Blimey. I've had the conure for only 4 hours and 2 momentous things have happened:

[Deja Q]

1. He's figured out how to open the door to the cage. Effin' bloody genius, I need to buy a lock...

2. He cries and then screams when I leave the room. :cry:

Tomorrow I'm getting the play stand, stat. And put up pics. I hate isolating him in the other room.

He'll really miss me Monday when I have to go back to work. :(




Edit: Spelling in subject line
Edit2: Added pic

[Critters2]

1. ...

[Deja Q]

7. Okay, here's the best pic I can come up with for tonight:

[Critters2]

9. What a pretty bird!! Thanks! nt

[Kat45]

2. What kind of conure is he?

Don't you have another bird as well (or am I thinking of somebody else)?

Edited to add: Of course he's smart, he's a bird! :D

[Deja Q]

5. Cinnamon Conure

I'll have pics tomorrow... most amazing bird and he does play with toys, so I know I can leave him alone. I'll need to rotate them often as he's probably the brightest bird I've ever owned. Almost scary, how quickly he figured out the door...

I also have two pacific blue parrotlets -- I had Piri for 3 weeks before she became codependent/neurotic (24 hours per day wasn't enough time), so I got her Piers and they bonded in what seemed like 2 seconds... mostly good, but she turned on me pretty quick, which makes sense -- I'd read up a bit on parrotlet behavior. I still miss Piri flying onto my shoulder and all, but now she even plays with toys when Piers is around, I know she's better adjusted to her life than she was even with me, for which she was always catatonic until I got home -- and then wanted to have her head scratched and would do everything to avoid going back in the cage. (At the pet store for 18 months, stuck in a cage with no toys being rotated was pretty bad, IMO.)

My flock of fids (Feathered kIDS) is 3, and staying that way unless the parrotlets successfully breed. (not this year, but as they get used to things they probably will.)

[Kat45]

13. You have parrotlets?

I don't know if I knew that. As you can see in my sig picture, I LOVE parrotlets. Got a picture of them you can post? I'd love to see them. Blues are so pretty.

[Deja Q]

14. Thanks for asking!! Got some pics right here:

Started with adopting Piri, but was not well adjusted from her previous home (a pet store). 18 months old, it must've been a horrible stress - not that 18 months with little interaction and little toy adjustment did anything. She wouldn't eat for 2 days and after that became very clingy to me, because she did not know how to play with toys. To the point of neurosis, the beak banging alone was horrible, so I got her Piers. He and Piri got along like butter to bread and now I'm the outsider to them. And that's okay, thanks to him, she even plays with toys, but they will otherwise do almost everything in unison. (one day I'll end up with babies...)

I played with her for a couple hours each day. Enough for some, but not her. :( I still like to think I did the right thing; getting Piers.

Before I got Piers:

[Kat45]

24. Awwwwwwwwwwww!

They're so cute! Beautiful little birds.

[Deja Q]

17. Incidentally, how long have you had Grace?

That picture of her looks so perfect. Her pose, what could be seen as a happy facial expression - most adorable.

[Kat45]

25. Thanks. That's my favorite picture of her.

Not only does she look adorable, but her parrotlet attitude also comes through. She just turned 5 in March, and I got her from a breeder in the area just after she was weaned.

[Deja Q]

27. That's the ideal time to get 'em

Right after weaning.

Both mine were full adults at the time and had "issues". Piri's inability to play with toys and bang on the cage bars was enough for me to get Piers. She took 2 days to get over her nervousness, and quickly became codependent on me (or what might be deemed worse). Even 1~2 hours each day direct contact, it was insatiable. I just couldn't get her to play on her own. Piers did, with the two not having known each other for more than... 20 minutes, I swear. I still feel I did the right thing, but my big worry is that the cage doesn't contain lead or any other toxic metals that will harm or kill them.)

She defends him and their area, even when I'm 12 feet away she will do her chirping act; if I get to 5 feet away she'll do a mad dash to the front of the cage and growl for a couple minutes, then gets used to me and buggers off. :silly: But I love 'em and treat them with great care. Both were meant for each other...

[truedelphi]

3. What color is this critter? Or better yet

This thread is pointless without pics.

[Deja Q]

8. See #7 above or see the picture here:

:D

[truedelphi]

22. I see the smirk of a lock picker lurking beneath that beak

You are gonna be living in interesting times from this point out...

[Elidor]

4. Could you play him some soft music?

Sorry, I know that's lame. It sucks to have a pet who's miserable when you're away. Maybe a CD of conure sounds? I'd almost say move him into your bedroom, but that will just make the inevitable separation anxiety that much worse. Maybe a night light? Maybe he's scared of the dark.

I know: a night light and some soft ambient music to keep him chilled.

[Deja Q]

6. LOL, he's in there now.

Screamed twice for me already. :( There is a light on...

He did eat an hour ago, which was great to see. When I got Piri, she did not eat for 2 days...

[swag]

10. Good report and photos.

Keep them coming.

