Trade in Singing Birds at City of New York

Presented verbatim.

The N.Y. Tribune makes the following estimate of the trade in singing birds in the city of New York during the present year:

10,000 canaries (short breed) from $4 to $6 a pair ... 600 canaries (long breed), $8 per pair ... 600 goldfinches, from $1 to $2 each ... 50 blackbirds, from $5 to $15 each ... 25 nightingales, from $10 to $25 ... 500 linnets at $1 ... 100 skylarks, at $3 ... 400 fancy pigeons (imported) averaging $12 a pair ... 12 gold and silver pheasants, $30 per pair ...	$25,000 2,400 700 500 320 500 300 2,400 180
Making over 12,000 European birds imported and sold here for about ...	$32,000

Added to the above there are sold African, South American and other birds, as follows:

500 parrots, average price $7 each ... 200 wedoes or birds of paradise, $6 a pair ... 100 mocking birds, $15 each ... 500 Java sparrows, $1 50 each ... 200 white and red cardinals, $5 a pair ... 50 grobolis, $5 each ... 200 nonpareils, $3 a pair ... 50 fire birds, $3 each ...	$3,500 600 1500 750 500 250 300 150
Making 1,800 American birds, worth ...	$7,500

The trade in canaries is entirely in the hands of five or six Germans. The bird importers depart for Europe about the first of August to make their purchases, returning to New York in the course of two to three months. During their absence they travel through the Hartz Mountains purchasing from the peasants, who raise them as a pastime, their stock of canaries, linnets, finches, blackbirds, thrushes and other songbirds. Males are sold in the mountains for $1 to $ 1 25 each. The importers have recently returned with a portion of their stocks, and it is estimated that 12,000 birds are now in the city for sale.

We have not enumerated in the above tables the Blue-birds, Indigo-birds, Blue Robins, Yellow-birds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cat-birds, Wood-Robbins, Brown Thrashers and a multitude of other wild birds of which thousands are yearly bought and sold in this city or sent to Europe. It may be safely estimated that $50,000 a year is expended in New York for song birds.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle 15(306): 1. Issued December 27, 1856. Originally issued in the New York Tribune.