sticking to me like glue

This is somewhat of a long post so please bear with me. Ninja, my gold cap conure has finally adjusted to his new cage, after staying in his cage for almost 3 weeks straight when I first introduced him to it.
Now he's out all the time or wants out.....great!
Now we seem to have two separate issues, screaming and cling on...

S C R E A M I N G.....oh my ears! he can do this 1- 15 times per day
not just a conure call, screaming for 20-30 seconds straight,
ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba...well, you get the picture,,, my ears ring, and my family wants me to sell him, which I would never consider.
I can't have him screaming, due to my son having mild autism and it drives him nuts.

Is that just excitement or behavioural issue that I clearly need to adress???
I'm guessing he's calling for me or he's bored and wants attention, he is around 9 other birds so he is not alone.

the second issue is he has become my new best friend, and wants to be with me, all the time.
He want to be with me every waking moment, which I have to say is flattering, but not realistic. I've only had him three short months, came from a breeding environment, but is the sweetest, kindest, gentle soul of a bird. So this is all new to him, and is relishing in all the affection he is receiving, and seems to want it all the time.

When I put him on his perch so I can leave the room, he flies to my shoulder again, and again.
I can walk back and forth (being patient or stupid, I don't know which,lol) and every time I turn my back to walk, he's right back on me.

I can't bring him out into the living room due to having 4 cats and 3 dogs.
Only when all three dogs are outside and the cats are behind closed doors do I bring him out.

I don't want to put him back in his cage, I know Ninja, that will only work once maybe twice if I'm lucky and won't go back in.
I don't want to create more training issues with trying to put him back in and now he refuses to return to his cage, right now he goes in without any issues.
Considering how difficult it was for him to adjust to his new cage, I don't want to go that route at all.

How do you get him to stay and walk away so I can leave??
my other birds fly on my shoulder, but I fling them off, I just kind of whip my shoulder forward gently and they fly off, will no hard feelings.

I don't want to do that with Ninja, first of all I think I would get wip lash, but seriously I want to be a little more gentle with him. He is a gentle giant of sorts, doesn't have a mean bone in his body, and is such an amazing bird.
We spent 1/2 hour in bed this morning, cuddling, getting scritches, and giving kisses, and hiding under the blanket. he is adorable.

I wish I could have him with me all the time, he's just that type of bird, but he also needs to learn to 'stay' when I want to leave, how do I accomplish that?

is this a common problem?

Hi Crimson,

Congrats on your new gold cap! How old is Ninja?

When you were getting him used to his cage, did he already start his screaming? I'm assuming he screeches when you leave his sight and that he is in a bird room with all the other birds, and that this is away from the main 'family hub?'

I don't have as much experience as you, having only 1 bird. I imagine that my sun would also screech his head off if I put him inside his cage and go to another room. I haven't tried as he is always out of the cage when I'm home so he just follows md from room to room. You have cats and dogs so that would be impossible.

Have you tried just ignoring him when he screeches and coming back with a treat when he does a softer call or stays quiet?

BoomBoom said:

Hi Crimson,

Congrats on your new gold cap! How old is Ninja?

When you were getting him used to his cage, did he already start his screaming? I'm assuming he screeches when you leave his sight and that he is in a bird room with all the other birds, and that this is away from the main 'family hub?'

I don't have as much experience as you, having only 1 bird. I imagine that my sun would also screech his head off if I put him inside his cage and go to another room. I haven't tried as he is always out of the cage when I'm home so he just follows md from room to room. You have cats and dogs so that would be impossible.

Have you tried just ignoring him when he screeches and coming back with a treat when he does a softer call or stays quiet?

Click to expand...

Boom Boom, if you have one well behaved bird, that's all that matters. You have a Sun, so I'm sure you understand how loud they can be, Ninja is a tad bit louder than a sun, and it's more of a forceful call.
All my birds are good, Ninja is just trying to find out what works and what doesn't...I am not good at training, but am willing to learn. I have to, we shouldn't have to tolerate the screaming. I just don't know what sets him off.
I'm not sure at this point if it's excitement, or boredom, or loneliness.
this morning when I had to leave the bedroom, I gave him a seedless grape (his favourite) he screamed with it in his beak(lol), and flew to me still griping it,,, holy cow.

