Discouraging a parrot from bonding too close

Girlfriend

New member
Jul 12, 2015
1
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Hi. I, not a bird person actually, but my boyfriend has been in love with parrots since we started dating. I am an animal lover though and so we waited over a year, he picked the perfect bird, bought all the needed supplies. Finally a month ago he got his beloved green cheek conure. The only problem is he is starting to favour me over my BF which neither of us want. Don't get me wrong, I love the little guy too, but I don't want to "steal" this from my BF.

I want to help encourage the parrot to bond more with my boyfriend than me. Whenever he is out of his cage he wants to be on me at all times. I have started picking him up and purposely walking him back to my BF and placing him back on his shoulders, but he just immediately flies back to me. Even if I leave them alone in the room he has started trying to fly down the hall to find me. I guess I just instinctively picked up on how to preen his head and pet his feet, but when I show my bed what I'm doing and he tries to do the same the parrot freaks out and tries to escape and fly back to me. My BF doesn't complain, after all we both want to be trusted and liked by him, but I can see this sad rejected look in his eyes when the bird flies off him towards me for the hundredth time in a day.

I don't want to stop treated the bird right or stop showing it that I care, but should I maybe let them spend more alone time at home together. Or is this just the conures choice to make and we should just respect that decision. Or is he just more clingy too me since I don't see him for days at a time when my BF takes him with him on business trips out of town. Maybe it's just a novelty thing, like oh this person I rarely see, better snuggle them while I've got the chance. Is there anything I should tell my BF to encourage him that the parrot love s him too?

Thanks for answering my questions. I'm trying to be a good supportive co-parent to the bird but this is all new to me. I do seem to have a way with animals that my boyfriend doesn't seem to come by naturally. Maybe the bird can sense his unease or anxiety?

Thanks :rainbow1:
 

StarryEyedGirl

New member
Jan 16, 2015
140
0
Connecticut
Parrots
I have one bird. He is a Black Capped Conure and his name is Harley. His hatch date is 2/3/2014.
From what I have learned is the bird will pick who they bond with. My black capped conure bonds with me mostly. And for the first few months was all about me. But he did eventually warm up to my boyfriend and now we are his people. When my boyfriends parents come over he's all 'hey, new people. Okay... Done with new people... Mom... Dad?!' if he could say that I'm sure that'd be said. He looks frantically for us and still usually comes more to me than my boyfriend. But he does spend time with him when I'm gone. Give it time, your green cheek will warm up to your boyfriend sooner or later. Sometimes they say male birds will bond more with the female owner and the female birds bond more with the male owners. But every bird is different. Good luck!
 

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