My husband wrote the article for the BLOG and yes, he adds a bit of melodrama to his writings. But they are basically to the point.

 Canaries and Finches DO belong to the same family. This paragraph comes out of Wikipedia to make it simple.

 The Canary (Serinus canaria), also called the Island Canary, Atlantic Canary or Common Canary, is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Serinus in the finch family, Fringillidae. It is native to the Azores, the Canary Islands, and Madeira. Wild birds are mostly yellow-green, with brownish streaking on the back. The species is common in captivity and a number of different colour varieties have been bred. (Some finches can be bred with canaries to create different colorations as well) 

Canaries and Finches basically have four things in mind. Eating, finding a mate, building a nest and breeding. Repeat. 

These sweet sounding birds, can be quite savage and their pointy beaks can do a lot of damage to another of the same sex if they are in competition for a mate or territory. Or even harm their own mate if the female is not in the mood, the male can chase her and peck her bald and bleeding until she submits or gets away. 

Your single bird was likely a male singing finch which I have bred and they are lovely. His pecking at the mirror was indeed a try at removing a suitor for the missing female. Males and females can look alike to us, but they can tell the difference. 

That the bird was kept in the laundry room was not the best place for it as the fumes from the dryer could have shortened it's life, lint, air borne particles and other strong scents and chemicals could also affect its lungs. However if your bird lived for 12 years or more it did not appear to have been affected much. 

Birds tend to like the sounds of the washer, dryer, vacuum cleaner, dishwasher and other such appliances as they trigger a mental image of running water which is always an attractant to birds. Birds will start to sing or bathe in their water dishes if you start to vacuum around the house. This is always a treat to see.