Ninja is 2 years old. when I introduced him to his new cage, he was very quiet,
he had been here almost 2 months, when I bought him his new cage, he did the odd screech or call but nothing like it is now.
I tried everything to have him stay out, he would come willingly, I would place him on his perch, then he would directly go back into his cage. I never pushed him to stay out, what ever he wanted was fine with me.
His door was always left open, should he want to come out, but he remained in.
so now he screams in his cage, and when he's out

When he screams I ignore him, completely, if it goes on for a bit, then I speak to him in a low but stern voice, and he stops, but not for long.
I can deal with the screaming, but how do I get him to stay on his perch, so I can leave my own bedroom.
It's ridiculous, I am reluctant to go in there, cause I know he will come right onto my shoulder, and not want off. Now my female pineapple conure Kahlua comes on my shoulder as well, so now I have both, then sometimes they get into a bit of a tif on my shoulder, and I just cringe, the last thing I need is a nip on my shoulder from those two having a spat.

He's quiet when he is with me, but obviously wants attention all the time, which I cannot provide.

crimson said:

I'm not sure at this point if it's excitement, or boredom, or loneliness.
this morning when I had to leave the bedroom, I gave him a seedless grape (his favourite) he screamed with it in his beak(lol), and flew to me still griping it,,, holy cow.

Ninja is 2 years old. when I introduced him to his new cage, he was very quiet,
he had been here almost 2 months, when I bought him his new cage, he did the odd screech or call but nothing like it is now.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a sticky situation indeed (pardon the pun). It seems like he is really bonded to you, maybe he even sees you as his mate which would explain this sudden change and his incessant need to be around you. Taking him around the house with you would have been an easy fix (what I did) but I can see how that is not possible in your situation. Is your bed room where you keep all your birds? Would it be possible to get him to bond with the other birds you have so he doesn't call out for you all the time?

Besides doing the extinction method (training them not to use their natural call) which is a lengthy and strict training period, I don't know what else could be helpful in this situation.

Hmm how about relocating his cage else where?

BoomBoom said:

crimson said:

I'm not sure at this point if it's excitement, or boredom, or loneliness.
this morning when I had to leave the bedroom, I gave him a seedless grape (his favourite) he screamed with it in his beak(lol), and flew to me still griping it,,, holy cow.

Ninja is 2 years old. when I introduced him to his new cage, he was very quiet,
he had been here almost 2 months, when I bought him his new cage, he did the odd screech or call but nothing like it is now.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a sticky situation indeed (pardon the pun). It seems like he is really bonded to you, maybe he even sees you as his mate which would explain this sudden change and his incessant need to be around you. Taking him around the house with you would have been an easy fix (what I did) but I can see how that is not possible in your situation. Is your bed room where you keep all your birds? Would it be possible to get him to bond with the other birds you have so he doesn't call out for you all the time?

Besides doing the extinction method (training them not to use their natural call) which is a lengthy and strict training period, I don't know what else could be helpful in this situation.

Hmm how about relocating his cage else where?

Click to expand...

yes it is a bit of a sticky situation isn't it?,lol--good one!
Ninja and Kahlua are very bonded, but now when Kahlua gets on my shoulder with Ninja, he boots her off in a heart beat....uh oh, is he now getting possessive? seems like it to me....

we have tried relocating his cage, into our eating area, but it's too close to the kitchen and I was worried about fumes etc, not to mention the cats and dogs....so he went back into the bedroom.
He has only bonded with Kahlua my pineapple conure,who is female, but now he's really taken with me.
thanks for your advice boom boom, I'll just keep plodding along until I figure this one out.

No problem. Hopefully someone comes along with more advice. Hope he settles down soon. Maybe this is just a phase and what people keep referring to as the 'terrible twos.'

BoomBoom said:

No problem. Hopefully someone comes along with more advice. Hope he settles down soon. Maybe this is just a phase and what people keep referring to as the 'terrible twos.'

Click to expand...

boom boom, you were right, it seems that he is settling down already, at least for today.
Twice I've been in the bedroom with him on my shoulder, and when I perch him he is staying there....what I always say to my birds is "I'll be back", they know that I will return sooner or later, and it seems to have resinated with Ninja....go figure.
when I say that, it was not a 'training' word by any means, but he has learned when I say that he interprets it to stay put, he figured it out on his own...I hope tomorrow is the same. well that is one problem solved for now, now for the screaming.
He seems fairly quiet today, maybe he just wanted attention, but that is a tantrum, and his terrible two stage, thanks boom boom!