Why is my "male" canary tearing strips of newspaper from the bottom of

I have a canary who the breeder said was a male. We assumed he was a male, too, because he does sing. He's still young, so his songs aren't really complicated yet, but he sings.

Recently, he has started tearing strips of newspaper like he wants to make a nest. I can't get him to stop.

Is my male canary really female or is this behavior common?

Male canaries aren't likely to tear up newspaper. Female canaries that are interested in breeding are very likely to shred the newspaper. They do this because they think they need to build a nest. It's very normal behavior for a female canary. If you notice any eggs in the cage, then you know for sure you have a female. That breeder could have been lying to you to get you to buy the bird.

Owned parakeets and finches for 15 years