Taming new Sun conure

DanaR

New member
Feb 9, 2013
25
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Missouri
Parrots
Sun Conure (Tequi),
Quaker Parrot (Kiwi),
Cockatiel (Jax),
Cockatiel (Kylie)
I brought home my new conure on Feb. 2...I really wanted to get one from a breeder, but couldn't find any close to my area. I ended up going to a Petchain store & bought the one & only Sun from them. I don't know exactly how old Tequi is, but he/she doesn't have adult plumage yet. I'm not sure of the sex, either, I'd like to do a DNA test later. You could tell that this poor baby had no socialization at all, or else it had been scared completely out of him by rough caretakers. The guy helping said no one got the bird out, I guess they were scared it would bite.

So, I ended up having to gently chase this poor bird around this tiny cage to even get him out to take him home. Tequi never offered to bite during this traumatizing event, he was just completely afraid of people. As soon as he got in the cage at home, he climbed the furthest perch from me, which is still where he goes when anyone approaches his cage. I put his cage next to my chair, so that he could get accustomed to my presence. The day after he was home, I began offering food to him in my hand, and he began eating from it, albeit still apprehensively. Surprisingly, he has never offered to bite much or very hard when he does. After a day of this, I managed to get him on my hand & thereafter was able to get him out of his cage. However, as soon as he was no longer distracted by the food, he immediately tried to fly away. And that was the pattern for 2-3 days straight. I could get him onto my hand, and maybe do one or two ladder steps, before he just decided to fly away. His wings had been clipped at the store, so he's not the best flyer right now, and he managed to injure one of his blood feathers, on his tail. With assistance from my vet tech daughter, we wrapped him in a towel & pulled the feather with pliers, which immediately ended the bleeding, but he & I both were traumatized again by this point. So I decided that I'm probably moving too fast.

Each day, since then, I open his cage door in the morning & put the playstand right next to his cage so that he could step to it if he wants. I talk to him & offer him food & treats, but he's still not wanting any part of me. The only time he voluntarily gets close to me is when he eats (his food dish is the closest point to me). I love watching him, and I call him a spiderbird, when he walks upside down across the roof of his cage. :) Today I noticed him trying to bath in his little water dish, so I put the other birds' bath dish in his cage; he looked it over carefully & even touched it with his beak & mouth a couple of times, but decided not to venture in.

At the store, there was a Quaker parrot that was in the little glass cubicle right next to Tequi's. My daughter fell in love with this bird, who is tamer & was coming up to the glass to check her out. We went back to the store 5 days after bring Tequi home, and she purchased him (& named him Kiwi). She also had to get Kiwi out of his cage to bring him home, because the person helping us was afraid of him (or maybe all birds). However, you can tell that Kiwi is older & has been socialized much more...I think there were at least 2 employees that would take him out & handle him often. Tequi really wants to get close to Kiwi, and has tried to snuggle with him, on one of the few times I had him out of the cage, but Kiwi is not too impressed with Tequi, and only allows him really close when Tequi preens Kiwi's head. When Tequi sees Kiwi on the playstand, he crawls all around the opened cage door, wanting to go to Kiwi, but is still afraid. I've only seen him come out once on his own...he made a circuit of the upper playstand area, & then headed back to his own cage.

So, in conclusion to this long rambling post, I guess I'm just wanting to know if I'm doing the right thing in backing off & letting Tequi get used to me & his new home from inside his cage...? Should I let him spend time with Kiwi, (if he ever comes out of the cage again!) or will this interfere with the bond I'm trying to make with him? Do I leave it completely up to him as to when he comes out, or should I continue feeding him from my hand & trying to coax him out? I guess I've been spoiled by my two tiels, they are both very tame & sweet, & were so when I brought them home. Jax, my 6 month old tiel, is like a sticktight, he wants to be with me or my daughter constantly, and only goes in his cage at night. Kylie, my older female, loves to fly to me from her cage, & uses my head as her landing pad. I'm usually the only one she'll go, to, though, she's a little more timid than Jax.

Thanks for any advice!
 

