Loud conure; parents fed up of bad behaviour.

Ok so this is a really long post. Sorry about that. But it`s necessary to get my point across.

Hello. So I am currently in university, second year. I have a rose-crowned conure at home, and he is the most adorable thing ever! I love him so much. He's your typical cuddly, mischievous parrot. I got him from a friend when I was about 14, and he's probably 6 years old or so now. Anyways, I go to school quite a ways from home. Let's just say I only go home at Christmas time, and the bus trip is torture.

So my conure currently lives at home with my family who, by the way, don't particularly like birds to begin with. I know, it was dumb for me to get a bird before I went to school. My family let my bird out of his cage every day, fed him, watered him, gave him toys, etc. My dad picked him up and played with him a few times a day, but my mom never touches him. I would come home at Christmas and he'd be really excited to see me. He'd get all cuddly and friendly and was just happy to see me.

However, my family moved last month to a smaller house (as their kids are leaving home, they want to downsize) and I wasn't there through the ordeal to bring my bird there and get him settled in. I advised my parents against moving until the summer or a time I could be there, but nope. They did it anyways. I`ll also let you know that my parents do foster care for babies, so there`s always a loud toddler running around. The other kids they used to foster come around every so often as well to visit with their parents, so there`s never a time when someone isn`t over at the house. As well, my sister is in her last year of high school and has friends over every so often. My family is not a very quiet one either ;p

Anyways, so now my bird has got into this bad behaviour where all he does, all day, every day (NO LIE) is climbs to the top corner of his cage (when he`s allowed out), crouches, flutters his wings, and chirps. Not like a nice little chirp every so often. I mean a somewhat loud continous chirp ALL THE TIME. When he`s inside his cage, he does the same thing, just on a perch. He never plays with his toys, he never minds his own business and does his own thing, he never has baths any more, he doesn`t eat as well (he used to be a pig and eat all his food in the morning right after I gave it to him, but now he kinda pick at it all day). I know my bird well enough, and this wing fluttering and crouching means he wants to go somewhere else, usually in the direction of where he`s looking. I came over a few weeks ago during a school break and when I was there, he only got worse. He was chirping nonstop (I really mean it) and doing his weird fluttering and crouching. I would go to pick him up and he`d step up, but do the exact same thing on my finger, or wherever I set him down (other perches, the couch, my shoulder, table, etc.) He never stops doing it. I let him down on the floor once to see where he wanted to go, and he just walks in random directions until he crouches and flutters his wings and I go pick him up again.

My family is really starting to get fed up of his behaviour. They don`t know what to do anymore. I`ve told them to get him different toys and change them around every so often. I`ve told them to keep taking him out and socialising with him. They haven`t changed his food or duration of daylight or anything like that. All the people over at our house hasn`t changed from where we lived before we moved. When I visited that few weeks ago I tried everything. I looked up causes, remedies, things to do, etc. I have no dea what`s wrong. Well, it`s probably the new environment. Also, the kitchen, living room, and dining room is pretty much one room as it`s an open concept layout, something that the old house didn`t have. My parrot is kept in the living room, and he was at the old house as well. Anyways, since I visited, he`s gotten worse and hasn`t stopped EVER apparently by what I`m told. They can`t even hold him any more cause all he does is just stand there, fluttering and crouching, and he won`t let them touch him. He`s not biting or scared, just avoiding them.

My parents informed me today that they`re getting really sick of him and they`ll either move him into the basement or get rid of him. Now my parents aren`t mean people at all and we`re a really close family, so when they said this I knew it was serious. I can`t let them put him in the basement. I know what happens to parrots who never see the sun and who don`t get any socialisation. I also really really really don`t want to get rid of him. I love him so much. I only have two years left of school, then I`ll be out and I`ll take him from them.

So is it too much to ask for my parents to just keep him until school is done? Is it mean of me to keep him in the basement, clearly unhappy and losing trust in people and all his good behaviour, until I’m done school and can retrain him again? Or should I really just find a new home for him? I’ll take any help I can get. I’m really stuck in a bad position here and I have no idea what to do. It’s really stressful on me, my parents, and my bird.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any ideas as to what`s wrong with him, what I can do to help him stop, or what I should do with him, please please let me know. I know this was a long post, but I had to go into detail. Thanks so much again, and have a great day!

PS I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes. I am a grammar Nazi but I was upset while writing this.

Hey there. So sorry to hear about your lil guy. Please please please dont put him in the basement. Please. I think that would be two years of hell for him. If your parents just cant handle him maybe you can find someone willing to foster him for the next two years. Are you stuck in a dorm or do you have a place of your own? Maybe he could move to college with you. I am so sorry that I dont have any real help for you. Best of luck!!

