my sun conure does not like to stay in his cage.

Recently Phoenix has started to get very comfortable with us, which is great, the only difference now is that he wont stay inside his cage, just in the top play gym. When I do put him inside he just stands on the door begging me to open it, and when I open the door he goes straight to the top of the cage. Is this normal for a parrot??

My sun makes a fuss when he is in his cage too. He clings to the door and squawks until I let him out, haha. About the only time he doesn't mind being in his cage is when he is eating.

yea that's exactly what mine does. hehehe

AVM said:

When I do put him inside he just stands on the door begging me to open it, and when I open the door he goes straight to the top of the cage. Is this normal for a parrot??

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Iago said:

My sun makes a fuss when he is in his cage too. He clings to the door and squawks until I let him out...

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You two are creating a monster, lol. Letting your bird out every time he or she throws a tantrum and screams, is actually reinforcing the screaming. Your bird will learn that screaming is likely to get them out of the cage, and will therefore be more likely to scream more frequently.

It's like the parent who gives their child a candy bar to stop them from throwing a fit. Not realizing, that in doing so they are only rewarding the child for throwing a fit. If a child learns that throwing a fit gets them a reward, can you blame them for doing it again and again?

As heart-breaking as it may seem, in situations such as this, it is always best to ignore the undesired behavior. In doing so your parrot learns that screaming will have no effect, so he or she will be less likely to do it as frequently. Consistency is key. Keep in mind, of course, that conures are naturally loud birds, so they will scream from time to time regardless.

NOTE: I am only referring to setting limits AFTER you've spent plenty of quality time with your bird. In no way am I implying that you should simply ignore your bird and keep him or her locked in the cage all day. Like all parrots, conures do require a lot of attention, a cage with plenty of space, and lots of toys.

PS: Try reinforcing your bird for going back to their cage. For example, reward them with their favorite treat as soon as you place them back in their cage. This gives your bird something to look forward to when going back in the cage, and helps to make the experience of being back in their cage more pleasant. This should also help in reducing the fussing.

lexx510 said:

Letting your bird out every time he or she throws a tantrum and screams, is actually reinforcing the screaming.

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I guess I worded this wrong. If I've had him out for a while then he squawks I don't let him out. If he squawks when I get home from work and he's been in the cage a while I let him out.

That's great advise thanks! I leave the cage door open and he just wont go back in, I guess I should leave him in there more often. He wont even eat unless I bring the food bowls to the top. He does sleep in there during the night with no problem though. I will definitely try the treat in the cage! thanks!

Iago said:

lexx510 said:

Letting your bird out every time he or she throws a tantrum and screams, is actually reinforcing the screaming.

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I guess I worded this wrong. If I've had him out for a while then he squawks I don't let him out. If he squawks when I get home from work and he's been in the cage a while I let him out.

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Same principle would apply. Wait a few minutes for him to quiet down, then get him out of the cage. That way you're rewarding him for being quiet and not for being fussy. Basically, you want to be consistent in ignoring the undesired behavior (e.g., squawking) and rewarding the desired behavior.