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DanaR

DanaR

New member
Feb 9, 2013
25
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Missouri
Parrots
Sun Conure (Tequi),
Quaker Parrot (Kiwi),
Cockatiel (Jax),
Cockatiel (Kylie)
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Things went much better today. I sat on a stool in front of Tequi's cage today & fed him breakfast by hand, piece by piece, and talked to him the whole time. He moved to the end of the perch closest to me & calmly accepted each piece I gave him. He didn't always eat them, but he was polite enough to take them from me. After he seemed to get full, I left his door open & moved his food bowl to just outside the cage, on the table. Then I continued with my usual routine, occasionally talking to him. Later on this morning I offered him a piece of dried papaya through the wires of his cage, and he climbed off his perch & came & took the piece from me. Maybe the way to his heart is through his stomach? He did his spiderbird impression & climbed around his cage, I could tell he was getting cabin fever, but was too nervous to come out, at first.

He ventured a couple of steps outside of his cage later, then went back in, then came out again...he did this several times before finally settling & eating his food. I told him what a good bird he was, but made no move towards him. So he periodically would come out & eat, each time seeming more relaxed & enjoying his time out of the cage.

AFter my daughter returned home from work, she brought her Quaker, Kiwi, to the playstand. This really excited Tequi, to the point of deciding that it was time to climb on top of the cage instead of inside it. He made several trips between his cage & the playstand throughout the afternoon. When he slipped off a couple of times, he accepted mine or my daughter's hand to help him back up, though he jumped off just as soon as he could. But, still - PROGRESS!! I'm so hopeful after today that we're now heading in the right direction. :D:orange:
 

JasmineGCC

New member
Oct 4, 2012
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England
Parrots
Jasmine my pineapple green cheeked conure, hatched 17 April 2012
I am so pleased things are progressing. My little conure Jasmine LOVES pine nuts and sunflower seeds so the only time she gets these is as a handfed treat. Patience is the key - after all you'll have your new pet hopefully for twenty-thirty years so a few weeks or even months building up trust is absolutely worth it
Good luck!
 

FineFeatheredFriend

New member
Aug 30, 2012
205
0
Parrots
Lovebird~Precious, Sennie~Snoopy,Hahns Macaw~Fiona
Congrads on your beautiful Sun Conure. I would suggest to take the easy approach. I would leave the bird alone in its cage for at least 2 weeks. This way it will allow the bird to get comfortable in its surrounding. I would sit next to the cage and feed the bird thru the cage bars. This way the bird will trust your hand.

I would also talk to the bird as well. Even hand fed babies takes awhile to bond. I remember it took me a month to bond with my baby Sennie while it was being weaned @ the breeders. Once it gains your trust then you will have a little friend for life. Peace be to you.
 

barw33zy

Member
Sep 13, 2011
76
7
Parrots
Sonny Sun Conure
I agree with the above posters. It sounds like you are doing great earning trust and forming a bond, patience, patience, patience. My first "wild" parrot(a stray from the humane society) took 2 months before he would perch on me, but I let him decide when he wanted to instead of forcing it. It was way more rewarding that way knowing that he chose to come to me instead of being coaxed, plus I didn't get bit in the process ;)

I would have also advised keeping in his cage for a while but since you have already had him out and about just keep up what you are doing. Good luck!
 
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DanaR

DanaR

New member
Feb 9, 2013
25
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Missouri
Parrots
Sun Conure (Tequi),
Quaker Parrot (Kiwi),
Cockatiel (Jax),
Cockatiel (Kylie)
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Another good day...Tequi & I are still making progress. We did the morning feeding the same way as yesterday & he seems to be comfortable with my presence. Several of the pellets were dropped by Tequi purposefully, so that he could -gently- explore my fingers with his tongue & bill. By lunchtime he was out of the cage & exploring the playstand again, giving those cute little conure grunts the whole time. At one point the birds were startled by my son turning on the vaccuum in another room, and Tequi flew to my shoulder; his cage was closer to him than my shoulder was. I'm choosing to look at this as a decision he made because he's starting to feel safe with me. :) I'm very proud of him today.
 
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DanaR

DanaR

New member
Feb 9, 2013
25
Media
1
0
Missouri
Parrots
Sun Conure (Tequi),
Quaker Parrot (Kiwi),
Cockatiel (Jax),
Cockatiel (Kylie)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Tequi playing...he loves this little foot toy.
 

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