I agree with Rio, can you find sombody to foster him for 2 years ? As I don't know how you will correct the problems when you are not they're. You could put a add in the paper , or if you are home for thanks giving vacation maybe you could choose one ?

I agree with the others, this bird needs a place where somebody cares about him and gives him attention every day. What state are you in?

are you able to get an apartment with a close friend going to the same school so you can take him?

I'm sorry to say, it just sounds like he isn't getting enough attention.

I had to move away for a year, which ended up merging into two years when circumstances changed. I didn't want to take Kermit (a conure) with me because the trip was 14 hours by car and I knew he wouldnt be able to handle a plane trip. My parents meant well and at first they took him out and played with him daily. Then weekly... eventually very rarely. If they took him out, they normally just took him out and paid him no attention. Conures are highly social animals, they need their flock, they need physical touch (preening) and they need to be mentally stimulated.

Kermit developed a similar behaviour. When I got him back he was afraid to come out of his cage unless he could be on me, snuggled into my neck. He would peep and wing flutter almost continuously.

My recommendation to everyone and anyone reading this... if you need to move away and can not take your parrot, either board/foster him with a parrot lover, or find him a new home. Parents mean well, but unless they are parrot people with birds of their own you are setting your bird up for a miserable life. I regret leaving Kermit there every day and my selfishness never allowed me to find him a home where he would truly be happy, even if it broke my heart to do so.

The more this goes on, the worse it will get. Your parents probably already resent him, or will soon. They will take him out less and less and eventually he will be cage bound and afraid of the world. Whether he is in their basement or just left in his cage.
I hope there is someone here who can foster him for you, otherwise a new home would be in his best interests.

This is one of the reasons why we don't recommend parrots to young teenagers...

This is your bird and your responsibility..

Sorry I can't be of any help..

Hey thanks everyone for your concern and suggestions. I talked to my parents and I've been searching online for places that he could stay for the rest of my school career. I really would rather not, but I love him too much to make him miserable for the next few years.

And lene1949 I know younger people shouldn't own birds in the first place, but he was given to me by someone who wanted me to babysit him, then never showed up again (it's a long story). I actually hate it when younger people get pets, then go to school and get rid of them. It's so irresponsible. But stuff happens, right?

Pookamama I live in Ontario, Canada. So there's not many professional bird care places to take him.

Why don't you see if anyone on this forum would be willing to foster him for you. Or, contact your local shelter and see if they know of anyone who would be willing to take care of him for you. I hate to say it, but I think you need to find foster care or re-home him if you can't keep him with you. I am willing to take on my son's parrot when he goes to school and that is the commitment that I made to him (he is 13 now), BUT I can fully understand your parent's situation since a parrot is a complicated being and not like a cat who is super easy to take care of. Are your parents willing to loan you some money so that you can pay someone to take care of your bird? I am not talking boarding, but pay for food, vet bills and a fee for the service? Good luck to you and I hope that you can find a good solution for you and your bird. Sounds like where he is at isn't an option--unfortunately.

my quaker does that all the time. and he gets plenty of attention and morethan enough toys. birds are just naturally loud. and they dont care who hears, who they annoying, r who is over your house. you might be able to get a friend or cousin or something to watch him until your out of school. he wont just "be quiet" because your parents are annoyed. like i said, birds dont really care. thats my only idea...

If you want to find him a new home, just be very picky about who you choose. I'd strongly recommend somebody with bird experience, whose home you should see and tell what sort of diet their birds get, if they have toys, out of cage time, etc.

To be honest I was one of those foolish young teens that had birds. I should explain my parents for some reason bought them for me (the budgie and the conure). A friend of my moms that owned a pet store gave me a tame cockatiel and I bought the supplies. Sadly things gone down hill when I went to college and no longer there to take care of them daily. My dad started to not like them because they were noisey and they always created a mess that needed pick up everyday. My parents divoreced and my dad remarried a woman with a son. They didn't like them either. I think finding someone with bird experience that can look after him until you can take him is a good solution. To any teens that love animals whether it be a ferret, birds, etc have a back up plan of someone looking after your pet during college before you get the pet. Unless your parents hate cats or dogs a pet cat or dog will probably be fine with your parents.

Where do you live in Ontario? I am currently in Alberta for school (I had to leave my horse in Ontario so I completely understand what youre going through) but Im from the Belleville area and did my masters in Guelph. I may know someone willing to help out. You can PM me or email me if you would rather keep it private. [email protected]

This is a hard situation. Is there any way you could live off campus (and would it be a good idea otherwise)?

One of my conures used to do that same exact thing ALL the time, all day every day and it drove me up the walls. He seems to do better with a partner as he was with one. So he wasn't as bad as he could be. They get nervous easily. Conures can be like that, part of the reason why I do not own a conure anymore. There's been plenty of people tried to give me one and I declined. One type of bird I would not foster for anyone...lol...