mite infection, namely: air-sac mites (which are found in the bird’s respiratory system), scaly mites (which show as scaly buildup around the bird’s beak, eyes and/or legs), feather mites and red mites (nocturnal mites that crawl out during the night and feed on the bird’s blood).