[Danger Mouse]

11. conures are loud ass birds.

[davsand]

12. Yep, noisy little shits. They can be mean too.

Lived with a couple of them that ended up a mated pair. We raised a few babies (hand fed them--gawd that is an awful job!) from that pair. We finally lost the female when she got egg bound and that was when I stopped living with those birds.

They were little flying poopers that could bite the f*ck out of you with no provocation. Literally, those birds would fly across the room to get you. I felt kind of like Tippie Hedron some days.

I will NEVER live with a conure again. EVER.

Now, an African Gray, on the other hand, I'd be delighted to have in my household. Amazing birds...



Laura

[Deja Q]

15. Ah!

African Grays always appealed to me, but it's been said by many a parrot psychologist they do not like agitated people. Even the new conure is adjusting to me, though Piri (before Piers) adored me.

The conure hasn't really bitten; mostly nibbled with his tongue -- a sign of getting to know a person...

At the store, he chose me by waddling to the front and performing tricks when the other conure just sat there. Birds also being individuals, it's best when they come to you and not vice-versa.

[davsand]

19. I swear Grays have got to be the smartest birds I have ever seen.

We had a gray that stayed with us for about a year while her owner moved cross country and got settled. I loved that bird completely and totally. You do have to respect them--she bit my finger down to the bone one day right after she came to stay with us--but overall they are just super birds to have around.

The thing about her (and every other gray I have ever known) was how fast she picked stuff up. Grays are some of the best at talking, but they also learn to manipulate objects in a flash--way faster than I ever saw my Amazon learn anything. Simply amazing birds.

A little story about that gray; she had grown up with a house full of other animals. Her "dad" was really into reptiles and arachnids, and he had a few cats running around too. Sarah would sit on top of her cage (we let her loose in the house whenever we were home) and for the first couple of days she'd sit there and CALL the cats' names. "Ivy, Agnes,_____" (I don't remember the rest of their names, but you get the idea...) Anyhow, the cats never came and she'd get pissed off and she'd start yelling.

Then she started calling the cats in general, "Heeeeere Kitty Kitty...." and our dumb cats would go dashing in there to se what was up. Once the cats were in the room she'd start in talking to the cats so they'd walk up to her cage. All the while she talking to those cats, she was climbing down the side of the cage and leaning out trying to BITE them...

MOST amazing thing I have EVER seen a bird do. EVER. I have seen them mimic stuff/sounds, but I had never seen them INITIATE interaction like that. It was not a big thing that she'd say "hello" whenever the phone rang--my Amazon did that too--but the idea of Sarah actually instigating crap with the cats was just astounding.

Enjoy your new pal, and celebrate him. They are a lot of work, but they really are amazing animals. I have not lived with birds for about ten years now, and I do (sometimes) miss them and how entertaining they are. I do not miss cleaning cages and water dishes, cutting fruit, and mixing food, but I do miss the better parts of life with birds.


Laura

[Deja Q]

16. Some more than others

The Sun and Jardine parrots in particular are way too loud.

The green cheek side is quieter, but they can be persnickety too. Not much louder than my Senegal parrot of the time, but can be more... frequent.

[HamstersFromHell]

18. If you want to go deaf, try a Nanday

I took in several abused birds years back and got them over being hand shy and self plucking.

The Nanday I had was the absolute worst...extremely loud and very demanding. Did find it a good home, however.

I miss my Senegal (took him home from the breeder the day he was old enough), but post divorce I has neither the time or resources to keep it. :(

He bonded only with me and would take fingers off those who invaded his space (cage).

Then he met an ex-g/f and they bonded immediately. She has MS and lived alone, and Panhead (yes, the Harley bird from hell) made her the perfect companion.

Now maroon bellied conures are perfect for someone who wants all the "bird smarts" and a small package.

Great pics and wonderful companions!

[hunter]

29. Nandays have huge personalities.

Usually not a personality most people can live with.

We had one who could pick out the person most scared of birds in a crowd and assault them like a screaming green demon from hell.

And she hated dogs, there wasn't a dog who could get near her, and if they tried once, they never did again. Just for fun she would harrass our rabbit. We shipped her by air once, and all the other poor animals getting off the plane looked miserable because I'm sure she screamed for the entire trip.

But she was always sweet to bird people.

[applegrove]

20. Lovely looking critter.

[GCP]

21. Have you seen "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill"?

Great little documentary movie about wild conures in San Francisco.

[Kat45]

26. That was a great film.

I loved it!

[JVS]

23. solution

[Deja Q]

30. .

:spray:

[Coyote_Bandit]

28. Scissor Clips

http://www.katsation.com/parrot/shop/P-351/Scissor_Clip_for_Parrot_Cages_Toys_1_pc.html


YOu can get them at your local hardware store for about a buck a piece. Get one for everything that opens on the cage and you should be able to safely secure your beautiful lieelt birdie./

[Deja Q]

31. Sweeeeet, thx for the info!

:)