🏠Housing a Canary: a 80 × 40 × 50 cm cage, fully fitted

Canary : A cage wider than it is tall, 60 to 80 cm minimum, between 50 and 120 euros, with perches at each end to encourage flight. Place it at eye level, away from draughts and the kitchen.

In short: 12 to 14 cm, 8 to 12 year lifespan, low noise level with the male's pleasant song. An ornamental, hands-off bird watched rather than handled; the male sings mainly to mark his territory. A straight-beaked bird above all: flight length is what matters, so a long, uncluttered cage beats any pointless height.

80 × 40 × 50 cm: the serious minimum

For a Canary, the cage measures at least 80 × 40 × 50 cm, wider than tall: birds fly horizontally, not in lifts. Bars spaced 1 to 1.2 cm — any wider and the head slips through and jams.

Perches and layout

Install the perches (untreated wood, 1-1.5 cm in varied diameters) at the ends: the cage’s centre stays a flight corridor, and nothing overhangs the bowls. Complete with no-waste feeders, a paper floor changed every two days and the bathing corner; rule out smooth plastic perches and abrasive sleeves, which wound the soles.

Placement changes everything

Set the cage against a wall, at eye level, in the room where the family lives — absolutely excluding the kitchen, where overheated non-stick fumes kill a bird in minutes. Natural light without direct sun, 10 to 12 hours of calm darkness at night.

Frequently asked questions

What cage size for a Canary?

80 × 40 × 50 cm minimum, wider than tall, bars spaced 1 to 1.2 cm — plus daily free flight, the cage being only base camp.

Where should a Canary’s cage go?

Against a living-room wall at eye height, away from the kitchen (toxic fumes), direct sun and draughts, with 10 to 12 hours of quiet darkness.

The guides that apply to you

The rest of the Canary’s gear

Bedding & habitat for related breeds and species