Potentially Adopting a Conure

Hello all!

I'm brand new to this community and I'm hoping some of you will be able to give me some advice. I've been researching Sun/Jenday Conures for some time now and feel good about bringing one into my life. They seem like wonderful birds and would compliment my lifestyle nicely.

My concern is whether I should adopt this 1.5 year old sunnie I've found, or wait and purchase a baby from a reputable breeder. I know there are a lot of birds out there that are in need of new homes, so I wanted to go through with an adoption at first. However, I'm worried that this conure will be strongly bonded with it's previous owner and I will be unable to break through for a long time.

I've asked for a lot of information on this conure and she seems wonderful. Very friendly, knows a good handful of tricks, can say a few phrases and is supposedly very affectionate - which is exactly what I'm looking for. I want a bird that loves to spend time with me and wants to cuddle! I'm worried this older conure might have underlying behavioral issues I wasn't told about (even though I asked and the owner seems very nice and honest).

Do you think I'm overreacting? I just want this to be a good, smart decision. I want to make sure this bird is right for me, and I'm right for her.

Thanks for listening,

Concerned Future Conure Mommy

The most sure thing you can do is literally go to their house and spend time with the bird and see how you guys get along! For about 2 weeks you can go maybe 2-3 times a week and if the birds not right for you then don't get him not a lot of people have suns where I live so I'm going directly to a breeder. Good luck and make sure you post lots a pics when you get your new birdie! (Fyi pics are mandatory LOL)

Thank you both for the reply!

I plan to meet her next week, I'm just not sure how frequently I'd be able to visit. She lives over 3 hours away, making that trip multiple times each week could be difficult.

The potential noise factor is my only concern. Normal vocalizations I wouldn't have a problem with, I just worry about the possibility of it being much more than that. I've been doing tons of research and the more research I do, the more I read about incessant screaming for hours and hours on end with no way to stop it. That scenario is rather intimidating to think about. I guess I'm just worried I wouldn't be able to improve the situation based on my inexperience with birds that excessively scream. I have experience with Quaker Parrots who can be quite loud at times, it just was nothing excessive.

I just adopted my jenday who is 3 years old. I drove a couple of hours to pick her up and she hated me while I was there. She was dive bombing me biting my ears and hands drawing blood. It's was crazy lol. But then I brought her home to a new house new cage and all and she instantly loved me. Is always on my shoulder and calling me for to get her out. So you can't really base it on how the bird acts at their house cause they may be territorial or protective of their previous owners.

Also my jenday can be loud but just a scream here and there. Not screaming for hours. Lol. Most of the time it's just chirps and whistles with the occasional human words "kisses" "chichi" and sometimes "oh ****" lol.

With the 'screaming for hours and hours'--my Georgie went through a phase of this at one point in her life. Wow it was rough, but she did 'out grow' it or learn what was appropriate and expected. She became relatively quiet, of course making the 'notorious' sun conure screech when she did squawk, because that's just her voice, but it wasn't done to be obnoxious or anything, more when the mail man was dropping mail in the box right in her line of view out the window or something like that.
My Georgie was a bird who tended to be a 'one person' bird (me) but she did meet other people she liked and she was not nasty to people she didn't particularly like, just didn't want them to handle her.
Go meet your sun and see how it works out and go from there. You won't know until you see how it goes. A young sun like that shouldn't have too much trouble transitioning to a new home, i wouldn't think.

Well I will be going to see her in a few days. I really hope it goes well; I'm nervous!

I've been thinking about getting a second cage. I don't think the one she has is big enough? If you go to overstock.com and search for this item number (12503384), you can see her current cage. I was thinking about getting a bigger cage, the same one another user here has: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00176F5L0/ref=redir_mdp_mobile]Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Flight Cage with Stand F040 Black Bird Cage, 31-Inch by 20-1/2-Inch by 53-Inch:Amazonet Supplies[/ame]

I would use her old cage for sleeping at night and the new bigger cage for fun during the day. I was going to keep her sleeping cage in my second bedroom and her daytime cage in the living room right beside a window. Does this sound like a good idea?

I don't think you should get one from a breeder. If you're worried about the noise, you'll have just as much trouble with a new one then you would with the older one. It's always good to give a bird a new home that needs adopted, rather than get one from a breeder that will find a good home regardless.

I think it will bond to you over time, and would probably take nearly the same amount of time than a newborn baby would. Good luck with your decision!

Nothing a good pair of earplugs wont fix haha thats what im planning to do when i bring my new baby conure home. its on my list of things haha cage, toys, perches, food, playgym, EARPLUGS! for the whole household haha!

I would say that yes, a larger cage would be best!


I think that your idea of sleep cage and day cage is a great idea!

I think going to visit the bird is a must. My new Blue Crowned Conure took to me immediately and while he tolerates the rest of the family, he loves me. Birds are funny in that they can really love you ....or not. The nice thing about getting an older bird is you will really be able to get a good sense of its personality from the owner--providing that you trust her to tell you the good and the bad. Maybe you can come to an agreement where she will allow you to return the bird in a couple of weeks if you find the transition isn't working. Both of the breeders who I got my birds from agreed to this with me it did help eliminate some of the stress and although I never intended to return them, it also represented a commitment from the breeders to make sure that the birds were in good homes. Good luck!

I adopted a jenday conure last spring. Bonding with me was not the problem - the problem was and IS that he instantly hated my husband - drew blood on the first night and hasn't stopped screaming at him every time he sees him since. So I speculate there was a tall, thin, bald man in his previous life who was hard on him. When my husband is not around he's great! He is definitely the loudest of my three birds and has no problem using his volume to try to contact me if I am anywhere else in the house. There have been afternoons when I thought I couldn't take it anymore - but then he would simmer down and scramble over to 'bup' at me, his way of telling me how much he loves me. So....if the noise is your issue maybe a conure is not the best choice...but if it's the bonding then I wouldn't hold it against the bird you are considering adopting, especially since she will be in her current home.